Cyber Space Play

Hosting a hog roast is now one of the most fashionable ways of catering for parties and any event large or small. If you desire to feed more than one hundred individuals in an informal setting then a hog roast is perfect for you. Anyone can have a hog roast, its all changed from the medieval times when only the really wealthy and very powerful could afford to host a hog roast.Acquiring the correct hog roasting company can be a bit tricky, but these few points that I’m about to inform you of should make things a lot simpler. Get a company that will be able to provide everything that you could perhaps need. These things include bread rolls and salads to go with the attractively prepared meat, all the cooking equipment and a chef for the length of the event and of course a hog. Picking Out the optimum company will step-up the quality of your event, better companies will supply better equipment, better chefs and better choice meat. Spit roasts are a glorious thing because you can roast any type or size of animal, so if your not a big fan of pork don’t get put of the spit roasting idea.There have been stories about different animals being spit roasted, from things that are usually spit roasted like chickens and lamb to the not so regular goat and even an entire cow. Hopefully these tips will help make sure that your event runs to plans and that your guests all have a great time.

On farms there are lots of animals in the garden, or in the paddock so to speak. There’s sheep, cows, horses, all of which would be a nightmare in a city garden, but perfectly acceptable on a farm. Pigs would probably be the worst animal to try and keep in the city, imagine the squealing and grunting it would produce all day long. Your neighbours would probably have it removed from your garden quick smart. How about a tiger though? Have you seen the show Lion Man? A complete nutcase who lives with lions and tigers in his house. He actually lets them sleep in his bed! Why would anyone do that? What if one night one of the animals woke up and thought, I’m hungry, let’s eat Lion Man. Jeez that wouldn’t be good, it would be the end of his career. There’d be no more Lion Man but at least the lion wouldn’t be hungry anymore. Maybe someone should go and rescue him. Take him out of the loony bin and bring him back to reality. I’m sure he loves what he does, but one day it’s going to come back and bite him on the backside. Literally.

Moving is about as stressful a time as any in our lives and the lives of our fids. Having just completed moving the “gang” into a new house, I thought I would share some of the things that helped our move go smoothly. The feathered crew (Alex and Zeke, African Greys and April, Umbrella Cockatoo) have settled in nicely and things returned to normal quickly. Granted, the move was to a nearby city and we were not on the road in the U-Haul for more than an hour, but I believe preparing the birds had everything to do with their reduced stress level and smooth transition.

I also want to mention that there is the coolest service for moving called PODS (Portable On Demand Storage). I had it delivered to my old house the weekend before the actual move. This allowed me to pack up all my non-essentials at my leisure, clear out the house and cut down on the stress and chaos of the actual moving day. They took the “POD” away and stored it at their warehouse until the day I scheduled it to be delivered to my new house. I only had to rent a U-Haul for a few left over things and the bird cages.

Everything but a blanket, pillow, alarm clock, bird supplies and cages (that didn’t get into the POD) were packed up in the U-Haul the night before the actual move. Renting the U-Haul for an extra day was really worth it! All I had to do on moving day was gather up a few things, place the birds in the carriers, load up the cages and away we went to our new home. My “POD” was delivered to my house later that afternoon and I had as much time as I wanted to unload it. It arrived on a Friday and I scheduled the POD pickup for the following Tuesday.

The reason I recommend a service like PODS is that it relieved so much stress. I was calm, the birds were calm and I could focus on making them more comfortable instead of running around loading things up at the last minute. I will never move without PODS again - it was that good!

The move actually took place in several stages.

Stage 1 - Keep the Fids Informed

House hunting is always both exciting and exhausting. But, when I found a house I really liked and the offer was accepted, I showed the flyer with the picture of the new house to the fids and told them all about it. I told them how nice it would be for them to have a bigger room with nice big windows and everything. Yes, I really did this! They may not understand all the words, but they get the fact that something is up.

When my old house sold and the paperwork was progressing along nicely, I started packing. I made sure they saw what I was doing and I would talk about the moving day and how exciting it would be.

Stage 2 - Prepare the Fids

A few days before the actual move, I cleared out my master bedroom and moved the fids out of their normal “bird room” and into the master bedroom. It was only across the hall, and not in totally unfamiliar surroundings. But, it conveyed the message to them loud and clear that change was coming. I made the move in the morning so they would have time to get used to the new room before bedtime.

After their first night in the master bedroom, I introduced the idea of travel. They have all been in carriers at one time or another, but I didn’t have three carriers, I only had one. I went and bought a new one and borrowed another to make three. Three days before moving day, I placed each carrier in front of the cage of the bird that would be using that particular carrier. I placed them there all set up and ready to go with the doors open.

After they stated at the carriers for a few hours, I took each parrot and placed them in the carrier briefly. Just long enough to close the door, tell them how good they were and take them out again. The next day I kept them in there a little bit longer, about 5 to 10 minutes or so. The third day, I placed each into their carrier for about a half an hour. I also picked them up in it and walked around the house. All the while telling them how good they were and about moving day the next morning.

Stage 3 - Moving Day

I woke up early. We were supposed to arrive at our new house at 8 a.m. because the phone company, cable and internet company, etc. were arriving that day to set things up. And you know them, they are so exact on the appointment times, “Sometime between 8 a.m. and noon” was about as precise as it got. I needed my phone and internet hooked up pronto, of course, what’s an online parrot supply store going to do without the online part and a phone?

I talked to the fids for a little bit and told them this was it. Moving day was here! Then I put them in their carriers and started loading up their cages. (They have big cages.) They all went in their carriers without a fuss. I put them by the front door so they could watch their cages being loaded and telling them how exciting their new home was going to be. The last thing I did was put them all on the front seat of the U-Haul with me and drove off to our new house.

Along the way, I picked up my helper for the day who would help me get their big cages up the steps to the new house. April actually greeted her with a big “Hi!” She wasn’t stressing at all! Upon arrival at the new house, the first thing we did was to bring the birds inside and put them in their new room. Of course, I was talking to them the whole time. Then, we unloaded cages and one by one they were placed inside. I prepared their food and water like I always do and tried to keep things as normal as possible for them. All that was completed and the birds completely set back up in their cages before anything else was done.

Stage 4 - New Digs

I kept things as normal as possible for them. After a day or two they were pretty darn comfortable. That’s when I started being a tour guide. Each was given a tour of a different room. I went from room to room, one a day or a whole house tour. It depended on the bird’s comfort level. I made sure to point out the windows to them and have them touch it so they know not to fly into it. Things returned to normal quickly and they really love their new space!

I really believe that it went so smoothly because each of the steps prepared them for the next. I was shocked at how quickly they adjusted to life at the new house. They were even back to talking within hours of the move. April even talked IN THE U-HAUL. I hope this has been helpful to anyone considering a move in the near future!

Your Parrot Place
Taylor Knight is President of Your Parrot Place, providers of the
highest quality parrot food, toys, cages and supplies available.
YourParrotPlace.com - Only the Best for Your Parrot!

Free Parrot eBooks!
140 pages of parrot tips, information, nutrition advice, safety and more!
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“How does your dog sit when you tell him to and mine doesn’t?”,
“How can your dog heel to you like that?”, “Wow! He comes when
you tell him to” - Sounds familiar? If it does, you need to
invest some time into a little bit of basic dog training.
Starting to train your dog from a young age is crucial as the
first few months of his life is when you will have the greatest
influence on him; this is where he is shaped into the dog he is
going to be when he is all grown up.

The most basic of dog training is to get your dog to sit and
come. Teaching him those commands are essential for him to
learn. These commands are used for various different reasons, if
you are in competition, if your dog jumps making him sit will
immediately get him off and “come” is the all important one. If
you take your dog for a walk, you let him of the leash and you
expect him to come back to you, not run around the park with you
chasing after him shouting at him to “get here right this
instance”. That would be just down right embarrassing!

To teach your dog how to come requires only the most basic of
techniques but a lot of repetition. The simplest way to get him
to come is have a toy in one hand and a treat in the other, when
you are in the house simply walk away from him, hold out the toy
and excitingly call him to you, when he comes over give him a
treat, always use the command for come that you are going to use
in the future. Doing this several times a day is a great way to
teach him, but remember to have lots of long breaks so he
doesn’t get bored and stop enjoying it, and don’t forget the
treats!

Getting him to sit could be a slight bit harder but again only
requires basic dog training. When you have mastered the come
command call him to you, place your hand on the end of his back
and say “sit” while gently pushing down on his backside, when he
sits his bottom down give him a treat and a lot of praise. If
you want him to sit longer just delay giving him the treat and
the praise, get him to sit but take your time bending down to
him and feeding him his titbit.

Basic dog training is simple and very effective. It should also
be fun for you and your dog, it doesn’t have to be hours and
hours each day just may be 5 minutes or so. Don’t forget to
reward your dog and yourself for all the “hard” work though!!

Want to know the secrets of a top dog trainer who has the power
to turn your disobedient, reactive, misbehaving pet into the
“best-friend” you’ve always dreamed of.

Here are our top 3 tips simple tips that will make a world of
difference to your relationship with your pesky pouch.

Tip # 1 Put Your Pouch on a “Leadership” Programme

Put simply, your dog needs to know that you’re in charge. Dogs
are pack animals, and like all pack animals they require that
someone is in charge. While your dog would prefer that you took
the lead role, if they decide that you’re not up to the task,
then they’ll take on the job!

If your dog currently thinks that he’s the leader of your
family’s pack, then you need to implement a leadership programme
in which you re-assert yourself as the Top Dog! This doesn’t
mean being unkind or unloving to your dog - it simply means
understanding your dog’s psyche and behaving in a way that
reassures your dog of your ability to take charge.

Some simple ways to demonstrate your dominance include: eating
your meals first; ensuring that your dog waits at the door for
you to walk through first; don’t walk around your dog if he’s
sitting in your way (give him a gentle nudge and he’ll move);
and determine when your dog gets your attention (ignore your dog
when he demands your attention as he’s simply demonstrating that
he’s in charge of you).

For more detail on how you can show your dog that you’re the
boss, visit:
http://www.dog-training-central.com/articles/5-surefire-ways-to-s
how-your-dog-youre-the-boss.html

Tip # 2: Consistency Is the Key To Success

When it comes to training dogs, most people fail to consistently
reinforce positive behaviour and punish bad behaviour. Without
consistency, your dog will be confused and over time lose
respect for your commands. If you fail to follow through on your
expectations, the dog will determine when it suits him to
respond.

If you’ve been consistent with your expectations, then in time
your dog’s responses to your commands will become pre-programmed
and eventually anticipated. This will ensure that your dog will
behave in a predictable manner time and again. A dog who clearly
understands the boundaries of his behaviour and the consequences
of his mis-behaviour is a much happier dog who will be a
delightful member of your family.

For more details on basic dog obedience training, visit:
http://www.dog-training-central.com/articles/dog-obedience-traini
ng-basics.html

Tip #3: It’s Much Easier To Train A Puppy Than To Teach An Old
Dog New Tricks

As soon as your new puppy is welcomed home you should get
started on your Leadership Programme, and consistently implement
it until your puppy is automatically programmed to behave in
precisely the manner that is worthy of a “best friend”!

The more quality time you dedicate to your puppy up front, the
fewer on-going headaches you will encounter for the life of your
dog.

Reinforcing positive behaviour is the simple most effective
training tool available to dog owners, however from time to time
you will also need to reprimand your dog for inappropriate
behaviour (a clear, firm “BAH” or “NO” will do the trick -
there’s no need to resort to shouting or hitting).

For more details on getting an early start on your canine’s
leadership programme, go to:
http://www.dog-training-central.com/articles/dog-training-early-t
raining-is-essential.html

If you follow these top 3 techniques used by leading dog
trainers, both you and your dog will enjoy a much happier and
enjoyable relationship.

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reserved.

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