Start Puppy Training Early by Tristan Andrews

Many people want to start training their puppy right away. One reason for this is because the puppy might be doing things that are less than desirable; another is because it is a great way to bond with each other. Even so, your puppy should have some freedom until it's about 4 to 6 months old.

Now, just because you're not formally training your puppy when it is very young does not mean you shouldn't make an effort to keep it contained in public. It is important to buy a well-fitting collar and leash when you're going to be in public places.

This is for other people's benefit as well as your own. You wouldn't want your puppy to suddenly run out into the middle of a busy street. In fact, you might find that there is a leash law in your area that prohibits letting your dog run free.

When you go to a park or other public place you will want to make sure your puppy is close to you. Your puppy might accidentally bother an older dog, which could result in an accident. On the flipside, your dog might get over excited and accidentally hurt a person or another dog.

Do make sure that your puppy is getting enough time outside and enough exercise. The best thing you can do for a growing puppy is to make sure his bones are going to be strong as well as his lungs. Exercise is the best way to ensure this.

Try for daily exercise, even if you have to cut it short on some days. Another bonus to getting outside and exercising is that your little puppy will start to get used to strangers in public places. This will be important for when he is older. Another fact about getting out is that dogs who are exercised tend to sleep better.

Formal Training

When your puppy is over 4 months old you can begin formal dog training. In fact, it is best to start at this young age because older dogs get stuck in their ways and are a lot harder to train. That doesn't mean you start out with the hardest training with these young ones, you should start with just ten minutes a day.

Puppies are known for getting tired easily. He won't be able to stand much training at first. Even so, make sure these sessions are regular. Also, try and make sure the sessions are held at the same time every day. This routine will show you puppy that you are serious about these lessons. An extra trick you can try is to wear the same shoes or jacket so your dog develops associations between that and training sessions.

Heel

1. One of the most important skills is to heel. You will need to walk steadily alongside your dog who should be wearing a collar and a leash. Be sure your puppy is on your left side.

2. Slap your thigh and say HEEL every so often

3. Your dog might get distracted or not follow your lead at first. Keep walking and your pup will start to understand.

4. When your dog starts to follow you reward the behavior by petting him and saying that he is a good dog or some other happy exclamation.

5. If you have a stubborn dog that will not cooperate you need to be firm and say HEEL. Again, reward the behavior when it is corrected.

Sit

1. Teaching your puppy to sit is a vital skill. To start, have your dog walk by your left side, and then stop.

2. Put the leash in your right hand and pull on the collar.

3. Press down on your dog's rear end with your left hand, practically forcing your dog to sit.

4. As you press down, be sure to say SIT as your command.

5. Repeat this process and praise your puppy when he completes the action.

6. Continue walking and repeat over again during your ten minute walk.

Activities For Kids by webmaster

All children are artists, while some develop their skills to great extents others merely get past the first level. Hence it is all up to parents to encourage their children towards art.

In India art is given equal importance along with other subjects. In fact it is one of the important subjects in school with elementary tests held to classify students to the next level. But it all begins with the interest developed at a tender age. You can stir your child by bringing him or her crayons and color pencils to begin with.

Once they can handle a brush, gift them water colours and leave them free to paint what they want. Do not have any expectations from your child as it defuses their inner strength. You can sit along with your children while painting and draw a different picture altogether. So if your kid is drawing scenery, you draw human figures and use completely different colours. Do not compare their drawings with anyone it deters them for the next time. You can add some excitement to art activities for kids by taking them outdoors. Let them take in fresh air and get some fresh ideas.

Paper craft is also a great art activity. You can put up your child's creative on the walls or in the showcase, so your little one feels proud of his or her creation. This encourages them to get better and work harder. Cane is also a great weaver and can be crafted into vases, baskets and little creations. Girls can be taught knitting and crochet, soon they can get expert and earn an extra income by designing blouses, dresses and bed sheets which are always in demand. Boys too can be taught basic short and long stitch, hemming and button stitching so they can be independent when they grow up.

Building blocks and creating figures from clay are also a fun art activity. It develops the child and lets them bend the mind the way they want it. This activity also builds the logic and common sense in a child. He is able to understand what fits into what and how a basic structure should look.

Organizing art related games peps up the atmosphere for your kids. You can call in the neighborhood children and have a theme for the competition. It should be a friendly competition with no strings attached. And if you do not want to clean up the mess once it's done, then make it clear at the beginning that the children will have to be a part of the cleaning, after the competition.

Invention is the baby of new ideas and if you let your kids go wild with their thoughts, then they too get inventive. Allow them to make their own toys by using different parts of other toys. Make a dress out of a newspaper. Craft a candle or make wool friends. Have you ever thought what you can make out of jar lids. Let your kids go wild with ideas like, candle holder, spinning wheels, tops, caps and more. In fact the possibilities are endless with items that have multiple uses. So think of an item and let your kids get innovate with their art ideas

Do People Notice the Baby Clothes our Babies Wear? by Gen Wright

The answer to that question, is obvious. People notice our baby clothes because they are likely to be colorful and attractive. Besides, many babies tend to attract attention to themselves simply because they are so adorable. Others just can't help looking at them and smiling. So the answer is clear - people do notice the clothes that the young are wearing.

But many parents ignore this fact. When they clothe their young in poor quality clothes, they seldom stop to think that others are noticing. The clothes that you put on your baby is a statement of who you are as a parent. And for sure, you don't want to send out the wrong signals. All parents love their babies, but some just don't know how to express their love in different and creative ways. You don't have to wait for your child to grow up before showering your love on him or her. You can start immediately, by clothing your baby in comfortable and high quality baby clothes.

Make your statement bold and clear to the world, that you love your offspring very much. One way to do so is by buying personalized baby clothes. Personalized clothing means that you will get unique designs. When others notice your little one, they will also notice the extra effort that you put in for the sake of your baby. It says that you care enough as a parent to take the trouble to do something special for the small one.

There are all sorts of merchandise that you can personalize, from full outfits with just their name, to hats, sweatshirts, T-shirts, shoes and socks, and even umbrellas with your own design. There are items for boys and girls.

The design personalization process is a simple one. Start by choosing a design from the vendor, or you can prepare a design of your own. Design here means having a picture ready for the designer to use. You should also think of a special message that will be hand written on the merchandise. When the images and texts are ready, the entire design will be hand painted on to the product itself.

When it comes to the design, don't be afraid to try out new ideas. You can have anything you want painted on the clothes and accessories. For example, if you know your son loves dinosaurs, you can paint a dinosaur on the T-shirt. You can paint some letters of the alphabet that you know your child has difficulty learning. That way, the clothes become a learning tool.

Notice how most babies get bored while on the move? Paint some colorful animals on the clothes to keep the little one occupied while traveling. You may also write the baby's name on the accessories so that the little one can pick up the name quickly. If you ever run out of ideas, just make a quick visit to the website to look through some designs. Remember, these are custom designs. You can always improvise on existing designs and get completely new and unique ideas.