For the past 50 years, thousands of Christian teens and adults from all denominations have volunteered for short term mission trips. Short term mission trips for Outdoor Enthusiasts, ranging anywhere from a week to a year, are relatively recent in the history of global missions.

At one time, missionaries had to receive extensive training before going to share their faith in areas where Christianity was not practiced. They departed to live abroad for years at a time, recognizing they might not ever be coming back.

But since the 1970s, church groups and parachurch organizations have increasingly mobilized young people for these ventures, harnessing their natural energy and enthusiasm. Parents or other responsible adults organize and accompany the teams.

Teen Missions International pioneered the idea of short-term missions experience for teens. Since 1971, tens of thousands of youth have participated in TMI’s evangelistic and building projects in over 110 countries! Typical project time for teens is four to five weeks, allowing many work teams to complete significant projects.

An opportunity to serve those who are clearly less fortunate is a powerful incentive to join these expeditions. Teams from Teen Missions International, for example, have built hundreds of buildings, churches, schools, and orphanages. They’ve cleared jungle airstrips, built a hospital, and drilled fresh water wells that have changed the lives thousands.

But in addition to providing valuable assistance to others, the members of a TMI mission team benefit personally. Opportunities to share their faith while living among other people groups will impact teens for a lifetime, resulting in an ongoing passion to support outreach worldwide.

Teen Missions is an interdenominational organization. The staff comes from a variety of backgrounds and has worked with hundreds of mission boards and church denominations. Projects and locations are diverse – travel can take place via mission planes, horseback, backpacking on foot, dirt bikes, boats, and more.

TMI’s summer team projects are diverse and located on nearly every continent. Teens are able to choose from widely assorted areas of interest and skill levels, from evangelism teams sharing Christ using film, music, puppets, drama, and clowning, to work teams building airstrips, orphanages, or churches.

Volunteers are always eager to go despite the fact that most have to raise their own funds, and trust God for provision, in order to participate. Incorporated into each team member’s support cost is a portion for two donations: to buy needed building materials, and to help sponsor a national teen in an overseas Boot Camp.

There’s fun, camaraderie, and adventure, but there’s also much hard work. Teen Missions’ 200+ acre training facility, The Lord’s Boot Camp, is not a vacation spot. It’s a place for teens to be stretched and learn before being be sent out to do projects in their various locations.

Teamwork is emphasized through participation in the Obstacle Course and other training activities. There’s required training in basic construction, evangelism, music, drama, and spiritual and practical survival skills.

Even beyond these areas, there may be special teams who receive more focused training – including but not limited to Teaching English as a Second Language(TESL), film teams, motorcycle training, sports and medical missions. Some will receive additional cultural training for travel to sensitive countries or cultures. The training period ends with a special candlelight commissioning service, before the departure to their specific projects and locations.

As a result of training and discipling, teens will experience growth not only as individuals, but also as valued members of a team. Debriefing at the end of each trip leads youth to put what they’ve learned into practice when they’re back home.

Mission trips benefit teens as individuals
Life-changing experiences

Almost invariably, short term missions reframe a participant’s perspective on life. As teens leave western culture behind, an often overwhelming realization is how much comfort and excess is enjoyed by those of us from prosperous nations compared to the unpredictable way in which the rest of the world is forced to live.

It’s easy to forget that we’re incredibly well off by the world’s standards. Youth often remark that leaving behind normal routines to be immersed in another culture caused them to stop taking home, parents, and belongings for granted. They quit complaining about small inconveniences, better appreciating all they’ve been given.

Witnessing firsthand that happiness isn’t the same as joy

A second discovery that impacts teens is observing people living in less than desirable conditions who still experience an abundance of joy – an inward trait not dependent on external circumstances or fleeting emotions.

Happiness comes and goes as circumstances change, but joy is consistent. It’s a valuable life lesson to stay among individuals who recognize that a fulfilling life isn’t based on what they own or how easily their needs are met.

Opportunities to focus on God

In the midst of a busy mission schedule and physical exertion, there’s a sense of moment-by-moment dependence on God that isn’t required for the routines of life back home. Challenges overflow. Endurance is required. Food is unfamiliar. Lack of sleep is common because of full agendas, unfamiliar surroundings, and temperature fluctuations.

Teens and adults find they pray differently, pray more often, and pray desperately on these trips. Conditions or the workload can be rugged. Expect to be stretched. Expect dirt and cultural differences you hadn’t anticipated. It’s understandable to be nervous when sharing your faith and feel a great desire for divine help.

Needs are many and illness is common, especially in third world countries. Prayer may be needed on the spot for unusual situations, or for wisdom to know what to say. A simple “Help, Lord” is very appropriate at times! Impressions from the Holy Spirit can contribute to making wise decisions.

Probably not surprisingly, a large number of TMI’s mission trip alumni have ended up in full-time Christian ministry serving in a variety of countries as missionaries, pastors, teachers, or authors.

Multiple other life lessons abound    

Teens learn boldness and leadership skills as they step out to meet diverse needs. Time management is essential to fit in all that’s been planned. Learning to be flexible and give thanks in all circumstances is required frequently.

Deeper heart lessons are learned too. Placing others’ needs before your own requires putting selfishness to death. Visiting the poor and sick eases teens out of their comfort zone. Missions trips provide opportunities to practice empathy and compassion – helping those less fortunate for the sheer joy of it.

Preaching or teaching forces teens to trust God to overcome fear and insecurity and stop focusing on themselves. Part of the journey to adulthood is recognizing that mistakes, failure, and even rejection, are inevitable, but learning from negative experiences is just as valuable as success.

The gospel transcends culture and social status, and it’s not going to be defeated by mistakes that teens make!

Missions trips teach teens valuable team skills

Team building is essential for successful missions trips    

These trips allow kids to work and fellowship with believers from around the world. Perhaps for the first time, they’ll be living openly as a Christian, realizing the weight of each person modeling their faith for the good of others.

Team building, a crucial part of TMI’s approach, can be implemented even before a missions trip for those teens who are already connected through a particular church or youth group. Part of the missions team adventure is the sheer enjoyment of being with friends in a new environment.

If possible, meeting a few times before the trip helps everyone to focus on specific goals. Those times together will be a good foundation for the further intensive training that Teen Missions provides. Participation in TMI’s team-building approach makes excellent use of the natural energy young people have.

Team preparation serves everyone    

Activities completed beforehand, and/or during the first days of the trip, help to forge stronger bonds and the ability to work well together. Team building pulls in those who are tempted to stay on the fringe of involvement and allows adults to get to know the young people they’ll be working with.

In unfamiliar countries, it’s even more important to have everyone working as a team. Looking out for each other’s welfare is crucial. Cross-cultural education is a must to avoid offense or misunderstandings. Discussions about possible obstacles and role-playing what to do or say in various scenarios can feel a bit awkward at first but will help participants to set out feeling more prepared.

Team building activities and games to implement

Well ahead of time, it’s helpful to reproduce some of the things teens may be expected to do on the trip. Cook meals together, including clean up. Plan activities for reaching young children. Take turns sharing meaningful scriptures or sharing personal testimonies before the group. Pray together. Have teens prepare and share a 3 to 5-minute talk on a topic related to faith.

Games are great team builders, too, and should involve everyone. Keep these fun, fast-moving and interactive. Google “easy blindfold games for team building”, and you’ll have loads to choose from! Playing name games can ensure everyone is on a first name basis.

Team building creates trust and better communication  

Quite a bit of time and effort goes into team building for missions, but it yields results which make the endeavor worthwhile. Time spent preparing equals fewer potential problems. Team members get to know each other’s personalities, strengths, and weaknesses ahead of time rather than wasting time during the trip to reach joint collaboration.

Creativity is fostered when the entire group contributes to planning and execution, and each person has many opportunities to use their skills and God-given gifts. Friendships grow and many are forged that will last for a lifetime.

Understanding the realities and limitations of mission trips

The reality teens must grasp is that they are guests visiting for a prescribed amount of time.

It’s natural to join a mission team with lofty goals – to radically change people’s lives, introduce them to Jesus, to seek and save the lost.

But if “sharing the gospel” is the only focus, results could be short-lived. The team members are also there to plants seeds that may result in locals accepting Christ at some point in the future. Practical projects plus generous deeds help to plant seeds that can yield long-term results!

It’s becoming clearer that the most effective short-term mission teams are those that arrive to support a local group of believers reaching out to their own people. The more support that’s given to believers who live there year-round, the more likely it is that lasting fruit will be borne. Teen Missions International supports local ministries and training, which helps to ensure the impact is long-term.

Working with local church leaders will open unforeseen opportunities for future trips and could lead to lifelong relationships. It’s very moving for teens to experience the miracle of belonging to a worldwide fellowship of believers – it’s a glimpse of what heaven will be like!

Should my teen participate at this time?

Sending a son or daughter out of the country is uncharted territory for many parents. A parent should believe the timing and location are right for their teen so they can be at peace about sending them. (You could always volunteer to go as a leader, too!)

Make sure you’ve considered important questions before committing your teen. Don’t be shy if you feel you need additional information. TMI has well-trained, vetted leaders on their staff and heading up all of their trips. You’ll want to know:

• Who’s leading, and who will the team be partnering within this location?
• Have safety measures been taken into consideration both for travel and the time spent there?
• What communication will be possible during the trip?
• What exactly will the teens be doing?

With Teen Missions International, each team member truly makes a difference – through work projects, through personal or team evangelism, and through providing financial support for local ministries and training. But even if teens aren’t able to go on a mission trip to another country right now, they can learn to approach everyday life as a mission God has given them.

The people living right in their hometown need to be changed for eternity too. Who knows what could be accomplished by teens who’ve learned to live for the glory of God instead of themselves?

The aim of Teen Missions International is spelled out clearly: “The goal of Teen Missions is to awaken teenagers to the needs in missions, acquaint them with the reality of life on the mission field and give them an opportunity to serve the Lord through work projects and evangelism.”

Article republished by its author. The original text is available here.

We’ve all felt it. That hot, burning sensation slowly crawling from your stomach up into your chest, and even into your throat and mouth. Maybe it’s after you’ve eaten your favorite meal, or maybe you had something that was just a little bit too spicy.

Whatever the case, you’ve got heartburn (also known as “acid reflux”). It’s not a pleasant experience.

And while heartburn is a common experience, what most people don’t know is that if you experience it on a regular basis, it can actually have an effect on your life insurance.

Yep, you read that right. Acid reflux can directly affect your life insurance premium.

In this post, we’re going to break down the what, why, and how of acid reflux and how it affects your life insurance policy. We’ll explain what acid reflux is, why it occurs, how you can treat it, and what you need to know about having life insurance with acid reflux.

Let’s dive in.

What Is Acid Reflux and What Is Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease?

First, let’s make sure we’re clear on our terms. What do we mean when we say, “acid reflux,” and what is “gastroesophageal reflux disease”?

At the entrance to your stomach is a ring of muscle that functions as a valve. This ring of muscle, called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), acts as a guard of sorts. It’s supposed to let food go into your stomach and then close so that nothing comes back out.

Problems happen when the LES stops working correctly and either doesn’t close all the way or opens up too often. If this happens, acid from your stomach can move up into your esophagus. This acid produces the burning sensation that we commonly refer to as heartburn or acid reflux.

If you have acid reflux symptoms more than twice a week, you may have acid reflux disease, also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Acid reflux can seriously inflame and damage various parts of the esophagus, particularly the lining. The abrasive liquid usually contains both acid and pepsin, which are produced by the stomach (pepsin is the enzyme that begins the digestion of proteins in the stomach). The reflux can also contain bile which has backed up into the stomach from the duodenum.

GERD is a chronic condition, meaning that once it starts it’s usually lifelong. If the lining of the esophagus itself is injured, this is also a chronic condition. Even after the esophagus has healed and treatment is ended, the injury typically returns in a matter of months. All of this means that, typically, once treatment for GERD has begun, it must continue indefinitely.

What Are The Common Symptoms of GERD?

There are a number of common symptoms of GERD. The two most common are:

• Heartburn – The burning, painful sensation that moves from your stomach to your chest, and even up into your throat.
  

• Regurgitation – When sour, bitter acid backs up from your stomach into your esophagus and finally into your mouth.

Other symptoms include bloating, bloody or black stools, bloody vomit, burping, hiccups that won’t stop, nausea, unexplained weight loss, wheezing, dry cough, hoarseness, or a chronic sore throat.

What Causes GERD?

GERD can be caused by a number of complicated factors. Some of those factors include:

Abnormalities With The Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LED)

As noted above, the LED is the muscle/valve that allows food to pass into the stomach and then is supposed to prevent acid from moving out of the stomach and into the esophagus. Abnormalities with the LED can lead to GERD.

Two abnormalities, in particular, should be noted. First, if the LES contractions are abnormally weak, it reduces its ability to prevent acid from moving back up into the esophagus.

Second, if the LES experiences abnormal relaxations (“transient LES relaxations), it also allows acid to move into the esophagus. These abnormal relaxations do not occur in conjunction with swallowing (like normal) and they can last for a long time (several minutes). When the LES is relaxed for such a period of time, reflux is much more likely to occur.

Hiatal Hernia

A second common cause of GERD is a stomach abnormality called a “hiatal hernia”. Normally, your stomach is located below the diaphragm, which helps to keep acid in your stomach. However, if the upper part of the stomach and LES move above the diaphragm, it’s called a “hiatal hernia,” and it’s much easier for acid to travel up into the esophagus.

Other Causes of GERD

Other common causes of GERD include:

• Smoking

• Drinking alcohol, carbonated drinks, coffee, or tea

• Being overweight

• Eating food too close to bedtime

• Lying down immediately following a large meal

• Being pregnant

• Eating citrus, tomatoes, chocolate, mint, garlic, onions, or spicy or fatty foods

• Taking ibuprofen, aspirin, muscle relaxers, or blood pressure medications

How Can GERD Be Treated?

There are a number of simple steps you can take to treat the symptoms of GERD.

• Avoid any foods or drinks that trigger the acid reflux

• Quit smoking

• Raise the head of your bed at least 4 to 6 inches to prevent acid from moving up your esophagus when you’re laying down

• Eat smaller meals throughout the day

• Change the types of foods that you’re eating

• Eat at least 2 to 3 hours before you lay down

• Sleep in a chair for daytime naps

• Seek to lose weight if you’re overweight or obese

• Consult with your doctor to determine if medications could be causing heartburn

Additionally, medications can help reduce the symptoms of GERD. Many times, simple over the counter medications such as Alka-Seltzer or Maalox, when combined with lifestyle changes, are enough to treat the condition.

If simple antacids don’t work, your doctor may try other medications such as:

• Foaming agents (like Gaviscon) to coat the lining of your stomach and prevent reflux

• H2 blockers (like Pepcid and Zantac) to minimize overall acid production

• Proton pump inhibitors (like Aciphex or Nexium) which also minimize acid production

• Prokinetics (like Reglan or Urecholine) which can help strengthen the LES and empty your stomach faster

How Does GERD Affect Your Life Insurance?

GERD is what is considered to be a pre-existing condition. In other words, when you apply for life insurance, the insurance company takes into account many of your different health factors, such as weight, whether you smoke, and any pre-existing health conditions that you may have. Acid reflux/GERD typically qualifies as one of those pre-existing health conditions.

In and of itself, acid reflux is not a major problem with life insurance. The problems arise from the complications that can result from an advanced case. As noted above, acid reflux can result in damage to the esophagus, including ulceration, which can lead to erosive esophagitis and esophageal bleeding.

Barrett’s esophagus is another potential problem when it comes to getting life insurance. It’s when, due to acid reflux, the tissue lining in your esophagus changes to look like the stomach’s tissue. That could put you at increased risk of rare cancer known as adenocarcinoma.

Insurance companies will want to determine how severe your acid reflux condition is. They will want to know if you are taking over-the-counter medication and if it’s controlling the condition. You can get an approval with a preferred rating if the condition is well controlled.

Over-the-counter medications used to treat acid reflux will usually be sufficient to control the condition. Prescription medication can be prescribed if the condition turns into acid reflux disease, and will most likely result in a standard rating.

As is the case anytime you have a health condition, underwriting will also want to know that you are otherwise in good health.

So, yes, having GERD can affect the amount you pay every month for your life insurance policy. It may cause your premiums to be higher. However – and this is critical – it shouldn’t keep you from getting coverage. Your life insurance agent should be able to find you the absolute best company and policy for people with your condition.

If they can’t, then it may be time for you to go with another life insurance agent. Your agent should always have your back, and they should most certainly be able to find an outstanding policy for someone with GERD.

Conclusion

Yes, GERD is a chronic condition. But it can be treated. If you have a hiatal hernia, it can be corrected. By being mindful of what you eat and when you eat, you can cut down on the amount of acid traveling up into your esophagus. And by making key lifestyle changes, such as losing weight and quitting smoking, you can reduce the overall symptoms of GERD.

Additionally, having GERD shouldn’t limit your ability to get an outstanding life insurance policy.

You don’t have to let GERD rule your life. Take control today.

Article republished with the author’s permission. The original text is available here.

How to increase the percentage of conversions on your WooCommerce product pages

You have huge traffic, but few sales? The owner of any online store dreams of having a large influx of visitors, but without converting them into customers, without shopping, all your efforts will simply be useless.

For this reason, the conversion rate of your online store is an important indicator to assess the success of your work and improve the efficiency of your WooCommerce store.

What is the conversion rate?

The conversion rate is the percentage of visits that resulted in the necessary actions related to e-commerce. Frequently, conversions mean purchases, but in general, many other things can be a conversion.

Below we give a summary of the best practices for creating product pages that have a good conversion.

Make it easy to find the right products

When a person visits your online store and browses the grocery page, time is already beginning to go. If a visitor needs to spend too much time and effort to find what he needs, there is a high probability that he is not converted into a client.

Simplify things, it will help your visitors to make a purchase faster. To do this, you must implement the following features:

Improve site search: add live search, filters, indexing, etc. using Algolia. You can also speed up your search with Elasticsearch.

Improve your site navigation: A multi-level navigation system makes it easy to find a product based on a category, price range, color, size, or any other available product attribute. This can be implemented using Ajax-Enabled Enhanced Layered Navigation.

Improve Product Comparison: Product Comparison is a step in the purchasing decision process. Visitors want to compare features, benefits, and prices to see which product suits them best. Try product compare to implement this.

Turn on live chat so that visitors can contact you immediately. This can be done using the Beekeeping for WooCommerce plugin.

Use high-quality product images.

People mainly rely on the visual component. The product image is the “holy grail” for any grocery page. Due to the absence of any physical contact, any online store relies largely on the product image as a guide for customers. Product images should answer some questions so that the visitor does not have to read long product descriptions.

Here are some simple tips for improving product images and choosing a general strategy for creating visual content:

High resolution is obligatory: visitors who received images of goods in the high resolution were three times more often converted into buyers. Customers believe that low-resolution images are pushed away from further product exploration, and your company seems unreliable and amateurish.

Zoom Capability: Customers love the zoom feature – interactive zooming or panning of product images. As practice shows, 38% of online shoppers are more likely to buy goods in stores where there is a possibility of zoom products.

The ability to rotate the product through 360: using a 360-degree view of the product allows you to explore different sizes, angles, and perspectives of the product. Statistics show that online stores have a 6% increase in sales when they display products with a 360-degree rotation (compared to static images).

For example, Wiggle.co.uk offers a 360-degree view and zoom on its product pages, which allows customers to increase, rotate the product and change the viewing angle of the product.

Discard the jargon in the content

Words work effectively. You must accompany your grocery page with quality content so that your customers can make a purchase faster. Make your content easy to understand, try to write exactly the way your target audience communicates. Be as authentic as you can be in your writing style as if you were talking to your friends.

Remember that you are not just providing information to your customers, you are showing who you are, and this is one of the ways to convince you to make a purchase. Qualitative descriptions can potentially increase your conversion rate by 78%.

Do not try to hit people with your unusual, complex business language – it simply does not work.

You write for people – they study your site, their purchase decision will be based on what they read. Invest in product descriptions so that they sound positive and friendly. This will show visitors that you are an open and attractive brand.

See how Wristology makes product descriptions like you are their friend.

Save lost conversions

Do you know that about 98% of visitors will not buy anything from you during their first visit? Yes very many. This is a difficult problem for numerous online stores, especially because the traffic has to be seriously fought. Imagine how many conversions they are losing!

However, there are many options to save these seemingly lost opportunities. Here are some examples.

Customize the wishlist (wish list of purchases): sometimes visitors are not ready to purchase the product right away. It is important that you have buttons for adding a product to your wish list so that visitors can save the product and return to it later. In the end, you can save the conversion.

Remind customers by email of an incomplete order: you can gently remind customers of abandoned baskets by sending them a letter with the goods that they added to the basket. You can set up automatic sending of similar letters using the built-in feature in WooCommerce, Mailbot application or the Beekeeping for WooCommerce plugin.

Compare yourself with other competitors

Each product and service has its competitors – direct and indirect. Studies show that people always compare purchases. Before making a purchase, they first visit at least three sites to find the best product.

Use this fact to your advantage – compare your products with others, so that users do not have to do it.

People usually look only at the most important things, such as price and product features. You can manage such a dialogue with the client. Suppose that your product is more expensive than your competitors; then you can make your benefits more vivid and visible in your comparison chart.

Thus, you can explain to visitors why buying an expensive product from you is more profitable than buying a cheaper alternative.

The product comparison table will help you keep visitors to the site. Again, you can display your product as a better choice, as Formstack does compare to other form designers.

Where to get it
As well as the official WooCommerce marketplace, there are also dozens of free and premium add-ons developed by third-party companies. This gives you a huge choice of options for extending your WooCommerce store and adding any feature you can possibly imagine, without needing to hire a developer. For example:

-Want to create a one-page WooCommerce order form, wholesale ordering page or restaurant order system? Use the WooCommerce Product Table plugin to list products in a table layout, complete with extra product data, variation dropdowns and add to cart buttons.

Interested in generating recurring revenue from your store? Use the WooCommerce Subscriptions extension to sell repeat payment plans.

-Do you need a more flexible way to sell extras for your products, such as checkbox options and text input fields? You can do this and more with the Product Add-Ons plugin.
-Need to show extra information without taking people to a separate page for each product? Add a WooCommerce quick view plugin and display extra information and images in a quick view lightbox.

Conclusion

By optimizing the pages of your products, you increase what a product page exists for – conversions. There are many ways to increase the conversion rate of your pages, but the main idea is to create a positive product purchase process.

You can achieve this by ensuring that users can easily find the right products, view high-quality images of the product, explore understandable content, get rid of mistrust and make a purchase without difficulty.

Transcription entails converting speech into text. This process makes it easier for many people to understand what is in spoken speech. Unfortunately, some individuals might take transcription as a waste of time. No doubt, they are right in their own way, considering the fact, a great part of the world’s population relies on video and audio mediums. For that reason, people see no reason for clarifying the message in those video and audio mediums.

Why the need for transcription?

Transcription is by far very important. It goes beyond just converting and audio or video into a text. It helps in cleaning up what has been spoken. It turns an audio message into a language that can be understood by people easily. All the accents that might be in audio are gotten rid of. This means the recipient of the message will get a comprehensive and easy to understand the message. This is indeed the beauty of transcription. In addition, transcription gets rid of audible distractions and personal ticks. It goes further to remove long pauses and stumbles that happen especially when presenters take a break to drink water or think through their speech.

Transcription and Translation

Transcription has a closer relationship with translation. It makes easier for people to understand a complex foreign language. Transcription gets rid of any language unfamiliarity and provides a much simpler form of understanding the language being spoken. All in all, transcription provides an efficient communication ability, irrespective of what is being put across.

Transcription provides accessibility

It is evident that some people have limited hearing capability. Their cognitive disabilities prevent them from understanding the message being shared in video and audio form. In that connection, they will need a written message to understand the information being shared. Here is where transcription comes through. It makes the inaccessible information accessible. Braille is a great form of transcription to the visually impaired.

Transcription cleans ups verbal debris

Every language has its own verbal debris. That kind of limitation makes it a bit hard for people to understand what is being communicated. For that reason, it is very important to capitalize on transcription in making communication more reliable. Transcription offers reliable interaction records that can be referred to later. Furthermore, transcription makes it easier to search for certain data. You will save a lot of time. As a result, transcription is very important in the legal sector. It helps put people on a similar page during legal proceedings.

Trends in Transcription

Crucial advances are being engaged in to make transcription more effective and reliable. The advances are getting rid of the basic notion of transcription being just the conversion of audio speech into text. Transcribing devices are being innovated to make transcription easier and advanced. One of the transcribing devices was created by Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers. The system created was AlterEgo.It uses electrodes and bone-conduction headphones for easier transcription.

Conclusion

It goes without saying that transcription is very important. It simplifies the message being put across in video or audio form. Transcription is also critical in translation. It helps get rid of any verbal debris. In that connection, it is a strategy that is making communication easier and user-friendly.

All puppy owners want their puppies to learn different tricks and skills. Clicker training is one of those ways to teach your puppy good behavior. Clicker training puppy will help him learn the basics of obedience training. The clicker, a mechanical tool, creates a distinctive sound which informs your puppy he is doing exactly what you want him to do. As a reward, you can give your puppy something to eat, or you can play with him. Soon your puppy will associate this clicking sound with something he likes. Here are the things that you can do to get started on it:

Wait Until Your Puppy Exhibits a Good Behavior

This training starts with waiting for a perfect opportunity for your puppy to show good behavior. Once this happens, press the clicker and give your puppy a treat. You may need to do this several times to practice your puppy. You can also add an extra exercise or training activity during mealtime. A few commands to behave while waiting for his meal would be great.

Push the Clicker while Your Puppy is Showing Good Behavior

A good timing is required to be effective in clicker training puppy. Your puppy will not recognize the treat is for good behavior if you push the clicker after he has already done the good deed. Your puppy will automatically stop after he hears the clicker because the clicker signals the end. Just remember that if you use food as a reward, make sure you cut the food into tiny pieces.

Click if your Puppy did Something that You Approve of

Start with simple tricks that your puppy can do on his own, like coming towards you and sitting down. Don’t forget to keep your sessions short; five to ten minutes is better than 30 minutes — or longer — of boring routine repetition. Express your high enthusiasm by giving more treats and rather than pressing the clicker numerous times.

Click for Movements that Your Puppy Discovers

You can’t force your puppy to do something. If you want your puppy to learn a specific trick, you may guide him and allow him to discover things on his own. Forcing him to learn any skill or trick will leave you and your puppy frustrated. Don’t forget to keep safety in mind during your clicker training puppy sessions.

Increase Your Goal

This training includes shaping up his behavior. If your puppy is already responding well to his training, that’s a sign to start increasing your goal. When your puppy already knows how to sit, you may increase your goal by teaching him how to sit more promptly at your command. If he lays down, wait for him to stay there for a few seconds more before giving him a reward.

Effective communication with your puppy is possible through clicker training puppy. This training is made not only to teach your puppy how to behave appropriately, but to discipline him as well. You can correct bad behaviors if you click on favorable ones. Dogs are also naturally talented, and this training can help your dog develop his talents. As you go through your everyday practices, you will discover exactly what your puppy is capable of doing.

Removal of dog odor is possible. So if your pooch stinks you can get rid of it and this is great news!

To do this let’s first cover the top areas that cause pet odor. I will then give you several things that will fix the smelly problem after we identify what is causing it.

So if your cat or dog is repugnant here are the main reasons your animal may be causing your house to smell.

Top Reasons:

Dead Hair, Infected Ears, Bad Breath, Compacted Anal Glands, Urine Stains on the Carpet, Skin Allergies, Scent Camouflaging (which essentially the dog rolled in something).

The next question to ask is: Where is the smell coming from on the dog?

Dead Hair  –  an unpleasant aroma will happen when your dog has not been brushed in quite some time. This is due to the fact that dead hair will accumulate on the animal and not allow the dog’s skin to breathe. You can remedy this by brushing your dog weekly to remove the dead hair.

Infected Ears  –  when your animal’s ears get infected it will cause a stench. This is because ear mites will eat the animal’s ear wax and excrete inside the dog’s ear. Your veterinarian will be able to give you some solution on how to treat this problem. Most of this solution is available at Pet Smart. It is very easy to apply to a soft cloth and clean the ears by following the instructions on the label.

Skin Allergies  – you should bath your dog once a month. This will prevent  inflaming the skin if your dog has allergies. You should also consult your veterinarian for an antihistamine for your dog to reduce the source of the allergy. Try to find out what is causing the skin to inflame (the source of bad order) then prevent your animal from coming in contact with what is causing the allergy.

Overall Hygiene  –  giving your pet a bath every two weeks will help cut down on the smell problem. Also purchasing a bed made from wooden  cedar chips will allow the animal to smell fresh naturally.

Sprayed by a skunk-If your animal was sprayed by a skunk it will help to wash them in tomato juice then rinse them with water. Continue this process 3-5 times until the bad smell becomes manageable.

Bad Breath  –  if your dog has bad breathed it is generally because owners are feeding their dog’s table scraps. This is not recommended because there are many things people can eat that is bad for a dog’s digestive system. The best thing to do is stick to dog food. Bad breathe is generally caused by plaque build up on the animal’s teeth. To remedy this bad breath give your dog a rawhide or bone every two weeks for the animal to chew. These bones actually help polish the dog’s teeth and remove the plaque. If the problem continues it may be an internal problem with the dog’s organs and you should seek your veterinarian’s advice.

Anal Glands  –  Generally dogs will massage their backends (or lick) to express the anus glands. These expressions discharge a strong odor. This is a healthy process. While this sounds unpleasant, if a dog doesn’t do this the area will become infected and smell much worse. Your vet can also show you how to manual express your dog in case your animal cannot do it himself. If you suspect  the area has become infected your pet may need vet attention.

Urine Stains on Carpet  –  Cat Urine and Dog Urine are two of the most difficult things to remove. The best thing to use is Oxi-Clean on the carpet area that the dog stained. After you have treated the area on your carpet an odor may still be present. This can be neutralized by putting a mild solution of vinegar on the  area where the urine was. The vinegar smell will eventually go away and the vinegar itself will neutralize the urine odor.
Overall House Cleaning  –  Vacuuming your home and cleaning up  after your pet weekly can improve the scent of your home. Other things like carpet freshener can greatly help when used in combination with vacuuming.

Carpet Cleaning:  Regular carpet cleaning can also help you to keep your dog fresh and odor free. I know you are busy and carpet cleaning is a daunting task but Don’t feed bother about it, because there is some special type of carpet cleaners are available in the market that can make your task easy. You should read this review –  Best Carpet Cleaner for Pets.

Stagnant Air  –  Pets can create a cloud of stagnant air that is very noticeable when people enter your house. This can be solved by purchasing an ionizer that will purify the air. These are also known as an Air Purifier.

With the marketplace for dog beds thriving, a person cannot help but think that these beds might be worthy of the buzz, not to mention the associated cost. Designer dog beds can hold their spot as sought-after attractive and also practical furniture items.

Memory foam dog beds have been beneficial in keeping the good old family dog happy. Once you think about it, it indeed is understandable that a lot of people are looking to obtain napping goods for his or her pets.

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A dog’s body structure is not like ours, but like ours, it too contains joints and also muscles. Undoubtedly, arthritis or not, many folks will find it comfy to lay down on a plush mattress. Think how pleasant it would be for your dogs and cats to get some bit of-of this luxury, rather than being forced to put up with a cold and hard ground.

The fact remains, dog beds, except for all high end or custom made products tend to be affordable; consequently, there isn’t any explanation for any dog lover to dismiss the comfort of a pet, at the very least when it comes to sleeping hubs. To learn what makes a dog cozy, take a look at below.

Safety

Dogs are just like any other living thing. They want to be safe and sound, and also fully feel protected; or else, it’s not good for its wellbeing. A way of ensuring security is as simple as checking on how solidly built the frame of your dog bed is. If you have a nest-shape, a doughnut style or a similar foundation, then it might not matter.

If the bed has a frame, make sure that the stuffing is ample and also the structure is strong. One other way to make sure that your dog is comfortable could be to research their sleeping habits. If they tend to bunch up in a ball whenever sleeping, you might want to acquire round, or doughnut style dog beds. Keep in a mind that younger dogs are more nervous, and might prefer a nest-type or perhaps a semi-enclosed bed for added comfort.

Filling

Precisely what helps make dog beds truly cozy would be the material used for padding and as a cover. While it’s true, it is much better to have extra padding, and well-padded dog beds will not work for any dog.

There are no strict guidelines for this. You have to (once again) research the sleeping routines and determine if your dog would like a pillowy mattress or a more firm one. Check whether your pet likes sitting on the sofa, or sleep on the hard floor.

Smaller dogs generally want lush fabrics and soft beds, since they aren’t likely to weigh a lot and squash the padding or something like this. Then again, big dogs would like a firmer resting spot where they may stretch out.

Nobody understands how a dog thinks. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to surmise what will make an animal, in particular dogs and cats, completely happy. Clean surroundings, plenty of food plus a warm home (literally and figuratively speaking) can certainly help a lot.

Throw in a quality pet bed, and you will get a pet that would feel as peaceful as any dog would’ve made its owner feel peaceful.

It is important to establish proper house training while your dog is still young, as it will make life much easier for both you and your dog. Avoid any potty training issues down the track, as it can be extremely difficult to get a dog to change it’s ways once they are in a set pattern.

That is why it you need to pay attention to your dog’s behavior, and supervise him as much as possible when inside the home. This way you are going to avoid mistakes while house training your dog. You will firstly need to set up an area for your dog somewhere in the house we he can be left when you are unable to supervise. When you have found this area of the house or room, you need to make sure that it is suitably set up for your dog. Try not to locate the area where there is carpet or in any room where it would be difficult to clean up an accident, and make sure that he is not able to get into any mischief for example chewing pieces of furniture or going to the toilet on items that may not be suitable. With this you can begin house training your dog.

Try to clear as much of this as possible so that it is a clean safe zone for your dog.

When this has been done you will then need to line the floor with newspaper or any sort of paper that will be suitable for your dog to do his business on. Make sure that the whole area is covered, as this will make it a lot easier for messes to be cleaned up.

Your dog will start going to the toilet on these papers, and will in turn keep doing his business in a particular spot, when this has been happening consistently you can start taking away some of these papers.

If you find that after you have done this and your dog does his business where you took those papers away, you will need to put them back again until you are able to remove all of the papers, and have only left the papers where he has been doing his business.

You can then start to move theses papers closer to the door, and eventually you can move the papers outside, by doing this you are trying to encourage your dog to go outside.

Be aware that since dogs can only hold their bladder for approximately an hour or so that it may take a bit of time before he can learn to control his bladder until you get home. This is the basic cause of irritation while you are house training your dog.

When you are able to be home with your dog you will need to pay constant attention to him, as the more time that you spend with him the faster he will become house trained, and you will be able to learn his behavior and be aware of signs that he may be ready to defecate or urinate such as sniffing and circling or scratching at the door.

Introduce him to one room at a time and always keep and eye on him until he is completely house trained.

It is important to let your dog know where it is appropriate for them to do their business, if he chooses the wrong place like inside the house let him know by saying the word NO in a deep assertive voice never yell at him or chase him then quickly clip a leash to his collar and immediately take him outside and let him do his business in a place that you want him to know is appropriate.

Words like Go Potty or Go Toilet or Hurry Outside can be used. By using these words the dog will associate them every time he does his business and learn that when you say them he is to go to the toilet.

As soon as he has done this praise him. It is very important to let your dog know that this is the right place for him to do his business, don’t just say something to him every time he does the wrong thing, if he gets it right be sure to let him know.

It is good practice to have a routine with your dog. Try and take them out at the same times every day for example after each meal, and after they have had their nap, generally every two hours to avoid accidents.

If you do this it will regulate when you need to take your dog outside. Make sure that you take him in and out the same door every time.

If you find it is too late and he has already done his business and you did not catch him doing it, never get mad at him or rub his nose in it. As the dog will not know what he is getting in trouble for because he will not remember that what he did was wrong.

It is important that you clean the soiled area immediately to avoid leaving a strong odor in that area, if you dog can smell it after it has been cleaned he is more likely to go in that spot again. Use a strong deodorizer or disinfectant.

By being consistent in your training your dog will learn a lot faster.

This post is a guest post by Josh Cobbe, a Content Writer of petdogplanet.

Chocolate makes the world go around and in almost every house you will find a selection of this mouth watering treat. Eating chocolate seems to be a national pastime and gives us a sense of well being. In over sixty percent of the homes that have this delicious treat available, you will also find a hungry and curious dog who seems to love that bar of chocolate in your hand.

Unfortunately that combination does not mix well. So what can chocolate do to your dog, and why is it considered poison?

Dogs and puppies  do not have the ability as we humans do to digest a simple chemical found in chocolate called “Theobromine”. When theobromine is ingested by an animal it affects are horrific on the central nervous system and the cardiovascular system. This effect of the chemical has a very harsh effect on the animal’s body causing severe trauma and oftentimes death.

How much chocolate is too much? It is important to know just how much chocolate can produce toxic effects on your dog and that amount is one hundred to one hundred and fifty milligrams. That measurement does not mean much to most people, so to simplify it, if you have a twenty pound dog that means to reach the level of becoming poisoned they have to eat approximately ten ounces, depending on the type of chocolate. Bakers chocolate and unsweetened chocolate are harsher types for any dog to eat only because the chocolate is purer therefore they contain a higher dosage of Theobromine than the regular candy bar type chocolate.

If you suspect your animal has eaten chocolate what signs do you look for? Toxic signs occur quickly so even if there is any question as to whether your animal has consumed chocolate or not, take the animal to the vet. Do not wait to see if the animal will be alright because any delay in treatment can be devastating. Your dog, if untreated, can quickly go into convulsions, have arrhythmia, stop breathing and go into a coma.

First your dog may start vomiting on its own. If not you can induce vomiting with a hydrogen peroxide solution of half peroxide and half water.

The animal will also experience severe diarrhea which can cause the animal to dehydrate quickly.

Seek medical help immediately. Be sure to take the vet the unfinished chocolate if any is left and any wrappings from the chocolate. This will help the vet to identify the type of chocolate and the concentration of the candy.

The vet will begin treatment and induce vomiting if vomiting has not already occurred. Usually the vet will use activated charcoal to induce. The vet will also start an IV for hydration and also to administer medication. The vet will also administer anti-seizure medication because animals that have ingested chocolate have a ninety eight percent chance of having severe seizures. If your animal is having extreme symptoms or cardiac problems he will easily be able to give those cardiac medications through the IV. The stay after this treatment in an easy case is usually two days, although in more extreme instances the hospital stay for your animal could be weeks.

The best medicine in these cases is prevention. If sweets such as chocolate are a frequent snack in your household take care to remove them from anywhere your pet happens to be traveling in your home. An ounce of prevention “is” in this case, worth a pound of cure. For more information please check the dog food reviews by our dog food advisor.

There are certain diseases that dogs might suffer from but their owners might rarely consider these problems in their canine. Skin problems are very common in dogs and they might result in severe complications if not dealt with thoroughly and at the earliest. There are various types of skin diseases that a dog might suffer from. Some of the simplest skin diseases in dogs are related to allergies. Any form of food allergy, flea or inhalant might create an issue with dog skin resulting in hot spots, biting marks and dryness. This immediately calls for a visit to the veterinarian for determining the real cause o the issue.

Dry Skin on Dogs

Dry Skin On Dogs  might appear like a very simple problem but it can result in numerous uncomfortable health problems in dogs. Excess dryness of dog skin results in excess loss of hair, skin damage and pain in certain sensitive areas of the dog’s body. Skin dryness can also create some areas prone to hot spots and can result in other skin problems and infections that require immediate treatment. If you have your dog suffering from dry skin, try using a moisturizing shampoo for your dog. The shampoo will help in restoring oils to its coat and at the same time it will also help in keeping the dog skin from drying out excessively. Use a humidifier in your house to avoid your dog from getting excessively dry.

Treating your Dog’s Dry and Scaly Skin at Home

Dogs in common, suffer from scaly, itchy and dry skin and there are some long-accepted home remedies that can work well for your dog. These home remedies will definitely work and they will save a lot of the vet bills that you would otherwise have to pay. Some of the best home remedies for dry and scaly skin on dogs have been detailed below:

Less Bathing

One month is the approx frequency of bathing a dog and this is completely dependent on how neat and clean you are able to keep your dog. If you happen to live at a place with dry climate or if the air is very dry in your heated house then try experimenting with long intervals between dog baths. This helps in avoiding dry skin in dogs and also keeps a dog healthy and fine.

A Good Quality Shampoo

Always go for a hypoallergenic shampoo for your pet irrespective of the fact that whether your dog is allergic or not. The shampoo that you choose should not only be hypoallergenic but it should also be of high quality. Always remember that good products are soothing and mild and they will not contain perfumes and dyes. It is to be noted that products containing perfumes and dyes sometimes cause itching and dryness in dog’s skin. You can even ask your veterinarian to suggest a good brand of dog shampoo.

Conditioner

If the brand of dog shampoo that you use for your dog does not contain conditioner then you need to purchase it separately from any reputable store. Good and high quality conditioners for dogs should contain aloe vera, essential oils, shea butter and vitamin E. vitamin E and aloe vera possess antiseptic properties, essential oils are for repelling numerous insects and shea butter is for treating inflamed patches found on dry skin.

Proper Food

You need to consider the food that you are giving to your dog if your dog scratches more than usual and most importantly if your dog does not have fleas. Try making some minor changes to your dog’s diet in order to get its coat back to its former un-itchy and moist luster. Take the help of a pet-food expert who can recommend you on the best food for your dog. Feed your dog with more meat like de-boned chicken along with vegetables like pea and carrots in place of the cheap ingredients like corn, wheat and rice. If a diet change is not able to relieve your dog of dry skin, visit a veterinarian who will then check your dog for food allergies.

Two Most Important Things

First of all, ensure that your dog drinks plenty of water that will help the dog in staying hydrated. Next, use a good quality moisturizing cream for protecting your dog’s skin from the effects of wind and cold weather.

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