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It’s a fact that dogs love to chew. As an owner, this fact is all well and good until your dog starts chewing on and tearing up your furniture, clothes, books, vinyls, and more.
If your dog seems to be chewing on everything and anything around them, it’s time to put in some work to reverse their behavior. From giving them dog chews to holding their attention, here are some basic tips to reducing their chewing.
First and foremost, you need to keep an eye out for your dog’s behavior. Chances are that your dog is going to start chewing once you can’t see them. Why? One, they either feel it’s okay to do or, two, they believe they’ll get your attention by chewing on something they’re not supposed to.
This doesn’t mean you need to always be watching them, but you should remain more attentive than normal once you start seeing this behavior appear – especially if it’s due to puppy teething .
If you do happen to find your puppy chewing on something they’re not supposed to, immediately get their attention. Interrupt whatever they’re doing, get their attention on something else, and then remove whatever they were chewing on. Best of all, replace it with something they’re allowed to chew on. Once they begin chewing on it, you can reward them, giving them pets, kisses, and verbal praise to affirm they’re being good by chewing on the right item.
We don’t mean this as a diss, although those dishes have been in the sink since last night. What we do mean is that you should remove any potentially hazardous or valuable items away from your dog’s reach. This will ensure they aren’t able to chew on anything you don’t want them to, especially if they’re unsupervised.
Moreover, work on training (as early as possible) to teach them they’re not allowed in certain rooms. For instance, your dog shouldn’t be allowed in your bedroom or bathroom unless you’re in there. Both rooms could hold potential health and choking hazards, so it’s best to guarantee they know to stay out unless told they’re welcome.
Your dog may be compelled to chew on a smelly sock or shoe, but it’s important you teach them to avoid such behavior. If you allow them to keep doing it, it could foster poor tendencies which could prove unsavory in the future – e.g., chewing on a guest’s expensive shoes. It also instills the idea that human items are dog chew toys, a lesson you should avoid at all costs.
Instead, take away the item when they begin chewing on it and replace it with a chew toy or a treat.
Source: Olya Maximenko/Shutterstock
One of the best things you can provide to your dog is a long-lasting treat that holds their attention. Bully sticks for dogs are a great option, as they provide your dog with an all-natural, nutritious treat that they can chew on for a good deal of time. They’ll really love them – not just for the smell, but that it provides them with a rough surface they can clean their teeth on for a good amount of time.
Along with long-lasting chews, you should provide your dog with interactive toys so they can have fun while getting their energy out. A safe bet is to look for interactive toys and tough rubber chew toys. You can even fill them with treats like peanut butter to really get their attention.
If you ever have to leave your dog alone at home, you should do what you can to close off where they can go. The safest option, for both you and them, is to crate them while you’re out of the house.
If you didn’t crate train your dog upon adoption, it might be more difficult to get them used to their crate than if you were training a puppy. The best rule of thumb is to train with positive reinforcement at all times.
A common way people use crates is for punishment. Their dog does something bad, they tell them to go in the crate, and leave them there a while, as if it’s time out. This is bad behavior, as your dog will soon think they’re punished every time you tell them to go into their crate.
Instead, teach them that it’s their happy place. Whenever you send them in, give them a dog chew or their favorite treat. It might not seem like much, but it’s an excellent way to teach them it’s their safe space – a place of comfort, not punishment.
Chances are your dog might be chewing to get their energy out, meaning they’re under-exercised or bored. You should do what you can to help them burn off that energy, early on in the day and throughout the day. If you work away from home, it’s a good idea to exercise your dog in the morning and enroll them in doggy daycare during the day or hire a dog walker. If you do work from home, exercise them in the morning and regularly use your work breaks to play and exercise with them.
Don’t let them feel as if they’ve been left high and dry. Rather, take the time out of your day to regularly check in with them. This is easiest for dog owners who continue to work from home, as your dog is likely just a room away. Also, consider getting your family involved. And if you don’t have family around, see if any of your neighbors are interested, especially if they have dogs of their own.
You should do what you can to keep your dog entertained throughout the day. With a little work, you may be able to curb their destructive chewing and keep them happier than ever.
Here is a question AKC GoodDog! Helpline trainers hear often: Why does my dog chew up our things when he has dozens of his very own wonderful toys all over the place?
The question is usually about a young puppy, but it could be regarding an older dog who inexplicably got it into her head to be naughty after months of perfect behavior.
In a dog’s mind, if something is within reach then it’s on offer. Certain items are especially appealing: eyeglasses, books, cell phones, television remotes, pillows and upholstery. Plastic is wonderfully chewy and when it is imbibed with our smell because we hold onto these things constantly, it can be irresistible.
Nothing is off limits to puppies. They have a mouthful of shiny new teeth, and they need appropriate puppy toys to use them on. By around 6 months of age, they have their adult teeth and the need to chew abates, but boredom can give them a reason to take up the habit again.
Puppies, just like human toddlers, need a completely puppy-proof area, either a dog crate or pet gated room. If your puppy grabs a forbidden item while you are watching him, quickly distract him with a sharp “Eh eh!” and when he drops it, redirect cheerfully with a toy that he is allowed to have.
Teaching tricks is a good way to give your pup appropriate outlets. A good one to start with is “Leave it.”
Insufficient exercise and mental stimulation can drive your adult dog to find destructive forms of entertainment, so it’s up to you to meet his needs. If ugly winter weather keeps you inside, play indoor dog games with him. Fetch, hide and seek, and tug-of-war (played correctly) are great fun and exercise for both of you.
There are many entertaining dog puzzles on the market, too, and you can even make your own. Just remember that many of these are meant to be enjoyed with you and not left alone with your dog.
The only 100% effective way to save your possessions from destruction is to keep them out of your dog’s reach. If eviscerating upholstered furniture is a hobby, your dog must be kept in a crate or a gated dog-proof room when unsupervised. Stuff hollow rubber toys with treats or moistened kibble and give them to your dog when you are away, so he will have something acceptable to do in your absence.
What about all those wonderful toys that your dog has? If they are lying around all the time, they aren’t special. Rotate them, only having two or three, at most, available at a time. Keep favorites out of her reach, only to be used when playing with you. This is what keeps it special; time with you is the magic ingredient.
In my opinion, my Winston was the best puppy ever — at least that’s how I remember it. When it came to chewing, he really was perfect. You see Winnie, my black Labrador, took his heritage seriously. Black Labradors are noted for their instinctive need to carry items around in their mouth. That was my Mr. Winston; he never chewed anything, he just picked up objects and carried them around. If he started to chew on something that he shouldn’t, he happily accepted an exchange. The house was puppy-proofed, and his access to space within the home was micromanaged. I did everything by the book. In my mind, I was an expert and conquered the evils of puppy chewing.
Then, a year later, came puppy Socrates, and I realized that I had not mastered puppy chewing. Winnie was just a dog who didn’t take his chewing seriously. Socrates, my Newfoundland, took chewing seriously. He was what I would call an “object of choice” chewer. He loved to chew craft items. Sequins and anything shiny were his objects of choice, and his experience became more enjoyable (I suspect) if the end result made a mess! He also liked to chew the paper that held a skein of yarn together. He would chew the paper and continue to play with the yarn until it was completely unraveled and strewn throughout the entire house.
In my opinion, of the four canine life stages (puppy, adolescent, adult and senior), puppies tend to have the most issues with inappropriate chewing. The good news is that dogs spend only a small amount of time being a puppy. Let’s take a look at why puppies chew and what you can do if your puppy is a Socrates and not a Winston.
Typically from 4 to 6 months of age, dogs begin to lose their baby teeth, and it can take another four months for all their adult teeth to grow in. During this process all puppies experience pain and discomfort — very similar to the discomfort felt by a teething baby. What can you do to reduce the pain and discomfort associated with puppy teething?
- Offer your puppy wet/frozen washcloths to chew on.
- Purchase commercially sold toys that are specifically designed for teething puppies.
- Frozen marrow bones that you purchase from the butcher can also provide relief. Remember not to cook the bone, as cooked bones are more apt to splinter when being chewed. If you keep the bone frozen, it lengthens the overall chewing time and provides maximum relief.
Note: Always supervise your pet any time a chew item is offered to reduce the possibility of choking or accidental ingestion.
Teaching What Can And Cannot Be Chewed
Puppies don’t get a manual that explains to them acceptable and unacceptable chewing items in and around the home. It is our job to teach them. We do this to keep them from destroying our home and to keep them safe.
Many items found in and around the home can become a medical emergency if ingested or chewed by a puppy. Meet Mr. Rocks and Socks. One day, Mr. Rocks and Socks made an unexpected trip to his veterinarian after his owner noticed he wasn’t eating or eliminating. The X-ray revealed that he had a large blockage in his stomach caused by ingesting rocks and a sock. Mr. R and S needed emergency surgery and his owner learned some valuable lessons:
- Supervise your puppy at all times.
- Teach your puppy the “drop it” cue.
- Teach your puppy a “leave-it” cue.
- Teach your puppy to willingly accept an exchange when chewing on an inappropriate item.
- Puppy-proof your home. Take time to get down to your puppy’s eye level. The home looks quite different when you take the time to view the world through your puppy’s eyes.
- If your puppy is an “object of choice” chewer, make sure he cannot come in contact with those items.
People Are Not Chew Toys
Sometimes puppies think people are their personal chew toy. Puppies who are bored or don’t receive enough exercise might mouth their owners to release some of their pent-up energy. Some puppies may mouth their owners when seeking attention, as perhaps at one point in their life this behavior was inadvertently reinforced. Or, perhaps some puppies have not developed impulse control and begin to mouth their owners when they become overstimulated.
If your puppy doesn’t realize that you are not his personal chew toy, what can you do to reduce this undesirable behavior?
Sooner or later, many dog lovers return home to find some unexpected damage inflicted on their furniture, shoes or other items by their dog or, more specifically, their dog’s teeth. Although dogs make great use of their vision and sense of smell to explore the world, one of their favorite ways to take in new information is to put their mouths to work.
Fortunately, chewing can be directed to appropriate items so your dog isn’t destroying things you value or jeopardizing their own safety.
Until they’ve learned what they can and can’t chew, however, the best medicine is prevention. By setting your dog up for success, you can avoid having to replace your favorite chair or paying for an expensive visit to the veterinarian when your dog has ingested something dangerous.
Understand your dog
Puppies, like infants and toddlers, explore their world by putting objects in their mouths. And, like babies, they teethe for about six months, which usually creates some discomfort. Chewing not only facilitates teething, but also makes sore gums feel better.
Adult dogs may engage in destructive chewing for any number of reasons, including as a coping strategy for stress and boredom. In order to stop the behavior, you must first determine why your dog is chewing—and remember, they are not doing it to spite you. Possible reasons for destructive chewing include:
- As a puppy, they weren’t taught what is and isn’t acceptable to chew.
- They don’t have access to safe and appropriate chew toys.
- They’re bored.
- They suffer from separation anxiety.
- Their behavior is fear-related and chewing is a coping skill.
- Chewing simply feels really good.
If you believe your dog ’s chewing is related to serious anxiety, you may need to consult a behavior professional for help with both separation anxiety and fear-related behaviors.
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Teach what to chew
Take responsibility for your own belongings. If you don’t want it in your dog’s mouth, don’t make it available. Keep clothing, shoes, books, trash, eyeglasses and remote controls out of your dog’s reach. Putting trash in a cupboard or blocking off areas with enticing items is the easiest way to prevent mistakes.
Give your dog toys that are clearly distinguishable from household goods. Don’t confuse them by offering shoes and socks as toys and then expecting them to distinguish between their shoe and yours.
Supervise your dog until they are consistently chewing on appropriate items. Keep them with you on their leash in the house so they can’t make a mistake out of your sight or only give them access to certain rooms of your home. Choose a “safe place” that’s dog-proof and provide fresh water and “safe” toys. If your dog is crate trained, you may also place them in their crate for short periods of time. Remember, crates should never be used for punishment and should be a space where your dog feels safe. Exercise pens and baby gates are also helpful tools.
Give your dog plenty of physical and mental exercise. If your dog is bored, they’ll find something to do to amuse themselves. On the other hand, a tired dog is a good dog, so make sure they get lots of physical and mental activity. The amount of exercise should be based on their age, health and breed characteristics. While daily walks and other outdoor time are crucial to their well-being, letting your dog sniff will be more enriching than trying to power walk two miles without stopping. For dogs who enjoy the company of other dogs, a well-run doggy daycare can be an excellent choice for high-energy pups.
Build toys into your daily routine. Instead of bowls, put their food in a puzzle toy or fill a Kong-type toy with their kibble. For more advanced chewers, cover the openings of the puzzle toy with canned cheese or peanut butter and freeze overnight before giving it to them. And be sure to keep a rotation of toys—novel items are way more fun for your dog than chewing on the same toy from last year. Keep some toys hidden and bring them out when you need to keep your dog occupied.
If you catch your dog chewing on something they shouldn’t, trade them for a toy that is appropriate. If the item they picked is so much fun they won’t give it up, keep high value treats on hand to trade it out. As your dog catches on to this idea, you can add the command “give” as their cue to release the object in exchange for the treat. Removing items from your dog’s mouth can cause your dog to develop guarding behaviors or run from you when you need to get an item back.
If your puppy is teething, try freezing a rubber toy; the cold rubber will soothe their gums. As always, supervise your puppy so they don’t chew and swallow any pieces.
Make items unpleasant to your dog. Furniture and other items can be coated with a taste deterrent (such as Bitter Apple®) to make them unappealing. Caution: Supervise your dog when you first try one of these deterrents. Some dogs will chew an object even if it’s coated with a taste deterrent. Also be aware that you must reapply some of these deterrents to maintain their effectiveness.
Don’t chase your dog if they grab an object and run. If you chase them, you are only giving your dog what they want. Being chased by their human is fun! Instead, call them to you and offer them a treat.
Have realistic expectations. At some point your dog will inevitably chew up something you value; this is often part of the transition to a new home. Your dog needs time to learn where and what the appropriate chew toys are. Take precautions and keep things out of their reach to set them up for success.
Punishment doesn’t work
There may be times when you’re panicked over what your dog is chewing—such as a bottle of medication—which is why training them to trade you for treats will ensure they give up even the most fun items. Scolding or pulling things out of your dog’s mouth can cause behavior issues to develop. Why risk your dog’s trust when positive reinforcement methods are more effective? And that “guilty look” is actually a canine submissive posture that dogs show when they feel threatened or unsafe. When you’re angry and upset, your dog feels threatened by your tone of voice, body language and/or facial expressions, so they may hide or show submissive postures. Building and maintaining a positive, trusting relationship with your dog is the foundation of a happy life together!
Nothing is more fun than playing with a puppy or a dog …. But what spoils this joy is your dog chewing on your personal belongings … Find with us 3 tips to prevent your dog from chewing things. dog chewing furniture
First advice: train your dog not to chew things dog chewing furniture
1- You should make sure that your dog does not have any health problems … some dogs do chewing behavior when they feel stressed.
- Where there is a new emergency that makes him feel anxious, such as the entry and exit of foreign people on a daily basis, or the change of his home.
- There is a lack of nutrients you provide to your dog or if there are worms. dog chewing furniture
Follow up with your veterinarian if you notice any other symptoms with chewing, such as weight loss, vomiting, or diarrhea.
2- Try to make your dog understand two basic ideas. Chewing your own things is a bad thing and he will be punished … Chewing a game is good behaviour that deserves a reward.
- When you find that your dog started chewing furniture or your personal belongings, tell him no or a bad dog with a strong and firm voice and try to take it from him and give him one of his toys.
- When he responds to you, give him a reward … and if he tries to escape with what he was that he was chewing, do not run after him, then this will be considered playing.
- Never punish him physically, as this will increase his sense of stress, which makes the problem more complicated.
- Do not punish him for the act of chewing during your absence, as he will not understand the reason for the punishment.
- When you find your dog chewing his own toy, approach him and pet him and give him rewards … With training, he will realize that good behavior deserves reward. dog chewing furniture
3- You may need to spray some bitter taste stuff on things that you do not want your dog to chew on
Do not use toxic substances, of course … This method may work for things that do not move, such as furniture.
- This method may not work for you completely, as some dogs may continue to chew despite the bitter taste.
- This mixture may be successful (white vinegar with hot chili, pepper, and lemon juice with water) and spray to the desired location.
The second advice: give your dog healthy alternatives dog chewing furniture
1– Encourage good chewing by providing the dog with toys. Rewards … The more toys that can be chewed, the lower the incidence of chewing on your personal belongings such as:
- toys with voice
Raw bones (but raw bones can present a choking hazard, such as chicken bones)
- Kong toys (which can be filled with food have a very good effect as the dog will be busy looking for food)
2- Small puppies When you are teething, their teeth often hurt, try to give them something to soothe the pain.
- You can use a wet towel and freeze it until they chew it. dog chewing furniture
- Carrots and frozen cucumbers are also an excellent solution.
3- Try to spend more time with your dog … dogs do not only want toys but need a lot of play and as a good usage of their energy and spend more time with you.
Try to get out at least once a day for 20 minutes in a park, for example, and play with it a fetch game. This will help reduce bad dog chewing behavior.
Third advice: Prevent damage to your private property
1- Keep the dog out from everything that might reach his teeth and can chew it like books, TV set, plants. dog chewing furniture
Not putting these things in front of the dog will reduce his bad chewing behavior.
2- Don’t make your dog confused. When you give him your old shoes to chew it, he does not understand why he is not chewing the new one either.
Stay away from toys that resemble your own possessions.
3- When you are outside the house … isolate the dog in a place designated for him as a doghouse and have a good area that allows him to move freely, and not to perform chewing behavior in your absence.
4-make your dog recognize the order “leave it” if you want to spend more time and effort training your dog.
Hold two treats, each in a different hand. dog chewing furniture
Show one and tell your dog with a firm voice. Leave it, pointing to what he is chewing
Do not let the dog take the treat, but make him look for them and lick your hand and do not respond to him.
When he loses interest in this hand and the treat, give it the reward of the other hand with a decent encouragement.
Continue this exercise until your dog responds when you say “leave it” at any time.
This teaches your dog that ignoring everything he wants to chew or bite from inappropriate things will be rewarded.
Inappropriate chewing is a fairly common problem in young dogs and stems from the fact that puppies use their mouths as a means of exploring the world around them. Chewing is a normal behavior for puppies but becomes undesirable behavior when it is directed towards inappropriate objects such as your shoes, furniture, or even your hands and feet. If inappropriate chewing is not corrected then it can lead to wide scale destruction of personal property, medical problems and erosion of the human-animal bond.
A dog’s deciduous teeth will erupt between three to eight weeks of age and around four to six months of age these teeth will be gradually replaced with permanent teeth. Teething is a painful process and puppies chew more during this period of time because their gums are very irritated during this time and the act of chewing relieves their discomfort. Inappropriate chewing is most likely to occur while the puppy is teething but if not corrected can become a long standing problem even after all the adult teeth emerge and teething ends.
Here are the five steps you should take to correct inappropriate dog chewing before it becomes a problem:
Rule Out Medical Problems
The first step is to make sure that your puppy does not have any serious medical problems. Nutritional deficiencies caused by poor diet and/or intestinal parasitism can lead to pica which may be misconstrued as inappropriate chewing. Gastrointestinal problems may cause nausea which can trigger chewing as a coping mechanism. Therefore it is important to make an appointment with your veterinarian to rule out an underlying medical condition that may be causing or contributing to the dog chewing.
Look around your environment for possible dangers to your inquisitive puppy. Place household cleaners and chemicals out of reach along with potentially toxic plants. Electrical cords should be covered or made inaccessible to prevent chewing on them resulting in electrocution. Remove objects of curiosity that might appeal to your puppy such as shoes and socks, children’s toys and the like. Block access to rooms that have not been puppy proofed and consider crate training your dog for the times when he cannot be supervised.
Encourage Appropriate Chewing
Provide appropriate chew toys for your dog to enjoy. Each dog will have their own personal preference as to what they prefer to chew and play with. Be careful with rawhide and beef bones as determined chewers can whittle them down to smaller pieces that can be swallowed. They can end up becoming lodged in the esophagus or small intestine so supervision is recommended when giving these treats and be sure to take away any small pieces that might be swallowed. Avoid chicken bones since they splinter easily creating sharp fragments that can easily puncture your dog’s gastrointestinal tract. I prefer nylabones, greenies and dental chewsticks since they encourage appropriate chewing while combating dental disease. Dog toys such as balls and kongs may appeal to your dog, just be sure to select a size that is appropriate for your dog. They should be able to pick it up and carry it but it should be of sufficient bulk that it cannot be swallowed. If you buy your dog a kong type toy check, make sure the hole in the toy is not so big that the dog can get his lower jaw stuck in it.I have seen several emergency cases where a dog comes in with a toy stuck in his mouth. Do not give toys that resemble inappropriate items; for example do not give your dog an old shoe to chew on because he will not know the difference between the old chew shoe and a brand new pair.
Discourage inappropriate chewing
By following step two you will have already minimized the amount of mischief your young dog can get into. If you do find your dog chewing on something inappropriate correct the dog by taking the object away and scolding him. Direct his attentions to an appropriate chew object and give praise when he chews on said object. Gradually, your dog will learn what objects are his and which are not. Sometimes it can be difficult to discourage chewing if the pattern is already established. Taste deterrents such as bitter apple can applied to the object, the noxious taste will hopefully deter the determined chewer and he will learn to leave the object alone.
Engage in Playtime With Your Dog
A tired dog is a good dog! Spend time playing and exercising with your dog on a regular basis. This not only reinforces the human-animal bond but expends energy that your dog might be otherwise directed to inappropriate chewing and behaviors.
It’s not hard to tell if your cat is a destructive chewer. Do you sometimes see her chewing things until they’re unrecognizable? Do many of your belongings look like the gnarled pencils you used in fourth grade? If you answered “yes” to either question, you’ve come to the right place.
There are many reasons why cats chew on things they shouldn’t, from wanting to soothe their gums during teething to exercising their natural instinct to slice and dice with their sharp back teeth.
“Some cats also use their mouths to explore the world around them,” says Katenna Jones, a Rhode Island-based certified cat behavior consultant. “In that way, they see chewing as fun—almost like a form of play.”
Elise Gouge, a certified pet behavior consultant and trainer based in Massachusetts, agrees. “Cats chew for the enjoyment of it,” she says. “For them, it’s a tactile and enriching activity.”
We asked the experts to break down why cats chew things, when it becomes destructive, and what you can do to prevent or control this behavior.
Is Chewing Normal for Cats?
Chewing is a common behavior in cats, but that doesn’t mean it’s something that can or should be ignored.
“Whether chewing is normal is all relative to the cat, his health, and his level of activity,” Gouge says. “It becomes excessive when it interferes with other activities or is self-injurious.”
It’s important to rule out an underlying medical problem, such as gum disease or gastrointestinal problems, that could be causing your cat’s chewing, Jones adds. “They could be trying to relieve themselves of pain or discomfort, or they’re calling to you, trying to bring your attention to problems like these,” she says. Redness of the gums can be a sign of a dental problem, while Jones says excessive salivating or licking may indicate that your cat’s stomach is acting up.
Behavioral problems can also be associated with destructive chewing, says Dr. Jennifer Coates, veterinary advisor for petMD and author of Dictionary of Veterinary Terms: Vet-speak Deciphered for the Non-Veterinarian. “Cats need mental stimulation and physical exercise to keep them from becoming bored, anxious, frustrated, or stressed. If they don’t have enough to do, they’ll find an outlet for all that mental and physical energy themselves…and you may not like the results.”
In any of these cases, you should consult with your vet to treat the underlying problem. When the issue clears up, the chewing should either go away or lessen in frequency.
Risks of Destructive Chewing in Cats
A cat’s teeth are much sharper than a dog’s (or ours)—“like a scalpel compared to a butter knife,” Jones says. For this reason, cat teeth are built for almost any level of chewing and rarely get harmed via this behavior.
More common are concerns about what your cat is chewing and what she may ingest. “Issues that could result from chewing include ingesting dangerous materials such as string,” Gouge says. “Cats are also very sensitive and could be hurt by ingesting chemicals in items they chew.”
Because chewing tends to be a natural behavior meant to exercise a cat’s more carnivorous instincts, Gouge says they may gravitate toward items that are soft and fuzzy—things that mimic the feeling of capturing prey. On the other hand, wires can be especially problematic because electricity may be flowing through them, and, therefore, it’s important to cover the cords or block your pet’s access to them.
Other harmful items cats may chew on include toxic plants, small toys or other objects, ribbons, tinsel, and yarn. In many of these cases, chewing can be dangerous because of the risk of consuming something that can get stuck in your cat’s digestive system. “Oftentimes when a cat eats something indigestible that is comparatively large or string-like, the only way to deal with the situation is for a veterinarian to go in surgically, remove the object, and try to repair any damage that it has done,” Coates adds. If you think your cat has swallowed something dangerous, call your veterinarian immediately.
Stopping Unwanted Chewing Behaviors
Sometimes, the simplest idea is the best. If you want to prevent your cat from chewing on your personal items, put them out of reach.
“Make sure string, yarn, and twine is not left out,” Gouge says. “Protect your plants with wire fencing.”
You can also use furniture and carpets to block off access to wires and certain corners of your house where you may keep something that’s tempting to your cat’s chewing instinct, Jones says. If that’s not possible, she suggests using lemon, cayenne, rosemary, or another scent that cats find unappealing to deter them.
Jones says clicker training is a great way to teach your cat that it pays to walk away from something rather than chew it. That said, it can be a time-consuming process because you may need to train for multiple objects.
An easier way to modify chewing behavior is to simply provide your cat with ample exercise and enrichment, including appropriate objects to chew on.
“Especially when it comes to indoor-only cats, it’s important to provide them outlets to expend their energy in healthy, interactive ways each day,” Gouge says. “This can include grooming them, letting them chase stuffed mice or balls, and giving them access to perches to watch birds or squirrels outside, among other things.” Cat toys and treats designed for chewing are available through many retailers. Cat grass is another good option, since many cats who like to chew also like to graze.
How many times have you looked around your house, only to find your pup has been chewing on anything he can wrap his teeth around? If you have a teething puppy, this is not a good thing but it is quite common. But, if you have an older dog or one that has finished teething, it is not something you should have to put up with. Not only is it destructive, but it can end up harming your pup and could end up with him in the vet’s office having chunks of whatever it is that he was chewing on surgically removed. There are several ways you can go about training your dog not to chew on things. The one thing you need to keep from doing is punishing your dog for doing what comes naturally.
The idea is to teach your pup to stop leaving teeth marks on everything in the house, ranging from shoes to the carpet, to the furniture, your kids’ toys, and goodness only knows what else. However, the last thing you should do is yell at your pup when you catch him chewing and most certainly not after the fact. All this serves to do is make him more agitated rather than curing what is a bad habit. While you can teach your family to put their toys and anything else your pup likes to chew on away, you can’t exactly put the furniture and carpets away. The rest of getting your pup to stop chewing on everything in sight comes with training, time, and patience.
The first stage of training your pup to stop chewing on everything is to try and figure out why he is doing it. In general, there are three reasons why your dog might be chewing. First, he is teething, second, he is bored, and third, he is anxious or stressed. While chewing is quite normal, even in older dogs, chewing on things and furniture around the house is never an acceptable type of behavior. You should have plenty of chew toys on hand for him as well as his favorite treats for when he gets things right.
The Substitution Method
The Success Method
The Ounce of Prevention Method
Written by PB Getz
Published: 11/02/2017, edited: 01/08/2021
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Success Stories and Training Questions
Training Questions and Answers
When I put out roach bait in my house, my dog chews it up when I am not home or are sleeping. How do I train my dog not to do this without removing the roach bait from my house?
Hello, I think that training Cookie to not eat the roach bait will be a challenge since Cookie does it mainly when you are not present. Cookie most likely knows the behavior isn’t correct. The simplest thing to do is put them where Cookie cannot reach, such as in a cupboard or closet. I would be concerned about her getting a blockage from eating the bait container. However, you can try and teach her the Leave It command, although it’s hard to reinforce it when you are not there. Take a look here: https://wagwalking.com/training/leave-it-1. Choose a method that you think will work for Cookie. Practice every day for 10-20 minutes. Once you feel Cookie has the command down pat, start practicing when you see her approach or even sniff a roach bait. Good luck!
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I've given many toys to my dog to chew, and most oc them seem to not interest him. The only ones that interest him are ones that squeak, and those are usually very destroyable. The problem is, I even got him a Kong goodie bone toy (the extreme one) and he did not seem to be interested in it. I did put part of a meat flavored dental chew in there that fit in so tightly that I had to use my weight to push it in.
My idea is for him to chew in the middle where dogs usually chew, but he tends to leave the middle of the goodie bone untouched and chew on the opposite ends of the bone, where the treats are placed. He grew disinterested in it since he couldn't get it out, which is why he keeps and likes destroying other things.
I also tried switching toys here and then, and I have standard nylabones that are not flavored, but whrn I switch the goodie bone for the nylabone, he won't play with it.
In the car he has anxiety, but I know how to handle it. He keeps chewing up everything in the car (glad it wasn't my seat belt) and even with REAL branches for him to chew on in the car, he still grows disinterested even though he likes to chew branches almost ad if they were Kong toys filled with treats.
How do I get him to play with his toys? The only thing I know are plush toys that don't last, and those are his favorites. The ones that do last disinterest him quickly after 15 seconds to almost an hour, but still, this isn't great considering he still misbehaves even if we're homean and he does this mostly when he doesn't chew his toys.
Hello Kien, First of all, when you crate him put a Kong stuffed with dog food in the crate with him. Only having one option to chew and making that chew toy interesting with his dog food will help him learn to like that toy in general. Other good chew toys for hard chewers are deer and elk antlers, cow sterile white bones (which are hollow and can be filled with dog food that has been soaked in water and mixed with a bit of peanut butter (avoid Xylitol sweetener in peanut butter though – it’s toxic to dogs!), cow hoofs, and flavored nylabones (not all dogs like these but many like the meat or peanut butter flavored ones). If he likes branches, then deer or elk antlers are good things to try. The key is to stuff hollow chew toys with his dog food and to give these to him when he is confined in a crate, exercise pen, or staying on his bed. Making that toy exciting and giving it to him when there are no other options to chew helps him form a habit of chewing those toys so that he will think to look for them when he does have other options. You can stuff a regular large Kong by placing dog food inside and putting a larger treat across half of the opening so that only a couple of pieces of food spill out at a time. You can also put his dog food in a bowl, cover it with water, let it sit out until the food turns to wet mush. Once it’s mushy, mix a little peanut butter or liver paste into the food mush where, loosely stuff the Kong (don’t pack it too tightly or the food won’t come back out), then freeze the Kong overnight. You can make several of these at once for the week if you have multiple Kong’s or hollow chew toys to stuff. Because these are frozen and filled with food, they should keep his interested for longer and also relieve any sore jaws that are developing right now. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

domain: pet


As I sat in the taxi with tears in my eyes I reflected on what this move meant to the family and how much they meant to me.
Over the past few months, one of our advocates has been working with a family of Christians from Pakistan. Lead by the father, Pastor Bill, this family was able to escape intense persecution in Pakistan.
However, since they escaped, they have faced a barrage of trials in Bangkok. They don’t speak Thai or English very well. They have had to survive on a minimal amount of food, and they live in doubt of if they’ll have enough money to pay the rent.
Recently however, that all seems inconsequential. While they were sleeping in their apartment, immigration police raided their room, and took their son and nephew to the Detention Center, where they will remain indefinitely.
We are in the process of supporting the family, as well as fighting for the release of their son and nephew.
To follow the journey of Pastor Bill and his family, check out a blog some of our advocates are running: http://refugeepathtofreedom.blogspot.com/
God is just straight-up at work in Thailand. I remember over a year ago, my primary hope was for God to raise up people in Thailand with compassion for refugees. That’s been answered. People across Bangkok are rising up, and doing everything they can to stand with urban refugees. Read more
More on the meeting with the Christian refugees from Pakistan: Believe it or not, life isn’t great for Christians in Pakistan……I’ll leave the stories to your imagination……the wonderful news is that they’ve managed to escape……and now they find themselves within the story of so many.
I spoke today with a father, terrified that his family will be thrown out onto the street…..with a son desperate to keep his safe, and a mother devastated by sheer scope of the challenges that urban refugees in Thailand face.
Above all though, I was blown away by hospitality, friendliness, and joy they showed. Their incredible hope in God drives their survival—and put away their tragedy to show hospitality to this stranger.
But with all these different feelings swirling about, I was most overwhelmed by the sheer cuteness of their little toddler—just looooved to laugh.
I showed up in Bangkok, Thailand, quite clueless. I had found a job teaching English and hoped that I would find a way to help some people out as well. I dabbled in various volunteer opportunities, but didn’t feel like anything I did impacted anyone in any substantial way.
One day, however, I met Dilan*, a refugee who had fled his country. Because of his religious beliefs and advocacy for a marginalized ethnic minority, the government in his home country had started to harass, follow, and threaten him. When his family started receiving more and more death threats, he fled to Thailand with his wife, infant daughter, and mother-in-law.
In March of 2010, I had to return to the states, but Michael assured me that he would keep Dilan and his family safe, and in May of 2011, a European country agreed to allow Dilan and his family to resettle there.
It still blows my mind how much our little relationship transformed Dilan and his family’s lives. We were poor ourselves, but it didn’t take much to meet our friend’s basic needs.
When I see the impact I was able to have on one family’s life, I dream of the impact that more and more people can have. Thousands of refugees live under the radar in Bangkok’s shadows, struggling to survive. Thousands of foreigners, without any particular skills, come to Bangkok with vague intentions helping disadvantaged people. Millions more people live outside Bangkok, trying to find people worth investing in.
So that’s why we founded Life Raft. We want to give people the opportunity to be a part of giving hope to these families of refugees. It was an incredible blessing for us to be able to walk with Shantha on his journey, and we want to share this opportunity with as many people as possible.
*Not his real name
In December 2010, some friends and I got to know a refugee named Dilan* through our church in Bangkok. He was part of the ethnic majority in and used this status to protect ethnic minorities.


text:
Members of the West African Livestock Innovation Centre (Walic) recently concluded a day-long brainstorming seminar on food security in the region.
The seminar, which also discusses measures to safeguarding the environment, was held at Walic conference hall in Bijilo.
The chairperson National Livestock Policy Hub, Mama Mariama Saho, said the seminar was designed to support Walic member countries in efforts for a functioning and vibrant livestock sector.
“We have witnessed the establishment of the NLPH in 2013 whose main objective is to act as an advocacy and advisory body for the promotion of livestock sectors. AU/IBAR continued to support the strengthening of the hub which includes launching of the ARDMP, the training on ARIS and INTAPOLATE to name a few,” she said.
She said livestock data production and the management of accurate livestock data was attained by The Gambia through the Department of Livestock Services and National Livestock Census conducted in 2017 and supported by FAO.
“I believe with a functional policy hub and continuous support from AU-IBAR and other partners we will achieve our objective of a vibrant livestock sector that will improve the contribution of livestock to food security, safety, economic growth and wealth creation for a better Gambia,” she said.
The permanent secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Lamin Camara, said the importance of livestock towards sustainable livelihood for rural population cannot be underestimated.
He said conservation and utilisation of biodiversity is not only an obligation but also a matter of economic, scientific, social and cultural needs.
PS Camara said because of these reasons, animals’ genetic resources are the values that “we should recognise, develop, conserve and pass to next generation for present and future benefits”.
“As a nation, we are cognisant of the aforementioned and we are strongly in support of the global plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resource which provides an agreed international framework for the livestock sector,” he explained.
Meanwhile, the president of the National Livestock Owners Association, Ebrima Jallow, said the role and importance of the livestock sector in the country’s economic development and food production in particular has been recognised in the national sectoral policy frameworks.
“I would like to point out that the sub-sector accounts for about 30% of the agriculture GDP and about 10% of the National Gross Domestic Product. In fact, according to livestock experts, the share of the livestock sub-sector to the GDP would be higher if the value of animal traction and organic manure in the prevailing mixed crop-livestock production systems were also taken into account,” he asserted.
He said the Government of The Gambia is “fully committed” to the implementation of the GPA for a sustainable use and development of animal genetic resources, “the end result of which is eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, this being a national priority”.

domain: agronomy


text:
Now that the worst of wintry weather is over, and the soil is workable, the number of garden chores is stacking up quickly. One of the chores that tends to get left off the list year after year is dividing ornamental grasses. Maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis), in particular, tends to outgrow its space and die out in the center. This can also be an issue for larger fountain grasses (Pennisetum).
The general rule of thumb is to dig and divide these plants every 3-5 years. Although it’s a lot of work, dividing has a lot of benefits:
•It reinvigorates tired plants, allowing them to last for many more years in the garden.
•It keeps the overall size of the clump in check.
•It provides the gardener with free plants to use in the garden or give away to friends
•Divisions are guaranteed to be the same cultivar as the original plants. This can be very helpful to gardeners that don’t know the exact variety they have in the garden, but want to make a perfect match.
Once you “decide to divide”, do yourself a favor and enlist a friend. Large clumps have extensive, deep root systems that are extremely heavy, the more help the better. Before you begin, prepare the work area by laying down a tarp next to the plant and gathering your tools. Hedge trimmers, a heavy steel spade, sharp axe, wheel barrow, and a good pruning saw could all help the job along. I tend to use the spade to do all the digging and dividing, but a selection of tools is best. I’ve heard a reciprocating saw with a 12″ blade can be very handy to make the divisions once the clump has been liberated from the ground.
1) Cut back the desiccated foliage. Have your friend either tie the blades into a bundle or hold them together in his arms. Using the hedge trimmer, cut the foliage off between 6 and 12″ from the ground and discard it.
2) Dig the clump out of the ground. Dig around the plant, about a foot from the edge of the clump. The first time around, just focus on making a good track to work from. Continue to dig progressively deeper and under the clump, until it can be “popped” free from the soil, using the spade as leverage. If you have trouble pulling the clump out, try rocking it back and forth while your partner slides a tarp under it. Then pull it out of the hole on the tarp. Alternatively, cut the clump into smaller, lighter sections right in the ground and then pull them out.
3) Make the divisions. With a sharp spade, saw or axe split the clump in half. Continue to cut it up into more or less equal sections that can be replanted. Keep in mind, the ideal division will be from the outside of the clump and at least as big as palm of your hand. Don’t make divisions from the weak, woody center of the clump. This is the oldest part of the plant and will not transplant well.
4) Don’t allow the roots to dry out as you work. Although grasses are very tough, like any plants, they don’t like to have their roots dry out. Keep the bare roots covered as much as possible, and if they start to get dry, give them a light sprinkle with the hose.
5) Replant one division to replace the original plant. Grasses prefer lean soil that is not high in organic matter. Do not amend the backfill or add fertilizer. Just place the division in the hole and plant with the native soil. Gently press the soil against the roots as you back-fill to be sure the roots have good contact with the soil and that there are no air pockets.
6) Water the new plant well. Make a berm around the plant with soil. Fill the berm with water and let it drain, then fill it one more time. As the plant roots and new top-growth appears, it will still need regular water. Once the plant is established, flatten out the berm and mulch around the base.
7) Pot up what you can’t plant right away. Ornamental grasses are a great gift for your fellow gardener, why not pass a few along? * Never feel guilty for discarding extra plants if you have no use for them. They are better in the compost than an annoyance to water or jammed into places in the garden they shouldn’t be.


text:
Former Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, has appeared in public after about two years that he left office. Ambode returned to the state to revalidate his membership with the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He however assured his loyalists that he was not prepared to dump the party for another political party in the country.
Ambode, who participated in the ongoing registration and revalidation exercise of the party with his wife, Bolanle, however returned to his hometown, Epe, with several of his admirers reportedly trooped out to welcome the immediate past governor.
As gathered, he was said to have been abroad after the party refused to give him an automatic return ticket, with members of the APC anointing the incumbent governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, as the party’s flagbearer.
The former governor was reported to have completed his revalidation exercise at Ward A in Epe, on Saturday where he often cast his vote during elections.

domain: news


text:
It's the most cryptic of clues but Sir Paul McCartney has fans speculating that he may be performing at Glastonbury next year following a teasing social media post.
The singer tweeted a black and white photograph featuring American composer and pianist Philip Glass, Hollywood star Emma Stone and musician Chuck Berry.
Repeated together their surnames - Glass, Stone and Berry - could be taken to mean he is hinting at the word Glastonbury.
Bookies have made the former Beatle second favourite to headline the festival.
William Hill has named Taylor Swift as the outright favourite, with odds of 7/2 on.
The same firm is quoting odds of 9/4 on for McCartney to top the bill.
The Fab Four legend will have just celebrated his 78th birthday a couple of weeks before the festival in 2020, and would be the oldest Glastonbury headliner in the festival's history.
McCartney is the only one of the three to have headlined Glastonbury before - he topped the bill in 2004 along with Muse and Oasis.
Other acts being mentioned as possible headlines are Kendrick Lemar, Coldplay, The 1975 and Foals. There are also mentions for Elton John, Robbie Williams and Ed Sheeran.
The odds in full are:
2/7 - Taylor Swift
4/9 - Paul McCartney
4/6 - Kendrick Lamar
2/1 - Coldplay
5/2 - Foals, The 1975
3/1 - Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Robbie Williams
11/2 - Arctic Monkeys, The Kinks
6/1 - Fleetwood Mac
13/2 - Queen and Adam Lambert
7/1 - Elton John
8/1 - Bruce Springsteen, Led Zeppelin, Madonna
10/1 - Blur, Spice Girls
12/1 - Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
16/1 Drake, Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Liam Gallagher
20/1 - Lewis Capaldi
25/1 - Ed Sheeran, Rihanna

domain: celebrity


Friday, November 16, 2012
A Catholic Consultation: The Church probes climate change
Faith and reason shared the spotlight in
last week at a conference examining justice, ecology, and climate change—all
through the lens of Catholic thought, most especially that of Pope Benedict XVI. Washington D.C.
As posted earlier, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, The Catholic University of America’s Institute for Policy Research and Catholic Studies, and the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change sponsored the conference that, by all accounts, was a grand success.
"A Catholic Consultation on Environmental Justice and Climate Change: Assessing Pope Benedict XVI’s Ecological Vision for the Catholic Church in the United States" brought together five bishops, a dozen academic presenters, renowned moderators, and a great many others seeking to unpack the words of Pope Benedict XVI in the context of emerging scientific understandings of a changing climate. [See a listing of conference presenters and talks at the close of this post.]
Dan Misleh, Executive Director of the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change, described the tone of the conference as grateful for the leadership of Pope Benedict XVI but also urgent.
This urgency was underscored by the event’s keynote address, the Most Rev. Bernard Unabali, Bishop of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. Bishop Unabali has assisted in the relocation of men, women, and children from the
, which have been loosing
ground—literally—to rising seas. It is estimated that the islands will be
entirely submerged by 2015. The fifty-mile relocation of the Carteret Islands' inhabitants to the larger island of Bougainville is an
ongoing process and one in which the Church is actively engaged. Carteret Islands
The Most Rev. Frank J. Dewane, Bishop of Venice, Florida, and representative of the Committee on International Justice and Peace for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, introduced and welcomed Bishop Unabali, who since the conference has visited New York and Boston to speak about matters back home—news that surely resonated with audiences of the post-Sandy East Coast.
The presence and contributions at the conference of so many clergy and successors of the Apostles added greatly to discussions about the present Successor of Peter, especially given his engagement of ecological ills and the moral realities that they present to the Church and all people of goodwill.
In noting the gratitude for the leadership of Pope Benedict XVI shared by conference presenters and guests, Misleh said that the Holy Father “has been a leader not only in speaking such wonderful words with dynamism, but also in practice—especially in working to make Vatican City carbon-neutral.”
Misleh added that “we recognized that [climate change] is something we must continue to understand—especially the causes and the consequences—and we need to consider what people of faith can do.” He noted that the conference’s academic papers “can’t just sit on a shelf” but must enter into the Church’s liturgical and pastoral life.
He’s right. Moreover, discussions on the impacts of climate change must also enter the public square.
In my professional work as an environmental regulator, the need for understanding and dialogue—for the sharing of information and support—about climate change is a growing reality. Planning the locations and technologies for water pollution control infrastructure, for instance, has already been impacted by real-world information on rising sea levels, increasing storm surge, and more intense rain events. All this translates into new sorts of decisions for state and local officials.
There is also the matter of energy—how much we use and how we produce it. Again, here I think of my own experiences. My office has been fortunate to work with the local energy utility (National Grid) and the state’s largest wastewater treatment utility (the Narragansett Bay Commission) in a joint effort to reduce the energy used by statewide wastewater treatment infrastructure—all of which uses lots of electricity to move millions of gallons of water every day, not to mention great quantities of air that many facilities use to help microorganisms purify the wastewater. To reduce electricity usage generated by fossil fuels—and to save on their electric bill—the Narragansett Bay Commission has installed three wind turbines that will generate about forty-percent of one of its facility’s electricity. I’ll write more on this later—it deserves its own post—but for now it must be stressed that this story of industrial-sized renewable energy is just one example of how we can change the way we do business so that we don’t change too much of how the climate goes about its own.
Such real-world issues underscore the need for—and appreciation of—academic conferences like the one held last week by bishops and scholars. Both vocations have a teaching authority and both have a unique responsibility to do exactly what Pope Benedict XVI has been doing: calling attention to how human activity can flaunt, impact, and be impacted by the natural order.
“I was thrilled to be able to converse with the bishops who were truly open to listening and responding,” said conference participant Jame Schaefer, Ph.D., Ethics Director and Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at
. “We have a treasure chest of
sources to retrieve and much work ahead as theologians to help the bishops,
priests in our parishes, and catechetical organizers of youth and adult
education programs when they want our input.” Marquette University
Dr. Schaefer added that as she participated in the conference, she grew in appreciation that “the bishops [are] key messengers whose encouragement and affirmation we theologians need and want as we struggle to respond to human-forced climate change from the Catholic theological tradition. Yet we too are messengers of our research and reflections, catechists are messengers to Catholic youth and adults, and priests have the most expansive opportunities as messengers through their homilies. Thus, there is much for all to do, and we theologians need to help them when asked to the best of our abilities.”
Dr. Schaefer is correct that there is much work for all to do—and hopefully this conference is the first of many.
Going forward, I will share as many specifics as possible about the presentations as they come my way. But for now, let us pray that God blesses all those who participated and organized this conference, and all those who will benefit from the good work done by the participating scholars and the bishops.
The conference's sessions included:
Human and Natural Ecology/Human Life and Dignity. Presenters: Br. Keith Douglas Warner, OFM, Ph.D., Associate Adjunct Lecturer,
: “Bonaventure in Benedict:
Franciscan Fingerprints on 'Human Ecology' in Papal Teaching.” Mary A. Ashley,
Ph.D. Candidate, Graduate Theological Union: “If You Want Responsibility, Build
Relationship: A Personalist Approach to Benedict XVI’s Environmental Vision.”
Michael Baur, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Philosophy, Adjunct Professor of
Law, and Director of the Natural Law Colloquium, Santa Clara University :
“Natural Law and the Natural Environment: Pope Benedict XVI's Vision Beyond
Utilitarianism and Deontology.” (Moderator: William D. Dinges, Ph.D.,
Ordinary Professor of Religious Studies, School of Theology and Religious
Studies, The Catholic University of America.) Fordham University
Solidarity, Justice, Poverty and the Common Good. Presenters: Scott Hefelfinger, Ph.D. Candidate,
Dame. “Human, Social, and Natural Ecology: Three Ecologies, One Cosmology, and
the Common Good.” Christiana Z. Peppard, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Theology
& Science, University of Notre : “Commodifying
Creation? Benedict XVI's Vision of the Goods of Creation Intended for All.”
Matthew P. Whelan, Ph.D. Candidate, Fordham
University : “The Grammar
of Creation: Agriculture in the Thought of Pope Benedict XVI.”
(Moderator: Tobias Winright, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Theological Ethics, Duke
University .) St. Louis University
Sacramentality of Creation. Presenters: Elizabeth Groppe, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Theology,
: “The Way of Wisdom.” Rev.
Msgr. Kevin W. Irwin, M.Div., S.T.D., Ordinary Professor of Liturgical Studies
and Sacramental Theology, The Catholic University of America: “The World as
God’s Icon: Creation, Sacramentality, Liturgy.” Jeremiah Vallery, Ph.D. Candidate,
Xavier University Duquesne University:
“Cosmic Liturgy: Assessing Pope Benedict XVI’s Ecological Vision for the
Catholic Church in the United
States.” (Moderator: Jame Schaefer, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Theology, .) Marquette University
Our Catholic Faith in Action. Presenters: Fr. John T. Brinkman, M.M., Ph.D., Historian of Religions: “Discernment of the Church and the Dynamics of the Climate Change Conferences.” David Cloutier, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Theology, Mount St. Mary’s University: “American Lifestyles and Structures of Sin: The Practical Implications of Pope Benedict XVI’s Ecological Vision for the
.” Anselma T.
Dolcich-Ashley, Ph.D., Post-Doctoral Teaching Fellow, American
Dame: “American Nature Writing As a Critically-Appropriated Resource for
Catholic Ecological Ethics.” (Moderator: Fr. John Haughey, S.J., Ph.D., Fellow,
University of Notre Woodstock Theological Center at .) Georgetown University
A wrap-up session, moderated by Br. Keith Douglas Warner, OFM, Ph.D., Associate Adjunct Lecturer, Santa Clara University, included presentations by Dr. Schaefer and Dr. Winright.
Mass was celebrated on Friday evening by the Most Rev. William S. Skylstad, Bishop Emeritus of
and Honorary Chairman, Catholic Coalition on Climate Change. Past President, U.S. Conference
of Catholic Bishops. The Most Rev. Donald J. Kettler, Bishop of Fairbanks,
Alaska, was the homilist.


text:
WARREN, Mich. (WXYZ) – Parents of a three-year-old could face charges after their son was left at Caesarland Restaurant in Warren.
Officers say they were contacted by the restaurant’s manager Saturday at about 9:00 p.m. They were told that employees had found the boy and that none of the customers knew who he was.
The boy was taken to police headquarters, were he was placed in the custody of Child Protective Services. He was then placed into foster care temporarily.

domain: sociology


text:
Here's a sample of our volunteer opportunities:VIEW AS
To help women with children discover and honor their worth as individuals and as moms.
Momcare Network provides self-care support and encouragement to mothers in Williamson County, Texas, especially during the 18-month postpartum period. This support includes education about the importance of physical and emotional care and how to achieve wellbeing as an individual and mother.
The emotional health of parents is critical for well-functioning families and society. With a 15% - 20% post partum depression rate,or 800,000 new cases per year, the emotional and physical needs of mothers deserves focused attention. Whether she works at home or outside the home, whether she is married or single, the responsibilities of today's mother can be taxing to the point of exhaustion and even sickness if their basic needs go unmet.
Many moms are operating with emotional wells that are less than half full. This is true for single as well as moms with partners. When mom is emotionally unhealthy, the impact on the family is direct and palpable. Delayed child development is also an unfortunate casualty. MomCare Network helps mothers in 3 key areas:
1. Peer support
2. Networking with other mothers
3. Parenting education focusing on parenting efficacy and self-confidence
Do you work for this organization?
Request administrator status and update its information!

domain: psychology


The PRH Trial Has Revealed a Barely Hidden Scorn for Independent Publishers
Margot Atwell of Feminist Press on the Importance of Indies
Over the past two weeks, writers and publishing professionals have been riveted by coverage of the trial in which the U.S. Department of Justice is attempting to block Penguin Random House’s purchase of Big Five rival Simon & Schuster. As a member of the independent book publishing community, I’ve been by turns frustrated and astounded by much of what the Big Five CEOs and other witnesses have said on the stand, which has been diligently relayed via live-tweets by publishing journalists John Maher and Bethanne Patrick.
Throughout the trial, witnesses from the publishing industry have referred to independent presses as “farm teams,” a metaphor which apparently originated in a 2019 memo written by the late Carolyn Reidy, who was President and CEO of Simon & Schuster until 2020, according to John Maher of Publishers Weekly. This phrase, which resurfaced several times, deeply rankled me and others in the independent publishing community.
“Farm teams,” also called “feeder teams” or minor leagues, were invented around a hundred years ago to develop inexperienced baseball players to a higher skill level with a goal of creating more dominant major league baseball teams. Though I haven’t been able to get my hands on a copy of Reidy’s memo, the implications of this reference demonstrate a patronizing view of independent presses, along with a real misunderstanding of independent publishers and the role we play in the literary landscape.
I joined Feminist Press, a 52-year-old independent nonprofit feminist publisher, as Executive Director and Publisher in March 2022. I don’t view book publishing as a zero-sum competitive game, but unlike the baseball system, independent presses are competing with corporate conglomerate publishers—for writers, for employees, and for readers’ attention and dollars. Minor league baseball teams compete against other minor league teams, but independent presses publish books in the same landscape as larger publishers, where Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, and others already benefit from substantial economies of scale and bargaining power with printers, customers, and more—an advantage which this merger would increase even further.Referring to independent book publishers as farm teams implies that they are small-time, amateur, and lower-quality than the massive corporate publishers that dominate the publishing landscape.
Many of baseball’s farm teams were, at various times, funded by their major league counterparts and have official affiliations that bring benefits to the minor league teams. In publishing, however, the only official affiliations between independents and PRH(SS) are via distribution deals with some independent presses, which are, by design, lucrative for the distributor.
Referring to independent book publishers as “farm teams” implies that they are small-time, amateur, and lower-quality than the massive corporate publishers that dominate the publishing landscape. It also implies that indie presses exist solely to develop raw talent to the standards of Big 4 or 5 publishers—and for their benefit.
This implication would cut a little less deeply if the corporate publishers didn’t also act this way. An editor at an independent press told me a story of how, during a signing in the indie press booth at a literary conference, they watched an editor from a prestigious Big 5 imprint compliment and try to set up a meeting with the author, who was at the conference signing their book that the small press had just published. And though this example is particularly flagrant, it’s my impression that corporate publishers often scout from indie press lists.
Calling indie presses “farm teams” paints a picture of a world where bigger is always better. It equates money and scale with value, implying that earning the most money and increasing scale are the ultimate aims of writing and publishing. This assumption, which is common under extractive capitalism, isn’t always accurate, and I believe it is extremely damaging to the literary landscape as a whole.
A previous publishing company I worked at was a small independent press with a joint-venture financial model, which required somewhat substantial financial investment by the authors in their work. A substantial portion of the list was made up of authors who were former corporate publisher “midlist” authors, which had previously been lucrative enough to sustain them. One of the primary reasons these authors cited for leaving their Big 5 publishers was the lack of support and personal attention for their books. Christina Ward, Vice President/Editor of Washington-based independent Feral House, told me, “most of our authors that moved to a Big after publishing with us come back to us (or another Independent) because the experience did not live up to their expectations.”
Most indies I know invest deeply in the books they acquire. The publisher where I work, Feminist Press, crafts bespoke publicity and marketing campaigns for each book in coordination with our authors and works to place excerpts, get reviews, author interviews, and secure other coverage for each book on our list. We also remain committed to promoting our books long after they are no longer frontlist. We’re still hand-selling ten-year-old titles to readers at conferences and literary festivals, and we’re continuing to invest in the careers and visibility of our authors, even ones whose second, third, or fifth book has come out with a corporate publisher.
“In keeping our lists curated, our audience knows the kinds of books we publish and that we don’t publish things that aren’t aligned with our stated mission,” Meg Reid, Director of South Carolina-based independent publisher Hub City Press, said. “The truth is that many authors feel more comfortable in this model, while others choose to try the bigger outfits if they have a book they feel has more commercial potential. I always stress to writers and interns that there isn’t one ‘best’ approach to publishing. Different models are a better fit for different books.”
Like Reid, I never fault a writer for taking the best deal or working with the publisher that makes the most sense for them. Stringing together a life as a creative person in the United States under late-stage capitalism is hard, and I wish for every writer a robust advance and copious royalty payments for years to come. My critiques are at the systemic level, rather than the individual one.
One thing that’s especially galling is that independent presses often lack the money to provide authors with higher advances because we take risks on work that is more experimental and pushes boundaries—books written by writers who are BIPOC, trans, queer, disabled, neuroatypical, immigrants, or in other ways marginalized by mainstream society and mainstream publishing. We often publish work that has less obvious “commercial appeal” to serve our missions and enrich the literary landscape. Then, Big 5 publishers take that enrichment literally, cherry-picking talented and newly visible writers off indie lists and winning them away with more money but not always more support for their work.
If the powerful publishing execs who clearly have the attention of the federal government want to treat independent presses like farm teams, perhaps they could also advocate for more public funding for the arts. In 2021, the National Endowment for the Arts dedicated $2.3M to creative writers, translators, and literary organizations. These crucial grants, and other rare but precious forms of public funding, are the lifeblood of independent nonprofit literary publishers, but the level of literary funding available in the United States is a rounding error compared to the $774M (755M euro) international profits that PRH enjoyed that same year.
As I dug into the history of farm teams for this piece, I was surprised to discover that the comparison was apt in at least one favorable way. Because minor leagues don’t hold onto their star players, by design, they have to be creative about how they market themselves, and they tend to be savvy and connected with the needs and tastes of their communities. That resonated deeply with me: attending AWP a few weeks after joining Feminist Press, I was blown away by the deep love and support of numerous readers who sought out the press’s booth, bought our books, knew about our upcoming releases, and gushed over our authors.
“I am an author because an indie publisher took a chance on me,” Nicole Chung shared in her insightful essay on the importance of independent presses.
So if taking risks on early-career writers, passionately cultivating their careers, and a deep connection to our readers makes us a farm team, I guess I’ll wear that as a badge of honor. But in the meantime, I hope corporate publishers will learn how to till their own fields.


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Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) won an appeal yesterday that confirmed it can stop others from selling clones of its popular computers. But the court also dealt a setback to Apple’s obsession with secrecy when it rejected the company’s attempts to seal documents related to the case.
The unanimous three-judge ruling was handed down by California’s 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, a court that is an authority on computer and technology issues. The case was about a company called Psystar that came up with a way to provide its customers with Mac-like laptops for $699. It did this by copying Apple’s operating system onto cheaper computers.
Psystar also shipped its computers, called “OpenMacs”, with a disc containing an authorized copy of the Apple software. The point of including the disc was not for the customer’s benefit — the $699 computers already had the software installed — but an attempt to get around copyright law.
When it was sued, Psystar tried to argue that Apple was abusing copyright by refusing to let people use software that had they validly purchased. The argument was based on the legal rule that a copyright owner’s rights expire after an article has been sold (this is why you can sell a used book or CD). In the case of Psystar’s Mac clones, however, the court ruled that the principle did not apply because people did not actually own the software but instead used it subject to a license from Apple. The license amounts to a contract that limits how the software can be used.
The outcome of the appeals court decision is not a great surprise because the software license theory is a long-established part of the legal landscape. What did come as a surprise, however, is a short section at the end of the ruling that said a lower court was wrong in letting Apple seal documents related to the case. The 9th Circuit said it had joined another influential court in believing there is “a strong presumption in favor of access” when it comes to court records.
This could prove bothersome for Apple, which is known for being highly secretive, even by the standards of technology companies. In legal matters, Apple routinely tries to seal anything and everything related to the hundreds of lawsuits in which it has been involved. One prominent recent example is the case in which a patent troll called Lodsys is suing companies that develop apps for the Apple store. Apple claims that it has a license that protects the developers and has filed a copy with the court — but then convinced the court to promptly seal the license.
In its decision, the California court may be sending a message that Apple and others are going too far with their requests to conceal documents, and that iit s time for them to be more transparent in their legal proceedings.

domain: law


The Fermi surface topology of the layered perovskite Sr2RuO4 was investigated through the observation of angle-dependent magnetoresistance oscillation under a magnetic field up to 17 T at 1.5 K. A series of angles giving the resistance peaks, observed under a constant field above 5 T, can be assigned to the Fermi wave-number vector of both the α and β branches of the calculated Fermi surface.
|Number of pages||3|
|Journal||Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics|
|Publication status||Published - 1999|
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
- Condensed Matter Physics


text:
This new series I am working on is called P90X reviews. I’ll be going over every workout and showcasing majority of what you can expect in each P90X exercise routine. While P90X isn’t the newest program out right now from beachbody it’s still probably one of the best. First off let me give you a little backdrop about myself for those who don’t know who I am. My name is Lloyd and I’m an independent team beachbody coach among many other things 🙂 . I started P90 X in September 2009 after overcoming a videogame addiction. Ever since then I’ve been putting my time into working out and eating healthy. I’ve done over five rounds of P90X ( each round is 90 days) . I’ve done two rounds of P90X+ and am currently doing a round of P90X2(the sequel to P90X).
Today’s P90X reviews post isn’t going to be comparing yoga X to X2 Yoga(P90x2) or anything like that. This blog post for today is going to focus solely on yoga X from P90 X classic.
P90X Reviews: Yoga X
one of the first things you notice when doing yoga X is that it has a very different tempo compared to the other P90X workout’s. When I first started doing P90X I really look forward to doing the yoga X days.
Advantages : One of the reasons is because it doesn’t require any additional weights you only need your body and the yoga mat.
I’m not going to lie to you this yoga workout is probably one of the most intense you’ll ever do. This workout is an hour and 35 min. long and it only gets easier when you’ve got about 15 min. left. It ranges from doing basic yoga positions to more advanced moves also incorporates balance positions as well as abdominal exercises towards the end of the workout.
Disadvantages: The toughest thing you’ll probably have been doing yoga X is staying committed to this very long workout once a week for 90 days. Eventually you’ll know when the hard parts are coming up you’ll know all the dialogue of the cast and it will start to feel repetitive. At least that’s how it was for me, one of the ways you can combat this is by being determined to push play every day and never miss a workout.
Even though yoga X is long and boring sometimes, it’s probably one of the most beneficial workouts in the entire P90 X program. Your developing core strength,flexibility, balance and even building abdominals. All without requiring any weights. If you want one of the most well-rounded at-home yoga workouts then you probably shouldn’t look any further than Yoga X! I hope you enjoyed these P90X Reviews and look forward to more coming in the future!

domain: sports


text:
www.thelancet.com Published online October 20, 2011 DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61628-0 1
Students’ perspective on rooting out causes of health injustice
This year, the International Federation of Medical Students’
Associations (IFMSA), which represents 1·2 million
medical students worldwide, made health inequities
and action on social determinants of health a key policy
focus.1 A global campaign, Root Out, Reach Out,2 has been
organised to coincide with the 2011 World Conference on
Social Determinants of Health. We believe that the fi nal
report3 of WHO’s Commission on Social Determinants
of Health should have provided a water shed moment
in the worldwide movement towards achieving global
health justice. Although some governments have
heeded the report’s recommendations, the voice of
the Commission has gone largely unheard because of a
lack of both political commitment and eff ective policy
making capacity. Unless addressed, these challenges have
the potential to undermine any outcomes of the World
Conference on Social Determinants of Health.
We believe there remains a distinct lack of political
commitment in addressing health inequities through
action on social determinants of health, both within
and between countries. Until governments are held
to account for their achievement in reducing health
inequities, ”closing the gap in a generation” will
remain a pipe dream. We therefore propose that civil
society groups, for example, concerned with HIV/AIDS,
maternal and child health, non-communicable diseases,
and climate change, bring their agendas together. An
approach that is based on the social determinants of
health off ers a rare opportunity to turn current disease-
orientated silos into a global coalition for health equity.
Advocates for the social determinants of health,
supported by WHO, should intensify eff orts targeted
at central government departments, such as ministries
of fi nance, trade, and labour. A strong enough case has
not yet been made to these central departments, which
are in the position to correct the “toxic combination
of poor social policies and programs, unfair economic
arrangements and bad politics”3 that lead to health
inequities. Ultimately, the UN system must take
leadership in this movement. Tackling the “inequitable
distribution of power, money, and resources”3 within
and between countries requires collective action not just
from WHO, but from all UN agencies.
Governments are still largely ill-equipped to develop
eff ective policy initiatives for action on the social
determinants of health. There has been a wide range
of interpretations of the idea of social determinants of
health by WHO member states and non-governmental
sectors. Thus, a common understanding of health
equity needs to be established, as well as baseline
methodologies that refl ect an approach grounded in
the social determinants of health; this would ensure
global coherence in policy formulation, implementation,
monitoring, and evaluation. WHO should devote more
resources towards fulfi lling its role as an eff ective
knowledge broker between health workers, academia,
and policy makers. It should create and support dynamic
research consortia on the social determinants of health
that not only develop the latest evidence, but eff ectively
translate evidence so that it can be implemented by
governments—for example, as policy tools, measurement
indicators, learning modules, and programme designs.
In relation to research collaboration, WHO should
partner with other agencies in developing new methods
and indicators, in addition to existing ones such as the
Human Development Index,4 that can fully encompass
the breadth of social determinants and can be easily
used by governments for monitoring progress. We also
recognise the importance of education in sustaining
this global movement. The Commission recommended
the incorporation of concepts like equity and the
social determinants of health in the training of health
professionals.3 We propose that students from disci-
plines beyond the health sector, such as law, economics,
business, politics, and environment, also receive training
in the social determinants of health. Such cross-cutting
education is necessary, so that all sectors can develop the
capacity for action and fulfi l their obligations to health.
Ultimately, health is an outcome of how society
distributes multiple determinants of health, and thus
a general indicator of social injustice.5 The Commission
affi rmed such a view, announcing that “social injustice is
killing people on a grand scale”.3 As future physicians we
hope to build a social justice movement that will place
equity at the centre of global development and realise
the long-awaited vision of health for all.
Ramon Lorenzo Luis Guinto, Daniel Yore,
Nilofer Khan Habibullah, Altagracia Mares de Leon,
Taavi Tillman, Alex Elliott-Green, *Unni Gopinathan
October 20, 2011
For World Conference on Social
Determinants of Health see
Comment Download full-text
www.thelancet.com Published online October 20, 2011 DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61628-0
International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations,
IFMSA General Secretariat, c/o World Medical Association,
01212 Ferney-Voltaire, France
We are all members of the International Federation of Medical Students’
Associations. We declare that we have no confl icts of interest.
1 International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations. Policy
statement on health inequity and the social determinants of health.
Jakarta, Indonesia, 60th March General Assembly of the International
Federation of Medical Students’ Associations. March, 2011. http://www.
ifmsa.org (accessed Sept 26, 2011).
2 Root Out, Reach Out. International Federation of Medical Students’
Association’s week of global action on social determinants of health.
http://root-out.org (accessed Sept 22, 2011).
Commission on Social Determinants of Health. Closing the gap in a
generation: health equity through action on the social determinants
of health. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2008.
United Nations Development Programme. The human development
index. http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/hdi (accessed Oct 14, 2011).
Daniels N, Kennedy B, Kawachi I. Why justice is good for our health: the
social determinants of health inequalities. Daedalus 1999; 128: 215–51.

domain: medical