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  • Dog House Building And Buying Guide

    Dog House Building And Buying Guide

    iii. Doors

    For legless houses, the owner must remember that having it directly on the ground increases the likelihood that the pet would be exposed to wet and cold weather. The owner can use bricks, stones or rocks arranged in a level and stable manner to elevate the house.

    When building a house or buying for their pets, dog owners have to consider several factors. As a true member of your own family, providing your pet with the best home possible is of the utmost importance.

    vi. Keep The Dog House Elevated

    iv. Easy To Clean And Maintain

    Some dog houses are made with hinged roofs, a feature that allows owners to raise the roof during humid and hot weather. Owners should avoid building or buying houses with peak-style or barn-type roofs, as these would attract hornets, wasps and other insects and prevent heat retention. Another option is wind walls, which can be inserted into the dog house to break the wind and keep the house warmer.

    ii. Weather Conditions

    A German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Rottweiler and other large dogs should have large houses, while the Chihuahua and smaller breeds will need smaller houses. The door of the house does not need to be based on the height of the dog from the ground to the top of its head, or even taller, as it will lower its head to be able to enter the house. The house should also be large enough for the dog to stand at full height inside, move around and lie down. Some dog houses are made with hinged roofs, a feature that allows owners to raise the roof during humid and hot weather. Another option is wind walls, which can be inserted into the dog house to break the wind and keep the house warmer.

    i. Size

    • Removable or adjustable roofs
    • Flexibility in cleaning
    • Doors, partitions
    • Wind walls
    • Restrict the use of paint, stains, or water sealers for the outside of the house

    v. Use Wood

    The front door of the dog house should be located to one side instead of in the middle. Using a door will help keep the dog house warmer during cold months.

    A German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Rottweiler and other large dogs should have large houses, while the Chihuahua and smaller breeds will need smaller houses. The door of the house does not need to be based on the height of the dog from the ground to the top of its head, or even taller, as it will lower its head to be able to enter the house. The house should also be large enough for the dog to stand at full height inside, move around and lie down.

    Plastic and metal houses are not a good idea, as they are either too hot during summertime or too cold during the winter. Some market experts say that houses made from natural western red cedar wood offer the best insulation for dogs during winter while making them cooler during summer. Houses made from this material are also maintenance-free on the outside, although owners have a choice of finishing it to complement their property.

  • Raising a Reptile as a Pet

    Raising a Reptile as a Pet

    Raising a reptile can be a fascinating hobby, whether you are eight or fifty-eight years old. Leopard geckos are among the easiest to raise, are easily tamed and are interesting and always beautiful pets. Consider a gecko for your next pet.

    If you have not raised a reptile before, let me suggest that you start with a leopard gecko. The leopard gecko has two very big advantages, and one of them is that it does not get very big. The other major advantage of a leopard gecko is that is has been kept and bred in captivity since the 1920s, and is among the healthiest lizards and easiest to
    Leopard geckos are easily kept in an aquarium or other plastic cage, as long as each gecko has at least ten inches square of floor space. Leopard geckos come in a variety of colors, and you can keep several in the same cage as long as there is only one male in the group (most geckos that are sold are female).

    The adult gecko does not get larger than nine or ten inches and can be handled by older children. Even younger children can hold them, but make sure they are supervised to handle the gecko gently and to avoid picking them up by the tail, or holding the tail tightly.

    Once you have the environment, go to a reputable pet store and select your geckos. Leopard geckos come in a variety of colors, and you can keep several in the same cage as long as there is only one male in the group (most geckos that are sold are female).

    The leopard gecko has two very big advantages, and one of them is that it does not get very big. The other major advantage of a leopard gecko is that is has been kept and bred in captivity since the 1920s, and is among the healthiest lizards and easiest to
    keep.

    Leopard geckos are easily kept in an aquarium or other plastic cage, as long as each gecko has at least ten inches square of floor space. The food bowl for the gecko can be something about the size and shape of the lid for a gallon jar, a larger flat area. The bottom of the cage should have some kind of paper toweling, so that it can be changed in order to keep the cage clean.

    Geckos thrive best when the daytime temperature is in the eighties, up to eighty-eight degrees. If your house is normally cooler than that, a lamp with a forty-watt bulb over the top of the cage should create enough heat to keep the gecko warm. Keep the cage out of direct sunlight (because it will get too warm) and have a screen cover for the top if you have small children or cats in your household.

  • What Types of Lizards Make Good Reptile Pets?

    What Types of Lizards Make Good Reptile Pets?

    There is nothing wrong with wanting a reptile for a pet, provided of course you first arm yourself with knowledge. Suppose your well-meaning relative decided it would be a good idea to give you an exotic pet for a gift, not thinking of the reptile’s welfare should you be unable to care for it or uneducated about its care. There are ways of choosing your pet when you do decide to obtain a reptile. Either way you go, please make sure you take into account that the reptile will grow and must be able to fit into the enclosure as it gets bigger. A Leopard Gecko is a popular lizard choice for people who want a reptile that will be smaller than the Iguana.

    Another common lizard choice is that of the Green Anole, also known as the American chameleon. While it isn’t actually related to the chameleon, it is able to change colors from green to dark brown. This reptile only grows to 9 inches normally and eats insects.

    There is nothing wrong with wanting a reptile for a pet, provided of course you first arm yourself with knowledge. Suppose your well-meaning relative decided it would be a good idea to give you an exotic pet for a gift, not thinking of the reptile’s welfare should you be unable to care for it or uneducated about its care.

    A Leopard Gecko is a popular lizard choice for people who want a reptile that will be smaller than the Iguana. This lizard also stays active at night, so night owls may get more enjoyment from it than someone who wants to interact or watch their reptile during the day. The Leopard Gecko can live up to 15 years and is easy for a beginner to care for.

    There are ways of choosing your pet when you do decide to obtain a reptile. Either way you go, please make sure you take into account that the reptile will grow and must be able to fit into the enclosure as it gets bigger.

    A Bearded Dragon is a popular lizard choice. These reptiles can grow to 20 inches. Skinks can grow anywhere from 12 to 20 inches, depending on which type you get.

    Whatever your choice of lizard or other reptile as a pet, just make sure you do your research before you purchase. Please educate yourself as quickly as possible to prevent unintentional harm to the reptile if you are given the animal as a gift.

  • Issues with keeping Lizards as Pets

    Issues with keeping Lizards as Pets

    Before thinking of buying a lizard, the most important factor to be considered is the full-grown size of the lizard as some of the species can grow up to six feet long. Naive pet owners should certainly opt for the ones, which are easier to handle, and certainly not for the ones which grow very big. They are small in size, require less maintenance and do not demand special conditions such as big terrariums with special UV lightning.

    Potential owners must carefully observe the lizard before buying it. There are signs that give indication about whether the pet is healthy or not. Swelling on the abdomen or on any other part of the body should also be checked out.

    If the reptile has any respiratory disease, its eyes will be swollen and there will be mucus formation around the nose. Ask for handling the pet. This should be done to test the strength of the lizard.

    They are also very-good inexpensive pets. The cost can be cut down a bit by not relying on the pet store completely and doing some self-research.

    Lizards are cold-blooded reptiles belonging to the Squamata order. They are also very-good inexpensive pets. The cost can be cut down a bit by not relying on the pet store completely and doing some self-research.

    Naive pet owners should certainly opt for the ones, which are easier to handle, and certainly not for the ones which grow very big. The bigger the lizard the more challenging it becomes to have them as pets. A temperature gradient is a must so that the appropriate temperature can be provided to the pet.

    The bigger the lizard the more challenging it becomes to have them as pets. Other animals that pose a challenge as pets are chameleons, savannah monitors, iguanas, white tegus, geckos, and Argentinean black.

    Most of the lizards are very specific about the temperature. Lizards are cold-blooded, they require warmth for healthy growth. A temperature gradient is a must so that the appropriate temperature can be provided to the pet.

  • Are Startup Incubators Right for You?

    Are Startup Incubators Right for You?

    What is an incubator? Is incubator mentorship right for you? Let’s take a look.

    One unique form of mentorship that’s open to entrepreneurs is incubators. Incubators combine traditional investing with a streamlined mentoring process to help take beginning entrepreneurs to a successful exit.

    == > Incubator Basics

    You’ll have access to their facilities and network once you’re in the incubator program. You’ll be able to work out of a shared office for free and take advantage of their in house legal and accounting services.

    An incubator is a business coaching program run by a very successful former entrepreneur. Typically, the incubator will provide $10,000 to $30,000 in funding and take between a 2% and a 10% stake in the company.

    You’ll start your company at the same time as an entire group of other entrepreneurs. This helps create a sense of team spirit, of taking on a big task together.

    In addition to access to the primary mentor, you’ll usually also have access to a whole range of other successful individuals. Incubators might bring in other successful entrepreneurs as speakers or mentors. They might also bring in alumni of the program to talk about their successes and give advice.

    == > The Downsides to Working With an Incubator

    There are a few downsides to working with an incubator that you need to be aware of.

    Of all, they’re very industry focused. The majority of incubators focus on the tech industry; though there are also incubators for green tech, biotech and industries.

    Most incubators are looking for quick equity cash outs. That means that generally speaking, incubators want to help you build out your idea then have your company acquired for a large sum in a short period of time. Going with an incubator might not be your best bet if you’re looking to build up your company for the long haul.

    == > It’s a Very Specific Business Model

    Is incubator mentorship right for you? Incubators might bring in other successful entrepreneurs as speakers or mentors. That means that generally speaking, incubators want to help you build out your idea then have your company acquired for a large sum in a short period of time. If you’re looking to build up your company for the long haul, going with an incubator might not be your best bet.

    Incubators work under a very specific business model. They fund a group of businesses, while expecting a good portion of them not to succeed. The ones that do succeed need to bring in enough revenues to cover the lost investments, as well as the overhead costs of the incubator itself.

    If you don’t want to sell or if you don’t want to run a hyper-accelerated growth company however, then a startup accelerator might not be your cup of tea. Make sure you understand what you’re getting into before you dive into the world of incubators.

    You ‘d be hard pressed to find a better mentorship structure if your business fits under the model that the incubator’s looking for. You’ll have access to experts in every realm of business development, from incorporation and getting started to eventually selling your company.

    Incubators work under a very specific business model.

  • Getting Started with Business Incubators

    Getting Started with Business Incubators

    A fundamental aspect for your business, financing is usually the most frequent obstacle in starting a business. You have the option of resorting to a business incubator on condition that your business idea seems promising and viable. A business incubator is a system offering support for start-up businesses or recently founded ones. The selection they perform works like a measurement unit for the viability of the applicant business and gives entrepreneurs a chance to re-think their business strategy. The success rate of businesses created by incubators is of around 85%.

    A fundamental aspect for your business, financing is usually the most frequent obstacle in starting a business. You have the option of resorting to a business incubator on condition that your business idea seems promising and viable.


    What are business incubators? How many types are there?
    A business incubator is a system offering support for start-up businesses or recently founded ones. The selection they perform works like a measurement unit for the viability of the applicant business and gives entrepreneurs a chance to re-think their business strategy.
    There are two categories of incubator sponsors: profit and non-profit.
    Such incubators have been used to achieve economic and social objectives as decreasing the unemployment rate, increasing the enterprise formation rate, social assistance for disadvantaged groups – youth, minorities, enhancing regional economy etc
    . Applying for a program of such incubators should be highly questionable and a matter for thorough analysis, as it may involve long-term hindering agreements, or sharing a percentage of 20 to 80 of the company ownership and it just may not be worth it.
    Who may apply and what are the conditions?
    Any entrepreneur may apply for entering an incubator program on condition that his business project is viable or his business has great potential. A necessary condition is that the applicant must have a business plan containing relevant information.
    There are also specific conditions and requirements for admission into such programs that vary from case to case, usually referring to the business industry, business location, the for-profit/non-profit strategy of businesses or financing means.
    Programs usually last up to three years.
    Advantages and disadvantages of resorting to a business incubator
    On one hand, business incubators provide:
    financing, without requiring
    customized professional assistance
    entrepreneurial training
    economical access to facilities
    inexpensive business services
    opportunities for entrepreneurs to connect with people who can promote business growth and profits
    a forum for exchange of ideas among entrepreneurs
    On the other hand, there may be some inconveniences too with business incubators. With incubators that have the goal of gaining a profit, the necessary agreement to be reached upon can be most of the times a very cumbersome one for most firms.
    With non-profit incubators sponsored by governments there is the tendency to favor high-tech startups that planning for rapid growth (as thus they will create more jobs) rather than more traditional businesses.
    Business incubators may be a very helpful opportunity to start your business; they can constitute a real boost for a beginner business.

  • Hints for Hatching and Raising Chickens out of Eggs

    Hints for Hatching and Raising Chickens out of Eggs

    An incubator should have a temperature of at least 98 – 99 degrees. For the first 1-18 days, your humidity can be at least 50% and the remaining days till day 21 must have a maximum of 80%.

    As a poultry raiser, you have to know that from the moment they were laid, eggs must hatch after 21 days of incubation. If your hen wanted to continue incubating her eggs, it’s a good thing. If she doesn’t, there is always an alternative – an incubator.

    To evenly apply the heat, mark the eggs with an O on one side and an X on the other side. Do this process at least three to four times a day. If you started heating all X sides, the next time you turn it, all sides will be O. Do not skip until hatching day comes, or else the eggs will get deformed from the inside.

    The above-mentioned hint is done by some egg hatchers and poultry owners. Others say that to turn or not to turn, hatch rates are always a success.

    Hatching Eggs from Incubators

    One good thing about incubators is that, in the absence of the mother chicken, they can come in handy. An incubator is an instrument that gives newly born egg a warm and moist state similar to that of the chicken’s tummy.

    Fertility

    As a poultry raiser, you have to know that from the moment they were laid, eggs must hatch after 21 days of incubation. It’s a good thing if your hen wanted to continue incubating her eggs. If you started heating all X sides, the next time you turn it, all sides will be O. Do not skip until hatching day comes, or else the eggs will get deformed from the inside. An incubator is an instrument that gives newly born egg a warm and moist state similar to that of the chicken’s tummy. Fertile eggs can be at least 75% expected to hatch.

    With these slight hints, you can diagnose the end product of an artificially incubated egg and not compromising the outcome of the chicks raised.

    Determining the egg’s fertility can’t be done before the incubation. This can only be detected after 3 days or so by candling. Candling can be done by holding a candle in front of an egg which is typically white-shelled.

    If the eggs are uniformly white, the candle will be hard chance. You can place the egg over the hole where the light slits through.

    It varies from a close 56% to an 80% that can also depend on the condition, season and the bird type. Fertile eggs can be at least 75% expected to hatch.

    Assume an embryo has been successfully fertilized if you have noticed the cloudiness of a mass or the egg is prominent. If the inside of the egg is clear, the egg is unfertilized.

  • Why Protein is Crucial For Fat Loss?

    Why Protein is Crucial For Fat Loss?

    Protein Is Crucial For Fat Loss! – Part 1
    I Didn’t Realize How Important Protein Was For Fat Loss Until I Discovered Something That Blew My Mind …
    The year was 1992. I had just finished a long cycle of weight gain whereupon I had moved my bodyweight up from about 150 pounds to about 215 pounds. And let me just tell you, it wasn’t all muscle!
    I hadn’t been all that careful about my diet previously but I thought I knew pretty well what I was doing. It was time to lose some of that fat.
    The first thing I did was make the biggest mistake a dieter can make: in my focus of trying to eat only low fat foods, I unwittingly and drastically reduced the amount of protein that I was eating.
    The problem was, I lost mostly muscle! I was smaller, weaker, lighter and nearly as fat as I was before.


    In retrospect, I know exactly what I did wrong and it’s something I’ll never do again.
    I FORGOT ABOUT PROTEIN!
    Protein is an extremely important nutrient, whether your goal is to lose fat, gain muscle or just tone yourself up. It is the main structural nutrient in your body, making up the bulk of your organs and muscles. Protein is essential for proper hormone function and immune system health.
    Most importantly, for our purposes, protein is used for building and repairing muscle tissue.
    You reduce your calories when you are trying to lose fat. Your body views fat stores as more precious than your muscle tissue and will tend to eat up muscle tissue before it goes to fat for energy. This physiological adaptation used to protect our ancestors from famine but works against us now.
    Protecting your muscle tissue makes fat loss so much easier, it will amaze you. Not only that, it will help you keep that fat off permanently!
    What can you do to protect your muscle tissue?
    The first thing you can do is exercise. Exercise, especially resistance training, provides a stimulus for your body that sends it a signal saying “keep this muscle, you’re going to need it.”
    The second thing you can do is provide your body with enough protein. This can be in the form of food or supplements.
    Good food sources of protein include chicken, fish, eggs, lean meats, legumes (beans), soy, and dairy products. Protein supplements are derived from food sources but are concentrated for convenience and effectiveness.
    How much protein do you need?
    The standard recommendation for athletes is between 1.2 to 1.7 grams per kilogram of bodyweight per day (or 0.5 to 0.7 grams per pound of bodyweight per day), though some research indicates a ratio as high as 2 grams per kilogram of bodyweight per day (0.9 grams per pound) is beneficial. This means if you weigh 150 pounds, you should try to eat between 75 and 105 grams and up to around 135 grams of protein per day.
    Essentially, you should experiment with your protein intake to find out what works best for you. As far as importance in your supplement program goes, I would rank protein as next in importance to a good multi-vitamin.
    I made the mistake of neglecting protein and it cost me when I made my first grand attempt at fat loss. Don’t make the same mistake I did!

    I Didn’t Realize How Important Protein Was For Fat Loss Until I Discovered Something That Blew My Mind …
    The year was 1992. Protein is an extremely important nutrient, whether your goal is to lose fat, gain muscle or just tone yourself up. Protein is essential for proper hormone function and immune system health.
    Your body views fat stores as more precious than your muscle tissue and will tend to eat up muscle tissue before it goes to fat for energy. Protecting your muscle tissue makes fat loss so much easier, it will amaze you.

  • 16 Ways to Burn Stubborn Body Fat

    16 Ways to Burn Stubborn Body Fat

    Reducing calories by 15-20% a day will almost exclusively burn fat while larger cuts in calories will burn a combo of muscle tissue and fat. If you’re currently eating 3000 calories, reduce to 2400-2550, but do so according to smart guidelines like those laid out in The Living Health Weight Loss Audio.

    Eat less … lose weight?!? Here’s the other stuff you can do to get leaner.

    Professional athletes and models eat all day long yet keep their total calories under control. Each time you eat, the metabolism increases, and over a 6-10-week period, that increase can parlay into another 2-3 pounds of fat loss.

    Carbs, protein and fat – are equal in their efficiency to be stored as body fat, but protein exerts a greater metabolic boosting effect than carbs or dietary fat. When calories drop, protein saves muscle which helps keep the metabolism elevated.

    4) Play with Carbs. Carbs help retain metabolic boosting muscle yet they can stimulate fat storage. Following a modified low carb diet – staggering your carbohydrate intake is one of the most effective ways to jump start your
    metabolism and to burn stubborn fat fast (as outlined in Maximize Your Metabolism and the Living Health Audio Program.).

    One reason fat loss comes to a halt; the body downgrades its metabolism to meet its dwindling intake of calories. The solution: dramatically increase your calorie intake once every 2-3 weeks.

    6) Skip the Late Night Carbs. Carbs eaten before bedtime are more likely to be stored as body fat so focus on lean proteins and fiber based vegetables like salad, broccoli and cauliflower fixings. The lone exception: if you train late at night and your goal is to build muscle mass, you’ll need the carbs to replenish glycogen and support growth.

    7) Go Fish. The inclusion of omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon, sardines and trout may promote speedier fat loss when calories are controlled. One study revealed dieters who ate fish on a daily basis lost more weight than those who ate fish just once a week (Am Journ Clin Nutr 70:817 -825, 1999).

    Radically reducing calories slows the metabolism short circuiting fat loss. You know: 2 cardio sessions a day. Excess cardio slows the metabolism, promotes a loss in muscle and even can lower testosterone levels.

    What happens when you do cardio first and follow it up with weight training? You don’t build as much muscle density. The best scenario; hit the cardio in the morning – on an empty stomach – get in a few meals and return to the gym later in the day to build muscle density.

    Red peppers, the spicy ingredient in Indian and mexican dishes contains Capsaicin which can increase the metabolic rate by effecting the Sympathetic Branch of the Nervous system. Spiking your chicken dishes with red might be a small benefit or you can gulp 5 to 10 encapsulated grams of Capsaicin from your local health food store.

    11) Serotonin Control. Serotonin is a brain chemical that helps control hunger. One way to prevent a drop; smaller, more frequent meals.

    Reducing calories by 15-20% a day will almost exclusively burn fat while larger cuts in calories will burn a combo of muscle tissue and fat. Carbs, protein and fat – are equal in their efficiency to be stored as body fat, but protein exerts a greater metabolic boosting effect than carbs or dietary fat. Adrenaline triggers fat breakdown and UCP, located in metabolically active “brown fat”, increase calorie burning. Dietary fat can make the body more effective in using and burning fat – as long as carbs and calories remain under control. When you eat less and try to dump body fat, a lot of times the metabolism adapts and burns quite a bit fewer calories.

    To rip up, you have to eat fewer carbs, but on occasion – say once a week – you can add a little healthy fat, 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil, some red meat, cashews or walnuts. Dietary fat can make the body more effective in using and burning fat – as long as carbs and calories remain under control. Nutrient Balance and Energy Expenditure During the Ad Libitum Feeding of High Fat and High Carbohydrate Diets in Humans.

    These special calorie burning compounds help burn an extra 100 or-so calories a day, about equal to a brisk walk. In maximizing fat loss, every calorie counts. (Dell, A.G., et al., Efficiency of a green tea extract rich in catechin polyphenols and caffeine in increasing 24-h energy expenditure and fat oxidation in humans.

    Adrenaline triggers fat breakdown and UCP, located in metabolically active “brown fat”, increase calorie burning. Garlic also controls cortisol levels, which can supports muscle retention while dieting. (Oi Y, et al., Allen-containing sulfides in garlic increase uncoupling protein content in brown adipose tissue, and noradenaline and adrenaline secretion in rats.

    When you eat less and try to dump body fat, a lot of times the metabolism adapts and burns quite a bit fewer calories. A combo of 537 mg of calcium phosphate, 107 mg of potassium phosphate and 25 mg of sodium phosphate given to strict dieters yielded a 12-19% more elevated metabolism than dieters who did not use phosphates.

    This one seems simple, but it’s one of the most overlooked tips in shedding fat. Dieters who record what they eat, meal by meal, day by day, not only make better choices, but cheat less and eat fewer total calories.

  • 5 Tips For Rapid Fat Loss

    5 Tips For Rapid Fat Loss

    Losing too much weight too quickly, or losing weight through unhealthy means, can actually harm your body and your goals. These five tips will help you lose the weight that you want to lose as fast as possible through healthy means.

    There are multiple approaches to personal weight loss goals. Each approach has itÕs own unique way of working with the body to lose fat.

    Lift Weights

    One of the best tips for rapid weight loss comes straight out of the gym. While it is important to get your cardio workout in, it is also important to lift weights.

    Add Cardio Into Your Day

    If you want to lose weight quickly, you need to start adding extra cardio into your daily routine. These extra steps will add up over time and will help you lose more weight.

    Cut Sugars and Fatty Foods

    If you want to lose weight fast, you must cut bad foods from your diet. If you are trying to lose weight quickly, you need to cut out all fast foods, and all forms of pop.

    Eat Breakfast

    If you want to lose weight as fast as possible, you need to eat breakfast. Eating breakfast will help to get your metabolism started earlier in the day. This will help you burn more calories over the course of a day, helping you lose weight.

    Drink Water

    Drink water when you feel hungry. Sometimes, the body is thirsty and will give you a signal by making you feel hungry. You may eat because you feel hungry when in reality, all you needed was some water.

    If you want to lose weight quickly, you need to start adding extra cardio into your daily routine. You need to eat breakfast if you want to lose weight as fast as possible. These rapid fat loss tips will give you the tools that you need to lose weight as fast as you can in a lasting and healthy way.

    These simple tips are not going to cause you to lose 20 pounds of weight in one week. These rapid fat loss tips will give you the tools that you need to lose weight as fast as you can in a lasting and healthy way. By changing some of your most basic daily habits, you can lose weight faster than those who rely on crash dieting and fad dieting.

    Losing too much weight too quickly, or losing weight through unhealthy means, can actually harm your body and your goals. These five tips will help you lose the weight that you want to lose as fast as possible through healthy means.