. And honest to Pete, the transformation was like ... in two days! I'm not kidding! When we walk now, there's SLACK in the leash! Really, they're like ... maybe $25 and I swear it's the best investment she could hope to make in her dog... for BOTH of them. Really. ReallyreallyREALLYreally. You can order them online, or pick up up at Petsmart -- they come with a DVD and an instruction booklet.
ive got this on a sticky in my planner for tomorrow. shes supposed to meet me for lunch after she has her taxes done. the mutt will be with her and will be walking her all over the city. its the perfect opportunity to bring it up.
Yeah! It was the weirdest thing, not knowing about it, and wondering if I was imagining his nose changing color... you know, like if I was losing it, or something. So then I did research. Oy. The FIRST stuff I came across was dire. All kinds of horrible diseases and junk dogs get that change the colors of their noses, but then, when I looked at the pictures, that wasn't it, so then I narrowed my research to blond labs, and bingo! Seems there are several different theories out there floating around about it, but the most reasonable one I ran across was a seasonal thing. Another site said it was from lack of sunshine, but heck, we're in Arizona -- no shortage of sunshine here. I'll be anxious to see if it DOES start turning black again, come summer.
im gonna be looking at mine in a month or so. if not sunlight tho what might account for the seasonal change?
And today:
buck is looking mighty happy to be out on the town:)
We like to crank the MP3 Player on "Born to be Wild" usually, on this leg of the trip. He likes to sing along...
Thanks. I'm kinda partial to him, but technically, he's my Mom's dog.
uh huh...lol
I discovered something about blond labs -- they get things called "winter noses" -- their noses turn from black to pink, relative to the sunlight, or something. Note the difference between ... eh? Around September...:
wow, id noticed the color differences but didnt know that. id assumed it had to do with irritation from digging or something.
Yeah! It was the weirdest thing, not knowing about it, and wondering if I was imagining his nose changing color... you know, like if I was losing it, or something. So then I did research. Oy. The FIRST stuff I came across was dire. All kinds of horrible diseases and junk dogs get that change the colors of their noses, but then, when I looked at the pictures, that wasn't it, so then I narrowed my research to blond labs, and bingo! Seems there are several different theories out there floating around about it, but the most reasonable one I ran across was a seasonal thing. Another site said it was from lack of sunshine, but heck, we're in Arizona -- no shortage of sunshine here. I'll be anxious to see if it DOES start turning black again, come summer.
And today:
buck is looking mighty happy to be out on the town:)
We like to crank the MP3 Player on "Born to be Wild" usually, on this leg of the trip. He likes to sing along...
I've been told it'll turn black again in a few months. Weird, hunh? Also, apparently labs have temperments according to their colors?? Chocolate labs are one, way, black labs another, and blond labs, still another.
Guess which is supposed to be the "most playful." <sigh>
raising hand..i know i know! lol and thats what makes them the best animal pals in the world. there is not another being on the planet that will greet you like a yellow lab.
He just turned two. Like yesterday, or today. Two. That's a two year old pup in that picture above. JUST TURNED. Not finished growning. I think I'll probably lease him out as a carnival ride in a year or so ... He was way stronger than me six months ago -- pulled me right off my feet and dragged me, with me pulling back as hard as I could, a good 15 feet. That was when I got serious about researching restraints, and discovered the gentle leader.
this really is a good idea. im going to share that with my pal. her lab is always out of control when we are walkling. its not bad in an open area where we can set him loose on the world but a real drag on a path.
Oh, Psych, I'm TELLING YOU! I could do free infomercials for this product! Have her have a sales associate show her how to put it on ... it's a little confusing, at first, figuring out that you have to pull the loop that goes around the nose through this little ring thing, and bla bla bla ... also, you will THINK it's "too tight" around the neck, but it's not. Honestly, I think he didn't like wearing it the maybe first time I put it on him, but by the next day he was cool with it, and now, he gets excited when he sees it. And honest to Pete, the transformation was like ... in two days! I'm not kidding! When we walk now, there's SLACK in the leash! Really, they're like ... maybe $25 and I swear it's the best investment she could hope to make in her dog... for BOTH of them. Really. ReallyreallyREALLYreally. You can order them online, or pick up up at Petsmart -- they come with a DVD and an instruction booklet.
He's ... winsome. :) He tries sooooooooooo hard.
Okay, you got me talking about the dog. You're not supposed to do that.
Thanks. I'm kinda partial to him, but technically, he's my Mom's dog.
uh huh...lol
I discovered something about blond labs -- they get things called "winter noses" -- their noses turn from black to pink, relative to the sunlight, or something. Note the difference between ... eh? Around September...:
wow, id noticed the color differences but didnt know that. id assumed it had to do with irritation from digging or something.
And today:
buck is looking mighty happy to be out on the town:)
I've been told it'll turn black again in a few months. Weird, hunh? Also, apparently labs have temperments according to their colors?? Chocolate labs are one, way, black labs another, and blond labs, still another.
Guess which is supposed to be the "most playful." <sigh>
raising hand..i know i know! lol and thats what makes them the best animal pals in the world. there is not another being on the planet that will greet you like a yellow lab.
He just turned two. Like yesterday, or today. Two. That's a two year old pup in that picture above. JUST TURNED. Not finished growning. I think I'll probably lease him out as a carnival ride in a year or so ... He was way stronger than me six months ago -- pulled me right off my feet and dragged me, with me pulling back as hard as I could, a good 15 feet. That was when I got serious about researching restraints, and discovered the gentle leader.
this really is a good idea. im going to share that with my pal. her lab is always out of control when we are walkling. its not bad in an open area where we can set him loose on the world but a real drag on a path.
He's ... winsome. :) He tries sooooooooooo hard.
Okay, you got me talking about the dog. You're not supposed to do that.
that is one CUTE pup you got there....the seal belt thing is cool!
Thanks. I'm kinda partial to him, but technically, he's my Mom's dog.
I discovered something about blond labs -- they get things called "winter noses" -- their noses turn from black to pink, relative to the sunlight, or something. Note the difference between ... eh? Around September...:
And today:
I've been told it'll turn black again in a few months. Weird, hunh? Also, apparently labs have temperments according to their colors?? Chocolate labs are one, way, black labs another, and blond labs, still another.
Guess which is supposed to be the "most playful." <sigh>
He just turned two. Like yesterday, or today. Two. That's a two year old pup in that picture above. JUST TURNED. Not finished growning. I think I'll probably lease him out as a carnival ride in a year or so ... He was way stronger than me six months ago -- pulled me right off my feet and dragged me, with me pulling back as hard as I could, a good 15 feet. That was when I got serious about researching restraints, and discovered the gentle leader.
Today, he learned "leave it" (to the point that I could put a treat on the floor, tell him to "leave it" walk away, and he wouldn't touch it) and did REALLY well with "stay" -- I left the screen door WIDE OPEN to go carry Mom's groceries in from the car, and he STAYED! Kinda lurched a wee bit when he heard the car door open, but caught himself, and STAYED. Not that I'm going to push my luck with it, but wowzers.
YESTERDAY he learned "lie down" finally, (he was sort of doing a quick bow before) and BAM! He's got it nailed now.
It's like he's hit a new kind of accelerated learning curve, or something just overnight. We still have some MAJOR behavior things to work on, but I think they'll come eventually.
He does "tricks" (sit, gimme five, sit up, etc.) and knows "up" and what some of his toys are by name, which is fun, and he knows that when I say "that's enough" that the petting ends, and I'm going to go back to work, and stuff, but the "stay" and "leave it" could one day save his life, and they're important, yanno?
He's ... winsome. :) He tries sooooooooooo hard.
Okay, you got me talking about the dog. You're not supposed to do that.
I need to get some pics of him in his seat belt harness at some point, I suppose -- there was no car ride involved this day, though, just a walk.
UPDATE: OK, we went for a ride today -- here are the pix:
The loop part on the top of his back there, is what you thread the seat belt through:
Like this (the seatbelt is the more gray part.) I'm holding the end of the seatbelt that would normally click in by the seat.
One buckled in dog (and why I wouldn't DARE open the window this much in traffic):
Sparticus ain't got nuttin' on me ... "livin' large" the final lap of the trip, around the neighborhood, approx 10mph, with the window all the way down:
He was somewhat sedate today. Lots of times, he puts his paws on the base of the window there, and puts his whole upper body out the window on this final lap, but today, he was content just peeking out.
Anyway -- I know of someone who recently had her dog in a car kennel, and had a wreck, and the dog didn't make it. I don't know if (with the windows closed) Buck would, or not, but I DO know he's not going to be thrown 50 feet, so the car seatbelt and the gentle leader lead are my favorite "cool fix"es right now. :)
Suppose your remote car door opener does not have the range to reach your car across the parking lot. Hold the metal key part of your key fob against your chin, then push the unlock button. The trick turns your head into an antenna, says Tim Pozar, a Silicon Valley radio engineer.
Mr. Pozar explains, You are capacitively coupling the fob to your head. With all the fluids in your head it ends up being a nice conductor. Not a great one, but it works. Using your head can extend the keys wireless range by a few car lengths.
______________________
I tried this one and was surprised to find that it did indeed work. I was hitting the button and heard nothing. I was across the street and about 1/2 block or so away. I put the key to my chin, pressed the button and heard the beep.
I'm thinking an extra few car lengths is all you'll really get, but it does work.
There's another car remote thing I've tested, and it also works.
If you have two remotes, and say one is with you, and the other is at home, and you are having a cerebral flatulence kind of day, and accidentally lock your keys inside your car, and you've a cell phone, you can call home, and ask a person there to put your spare remote up to the cell phone and push the unlock button, while you put your cell phone up to the car, and your car door will unlock.
My friend and I tested it in a parking lot with me far enough away from my car that the remote alone wouldn't work (she was standing beside my car, listening) but when I called her cell, and did the above, it unlocked right away.
Now, I'm wondering if the "extended antenna" thing was in play, and if, by virtue of my putting the remote next to the cell I'd somehow extended the antenna in the parking lot. I'd test it with me like ... at home, or something, but ... life's kinda short, and time with friends pretty precious, and there are better ways to spend both, than unlocking car doors. I'm inclined, though, to think it'd still work, though.
It stuck me that this wouldn't do me a bit of good if I'd LOST my car key while shopping, or something, but what I might do is get yet another spare key (without the remote fob) and hide it inside the car somewhere, and then, I could go through the whole process above, and retrieve the key inside the car. I need to get some spare keys made anyway, actually. My best bud delivered to me a spare set of keys to her car and home the other day, which I keep here for her (and me, if, for some reason I would need to be in her home) and I really should reciprocate -- makes sense for someone else to have keys to your place who doesn't live there, I think. Also to your vehicle.
As for locating your vehicle ... if I'm just running into a store for a second, I have a great locator/alarm system sitting in the back seat with the window down, who can let me know exactly where both they, and the car are. :)
I've never been a fan of leaving dogs in cars, and am not now, but the weather here right now is somewhat temporate, and as yet, I can't safely leave the dog home alone or he flips out (and I've still one section of fencing on the side of my house which is only four feet high) so he pretty much gets the treat of going for a ride every time I leave the house right now. Usually, it's to take Mom somewhere, and she goes inside and does her thing, and we either go back home and wait for her to call and have us come back to pick her up, or the two of us wait in the parking lot -- sometimes, we'll go for a little walk while she's inside doing her banking, or shopping, or whatever.
Of course you can't leave pets or people in vehicles here in the summer even for five minutes where the temp can zoom up to over 120 degrees in a matter of minutes -- ESPECIALLY with the windows rolled up, and I'd never do that.
I don't much like walking away from my car in a public place with the windows down, but then again, who's gonna mess with it with a noisy sixty pounds of canine bark in the back seat? It's not ideal, but sometimes you just have to do what you have to do. I also have a seat belt harness for him he wears in the car which keeps him from jumping out. It's a pretty nifty thing, really. Basically, his front two legs go through two loops/holes, there's a strap that runs down his chest, and connects with a belt that sort of goes around his mid-section, and I buckle that closed. On the back of the mid-section belt is a seatbelt "loop" through which you thread the car seat belt, and then you buckle the end of the car seat belt as you normally would. It works really well. The only problem is getting him to contain his exuberance long enough to get into the seatbelt harness. It's funny to watch him TRYING to be calm so that we can get the things on, but it's so hard for him. I quickly learned to get him all outfitted in both the harness and leash (the gentle leader) before we even walk out of the house -- usually we put it on in the kitchen, where there's ample room, and too, where he can't SEE the front door. He's learning that he just doen't go out that front door with at least his lead on, and so is prone to bringing it to me when he thinks it's time to go somewhere.
The gentle leader thing is truly a God-send, but it does look a little odd, fitting both over his nozzle, and high on his neck (higher than most collars.)
The part around his nose tightens or loosens according to how much he strains on the lead. When he pulls hard, it tighens on his "nose" thus applying pressure to an area connected to the submissive part of his brain.
The higher collar which goes around his neck goes over the part of the back of his neck which contact the part of his brain telling him to relax. You know how mother dogs will pick up their pups by the back of the neck? They do so for a reason -- or maybe the reason evolved from their doing so. Anyway, dogs relax, when pressure is applied there.
I'm tellin' you, he loves this lead, and you'll note there is SLACK in the leash when we walk.
I need to get some pics of him in his seat belt harness at some point, I suppose -- there was no car ride involved this day, though, just a walk. It takes a little getting used to having the end of the leash on his nose, rather than his neck (me, as much as him) and sometimes, (though not often) the lead will get ... well, sometime's he'll step over it, if we've broken from routine, and I have to lift one of his legs to help him "step out of" it, but it works, works like a charm (this is a dog who, before the gentle leader, was CONTINALLY pulling so hard on the lead my arm was in pain after every walk, and one time, when he got excited at seeing a bunch of teenagers with a dog, he literally pulled me right off my feet and dragged me a good 15 feet, trying to get to them and that dog approaching "our" property) and we're both learning. I've read, from other people who use the gentle leader that some people think it makes their dog look "mean" to other people; that people assume it's a muzzle of some sort, and there to prevent the dog from biting, or something, and so they're less prone to respond to the dog in a favorable way, thus shaping the dog's socialization in a negative way. I've never found this to be the case, though. I suspect a part of that has to do with his being blond. (Both my dogs before were black, and some people have odd reactions to black dogs.) I should note that this in no way acts as a muzzle ... he can open his mouth all the way, and eat, drink, bark, whatever without any problem, and does. There's no interference with any of those things, at all. You can sort of see in the last pic that he's panting (we'd been walking for a while) and his mouth is open. The Gentle Leader was developed by a group of Vets, and is IN NO WAY painful or hurtful to the dog, beyond applying a little pressure to his nose, but that's something he does to himself, when he strains at the lead. The only bad thing about this is that it doesn't really train him to behave similarly on a regular leash. Even so, I did a lot of reseach on ways to control him, and this was by far the most humane and also the best for his body. Also best for mine. The kind of harness which fits around a dog's torso ENCOURAGES the dog to pull more, and also can damage the dog's ribs and stuff. I've read report after report that those collars with the spikes in 'em don't hurt the dog at all. Don't believe it for a second. :) Might control the dog, but I don't want to do that at so high a cost to him. I don't want to cause him pain, just "gentle" reminders that pulling on a leash (and really, this is the first dog I've ever had, who was stronger than me, and that's not a good thing if you're out in public -- for either you OR the dog, let alone other people or animals) isn't the way we most enjoy taking a walk.
More often than thinking him a mean dog, people mistake him for a service dog of some sort. But he's not. Champion trick performing HERO dog, yeah, but service dog, no. Not yet, anyway.
I've learned the first thing is to get his nose into the loop there. This, he tries desperately to help with, and will thrust his head toward the loop trying to get it in there as quickly as possible. Rarely works, but he's tryin'. He has a approach/avoidance thing about the gentle leader -- doesn't much like wearing it (because it controls him, and who likes to be controlled?) but loves to go out the front door, and knows he can't without that, so it's really a pretty funny process to see him combine the two attitudes, in rapid succession, one right after the other.
Lots of times, when we're out, if I take him for a short walk, I'll leave the seat belt harness on him, so that, with the loop around his nose must make an odd sight for onlookers, but it works for us, and is my "cool fix." :)
There's also perk for him with the seat belt thing. I know it's not good to let your dog ride in the car with their head out the window -- is bad for their eyes, and could cause them to lose their vision. When we're riding on main roads, I'll crack the back window just enough so that he can stick his nose, but not whole head out. Then, when we're back home, and on the neighborhood streets, I'll roll the window ALL the way down, and drive around the block at about 10-15 mph, and he can stand with his paws on the door, and half his body out the window, enjoying the sights, sounds, and the breeze. There are very rarely any approaching cars, and if I happen to see one, I'll pull way over to the side of the road, "just in case." Because he's belted in, I know he can't either jump or fall out of the car so it's safe for him to do this. This is typically how we end our long car trips. I suppose it's sort of wasteful of gas, but ... well, he's family too, and seems like at least a PART of the trip should cater to him, doncha think?
try the plastic bag credit card one sometime that works too!
i actually had a store clerk do this little trick a while ago..maybe a year?? when my debit card wasnt working....and yes it did work!! pretty cool....i just wonder how people come up with these nifty little tricks....
Suppose your remote car door opener does not have the range to reach your car across the parking lot. Hold the metal key part of your key fob against your chin, then push the unlock button. The trick turns your head into an antenna, says Tim Pozar, a Silicon Valley radio engineer.
Mr. Pozar explains, You are capacitively coupling the fob to your head. With all the fluids in your head it ends up being a nice conductor. Not a great one, but it works. Using your head can extend the keys wireless range by a few car lengths.
______________________
I tried this one and was surprised to find that it did indeed work. I was hitting the button and heard nothing. I was across the street and about 1/2 block or so away. I put the key to my chin, pressed the button and heard the beep.
I'm thinking an extra few car lengths is all you'll really get, but it does work.
have to put on here...my brilliant child left his cell phone outside saturday night....and of course it rained....sunday morning when i found it....i did as was suggested here...removed the battery, dried it off as much as i could...put it in the jar of uncooked rice, left it for about 6 hours or so...and wah lah!! it works!!!
well good! thats worked for me a few times too when ive kayaked with it in my pocket or gotten caught in a downpour try the plastic bag credit card one sometime that works too!
have to put on here...my brilliant child left his cell phone outside saturday night....and of course it rained....sunday morning when i found it....i did as was suggested here...removed the battery, dried it off as much as i could...put it in the jar of uncooked rice, left it for about 6 hours or so...and wah lah!! it works!!!
i know that number one works because ive used it a lot as does the putting the wet cell phone in rice. im gonna have to try the head as an antennae thing. lol.
Basics
Low-Tech Fixes for High-Tech Problems
By PAUL BOUTIN
Published: February 18, 2009
BEHIND the cash register at Smoke Shop No. 2 in downtown San Francisco, Sam Azar swipes a customers credit card to ring up Turkish cigarettes. The stores card reader fails to scan the cards magnetic strip. Azar swipes again, and again. No luck.
As customers begin to queue, he reaches beneath the counter for a black plastic bag. He wraps one layer of the plastic around the card and swipes it again. Success. The sale is rung up.
I dont know how it works, it just does, says Mr. Azar, who learned the trick years ago from another clerk. Verifone, the company that makes the stores card reader, would not confirm or deny that the plastic bag trick works. But its one of many low-tech fixes for high-tech failures that people without engineering degrees have discovered, often out of desperation, and shared.
Todays shaky economy is likely to produce many more such tricks. In postwar Japan, the economy wasnt doing so great, so you couldnt get everyday-use items like household cleaners, says Lisa Katayama, author of Urawaza, a book named after the Japanese term for clever lifestyle tips and tricks. So people looked for ways to do with what they had.
Popular urawaza include picking up broken glass from the kitchen floor with a slice of bread, or placing houseplants on a water-soaked diaper to keep them watered during a vacation trip.
Today, Americans are finding their own tips and tricks for fixing misbehaving gadgets with supplies as simple as paper and adhesive tape. Some, like Mr. Azars plastic bag, are open to argument as to how they work, or whether they really work at all. But many tech home remedies can be explained by a little science.
Cellphone Losing Charge
If your cellphone loses its battery charge too quickly while idle in your pocket, part of the problem may be that your pocket is too warm.
Cellphone batteries do indeed last a bit longer if kept cool, says Isidor Buchanan, editor of the Battery University Web site. The 98.6-degree body heat of a human, transmitted through a cloth pocket to a cellphone inside, is enough to speed up chemical processes inside the phones battery. That makes it run down faster. To keep the phone cooler, carry it in your purse or on your belt.
This same method can be used to preserve your battery should you find yourself away from home without your charger. Turn off the phone and put it in the hotel refrigerator overnight to slow the batterys natural tendency to lose its charge.
Remote Car Key
Suppose your remote car door opener does not have the range to reach your car across the parking lot. Hold the metal key part of your key fob against your chin, then push the unlock button. The trick turns your head into an antenna, says Tim Pozar, a Silicon Valley radio engineer.
Mr. Pozar explains, You are capacitively coupling the fob to your head. With all the fluids in your head it ends up being a nice conductor. Not a great one, but it works. Using your head can extend the keys wireless range by a few car lengths.
Dry Ink Cartridge
If your printers ink cartridge runs dry near the end of an important print job, remove the cartridge and run a hair dryer on it for two to three minutes. Then place the cartridge back into the printer and try again while it is still warm.
The heat from the hair dryer heats the thick ink, and helps it to flow through the tiny nozzles in the cartridge, says Alex Cox, a software engineer in Seattle. When the cartridge is almost dead, those nozzles are often nearly clogged with dried ink, so helping the ink to flow will let more ink out of the nozzles. The hair dryer trick can squeeze a few more pages out of a cartridge after the printer declares it is empty.
Cellphone in the Toilet
It could happen to anyone: you dropped your cellphone in the toilet. Take the battery out immediately, to prevent electrical short circuits from frying your phones fragile internals. Then, wipe the phone gently with a towel, and shove it into a jar full of uncooked rice.
He likes to sing along... 
I think I'll probably lease him out as a carnival ride in a year or so ... He was way stronger than me six months ago -- pulled me right off my feet and dragged me, with me pulling back as hard as I could, a good 15 feet. That was when I got serious about researching restraints, and discovered the gentle leader. 
I'm inclined, though, to think it'd still work, though. 
It's not ideal, but sometimes you just have to do what you have to do. I also have a seat belt harness for him he wears in the car which keeps him from jumping out. It's a pretty nifty thing, really. Basically, his front two legs go through two loops/holes, there's a strap that runs down his chest, and connects with a belt that sort of goes around his mid-section, and I buckle that closed. On the back of the mid-section belt is a seatbelt "loop" through which you thread the car seat belt, and then you buckle the end of the car seat belt as you normally would. It works really well. The only problem is getting him to contain his exuberance long enough to get into the seatbelt harness. It's funny to watch him TRYING to be calm so that we can get the things on, but it's so hard for him. 
