How to House Train a Puppy

House training a puppy is not hard, as long as you take is seriously. Commit 100% to house training your puppy, and it wont take a long time. If you are reading this article you are off to a good start. House training a puppy will require patients, constancy, and leadership. If you have all three of these qualities you will be successful on house training your puppy.

How to House Train a Puppy Tip # 1:  

First you need to understand how puppies think. They are absolutely smart enough to be house trained in a couple of weeks. I’m not saying that there wont be accidents in your home. I just want to be clear on one fact. The more time you devote to your puppy, the faster he will learn. If everyone in your household is clear on how to house train your puppy. You will have a well balance obedient puppy in no time.

If you don’t catch your puppy in the act , don’t scold him. Puppies do not remember that they soiled the carpet an hour ago. So if you come home and hit or yell at your puppy. Your puppy will have absolutely no idea why. This will confuse, and terrify your puppy. Which will case him not respect you. If your puppy does not respect you, good luck house training your puppy. It will get worse, and your puppy will grow into his adult years not trusting you. If you want an obedient well rounded dog. Don’t scold him unless you catch him in the act. Even 1 minute after, is too long. You must catch your puppy while he is doing something wrong, or he will not understand. If your puppy doesn’t understand he will not learn from his mistakes. This is the number one problem I see in my clients house training a puppy. They believe that when they come home and see the puppy run into the other room. That the puppy know it did something wrong. The truth is the puppy remember the owner coming home and being mad. So the puppy feels like running, and hiding every time the owners return home. The puppy remembers the yelling and hitting. Not the garbage can that he tipped over, and drug all over the living room.  

Now you understand how a puppy thinks, you can successfully house train your puppy. 

How to House Train a Puppy Tip # 2:  

You need to figure out if your puppy will go potty inside or outside. You can be successful with puppy pads inside, and training your puppy to potty outside. But doing both will take longer in house training your puppy. I find that it can be hard to break your puppy from going to the bathroom inside, when you remove the puppy pads. It can become confusing to your puppy. It is not impossible to do, it just will take longer. It would be best to make a decision from the beginning.  

Puppy pads are great if you are going to potty train indoors. They come scented with a chemical that encourages puppies to pee or poop on the puppy pads. The key is watching out for the signs. Your puppy will start to circle around and start sniffing the floor when it needs to relive itself. Watch for the signs and pick up the puppy and quietly set your puppy on the puppy pad. When your puppy goes potty praise your puppy and reward your puppy with a treat.  

When house training your puppy to potty outside. Watch for the same signs. Your puppy will start sniffing and circling the floor when he needs to relive itself. When you see your puppy do this pick up your puppy and bring him outside. Stay with your puppy to make sure he does potty. When he does praise him and reward your puppy with a treat.

Remember when house training a puppy. Puppies have small bladders, with very little bladder control. Encourage your puppy to go outside to relieve himself every hour.

How to House Train a Puppy Tip # 3:  

When house training a puppy. Remember that puppies have the sensation to chew. Have lots of chew toys for your puppy when house training. This is important so puppies can learn that furniture is off limits, but the chew toys are expectable. When you see your puppy chewing on anything other then his chew toys. Correct your puppy by putting a chew toy in his mouth. When the puppy starts to chew on his chew toy praise him. A puppy will learn what is off limits to chew on if you correct him. This takes time. Don’t expect your puppy to know what is okay to chew on. You will have to teach him. House training a puppy means to watch your puppy all the time so you can correct any negative behavior.

Sell My House Quick| How to Sell My House Quick

Especially when there is a worldwide economic slump, prospective owners would prefer to sell my house quick and directly. In this article we examine three modes of sell my house quick. These are Internet based selling, Cash Home Buyers and Sell my house quick in general.

Internet based selling:
The most appropriate way to sell my house quick is through the internet. Internet based selling has more advantages compared to the traditional methods .Appointing a real estate broker or trying to sell the house through auction are conventional methods which take up a lot of time, energy and money.

The Internet on the other hand has revolutionized the way agreements/contracts such as these are entered into.

Advertising any property for sale in property portals via the internet is the most effective manner to sell a home quick. This is because processing time for the transaction is only a few days rather than months.

Cash Home Buyers:
Apart from the Internet as a medium to sell a house quick, another means would be to approach cash home buyers.

Guidelines to sell my house quick through Cash Home Buyers:

Most importantly, the seller has to carry out a research on the companies. The seller should choose only such Cash Home Buyers that are reliable and trustworthy.

Advantages of selling my house quick through Cash Home Buyers:

Firstly there is immediate and guaranteed sale of property. The waiting period is only for a few days. They are thus fast and convenient

Secondly all transaction costs are paid by the Cash Home Buyers. Thus the pressure on the seller becomes much lesser.

Guidelines to sell my house quick in general

Firstly, all property records/transactions, titles to the property should be systematically preserved for closure of the sale of the house.

Secondly proper valuations of the house to be sold are a must. This can be done by comparing the price valuations of other similar properties in the neighborhood and around. Moreover the prospective seller must bring down the price a little below the benchmark prevailing in his neighborhood/ area. This will make the pricing attractive and there will be many prospective buyers for the same. Also the sale will take place quicker.

Thirdly, despite the various disadvantages of employing a real estate broker, employing a good broker will render good results as to sale of the house. If cash is not a problem for the prospective seller, then the presence of a real estate agent will add a professional dimension to the sale of the house. Thus the seller will be assured a fast transaction and this is another way to sell my house quick.

The Use of Smart Growth/Environmental Policies in Portland to Solve Rising Housing Prices

Currently, the United States of America is facing an affordable housing crisis. This crisis is worsening unless measures are taken in stopping sprawl, manage development, and revitalize cities through the use of smart growth policies and strategies. In this country, it has become very hard for a wage earner to afford a two bed room apartment at a fair market rent whether in the major city, outlying community, rural town, adjoining suburb, or even downtown neighborhood. According to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, housing needs have reached an all-time of 5.4 million families which is an increase of 4% between the year 1995 and 1997. This problem is compounded by the fact that there is a 5 per cent decline since the year 1991 in the number of affordable rental units available in this country. This is a big problem since the population of this country is expected to increase by another 70 million people in the next two decades. It should be noted that the problem of affordable housing shortages is not in the inner cities only as more than a third of the worst cases are experienced in the households that live in the suburbs. Studies conducted on this area have indicated that, many people in the United States of America use approximately 30% of their total incomes in paying house rent. Additionally, around one in every ten households lives in inadequate units.

The smart growth promises to revitalize declining urban areas, create more sustainable and diverse neighborhoods, and prevent explosive suburban development. It should be noted that these promises can bring about displacement of low income residents and neighborhood gentrification. One can therefore ask a question, where the low income earners will live tomorrow? Portland is a city in the United States of America that is heavily facing the crisis of shortages of affordable housing as a result increasing housing prices and declining economy. In order to solve the affordable housing crisis in Portland, everyone’s support is required right from the state, local, and federal government officials to community based organizations, developers, and smart growth advocates. The importance of this study is to shed lights on the concept of shortage of affordable housing in Portland and its suburbs. This study shows how useful are smart growth in solving this problem and promising low income earners in this city a place to live tomorrow.

Smart growth and regional development have been considered by many communities in the pursuit of defining the challenges of 20th century and addressing them. Portland has become the focal focus of such policies and strategies where a lot of emphasis is based on the enforcement of an Urban Growth Boundary (UGB). Planners and politicians in the United States of America are looking to the concepts of growth management in order to control sprawl and organize space as a way of increasing recognition of the consequences and effects that consumptive land use have on the quality of economic, physical, and social environment. Portland has experienced high rocketing rents as a result of increased population in this area and hence many people are not able to pay their house rents.

An examination of the Portland with its Urban Growth Boundary (UGB), the land has been made scarce and hence the housing prices have increased drastically. The amount of land that is remaining for development in this area has been stated to be very few and hence the existing houses are being sold at very high prices. The practice of developing an urban area is very crucial as it brings about urban development and also results in the low income earners failing to afford the houses. Because of the increased development in Portland, the housing prices have been increasingly raised from 1980s. It should be noted that the restriction of the supply of vacant land and higher costs of development in inter-city locations; the housing prices in this area have increased. This has reduced the potentialities of some people to afford houses in this area. Despite the fact that there is increased need for development in Portland, the available land that can be used for development in this area is declining hence increasing the costs of development.

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The assessment of the increasing housing prices has indicated that this increase has been brought about by urban growth boundary. The smart growth policies that were implemented in Portland metropolitan area are viewed as the gold standard for supply restriction. Oregon is the only state in the United States where effective regional government policies aimed at land use planning is present.

Portland offers the supremacy model for regional planning and growth management in the United States of America. This is so because this city is highly recognized as having high reputation, livable place, and being green. This aspect has attracted a lot of people from the whole state of Oregon to come and reside here. It should be noted that this increase in population has called for expansion of the city and since the available land for expansion is limited, there is increasing housing prices.

The smart growth policies have helped in solving the rocketing housing prices in Portland by ensuring that there is no large scale conversion of open space and other lands that are environmentally sensitive to urban areas. It should be noted when large scale of land is converted into urban use, a lot of development will be done and hence increasing the prices of houses. This is because the costs of developments are heavily increased especially in environmentally sensitive areas. In this respect, people staying in the open space areas are forced to rent a house in the developed areas and hence the payment will increase.  In this case, the smart growth policies applied in Portland have helped in limiting outward extension of new development so that settlements may be made more compact and the open places may be preserved. This is usually done by urban growth boundaries where urban growth should not exceed certain boundaries. The effectiveness of this aspect is that low income people will be able to stay in open spaces rather than the urban center. In the United States of America, urban development has made people to reside in towns as there are no rural areas to reside in. this shows that some of the houses build in Portland city are big houses that do not hold large volumes of people. When this is the case, housing prices increase as there are many people who would like to rent a house.

The failure of redeveloping existing neighborhoods has been solved by the smart growth. Rather than redeveloping the existing neighborhoods, there was development of new or open spaces. This states that the cots of development are increasing and hence the house owners are forced to increase the housing prices. It is upon the planners to make sure that the existing neighborhoods are well developed before engaging in developing new areas. In Portland city, the smart growth policies have ensured that the existing neighborhoods are heavily developed in order to attract many people. A point worth noting is that these neighborhoods are poorly developed hence people are not attracted to reside in these areas. People are of different social classes in this city and hence the middle and high class people usually reside in well developed areas. The smart growth policies have maintained that the existing neighborhoods should be redeveloped in order to accommodate even the middle and high class people. The aspect of increased urban development in this city has brought segregation where the poor live in lowly developed areas while the rich go for the highly developed areas. Through developing the whole area, the services provided in these areas will attract many people and hence the concept of spreading out will be done away with.

The smart growth policies in Portland have ensured that the public costs of new developments are loaded onto its consumers through impact fees rather than having the general community paying these costs. In Portland, the costs of development have increased greatly making the planners or developers to increase the housing prices. This aspect has been solved by ensuring that the costs of public development are shared among the consumers but not the general community. This has helped in making sure that the costs of development are lowered hence decreasing the housing prices. The local and federal government has helped a lot in lowering the costs of development. This has resulted to people earning lowly being able to pay for house prices.

A lot of money is used in bringing about new developments and hence making the developers to increase housing prices. The smart growth policies have ensured that these funds are used in redeveloping the already existing roads, water systems, sewers, and other infrastructure in Portland. In this case, the amount of money used in redevelopment is low and hence the prices of houses are lowered. This policy has been very essential and viewed as effective especially following the urban growth boundaries. Redevelopment indicates that more value is added to the existing neighborhoods in order to make hold more people at lower housing prices. The reason as to why people in Portland go for newly developed neighborhoods is that, the existing ones are not completely developed and hence residents are not satisfied. The planners in Portland have decided to lower rocketing housing prices by adding value to the existing neighborhoods through introducing services that are not available like water systems, sewerage, and improvement of roads.

There is increasingly mixing of uses in order to reduce the need for travel. This implies that the land that is used for urban development is now used for other purposes. In this case, employees in Portland are able to reside in areas that are near their working areas in order to minimize the costs of living in this city. In this respect, there are pedestrian friendly layouts that minimize the excessive use of cars for transportation on shorter trips. This has been as a result of urban growth boundary which has ensured that residential areas and commercial houses are not at distant in order to reduce the cost of transportation. It should be noted that use of private vehicles has increased the congestion and traffic jam and hence smart growth objectives make sure that public vehicles are the mostly used vehicles for short trips.  This increases the area in the urban area where more development can be made is increased and hence the capacity of the urban area is increased.

 

Marital Problems

I’ve never seen a marriage in which the couples did not enter with a lot of optimism about the future. We’ve all been confronted on a daily basis with the conflicts which couples go through, either by our hearing gossip, or seeing the drama played out on television or in the movies. We all vow to avoid those pitfalls, but the sad fact is that conflict resolution is not always taking place: over fifty per cent of marriages end in divorce. Each member of the couple blames the other and fortifies their own positions of correctness and blamelessness. It usually takes a judge and a couple of expensive lawyers to sort everything out and to send them on their sad and lonely ways. Without a new set of conflict resolution skills, the situation too often plays itself out again with different participants. Children study all this as it is taking place, and it tends to become a generational occurrence, while marital statistics take another slide into the abyss.

 People have come up with a number of ways to avoid marital stress.

One is to live with someone without the intent of ever marrying them. We hear of couples all the time who have lived together for fifteen or twenty years without marrying. One would certainly have to study this on a case by case basis, but one wonders what makes it work for some people? Is it withholding that last tie of commitment that allows them to keep their lives disentangled? Is it the clear boundaries of “this is mine and that is yours,” which keeps them in a compromising state of mind?” (I have an ex-wife who always said, “What’s mine is mine, and what’s yours is mine.”) Is it the fact that they are together by choice rather than a dictum of the law? Some couples have chosen same-sex marriages. Perhaps the intent is to forego some of the cultural gender roles that have been traditionally applied. The jury is still out as to whether this will extend the longevity of the marital commitment.

 The number one thing married couples fight about is money, i.e., how to divide the sources of income which they have into the possible areas of spending. Maybe the husband is firmly committed to placing money into savings and investments; the wife wants to spend it on hearth and home. Maybe one is convinced that pursuit of certain hobbies such as tennis, fishing or golf is important, while the other feels that these are frivolous and unnecessary. Perhaps one would like the children to go to private schools, while the other feels that public education is much more valuable. The list goes on and on. The net result of this disagreement upon the relationship relies upon conflict resolution. Step one is being able to really hear what the other person is saying, and not to invalidate it summarily. The second step is to look at one’s own position and see how committed one is to that position. Then comes the process of bargaining and compromise. It is important that one of the couple not always accede to conflict for peace and quiet. This is the person who packs a bag one day and walks out for no apparent reason. The discussion should go on until both positions have been thoroughly expounded and explored. If the couple is still unable to reach a mutually acceptable decision, it may be time to seek the services of a professional counselor who can further the discussion and decision process. For some couples it might be getting on their knees together and praying for Divine Guidance. The important thing is that bullies are not acknowledged or allowed. Regardless of the physical size, educational background, or pedigree, of either member of the couple, they each have to be on equal footing as to the relative values of their opinions and feelings.

 The second great stressor to the marriage is sex. What the couple did in the early stages of their relationship is probably irrelevant to the adjustment which comes later. What does sex mean to each member of the couple? Is it a bargaining tool to get one’s way? Can it be withheld during conflict resolution? Is it to be pursued for one’s own satisfaction? Probably most important is: can you talk about it together? Is it the bond which eliminates the boundaries of self, or does it accentuate the characteristics of self? These are very touchy issues. Sometimes those who cannot answer these questions seek sex outside the marriage: that has its own set of emotional catastrophes. The critical issue is for the couple to work together to establish what is to be the meaning of sex. The other issues, such as frequency, techniques and personal preferences can be worked out after that.

 The third stressor is children. Once again the couple has to discuss what children mean to the relationship. They need to work out areas of responsibility distribution, personal feelings about discipline, and what are to be the goals and aspirations for the child. Once again, there must be talk, talk, talk; no bullies; no emotional ostriches with their heads in the sand. The primary relationship is the one to be treasured and maintained. Family stability will flow from that, and children can grow up feeling secure and loved.

 The bottom line is not to wait until the day after you’re married to discuss issues like money, sex, and children. Be honest and forthright. Work on conflict resolution techniques, and decide in advance what your marriage stands for. To reword a commonly use phrase, the marriage that stands for nothing, falls for everything. 

John Drew Laurusonis

Doctors Medical Center 

www.doctorsmedicalctr.com

Forget All of your Financial Problems ? Sell and Rent Back your House!

Everyone has financial problems nowadays. We can really say that these are hard times, as everyone is struggling to cover monthly expenses. Telephone and utility bills, rent, insurance, credit cards, taxes, all of them are urgent and they have to be paid without delay. If you, like many other people, have contracted a bank loan, you also have the monthly interest or mortgage to worry about. You are probably aware of the recent mortgage loans crisis in the United States. The explanation is the following: because of the increased interest rates, many people found themselves unable to pay back the mortgage. Thus, many banks, in fact, the entire financial system, are faced with difficulties. Of course, losing your house to the bank is a frightening perspective for everyone. Our home means more than a place to live in, it means security and confidence, a shelter from the outside world where we are invulnerable, where we can just relax and be ourselves. It is very frustrating to live with the constant fear of losing your house and becoming homeless.

In order to solve your financial problems and get rid of the worries about mortgage and repossession of your home, a solution would be to sell and rent back your house. This means that you can sell your house and use the money to pay your debts, but still continue to live in it by paying an advantageous rent. There are two advantages in the “sell and rent back” system: first, you get rid of debt problems and creditors, including of paying a huge mortgage; secondly, you continue to live in your old home. Moreover, after all the debts are paid, you will probably be left with a considerable sum of money that you can use according to your wishes.

There are many situations in which you need a quick house sale. If you need the money urgently or you want to move somewhere else, you naturally want the house sold as fast as possible. However, the process is a complicated one and it may last for months until you find a reliable buyer. The real estate agents are usually helpful, but they cannot guarantee you that you will have your house sold in a short time. If you are in such a situation, you know how frustrating it is to wait for potential buyers for your home. Somehow, it seems like everyone is undecided, uninterested or unwilling to pay the price that you ask for. A quick house sale is therefore often impossible. Is there any solution for the house sellers who can’t afford to wait?

With our help, you can have the quick house sale you want and get your hands on the money you need in a very short time. You don’t even have to move from your home if you don’t want to, as you can sell and rent back your house from us. In other words, you will continue to live in your house undisturbed by anyone as you have done until selling it, but instead of a substantial mortgage you will pay only a much lower rent. A large part of your money is stuck in your house, money that could be used for a different purpose, maybe to get rid of your financial problems for good or to afford the holiday of your dreams. The choice is entirely up to you. We can help you sell and rent back your house and free that extra cash you need. For an easy and quick house sale, come to us.

A clean house is best home

A clean house

everybody must help to keep the house clean
Everything must be kept its place so that we can get it when required. Things lying here and there can causes accidents.
There must be a waste bin with a lid to collect kitchen wastes. Left over food that falls here and there invites ants, files, cockroaches, mice and diseases.
A dusty house can cause breathing problems.
Washbasins, toilets and bathrooms should be kept clean by washing them with phenol.

A clean house is best home.

We must keep our house clean. In addition to our house, we should also keep our surroundings clean. Clean house and its surroundings keep us healthy.

1)      Do not throw garbage around

We clean our house but carelessly throw the garbage outside our houses in open places. This is a very bad habit. This should be avoided. The household garbage should be kept in closed dustbins. The dustbins should be taken to municipal bins or garbage dumps for this purpose. These bins should be away from the houses and should be covered. Municipal trucks carry this garbage away from city. It is generally burnt.

2)      Do not allow dirty water to stagnate near your house

Waste water should not be allowed to flow on the open space outside and get collected. There should be no standing water inside or outside our house. Mosquitoes breed in standing water and spread malaria. We should dispose of waste water through drains. The drains should also be properly covered.

3)      Proper Latrine system

We should have a proper sanitary latrine system in our houses.

In big cities, most people have a flush system in their latrines. This system keeps the latrines clean and free from flies and foul smell.

4)      Sheds and stables should be kept clean

If we keep domestic animals or pets, they should be kept in stables and sheds. These should be kept clean to keep away flies. If these are not clean, files will carry germs from the dirt into nearby homes. These should be cleaned with phenyl.

5)      Never spit in the open

Spitting in the open is bad habit. Spitting in open attracts flies and makes our surroundings dirty.

So we must keep our surroundings clean to stay healthy.

20 World?s Most Unique Traditional Houses

Different places, different people, different house styles and designs. Check this out.

1. Naga Hut: India

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This unique house design is an Angami Naga dwelling located at the Naga Heritage Village, Kohima, Nagaland. Nagaland is a hill state located in the far north-eastern part of India.

2. Bolgatanga Painted Village: Ghana

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During dry season when there is little work in the field, women in this village in Ghana are busy painting their houses. These painted houses are located in Village Of Pottery Art and Culture or simply VOPCA, a village 8 km west of Bolgatanga. These houses are popular tourist attraction in the area.

3. Maison Obus: Cameroon

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These extremely unique traditional houses are located located in Cameroon.

4. Maison Ndebeles: Africa

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This colorful house is located in Africa.

5. Xinle Houses: China

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These traditional houses are Xinle house design of the Xinle civilization that flourished in China 7,200 years ago.

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The Xinle Civilization flourished about 5500 to 4800 BCE during the Neolithic period at the lower Liao River.

6. Kanak House: New Caledonia

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This house design is home to a Kanak, the indigenous Melanesian inhabitants of New Caledonia in the southwest Pacific.

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Almost 50% of the inhabitants of the beautiful tropical island of New Caledonia are Kanak people.

7. Yoshinogari Dwellings: Japan

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These unique designs of houses are reconstructed dwellings in Yoshinogari, a large and complex Yayoi archeological site in Kyushu, Japan. It is believed that such houses existed from 3rd century BCE to 3rd century CE.

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This complex and large archeological site has a total area of about 40 hectares. This site is a major tourist attraction.

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Specifically, the Yoshinogari site is located in Yoshinogari, Saga, Japan.

8. Toro Pit Dwelling: Japan

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Not far from Tokyo, Japan’s capital, is another archeological site where unique traditional house designs can be found – Late Yayoi archeological site. It is located in Suzuga-ku the city of Shizouka. The pit-house above is believed to have been built in the 1st century CE.

9. Fijian Hut: Fiji

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These beautiful huts are located in the Nausori Highlands in the interior of Fiji’s main island of Viti Levu. One of the most picturesque villages in the area is Navala.

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The Nausori Highlands are a great place to learn about Fijian culture.

10. Beach Hut: Denmark

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This colorful beach hut is located in Ero Hale near Marstal on Ero Island in Denmark.

11. Underground House: Tunisia

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Believe it or not, this dwelling is actually a hotel. It is called Hotel Sidi Driss. This traditional Berber troglodyte underground building is located in the village of Matmata, Tunisia. If you have seen the movie ‘Star Wars’, the hotel served as the home of Luke Skywalker on the planet Tatooine.

The structures are created by digging a large pit in the ground and around the perimeter of this pit artificial caves are then dug to be used as rooms, with some homes comprising multiple pits, connected by trench-like passageways.

12. Thatched House: Romania

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This thatched house is located in Village Museum in Bucharest, the capital of the former communist state of Romania.

13. Traditional Cottage: Cameroon

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This lovely-looking cottage is located in Barbara’s Village at Langma Beach in Cameroon. It is a traditional style village resort.

14. Rock Houses: Iran

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This village called Kandovan is a tourist spot in Iran and is famous for its unique houses which are carved inside rocks. These houses were built about 700 years ago and are still being inhabited. The mineral water in the area is also well-known to tourist because it is believed that it can cure kidney problems.

15. Turf Houses: Iceland

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Because timbers are not suitable for house construction in Iceland due to its harsh winter climate, most houses are made of turf.

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16. Traditional Hut: Cameroon

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This hut that is made of indigenous materials is an African Hut at Bana, a small village of Cameroon.

17. Rumah Gudang: Indonesia

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Rumah Gadang which means ‘big house’ in Minangkabau language is the traditional home of Minangkabau people of Indonesia. The house has dramatic curved roof structure with multi-tired, upswept gables. Shuttered windows are built into walls incised with profuse painted floral carvings. A Rumah Gadang is owned by the women of the family and ownership is passed from mother to daughter.

18. Zalfimaniry: Madagascar

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This is a typical Zafimaniry house located in Madagascar. It is entirely made of woods.

19. Ksar Ouleds: Tunisia

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These multi-storey houses in Tunisia are made of clay because woods are not available in the area.

20. Masai House: Tanzania

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This Maasai house is located in Tanzania. The house’s design is still traditional but the roof is no longer made of thatch but made of GI sheets.

See also

20 Amazingly Unique Architectural Designs of Houses

Unique Houses of the World

10 Unique Houses From Around the World

The 21 Most Impressively Unique House Designs

Dog Training: Common House Training Problems

In terms of dog training, house training is one of the areas of dog ownership and one of the most common dog training problems that is most subject to misunderstanding, confusion, and just plain dread boy dog owners and even dog training experts.

In today’s dog training article we are going to examine and learn how to deal with two of the most common problems surrounding the issue of house training your dog:

- Submissive and excited urination

- Scent marking behavior

Common house training problem #1: Submissive and excited urination

What is it a ‘submissive urinator’?

A ‘submissive urinator’, in dog training terms, is a dog that urinates on the floor and himself (and sometimes on you or any guests you may have!) in situations of extreme excitement or stress, like when you return home at the end of the work day or when the dog is being told off for some bad behavior.

Why does this happen?

Puppies are the most usual candidates for submissive/excited urination, but it is also not uncommon to see this behavior in adult dogs as well. Usually, these are highly sensitive and timid dogs, and/or ones from a shelter/with a history of abuse (often these last two go hand-in-hand and one of most common things we see as dog training professionals.)

When does it happen?

Situations which are likely to trigger an excited/fearful dog to urinate:

- Greeting time after a prolonged absence of owner

- Play time where a dog gets too excited

- The arrival of guests (particularly unknown guests)

- Stressful situations at home, eg arguments involving owner

- During a behavior correction such as you’re telling him off

- Sudden and unexpected loud noises such as thunder or fireworks

What can I do about it?

Luckily as dog training experts will tell you, it is not difficult to prevent your dog from doing his submissive or excited urination.

Firstly and most importantly, you should take him to the vet to make sure there is no unknown medical reason for the issue (such as diabetes or a hidden bladder infection.)

Next, it’s time to take use good dog training techniques to control the problem:

- Try to limit his intake of water to help him control his bladder more effectively, this is very important. Don’t restrict his water intake over a prolonged period of time, but if you know there is a situation coming which would normally result in a loss of bladder control, for example, you have guests coming over, or are planning on a play session soon, take his water bowl away for a period of time (maybe half an hour to an hour) before the event.

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- When greeting your dog, keep it calm and mellow. The more excited he is, the harder it is for him to control his bladder, so don’t encourage him to get worked up: ignore him for the first few moments, or give him a very neutral “hello”, a quick and gentle pat, and then go about making yourself at home.

- It’s important that you DO NOT punish or harshly correct your dog for this behavior. It is not something that he can easily control, and he’s certainly not doing it on purpose. Punishing a dog for this behavior can cause emotional distress and lead to more problems for you and the dog in the long run. When you catch him in the act, you can interrupt him (a firm “No!” followed by praise when he stops should suffice) but don’t punish him. Keep your cool, and try to be sympathetic: he doesn’t mean to do it, after all!

- If he urinates out of fear (submissiveness) when scolding him for another offense, try to take the stress levels down a notch by keeping a firm, authoritative, but not angry tone. Remember, you’re dealing with a sensitive, highly-strung dog: if you get angry or worry him further, the problem will worsen.

Common house training problem #2: Scent marking

In dog training terms ‘Scent marking’ is where a dog ‘marks’ his or her territory with urine. Technically this is not actually a house training problem, since it’s based on the dog training issues of dominance and territoriality rather than insufficient house training. A dog can be perfectly house trained but still feel the need to mark inside the house.

However, because – since the problem centers around the unwanted presence of urine in the house – it seems logical, in a way, to link this problem with house training. Since this is one of the most widespread problems among dog owners, we as dog training professionals thought it worthwhile to include some practical advice.

Scent marking and lack of house training: how to differentiate between the two

Your dog is most likely scent marking their territory, rather than genuinely relieving himself, if:

- The amount of urine produced is relatively small, and tends to be directed against vertical surfaces such as doors, walls or furniture.

- If your dog is an unneutered male and at least five or six months old. Unneutered dogs are much more territorial than neutered ones. If you have an unneutered dog in the house, you can pretty much expect a certain amount of scent marking as he defines his own areas. It should also be noted that unspayed females also mark, but it is much less common. Spayed and neutered dogs can also exhibit marking behavior, but it’s relatively rare but should not be discounted.

- It makes little difference how often he is taken outside for a toilet break

- He frequently targets items that are new to the house such as new possessions, guest clothing/footwear, etc that do not carry some form of his scent

- You live in a multi-dog household and there is conflict between two or more of the dogs. In this case it is a dominance issue between the two and they may both mark.

- There are other, unneutered or unspayed pets in the house

What to do about the problem?

From a dog training perspective the first thing you need to do is spay or neuter your dog(s) as soon as you possibly can. If you can do this early enough, ideally, at six months of age, this often halts marking altogether. If this is not possible or if your dog’s been marking for a prolonged period of time, he or she may continue to do so after being spayed or neutered, since a pattern of behavior will have been established.

Ensure you clean soiled areas thoroughly. Use a non-ammonia based cleaner, because it smells just like pee, and stay away from vinegar too, it smells similar to pee as well. Oxi-Clean mixed with warm water is particularly effective on these areas and there are also plenty of commercial cleaners designed specifically to lift pet stains and odors, which you can buy from pet stores and some supermarkets.

Because dogs tend to re-mark the same places, you’ll need to redefine the places that you know he’s marked to prevent repeat offending.

Many dog training experts will recommend the following ways to do this:

- Feed him next to or on top of the spot

- Play with him there

- Groom him there

- Put his bed over or next to it

- Spend time there yourself: hang out with a book or sit down and work

Finally, one particular aspect of dog training that is often overlooked is if there is rivalry between dogs in the household. In this case you will need to take steps to resolve it. Any conflict is likely to be hierarchical in nature (a ‘power struggle’), which means that all you have to do to stop the tension is pay attention to which dog seems to be more dominant than the other one (which one eats first, gets the toys he/she wants, ‘stares down’ another dog), and reinforce this position to establish the hierarchy.

So how do you do this? From a dog training perspective it is relatively simple. First, feed the dominant dog first. Pet him/her first. Give him/her a toy before anyone else gets one. This makes it clear to all dogs in the house which one really is the dominant dog. When this hierarchy’s been recognizably established, territorial and dominant behaviors like scent marking often vanish overnight.

Common house training problems

House training is one of the areas of dog ownership that’s most subject to misunderstanding, confusion, and just plain dread!
Today’s newsletter is going to deal with two of the most common problems surrounding the issue of house training:
- Submissive/excited urination
- Scent marking

Common house training problem #1: Submissive / excited urination

What is it?

A ‘submissive urinator’ is a dog that urinates on the floor and himself (and sometimes on you and any guests you may have!) in situations of extreme excitement or stress – like when you return home at the end of the day, or when he’s being told off.

Why does it happen?

Puppies are the usual candidates for submissive/excited urination, but it’s not uncommon to see adult dogs with the problem as well: usually, these are highly sensitive and timid dogs, and/or ones from a shelter/with a history of abuse (often these last two go hand-in-hand.)

When does it happen?
Situations when an excited/fearful dog is likely to urinate:
– Greeting time after a prolonged absence
– Play time
– The arrival of guests
– Stressful situations at home, eg arguments
– During a correction (you’re telling him off)
– Sudden loud noises (thunder, fireworks)

What can I do about it?

Fortunately, it’s not difficult to “cure” your dog of his submissive/excited urination.

First of all, you should take him to the vet to make sure there’s no medical reason for the issue (like diabetes or a bladder infection.)

Next, it’s time to take control of the problem:

- Limit his intake of water to help him control his bladder more effectively. Don’t restrict his water intake over a prolonged period of time, but if you know there’s a situation coming which would normally result in urination – for example, you have guests coming over, or are planning on a play session soon – take his water bowl away for a period of time (maybe half an hour to an hour) before the event.

- When greeting your dog, keep it calm and mellow. The more excited he is, the harder it is for him to control his bladder, so don’t encourage him to get worked up: ignore him for the first few moments, or give him a neutral “hello”, a quick pat, and then go about making yourself at home.

- It’s important that you DO NOT punish or harshly correct your dog for this behavior. It’s not something that he can easily control, and he’s certainly not doing it on purpose. When you catch him in the act, you can interrupt him (a firm “No!” followed by praise when he stops should suffice) but don’t punish him. Keep your cool, and try to be sympathetic: he doesn’t mean to do it, after all!

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- If he urinates out of fear (submissiveness) when scolding him for another offense, try to take the stress levels down a notch by keeping a firm, authoritative, but not angry tone. Remember, you’re dealing with a sensitive, highly-strung dog: if you get angry or worry him further, the problem will worsen.

Comon house training problem #2: Scent marking

Scent marking – where a dog “marks” his or her territory with urine – is technically not actually a house training problem, since it’s based on issues of dominance and territoriality rather than insufficient house training (a dog can be perfectly house trained but still mark inside the house.)

However, because – since the problem centers around the unwanted presence of urine in the house – it seems logical, in a way, to link this problem with house training: and since this is one of the most widespread problems among dog owners, we thought it worthwhile to include some practical advice.

Scent marking and lack of house training: how to differentiate between the two

Your dog’s probably scent marking, rather than genuinely relieving himself, if:

- The amount of urine produced is relatively small, and tends to be directed against vertical surfaces (walls, doors, etc)

- He’s male, unneutered, and at least five or six months old. Unneutered dogs are much more territorial than neutered ones –if you have an unneutered dog in the house, you can pretty much expect a certain amount of scent marking. (Unspayed females also mark, but it’s less common; spayed and neutered dogs can also exhibit marking behavior, but it’s relatively infrequent)

- It makes little difference how often he’s taken outside for a toilet break

- He frequently targets items that are new to the house: new possessions, guest clothing/footwear, etc

- You live in a multi-dog household and there is conflict between two or more of the dogs

- There are other, unneutered or unspayed pets in the house

What to do about the problem?

First things first: spay or neuter your dog(s) as soon as you possibly can. If you can do this early enough – ideally, at six months of age – this often halts marking altogether; but if your dog’s been marking for a prolonged period of time, he or she may continue to do so after being spayed or neutered, since a pattern of behavior will have been established.

Clean soiled areas thoroughly. Use a non-ammonia based cleaner (because it smells just like pee) and stay away from vinegar too (it smells similar to pee.) Oxi-Clean mixed with warm water is particularly effective; there are also plenty of commercial cleaners designed specifically to lift pet stains and odors, which you can buy from pet stores and some supermarkets.

Because dogs tend to re-mark the same places, you’ll need to redefine the places that you know he’s marked to prevent repeat offending.

You can do this in a number of ways:

- Feed him next to or on top of the spot
– Play with him there
– Groom him there
– Put his bed over or next to it
– Spend time there yourself: hang out with a book or sit down and work

If there is rivalry between dogs in the household, you’ll need to take steps to resolve it. Any conflict is likely to be hierarchical in nature (a “power struggle”), which means that all you have to do to stop the tension is pay attention to which dog seems to be more dominant than the other one (which one eats first, gets the toys he/she wants, “stares down” another dog), and reinforce this position.

How to do this: feed the dominant dog first. Pet him/her first. Give him/her a toy before anyone else gets one. This makes it clear to all dogs in the house which one really is the dominant dog – and when this hierarchy’s been recognizably established, territorial/dominant behaviors like scent marking often vanish overnight.

For more information on how to successfully house train your dog (as well as a whole bunch of in-depth information on house training troubleshooting and related issues) you’ll probably want to check out The Ultimate House Training Guide.

It’s the complete dog-house-training guide. The Ultimate House Training Puppies Guide and comes highly recommended.

The Problems With Orders of Protection in Domestic Violence Cases

It happens hundreds of times a day in New York City Courts. A Family Court or Criminal Court judge will sign an order of protection against one person in favor of another. Now the real problems begin. I see this in my practice every day.

HOUSING PROBLEMS

If the judge has ordered you to stay away from the common home you will now have to find a new place to live. That is a real problem if you don’t have the income to do so. It is at this point that you must count on the generosity of your friends and family. I have learned that this type of help quickly runs dry.  If you are fortunate enough to find a new place to live, you will also have to go and retrieve your belongings from your old home. This is a real problem because the NYPD is simply not interested in helping people get back into their apartments.

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CHILD CUTODY

If children are involved the situation gets very complicated. You will now have to go to family court to have the order of protection modified and have a judge give you permission to see your children. If the other party does not want you to see the children, you will spend a long amount of time in Family Court trying to convince a child you are a good enough person to see your kids. Needless to say, the stress and expense of this can put a strain on most people.

BEING ARRESTED AGAIN

One of the biggest problems with order of protection in domestic violence cases, is that the party who is being protected by the order can easily have the person who the order is against, arrested again for violating the order. If this happens, contact a criminal defense lawyer, immediately. These are now criminal charges and I have seen many judges set tens of thousands of dollars worth of bail. If you cannot make the bail, you will be sitting in jail until the case is resolved.

OTHER ISSUES

The loss of a gun license, being placed on a statewide registry, and having future employers find these orders are just some of the other damaging results that can occur from one of these orders being issued against you. The most important thing if one of these orders is issued against you is to hire an attorney to protect your interests and make sure you follow the court’s order. To do otherwise can land you in jail.

 

 

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