User:	dogsintraining (posted by miss_teacher)
	Date:	2009-07-14 18:04
	Subject:	Pet Doorbell
	Security:	Public

Many people here ask about teaching their dog to ring a bell to go outside and more recently one community member installed an indoor doorbell for her dog.

I was browsing through a pet catalog and found this. It's a doorbell that is activated by the tag on put on his collar when your dog comes within 3 feet of the unit.

I love gadgets so this is kind of neat. But I can see it not working well if the dog just likes to hang out by the front door if if the layout of your house makes it so the dog often has to walk by the front door while going to other places in the house.

But if bells don't work well for you and you're not as savvy with electrical work to require an indoor doorbell I though this might be of interest to some people.

I don't really get what the point is of having your pet's photo attached to it though. Weird. It's not like it's a face recognition thing.

	User:	weddingplans (posted by ultimate_cin)
	Date:	2009-07-14 20:45
	Subject:	Reception help!
	Security:	Public

Because the FH and I have such a tight budget, we're doing the food at the reception ourselves. We're still working out what exactly we're going to have (wedding is 9/19 by the way, but I'm trying to figure out if we're going to have enough supplies.

This is what I've purchased so far:

3 3lb 4 oz containers of peanuts and 3 4lb containers of mints to put in bowls at the tables
2 100 ct. 16 oz plastic cups
1 125 ct. 5 oz bowls (for the peanuts and mints)
1 125 ct 6" plates (for cake)
100 8 oz. foam cups & lids (for coffee)
1 225 ct 8 3/4" plates (for food)
2 150 ct forks
2 150 ct knives
2 150 ct spoons
3 100 ct dinner napkins
4 24 pks bottled water
25 2 ltrs of soda (2 orange, 2 diet orange, 2 ginger ale, 2 diet root beer, 5 diet cola, 6 regular cola, 2 citrus drop, 2 Dr. K, 2 root beer)

I'm planning on around 135 people, but there may be less - RSVP's are not due in until 8/1. Should I buy more of anything??

	User:	weddingplans (posted by _lindz)
	Date:	2009-07-14 20:21
	Subject:
	Security:	Public

I'm married! :)

You might remember me from this post where I was freaking out about the 80% potential for thunderstorms.. well, I'm happy to tell you all that there were NO THUNDERSTORMS and it was BEAUTIFUL! Wooooohoooo!

( Proof under the cut! )

	User:	cat_lovers (posted by pylonarchive)
	Date:	2009-07-15 10:24
	Subject:	video spam :X
	Security:	Public

I took some videos of the kittens yesterday.

( Read more... )

Sorry for the wonky camera. :/

	User:	cat_lovers (posted by eeekster)
	Date:	2009-07-14 17:18
	Subject:	House Cats Know What They Want And How To Get It From You
	Security:	Public
	Mood:	amused

ScienceDaily (July 13, 2009) — Anyone who has ever had cats knows how difficult it can be to get them to do anything they don't already want to do. But it seems that the house cats themselves have had distinctly less trouble getting humans to do their bidding, according to a report published in the July 14th issue of Current Biology.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090713121348.htm

	User:	fictionwriters (posted by america220)
	Date:	2009-07-15 01:08
	Subject:
	Security:	Public

Title:Mysterious Encounters
Author:

</a></b></a>america220

	User:	dogsintraining (posted by cryslea)
	Date:	2009-07-14 18:55
	Subject:	For the true dog geeks.
	Security:	Public

I have a present for the geeks in this community:

Current Issues and Research in Veterinary Behavioral Medicine

This is 320 pages worth of articles covering everything from DAP to fear-associated learning to canine cognitive dysfunction to canine personality to... just everything! It also covers cats, horses, ducks... everything!!

	User:	weddingplans (posted by maciebrown)
	Date:	2009-07-14 18:42
	Subject:	Final Draft of Invite
	Security:	Public

Ok guys, what do you think of the font of our names? Reminder, Halloween wedding.

( clicky )



Also: those of you who printed at Kinkos, what file type did you save your invite as? My friendly neighborhood Kinkos guy said PDF is best... but Corel Paint Shop Pro won't save as that. He suggested TIF. Anyone know if this is right? I'm always up for a second opinion.  

	User:	silvestris
	Date:	2009-07-15 01:03
	Subject:
	Security:	Public

Don't you just hate how the feeling left behind by a bad dream can spoil an entire day? That vague sense of unease you just can't shake, and unpleasant glimpses of dream-images you really could have done without..?

Urk.
Stupid dreams.

	User:	dogsintraining (posted by scarlet_tanager)
	Date:	2009-07-14 17:28
	Subject:	retraining a verbal cue
	Security:	Public

hi all. i know that when you give a cue, you're not supposed to repeat it fifty times (so then the cue becomes "sit, sit, sit, sit, sit" rather than simply just "sit"), and i've told this to my boyfriend many times. he was pretty good at not repeating himself for awhile, but he's since fallen off the wagon, and because of it, my dog will not perform many actions on simple one word cues. very annoying.

i really don't want to repeat the cue over and over to get the behavior. is there anything i can do about this? should i change the name of the cue? start from the beginning and re-train everything (i would really like the keep the words the same because they are intuitive for me to use them).

i know ultimately, the main help will lie with my boyfriend not repeating himself and i talked to him again about it last night...but perhaps someone can offer some people training advice too..?

thanks!

	User:	dogsintraining (posted by ichbinkelsey)
	Date:	2009-07-14 12:56
	Subject:	underexercised dogs and behavior issues
	Security:	Public

Hi everyone,

I got really helpful advice before when I was asking about my roommate's dog Yoshi, and now I have a question about my dog, Lucy--it's less of a specific training question than a preemptive behavior management question. I took Lucy to the dog beach on Saturday, and later on that night I noticed she was limping and favoring one paw in particular. I cleaned the area, put neosporin on it and tried to keep her off it, but it didn't clear up, so this morning she went to the vet, who diagnosed her with paw pad inflammation from allergies (either to the beach or to pollen) and a licking granuloma on the particularly hurty paw. So, OK: I have antibiotics and steroids now, and I'm about to go pick up some of those cool dog boots people use for hiking.

My problem is that the vet was very adamant about limiting her to 30 minutes of exercise a day for a good long while, and while I get the reasons why, I already know that her behavior tends to explode when she's under-exercised. Lucy is an exuberant, easily bored 20 month-old Airedale/possibly Rottie mix, and she needs exercise like whoa to keep her happy. I live in an apartment, so there's no unrestricted access to a yard, and she's used to a big trip to the dog park every day, plus between 3 and 5 20-30 minute leash walks (plus a bigger trip like hiking or the beach every weekend, plus a trip to day care every now and again). When she's exercised, she is sweet and nice to mostly everyone and happy and likes to learn tricks. When she's not, she is cranky, she leaps up on the furniture and barks furiously at people/skateboarders/bikes passing by on the street, she is unwilling to do much 'mental work' like practicing tricks, even for super-yummy treats, and when we go out on walks, she pulls like crazy and jumps/barks/lunges/snaps at everything she sees (including, sometimes, people, which is very worrying.) She just cannot control her id when she's underexercised; I've already seen it beginning to happen this weekend, and I can imagine that she's going to be like an angry Tasmanian Devil by next weekend. Do you guys have any advice on how to keep ahead of this while she's on exercise restriction? I am going to try my best to do tons of brain stimulating stuff--gameplaying, puzzles, stuffed Kongs--but I am really worried this won't be enough, and I especially don't want her to get so out of control that she inadvertently hurts herself or a person. Thanks in advance.

	User:	weddingplans (posted by romperwebby)
	Date:	2009-07-14 16:11
	Subject:
	Security:	Public

FYI Mass. brides:

Yolanda's bridal shop closing after 41 years

Yolanda's closing sale is scheduled to start next week, with discounts of between 50 and 75 percent, and run until the store closes at the end of August.

sad to see it go. that's where i bought my dress last year: http://www.watters.com/wedding.php?weddingid=215

:-(

	User:	cat_lovers (posted by idyllic)
	Date:	2009-07-14 15:49
	Subject:	Followup to kitty with possible UTI...
	Security:	Public

First of all thanks for everyone's comments on my previous post. I thought it was extremely rare for girl cats to get UTI's, but I guess even so, it isn't impossible. I did end up taking her to the vet ASAP of course. He could not run any tests because her bladder was completely empty, but he put her on an antibiotic anyway since that is what it most likely is. Her kidneys are tender and he wants to make sure we catch it before it turns into a kidney infection.

He would still like to collect a urine sample anyway to make sure there are no crystals forming, and therein lies my question:

He gave me a syringe and a cup and asked me to obtain it myself, and if I am unable to do it, I'll have to bring her in (the syringe goes in the puddle of pee, not in the kitty!). I would like to try and get it myself so I don't have to traumatize her again (and because her bladder might just end up being empty again), but I'm not sure how. Obviously she can't go in her kitty litter because that will contaminate it and make it worthless. He suggested putting saran wrap over the litter and having her pee on that, but she does a lot of shuffling and burying when she is done, so she will probably tear the saran wrap apart. I know she is not going to go if she senses anything weird or different about the litter box (like if I just leave it empty). She is VERY resistant to even the slightest change. I'm thinking I probably have to bring her in again unless you guys have some ideas!

Thanks a lot...

	User:	weddingplans (posted by seh0041)
	Date:	2009-07-14 13:55
	Subject:	Out of the Box Transportation
	Security:	Public
	Mood:	curious

Does anyone have ideas for some 'different' transportation options? I've never been a limo type of person, and I definitely want something other than my own crap vehicle to leave the reception in! My FH said absolutely NO carriage. The sports car doesn't really suit either of our styles. Our wedding theme is vintage 20s, since it's all taking place at this awesome 1920s building in San Antonio (the Bushnell). I realllllly want to stick to the theme, because honestly, we don't have very much of it at the reception anyway. I'm looking at anything from the 20s-the 40s, though, because it's hard to find 20s stuff. And vintage cars are not cheap! Did I mention our transportation budget is minuscule?

We only need it to take us from reception to hotel, which is about a 4 mile drive down the highway into downtown San Antonio (so the tandem bike or pedicab is out!). Any ideas? OR..does anyone have a friend who owns a vintage 20s-40s car in SA?? haha

Any tips are appreciated!

	User:	cat_lovers (posted by fichterleen)
	Date:	2009-07-14 20:23
	Subject:	hair balls?
	Security:	Public

hi,
i just have a question about the coughing up of the hair balls :D

about when does it start?
i've been wondering since tinkerbell turned 3 months today and hasn't yet presented us with any.
does it wait till her fur changes for the colder season? she's not really losing any hair yet either.

thanks! :3

	User:	ellenmillion
	Date:	2009-07-14 09:55
	Subject:	Tuesdailies
	Security:	Public

Ellen Million Graphics

Stack of orders to take to the PO today, and I'm thiiiiis close to being done with the first calendar, with good strides on the second. Then, it's on to the anthology!

Torn World post today will be on... hmm... more on the snow unicorn riders, I think - education and literacy, particularly.

Art and Authoring

Still no scanning, and I spent last night (after calendar-grinding) beating Jake at scrabble. I used all my letters on my second word! I'm not sure I've ever been able to play all my tiles. "Election" was the big score - but for all of that, I only barely beat him, by about 15 points. I did most handily stomp him at Lost Cities.

So, instead of something completely new, I'll link you to an ElfQuest fanfiction of mine that you may not have seen: Perfect.

Home and Health

Oh GOD, the smoke is back. It's frightfully thick, and muggy and WAY TOO HOT, but mostly horribly, horribly smokey. The radio said we're nearly to the 1 million acres mark. There should be thunderstorms this evening and tomorrow looks rainy. THANK GOD. My cough, which had been completely and utterly gone, is back, and my eyes are watering. Bad day to wear contacts.

Planning

Work until 4. Trip to the post office. Upload calendar. Work on second calendar. Maybe Kung Fu Panda? (We've got the disc from Netflix. :))

	User:	cat_lovers (posted by lexibean)
	Date:	2009-07-14 11:46
	Subject:	Q's for the kitty com
	Security:	Public

Hi all,

I have a few q's for the cat-savvy.

Apparently Mia will ONLY drink from a running tap now.  I guess the dogs dish (previously preferred) just isn't good enough for my lil puss.  So I've been shopping around online (small towns in remote locations suck!) and have found this:

http://www.petacular.com/products/Fresh-Flow-Pet-Fount.html 

The fresh flow purifying fountain.  Looks pretty sweet eh?  I've also seen the drink well fountains.  Which, if any, do you prefer?  Have you had any horror stories? (I'm not sure what would constitute as a water fountain horror story..) have you tried to make your own? 

Also, we're thinking of getting a 2nd cat for Mia to pal around with.  I'm not sure how this will work as we have a large dog as well.  She and the Mia get along really REALLY well already, playing games, having fun, etc.  Also, Mia is the perfect cat, chatty without being annoying, well behaved, doesn't scratch or climb things she's not supposed to... She's more curious about strange cats than anything, she loves watching them out the window.  Anyway, I'm a little bit worried about upsetting the balance in the house..  Has anyone had this situation before??  How did it work out?  The boyfriend is opposed to this idea because he doesn't want to scoop out another litter box.. if only he'd scoop out the one we already have!

Thanks to all who respond!

	User:	dogsintraining (posted by linzznil)
	Date:	2009-07-14 12:43
	Subject:	What's your poison?
	Security:	Public
	Mood:	amused

My border collie/brittany spaniel mix, Rusty, has the ability to enunciate certain sounds very clearly. He often says "Row" or "Oh, mama." My favorite, however, is "Rum." Sometimes he'll just look at me and say it out of nowhere. Since I want to share this amusing tendency of his with others, I would really love to be able to train him to say it on command. And I think it would be hilarious if the command was "What's your poison?" :P Not that I ever condone alcohol for dogs, of course!

The problem is I have not yet been able to get any dog to "speak" on command, much less a particular "word." Are there any good methods you can recommend for the "speak" command? I've seen dogs be able to differentiate between "speak" and "whisper," but do you think it is possible to get him to specifically learn to say "rum" on command?

	User:	weddingplans (posted by fudgemonkey523)
	Date:	2009-07-14 10:41
	Subject:	53 days!
	Security:	Public

I graduated from college in May and moved back to my hometown (3 hours from where I went to school). FH's family mostly lives in my college town. When we got engaged in December his step-mom was talking about throwing me a bridal shower. I was worried about it then but I figured it would all work out. Now that we are getting closer to our wedding date, I haven't heard much about this shower. My sisters are planning a shower for us (a couples shower! I would feel so strange accepting gifts on my own) in my hometown and we're expecting about 50 people. A few weeks ago, I was visiting with FH's granny and she asked me if I thought that people from my hometown would drive all the way up there for the shower. I told her that my sisters were throwing me a shower down there so we wouldn't have to worry about those people. Here's the problem: All of my good friends from college have already moved away and since FH's parents are divorced and most of his extended family lives another 5 hours away, I'm afraid that we just won't have anyone to invite to this shower. We are less than 8 weeks away from our wedding and his family hasn't gotten with me to plan anything. Would it be bad form for us to invite FH's family to the shower that my sisters are throwing? I really want them to be there, but I don't want them to feel like I don't want their shower. And I really don't want to invite anyone to two different showers, but I don't want his family to feel like I don't have any friends. What would you do?

We are meeting with our officiant tonight for the first time (we have known him for years, he married both my sister and my brother). I've been really sick for the last two days so I'm hoping I'll start feeling better before we head out there. I'm looking forward to speaking with him but FH and I are both very nervous and shy people. We have known him for a while, but we still don't know him very well other than we love his preaching style and his views on life. What are the most important points that I need to cover with him? Also, he requires marriage counseling before he will marry us. I'm slightly worried about this because I am a Christian but FH is very agnostic at this point in life. Rod(preacher) seems like he is very open minded and sweet (his son is gay and has been living with another man for years, and he has never shown any problems with this. We really love this preacher!). Do you think that this will become problem in our sessions?

I had my first fitting for my dress about a week ago and it was terrible. They didn't have the same bra and the dress didn't fit well and I have apparently gained weight so they are having to let the dress out. I cried a lot because the lady was not particularly nice about it. Also, they had lied to me about some things when I bought the dress and I would not have bought it if they hadn't told me those things. But I'm coming to terms with it and once I start feeling better, I am going to start working out again and try to keep the stress from getting to me. However, I still need a bra that will work for me. I am a 36DD and a 38D will not work. ( This is my dress )

They are sewing in a panel at the back so that I can wear a regular bra with it, but the problem I'm having is I can't seem to find a strapless bra, in the right size, that isn't a push up bra. I need one that lifts and separates, not lifts and pushes them together! They are big enough on their own, I don't need any help making them look bigger. The bra has to be low in the front, or it will show. Any suggestions?

And lastly, our favors were shipped yesterday and I am anxiously awaiting their arrival! We will be drilling small holes in the tops of these and tying them to bags of candy.
( Our favors )

	User:	weddingplans (posted by spendabuck85)
	Date:	2009-07-14 08:38
	Subject:
	Security:	Public
	Mood:	confused

I'm stumped.  I like both of the following rings for different reasons, and they're similarly priced, so the decision cannot be made solely on cost.  When viewing the two ring options, please keep in mind, that my engagement ring is in need of a good rhodium plating, while the wedding rings are obviously new and shiny.

( This way for two ring options! )