Two Dogs, A Story Of Compassion And Animal Communication

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As I looked out my window one morning I saw two dogs I did not recognize crossing the street, and one was limping badly. I remarked to a friend that they looked lost, and he replied, "Well. if they need you they know where to find you." (I have a reputation as a needy animal magnet.)

A half hour later I opened my front door to find both of them on my porch.

The black dog allowed me to examine his sore foot, but did not respond to any overtures of friendship. Dusty, tired, and thin, he appeared to be suffering from depression as well as being footsore. I received a very clear message that they were lost and could not find their way back home. I offered them both food and water. They both drank some, but the black dog did not touch the food even though I could see his ribs beginning to show. Whatever his sorrow, it went deep, and I could feel my heartstrings twang again and a surge of desire to keep him safe and loved came over me, but I fought it down and went back in the house.

Later I saw that they had camped on the lawn of an elderly couple who were kind to animals. I talked with the couple and they shared that they had called the city to pick the dogs up. I went into alarm state, I knew what happened to dogs at this city pound. Something inside me just could not let that happen, especially to the black dog. Something about him exerted a pull I could not resist and I began figuring out how to integrate both dogs into my crowded household without mayhem ensuing, until I could find their old home or another new one.

Against my better judgement, I signed the papers designating myself responsible for the care of the two dogs. The kindly elderly couple offered their house for the dogs to stay at in the meantime, and I would come over to feed and walk them.

That night, I made friends with the coyote dog, but none of my approaches to the black dog elicited anything more than depressed resignation to whatever I did for him. Any attempt to communicate with him only yielded strong emotions of sorrow and loss. I told him that I would do all that I could to find his old home, but he did not respond.

The next morning a description of two lost dogs matching the two found appeared in the paper. Eagerly I called the number, and a young woman answered. When I explained who I was and why I was calling she was practically incoherent with joy. Apparently her husband had left her six months ago. Her three-year-old son and she were inconsolable over the loss of the two dogs, she told me that she felt that the black dog was all she had left to rely on for comfort. Their little family was poor, but loved the dogs dearly. Her mother had told her that "no one ever read the lost dog ads, and she would probably never see them again."

I hurried over to the elderly couples house to let them know the good news. Together we awaited the arrival of the small family. The black dog was still curled up in a sorrowful heap on the sofa, when the sound of an old engine in desperate need of repair was heard and both dogs jerked to attention. The black dog rushed to the front door followed by the coyote dog, and when the young mother came through it she had to kneel in the doorway as both dogs did their absolute best to smother her with kisses. And as she knelt I watched the black dog lick away her tears of joy and felt my own well up in my eyes.

And then it happened. While the coyote dog and the young woman continued to hug by the front door, the black dog broke away from the joyful reunion, and for the first time EVER, approached me. The black dog leaned hard against my leg and stood there looking up at me, and then he said, "THANK YOU." The words were so loud and clear that I responded automatically, OUT LOUD, "Youre welcome." And then I thought, "Oh my god, the neighbors are going to think Im crazy." And maybe they already did because they never said a word about it. But I KNEW what I had heard.

And as I watched the small, but loving family drive away together, I thought that never in all my times of giving had I ever received so much joy from two small words.

Rose De Dan, 2004. All rights reserved.

This article is excerpted from Rose De Dans book "Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki and Shamanism. The events in this story took place in Worcester, Mass. several years before the author took any formal training in animal communication.

A video of this story, Two Dogs, a story of compassion and animal communication, as read by author Rose De Dan to her dog, Puma, is available on YouTube. Inspired by the Dalai Lama and his focus on compassionate living, the video lovingly portrays the miracles that can happen when you communicate from your heart.

Trial-and-error Learning in Animals

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Think about the word "intelligence". What is meant by saying that an animal is intelligent? How can you tell whether animals are really intelligent? After all, animals cannot speak and they do not use words. They cannot express ideas nor can they learn history or spelling.

Still, animals are a capable of doing many things. Perhaps your goldfish swims to the surface looking for food when you move near its tank. Or your cat may ring the doorbell when it wants to enter the house. Many other animals can even do tricks and tasks. Circuses are filled with dancing bears, playful sea lions, hard-working elephants and prancing horses. Such behavior is often wrongly perceived as signs of intelligence. As you'll see, performing tricks is not truly a sign of intelligence. Intelligence is the ability to reason. It is the sudden flash of an idea, or the ability to solve a new problem directly and also by using previous experiences. Performing tricks and tasks do not require the ability to think, to reason on, or to have ideas.

Tricks can be mastered through special kinds of learning. One way of learning is through trial and error. Another is through conditioning responses. It is important to understand how such learning behavior works. Then we will be able to understand the differences between tricks and truly intelligent behavior.

One of the hardest problems for psychologists is to figure out ways to test intelligence. Conditioned responses are not signs of intelligence. Nevertheless, they are part of an animal's behavior, so they may help psychologists compare differences among the learning styles of different animals. Animals are also conditioned in other ways. They can learn to avoid a place or an object by being given a mild, harmless electric shock. Some can even be forced to change their normal behavior. Almost all animals from the flatworm up can be conditioned. Another kind of learning takes place through trial and error. The most famous kind of trial and error method is the maze. Mazes are all based on the same idea; that is, an animal that is placed in an entrance must find the exit. As it proceeds, it finds a series of branches. The animal must make a choice at each branch or fork. If it chooses the wrong one, it comes to a dead end. Then it must go back to take the other path. After a number of times the animal can run through the maze without making mistakes. The reward at the end is a piece of food for the hungry animal. Mazes can be very simple or very difficult, depending on the objectives of the psychologists. Experiments have shown that ants can master very complicated mazes, as well as frogs, turtles, rats, cockroaches and crabs.

Another way to study trial and error at learning is to place an animal in a box. Food is placed outside and the animal can reach the food only by unlocking a door. Then the animal must open the same door to get back into the box. In both cases the problem is the same: figuring out a lock to open a door. It has been found that raccoons can learn to open really complicated locks. Monkeys can also open locks in a special order, but are sometimes difficult to work with because of their bad tempers. At first, humans took as long as monkeys to open locks in a special order. But once they learned, they were much faster in opening them. The reason humans took so long is a fairly simple one. There is no way to figure out the order by looking at the locks because learning the order is a form of trial and error learning. Insight or reasoning does not help here any more than in mazes. Thus, in the first stages of trial and error learning, humans were not fast either.

Treatment for Tonsil Stones with Chinese Herbs

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Earlier tonsil stones were not understood properly as they were not researched properly that many doctors thought that they could be treated using antibiotics and often suggested tonsillectomy when the antibiotics did not work. But actually speaking the surgery is not at all required as tonsils play a very vital role in guarding the body from viruses and bacteria. They can be cured easily using various natural and herbal remedies. Homeopathy, Ayurveda and Chinese medicines used herbs for treating the improper condition of tonsils effectively and efficiently.

Tonsil stones are dealt in a very different manner using Chinese herbs. According to Chinese medicine tonsil stones and other issues related to tonsils happen due to toxins and poor quality digestion hence they advocate to lower or completely avoid foods which creates more acidity and toxins in body like white flour products, red meats, fat rich food items like dairy products, butter, ghee, fried foods and white sugar. Apart from avoiding these food stuffs it is advised to include food stuffs rich in antioxidants like blueberries, pomegranate, carrots, cabbage, raspberries and turnips. Ginger and carrot juice can also be used for detoxifying body and for relieving infections of tonsils and tonsil stones.

Chinese herbs like mu xiang and guy a or brown sprouted rice can be used for aiding digestion and to lower toxins present in the tonsils as they help in moving the food via the body very quickly without making them stagnated to form toxins. There are also other Chinese detoxifying herbs like the she gan, ban lan gen, bai hua she she cao and Chinese herbs that are meant to clear off mucus like ban xia, chen pi and bai fu zi. Some Chinese doctors and health enthusiasts might however not recommend certain cool natural herbs and foods like spirulina or chlorophyll as they deplete digestive energies and might result in food stagnation leading to higher toxicity. Apart from this good oral hygiene is said to be very important to remove bacteria present in the tonsils. Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar along with water is used to get rid of the bacteria most often.

Natural remedies are not only chosen for their ease of use, but also for their effectiveness and cost effectiveness. Sometime mere gargling the mouth using saltwater solution can dislodge tonsil stones or can be removed using mechanical methods. But care should be taken not to poke or break the tonsil stones as they can even damage the tonsils.

Home Remedies for Curing Tonsil Stones

Tonsillectomy not only can lead to various health problems later but also does not come at a cheaper price. The surgery can also hinder day to day activities for some time. Hence, it is avoided most often. In fact, there are natural and scientifically proven ways to get rid of tonsil stones so they never return. It's absolutely not necessary to go for a long, drawn out surgery or wasting your money on expensive nasal sprays and tablets.

Training Your Dog With a Muzzle Leash

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One of the hardest things to teach a dog when getting him or her used to a leash is not to pull on the leash. How may times have you seen a dog taking their owner for a walk. In most cases when going for a walk the dog is in the lead pulling on the human. This is not how it's supposed to work. The owner should be in better control the canine and using a muzzle leash is an excellent training tool for accomplishing this task.

Ideally, when taking a dog for a walk, the dog is at one side and not pulling towards the rear or in front. You simply do not want any tension on the leash. This is how the dog must be trained to properly walk on a leash. There are number of ways to do this and one of which is to use what's called a muzzle leash.

This special device has a strap that goes around the dog's snout and behind the ears and then around the neck. And instead of the snap fastening onto the neck area, the snap fastens onto the area on the snout. The way this works the and, is that when the dog teams to pull ahead his head is pulled to the side because of the snout fastened leash. This is quite annoying to the dog and at first he or she may balk and really throw some fits about this annoying device.

But because it is so annoying, is what makes it so effective in training the dog not to pull. Eventually, the dog is so annoyed by the fact that his head is constantly being pulled around when he leads ahead when he's not supposed to that he began slowing down and thus maintaining slack in the leash. Anytime the dog forgets intention is applied to the leash his head is automatically pulled around.

It should be noted that this absolutely does not harm the dog. There is no jerking or twisting involved in this process. It simply works because of the annoyance factor created when tension is applied in the head is turned around.

These special muzzle devices come in all sizes to fit any size dog. Also, it's advised to use a relatively short leash. In other words, do not have a leash 6 to 8 feet long were the dog is allowed to lead ahead before there is any tension placed on the muzzle. You should strive to only have a leash of about 3 feet long so that the dog has very little leeway with creating the tension. In this way the dog learns to maintain contact with the owner during the walk very near to his or her side. That's the ideal situation for going on a walk.

Top Reasons Why You Should Switch To Reusable Shopping Bags

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The use of disposable shopping bags is a way to make purchases easier for customers. However, the continued consumption of plastic creates excessive waste which takes a toll on the environment. An alternative approach is to become responsible and explore the importance of reusable bags. The following points are strong reasons why it is essential to switch to reusable shopping bags.

Cost Reduction

One of the significant advantages of using reusable bags is cost reduction. When you use wholesale shopping bags, you generate savings of having to pay a small fee to get plastic bags. Another way to reduce cost is through incentives that stores offer. Specifically, groceries give out discounts to customers who bring their bags. Availing these offers can create a considerable reduction in your purchases in the long run.

Help the Environment

Reusable shopping bags also support the protection of the environment. By patronizing custom made shopping bags, it helps reduce your environmental footprint and reduce trash. You also contribute to lowering the number of plastic bags that pollute the ocean. Since plastic bags are difficult to recycle, your decision to shop using reusable bags can create significant impact in reducing trash in landfills and harming animals.

Durable and Long Lasting

Supporting reusable bags also helps you become efficient in transporting groceries or supplies from the store to your home. It is because bags are durable compared to its plastic or paper counterparts. The bag's material is cloth which can accommodate heavier loads. Clothe totes are also long lasting and can last a significant time before replacement. Now, you would not have to worry about accidentally spilling your groceries or breaking goods.

Easy to Clean and Store

Having reusable shopping bags is also convenient because it is easy to clean and store in your home. You can clean dirt, spills, and stains by washing the cloth tote with cleaning detergent. You also do not have to worry about storage space since you only need a few of these bags. It is foldable and can fit in your cupboard or kitchen cabinet.

Lessen Clutter

Another apparent benefit of reusable bags is decreasing clutter. Wholesale shopping bags help reduce the amount of plastic you store in the cupboard. You also do not have to worry about managing your storage space as you only need to maintain a handful of bags to address your grocery and shopping needs. More importantly, the shift to reusable bags lessens your contribution to unnecessary waste.

Customization

Finally, reusable bags help you achieve creativity. The availability of custom made shopping bags allow you to create items that match your lifestyle and personality. Also, some companies offer services to customize bags according to your measures, needs, and specifications.

Overall, the reasons above indicate why reusable bags are essential for any household. Beyond environmental reasons, using reusable shopping bags are practical, cost-effective, and easy to use. It is an efficient way to transport your groceries and lasts a long time. By supporting alternative sources, it helps you become environmentally conscious and improve your overall shopping experience.

Tonsil Stones and Pregnancy

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Many pregnant women who suffer from bad breadth might be due to tonsil stones. Since tonsilloliths and halitosis are provoked due to same elements they can be linked to each other. Nearly ninety percent of chronic bad breadth is found to be caused due to oral cavity bacterial imbalance. It is found that tonsil stones are also composed of fungus, mucus, dead cells, putrefied debris of food and bacteria. These bad odour producing elements can get accumulated inside tonsil crypts (pocket type cavity) where smell producing calcareous matters can be formed continuously. Because of this sulphur compounds get released constantly inside the crypts and can be let out when speaking and breathing. This results in severe and persistent bad breath in both normal and pregnant women.

There are even people who might not even know that they have tonsil stones or tonsilloliths. It might be because of the stone size being too small making them difficult to feel or view. Most often these types of tonsil stones can get dislodged naturally from the cervices or crypts and get swallowed. Very few might face major inconvenience due to the stone over growth and might require removing manually for getting some relief. Removal of tonsil stones might not be suggested for women during pregnancy as it can lead to other problems.

Chronic bad breath also called as Fetor Oris is most often associated with poor oral hygiene, improper flossing and conventional brushing with little or without any effect in enhancing breath smell. Fetor Oris is caused due to opportunistic germs over populating in mouth along with stagnating mucus in the throat back and in sinus region, tonsil stones, gum disease, bacteria getting collected inside lingual tonsils and uncleaned residue of food.

The bad breath in women during pregnancy along with tonsil stones are mainly caused by germs known as anaerobic bacteria that are intolerant to oxygen. This means that such bacteria look out for regions in the mouth that are low in oxygen or without it. Tonsil crypts, deep inside tongue crevices, under gum line, in stagnating mucus, in cheek bio films, around teeth, roof of gums and mouth are such places.

These anaerobic bacteria are found to reproduce or breed exponentially and too in the presence of sugar substances and proteins. There are nearly two various kinds of bad breath producing bacteria releasing unique sulfur composition. The odour of volatile sulfur compounds can be very similar to feces, decaying flesh, vegetables and so on. Conventional flossing and brushing might not do much help for treating the condition and hence requires a very specialized approach with special tools to get good relief.

Home Remedies for Curing Tonsil Stones
Tonsillectomy not only can lead to various health problems later but also does not come at a cheaper price. The surgery can also hinder day to day activities for some time. Hence, it is avoided most often. In fact, there are natural and scientifically proven ways to get rid of tonsil stones so they never return. It's absolutely not necessary to go for a long, drawn out surgery or wasting your money on expensive nasal sprays and tablets.

Tis The Season To Be Jolly!

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December is the month when people from all nooks, especially the northern part of the country wish to flock to warmer and sunny places like Goa. This month in Goa is called the season as it calls for the highest number of tourists who come visiting for vacation, relaxation and spending their Christmas holidays! The otherwise laid back and quaint towns of Goa come alive during the Christmas celebrations with tourists rejoicing the festivities and locals in pomp and pleasure.

Predominantly Christian, Goa is home to more than 400 churches! Celebrating Christmas in this beautiful state which is impeccably lit up during this time is a must on every travelers bucket list. Tourists can attend a Midnight Mass in the very beautiful churches to absorb in the culture, swaying to Christmas carols, have a divine connection and join in the merriment!

Talking of Christian settlements, the Goan winter trip is incomplete without a visit to Old Goa which is marvelously decorated with tinsels, lanterns and buntings in December; mesmerizing everyone with its beautifully decorated churches, stalls with mouthwatering homemade chocolates and cakes! The air is filled with happiness, celebrations and merry making. Must visit churches are the Basilica of Bom Jesus, Se Cathedral, Church of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception and Church of St. Francis of Assisi.

What could be more indulgent than feasting on a Classic Goan Christmas dinner?! Being in Goa for this festival, calls for gorging on to a scrumptious spread of some exceptional delicacies. One can enjoy meals at a fancy restaurant or on shacks, all kinds of eateries joyously serve Goan treats like Roast Turkey, Pork Sorpotel and of course, a huge spread of Seafood! Bebinca also called Bibik is a must try dessert.

Another interesting ritual specific to the Goa is the one celebrated on the New Years Eve. Native Goans practice an interesting tradition called Burn the Old Man. On New Years Eve, several figurines resembling old men, made of hay and old clothes are set on fire. This ritual signifies burning of worries and ills of the previous year and welcoming the next year anew. From children to grandparents, everyone looks up to celebrating the New Years Eve by burning the old man!

Come December, the month of festivities and celebrations begin for every taste. Music enthusiasts wait for the famed Sunburn Music Festival which takes place each year in Goa. Being Asias biggest music festival with international and Indian artists performing, this extravaganza is a delight for EDM lovers. Another music festival called the Supersonic Festival that was started by VJ Nikhil Chinapa is also being equally appreciated by tourists. Held on the Candolim Beach this festival promotes local as well as international artists.

Post the Christmas festivities, comes the celebration of the New Years Eve! Since Goa is synonymous to parties, one can expect a plethora of options to choose from. Thousands of tourists pour in number to its shore to bid adieu to the previous year and welcome the next. Parties in Goa are unmatched to anywhere else in the country. Clubs, restaurants and even beaches are crowded with party animals to welcome the New Year. Worlds finest DJs, musicians and performers fly down here to entertain the best parties one can experience. For a unique experience, the Silent Noise Parties held on the Palolem beach give a different take. Casinos in Goa are another hotspot for gambling enthusiasts where one can enjoy New Year Eves parties.

So, pack your bags and be ready to go! Its Goa calling for marveling the holiday season.