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Lifestyle, Tips

How to Help a Pet Settle in

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When you welcome a new pet into your home you need to make sure that you and your family get off to a good start. It takes some time to get used to a new pet in the house, and the time that you take can be make or break. You want to know that your cat or your dog is going to settle in very well, and if you have a dog, you have to ensure that you have the time to help it to settle in. The good news is that you can take the time to help your new dog to settle into their new home – you just have to give yourself space!

Not only will you need to find out what your dog is going to need to eat, you need to give them a space to sleep, start Googling around for a dog trainer near me and figure out how much investment you are going to need into training. There are many things that are involved in getting a dog to settle into their new home, and we’ve put together a list of things that you have to consider before you sign on the dotted line and adopt your first pet.

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  • Be prepared. You want to ensure that your new dog feels comfortable and content living with you and your family. This means you have to be prepared! You don’t want to have to make any last minute dashes to the pet shop for leashes, beds, or feeding bowls, nor should you want to run out of anything that you will need in the early days. Whoever you are adopting the dog from should be able to tell you the kind of food the dog eats, and they should be able to tell you whether they’ve had any training. This will help you to know whether to buy puppy pads, such as these Premium Pet Training Pads with Adhesive Tabs | Bulldogology, or whether you should not worry at all and simply make sure you have a space for them to do their business outside.
  • Make sure everybody is patient. It does take time for a pet to settle in when they first come home. It’s a new and unfamiliar set of surroundings that they do need to get used to. This is an adjustment., and it does vary from animal to animal, so you need to have patience when it comes to getting your dog to settle in. The family, from you to the children, have to be patient with this because the dog will take some time to be able to sleep during the night, or feel comfortable in the house.
  • Take it all very slowly. It’s super tempting to go out and about and show off your new pet to all of your friends and family. You have to put yourself in your pets paws; They are brand new to all of this and you are still a new face. They need to get used to you first. Important thing to consider here is that the pet and you both have a lot of adjustment to make. There is no rush to introduce your new pet to everybody because you are providing a forever home for them. If you take it slowly and don’t run out to bring your dog to your friends, you’ll be able to help them to settle in better.
  • Establish a good routine early on. When you bring the new dog home you have to establish a good routine because they will be used to doing things a little differently. Every single pet has its own set of needs, so establishing a good routine makes things easy for everybody. Their routine isn’t just about the time you take, but it affects how they feed, what they eat and where they sleep. Making sure these remain the same will help them to get used to your home much quicker and it will help them to stay calm. Nobody wants a dog who barks all hours of the night, but you have to be proactive and ensure that the routine is good enough that they don’t feel the need to bark.
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  • Provide your dog with their own space. It’s not just about whether the bed goes, but where you plan to put the crate. don’t need somewhere that they can feel safe and secure, especially when they are feeling overwhelmed, anxious or stressed. Some dogs simply just get tired. They may want to lay their head somewhere that is away from everybody petting them for 5 minutes. Ensuring you have the space sorted and lined up before you bring the dog home is important to their development and growth.
  • Make sure everybody knows how to behave around the new dog. Everybody is going to be very excited meeting a new pet, so you need to have a conversation with the children in the house before the dog comes home. The dog is going to feel heightened when they first come in and if the children are aware to keep the noise low and disperse big groups, they won’t overwhelm the new dog. Everybody should feel comfortable, including the new pup that’s coming into your house to live with you forever. Make sure that all of the introductions that you have planned are quiet and without interruption.
  • Have a list of family rules established. Rules are super important to make sure that everybody is aware exactly what to do when there is a new dog coming into the house. Establishing these rules can help everybody to know where they should and what they shouldn’t do. If you aren’t allowed to talk in specific rooms, everybody should know about that. Make sure everybody sticks to the same rules that your pet doesn’t get confused, and it also helps everybody to adjust to having a pet in the house.

A new pet is always going to be a welcome addition to a family so make sure that you are all on board with making their settling in as easy as possible.

Lifestyle

Is It Time To Give Up These Bad Driving Habits?

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There are many driving behaviors that can be expensive or potentially dangerous if they become a habit. Driving instructors will often try to discourage us from developing these habits while learning and hope that we will keep them up after we have gained our license, perhaps having waited for test cancellations to become available to take the test sooner. That said, many of us still end up adopting these bad habits after years of driving. Below are some examples of bad driving habits that are worth breaking. If you are just starting out, avoid these bad habits:

Tailgating

Driving close behind the vehicle in front is known as tailgating. The biggest danger of tailgating is that it increases your chance of hitting the vehicle in front if the driver has to do an emergency brake. Using a car accident lawyer like John Foy & Associates, the driver may file an injury lawsuit if you hit them and cause them whiplash. On top of the cost of having to repair your vehicle, the cost of this lawsuit could be financially crippling and is something you definitely want to avoid. 

Not using blinkers

Using turn signals is a legal requirement across the US whenever changing direction, and yet some people rarely use them. While your road position can sometimes tell drivers where you plan to go, turn signals are a much clearer indicator of what you plan to do. Make sure to use them to prevent unnecessary accidents. 

Speeding

Almost all of us are guilty of occasionally speeding. However, it shouldn’t be something you do all the time – and certainly not at speeds that are clearly dangerous. If you’ve already got yourself a speeding ticket or got in an accident due to speeding, it could be a clear sign that you need to slow down. Check out these tips for preventing speeding at Infinity Auto.

Driving under the influence

Drinking alcohol can slow down your reactions and increase your risk of being in an accident. Driving with an alcohol blood count of 0.08% or higher is also illegal across the US – in some states you could lose your licence and pay a big fine if you’re caught. 

Using your phone while driving

Phones are a huge distraction when driving and can also increase your risk of being involved in an accident. Just like driving under the influence, using a phone while driving is illegal in most states and can carry heavy penalties. 

Not checking tires

A lot of drivers don’t check their tires enough – including checking the pressure and checking for wear. Driving on damaged or underinflated tires can have all kinds of negative consequences from increasing the risk of a blowout to reducing fuel efficiency, so it’s worth regularly checking your tires (especially before a long journey). 

Riding the clutch

A common bad habit among drivers of manual cars is riding the clutch. This is when you leave some pressure on the clutch even when it’s already in gear. Riding the clutch is a big cause of premature clutch wear so is a habit worth ironing out. 

Driving over potholes

Potholes aren’t always possible to avoid driving over, however if you have a chance to swerve around them you should. Regularly driving over potholes can increase the risk of developing tire and suspension problems. 

Ignoring warning lights

Warning lights are there to warn you of problems with your vehicle (some of which could be dangerous), so don’t ignore them. While some warning lights can be the result of an electrical problem, it’s safer to get them checked out by a mechanic before assuming this. 

Revving the engine while cold

Revving the motor in cold weather can help your engine to warm up faster, but it can also cause a lot of damage to your engine. In cold weather, it’s generally better to leave the engine running for a couple minutes before putting your foot on the gas. This is a much less damaging way to warm up the engine.

Going Healthy, Going Strong, Health, Lifestyle

The Stages of Drug Recovery

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Drug use is a serious problem that has devastating effects on many people’s lives. However, it’s not impossible to recover from drug addiction and live a sober life. People who have successfully recovered from addiction will tell you that the process takes time, patience, and determination. Many have had success by visiting an Iboga treatment center, or similar drug treatment center, to help address the root cause of their issues and make the necessary changes for a healthier life. It’s important to remember that there are several stages to the recovery process outlined. They are as follows:

Emotional withdrawal.

This is the first stage of recovery, and it’s also the most important. This stage can be difficult because you will have to deal with some strong emotions that may be overwhelming at first. You might feel like giving up on recovery, but this will only make things worse for you in the long run. If you’re having trouble dealing with your emotions during this time, consider seeking professional help from a counselor or therapist specializing in addiction treatment and recovery support services.

Psychological withdrawal.

Psychological withdrawal symptoms may include depression, anxiety and other mood disorders. Depression can be severe enough to cause feelings of hopelessness and even suicidal ideation. Anxiety is also common, with people often experiencing extreme panic attacks that can mimic an actual heart attack or stroke.

Psychological withdrawal symptoms are usually the first to appear after drug use has stopped. They can range from mild irritability to full-blown psychosis. Mental health professionals typically treat these conditions with therapy and medications such as antidepressants or antianxiety drugs like Xanax (alprazolam).

Physical withdrawal.

Physical symptoms of withdrawal can be very uncomfortable, but they are usually short-lived. The most common physical symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sweating, chills, and goosebumps. These symptoms occur because the drug you have been taking has altered your body’s chemistry, and you will go through a period of readjustment. Drugs can also cause the body to lose water and electrolytes (minerals like sodium) during use, known as dehydration. Dehydration can lead to further health complications, such as seizures or organ failure if it is not treated promptly in the hospital

Detoxing.

Detoxing is the process of removing drugs from your body. Detoxing can be dangerous, so it’s important to get medical supervision during this time.

Detoxing can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, depending on how much and how long you’ve been using drugs and alcohol, what kinds of drugs you’re taking, and what they do to your system.

Rehabilitation.

Rehabilitation, through services similar to Sober Living Homes,  is a treatment program that helps you learn to live without drugs and alcohol. Rehab can also help you deal with stress, emotions, and addiction. It’s an important part of recovery because drug abuse changes how your brain works, making it harder for you to overcome addiction.

If you decide to get treatment, many different types of rehab programs are available. From going to see specialists at a certain time each day or checking in to an inpatient drug and alcohol addiction treatment center like The Recovery Village Indianapolis, you can find the support you need. The best type depends on how long you’ve been using drugs or drinking alcohol, what kind of substance dependence problem(s) you have (like opiate addiction or alcoholism), whether or not there are co-occurring mental health disorders involved in addition to the substance use disorder (like depression), and other factors specific to yourself.

Conclusion

Recovery from drug addiction is a long and challenging journey. It can be especially difficult for those who have been abusing substances for years, but with the right medical support and treatment options, it’s possible to recover completely from addiction and lead a healthy life.