Dog Names: Choosing The Right One, The First Time

After searching long and hard, you've finally found the perfect dog. So what's next? Finding the perfect dog name of course!

Considering that over the course of your puppies lifetime his name will be used over 30,000 times, and that 1 in 5 new dog owners want to change their dogs name in the first year, choosing the right puppy name should be given as much care and thought as you showed when finding your pooch in the first place.

Below I've listed 10 dog naming tips taken from my website to be mindful of when looking for the right name, they are

1. Avoid names that sound like common commands such as Go, Stay, Sit, etc. This might cause confusion for your puppy when trying to train it.

2. Be mindful that your dog might outgrow its name. The name Buttercup might be appropriate for a cute puppy, but not when it becomes a full grown Great Dane!

3. Choose a name with one or two syllables. Dogs not only learn it quicker, but it makes them easier to train as well.

4. Watch out for trendy names that might cause embarrassment once the trend is passed. Do you want people to realize from your dogs name that you were once a big fan of Disco?

5. If youve adopted an older dog, its best to keep her current name so that it doesnt become confused. If for some reason you must change it, consider a name that sounds similar or rhymes.

6. Beware of the common trend to name dogs after people. Though doing so is not a bad thing in itself, if you name your pup after a friend or family member, they might take offense. Although you might think naming your dog Sally after your favorite Aunt is an honor, Aunt Sally might not. Also, be kind to your dog and name her after someone you like.

7. Does the dog name rhyme with something negative? Or maybe with the name of a family member or friend? Once discovered, you might be one of those 1 in 5 people who want to change their dogs name!

8. Stay away from potentially embarrassing names. The name Pee Wee might be funny at first, but as the joke gets old, how will you feel in a year or so when you have to call Pee Wee home at night?

9. Pick a name that matches your dogs own unique appearance or personality. The name Electra might be a good name for an energetic pooch, but not for one that likes to sleep all day.

10. Ask your dog what he thinks! Since its going to be his name, you might want to narrow your search down to your own 5 favorite names, then try them out on your dog. Youd be surprised how well he responds to some, yet yawns at others.

Keeping in mind the above tips when searching for dog names will not only ensure a long, happy friendship with your dog, but also help to avoid a mid-life name change.

When Richard Livitski isn't busy running around after his own dogs, he's busy searching for more unique, cool and funny dog names for http://dog-names-and-more.com where dog names as well as other helpful dog related topics can be found.

A Gift Basket for Faraway Family Members

I know very well what it's like to have family who live far away. When I was growing up, my grandparents and aunts/uncles and cousins lived across the ocean. When I had my own kids, their grandparents and aunts/ uncles lived on the other side of the country. Now that my sister has 2 small children, the youngest of whom I've never met, this being far away has hit me again. How can we show far away family, especially when children are involved, that we want to be close and stay connected?

We could design a gift basket for family members who live far away, just to say we care. We would put into it several mementos that make the distance between us seem smaller.

If we have young children, we could send grandparents a digital picture frame. In case you're wondering what a digital picture frame is; it is a device about the size and shape of a picture frame that has a LCD screen. The screen displays multiple photos in a slide show format, and it connects to the Internet via the phone line to download new pictures and information to display. You use your computer to upload photos to a website and every day the frame uses the phone line to connect to the website and download any new photos. This is an ideal way to send digital photos of the family to grandparents who lack a computer and/or the skills to use one.

We could also include a DVD, or a video depending on the equipment we and they have, of some recent activity; perhaps our child scoring a goal at soccer or performing in a recital, or even just a family picnic or something like that. Photos are great, certainly better than nothing, but they just don't show you what the child is really like as well as video does. They don't give you as much of a feeling of being there as a movie does. We could also include a tape (either audiotape or videotape) of our child giving the recipient a special message.

Of course we could always send regular photos too. One idea to make a photo special is to cut out the shape of the children (the important part) and have it glued onto a plastic block so that it stands upright by itself. Another idea is to frame the photo in a magnetic frame that is suitable for the holiday so that it is easy to put on the fridge. I have one on my fridge right now that is a heart frame for Valentines Day. You can often get these at places like Target. We could include a picture the child has drawn or painted, or even a small thing the child has made himself if the child likes to do crafts.

Of course, most of these ideas are not just for children and grandparents, although I know that the time when you feel the farthest away from your family is when either you are a child away from grandparents, or you are away from a small child, especially a grandchild. These ideas can be applied to any faraway family members. When family members move away is when they most need to know that we're thinking of them. A gift basket would be a great way to reassure them of this.

Tracy Crowe loves to feel connected and closer to her family.

Oral Cancer - Causes and Symptoms

Worldwide, there are 350,000 to 400,000 new cases of oral cancer diagnosed each year. Even with today's medical and dental advances, this number hasn't improved significantly in years. Oral cancer is particularly dangerous for two reasons: 1) it is routinely discovered late in its development and 2) oral cancer patients have a 20 times higher risk of developing a second cancer even five to ten years after the first diagnosis.

Doctors can't explain why one person gets oral cancer and another doesn't, even when they have the same risk factors. The known risk factors include:

• Smoking and Tobacco Use - At least 75% of those diagnosed with oral cancer are tobacco users, including the so-called 'smokeless' tobacco.
• Alcohol - Heavy use of alcoholic beverages increases the risk of oral cancer.
• Smoking and Alcohol Use Combined - Those who smoke and drink heavily are 15 times more likely to develop oral cancer.
• Sunlight - Prolonged exposure to sunlight is a causative factor in lip and skin cancers.
• Diet - Studies have shown that a diet low in fruits and vegetables may put you more at risk for oral cancer, and other studies indicate that a diet high in fruits and vegetables may protect against many types of cancer.

The symptoms of oral cancer can be painless or mimic the appearance of other, non-dangerous oral symptoms. For instance, a cancer lesion can look much like a common canker sore. Because the dangerous tissue changes of oral cancer can look and feel like the benign tissue changes that occur normally, it's important to have regular dental check-ups. Your dentist can see or feel many changes in your mouth that may not even be noticeable to you. Some symptoms that should trigger an alarm and a dental visit include:

• A color change in the mouth, including white, red, smooth, or discolored patches
• Ulcer or sore on lips or gums that doesn't heal
• Rough, crusty or eroded spot that doesn't heal
• A lump, mass, thickening inside the mouth or neck
• Bleeding in the mouth (Healthy gums don't bleed! This can also be a sign of gum disease.)
• Loose teeth
• Pain or difficulty in swallowing, speaking or chewing
• Pain or difficulty moving the jaws
• Wart like masses
• Hoarseness that doesn't go away
• Numbness in the oral/facial region
• Change in the way teeth fit together
• Difficulty wearing dentures
• Earache
• Any oral change or soreness that doesn't go away or heal within two weeks

While an infection, gum disease, and many other problems and conditions can cause these same reactions, it's still very important that you see your dentist right away if you experience any of them. If your dentist or doctor decides that an area is suspicious, s/he can perform a biopsy of the area. A biopsy isn't painful or time-consuming and is inexpensive. In the case of oral cancer, a quick, early diagnosis can mean the difference between life and death.

2007 by Avis Ward of AWard Consulting, LLC

Avis E. Ward is an Inspirational Speaker, Certified Seminar Leader and Action Coach. Avis is also a Dental Marketing Consultant specializing in Orthodontics. Avis invites you to view her blog. http://aviswardconsulting.com/ or Avis Ward

Deciding On Golf Clubs

When you decide on a set of golf clubs to use, it can be quite simple as you desire. There are the few individuals however, that make it difficult. You can either go to a store with a golf pro or go to a garage sale for used clubs. You can even check with the pro at a local municipal course, but your chances of choosing a set of golf clubs with the most suitable size of grip, loft lie and the other accessories involved in golf club fitting are very slim.

If youre a golf novice, then its good to keep in mind that you may find that this game is not your cup of tea. You ought to start out with rental clubs at the local driving range. Most driving ranges have rental clubs. Therefore you should go out and hit golf balls with the rental clubs. Once you make the decision that you still enjoy the game of golf after hitting a few golf balls, then youre ready to purchase your own golf clubs.

As a novice, you should find inexpensive clubs to use as an interim set during the adjustment period. Youre learning the game of golf, so you dont want to make any big decisions on the type of golf clubs to purchase yet. If you stay attuned to whats going on around the golf course or driving range, you may hear of an individual who has a set that he or even she is willing to sell. You may even ask if the individual has any information on golf clubs that could be sold cheaply. You can try classified ads of the weekend newspaper or take a look at garage sales that may have golf clubs for sale. Of course, you can even check the Internet, which is by far the fastest-growing market in golf. You may even desire to become your very own private investigator as you hunt down the best purchase you can discover. If you purchase inexpensive golf clubs now, then youll allow plenty of time for the big purchase.

Its advisable to try out all of golf clubs. Golf clubs consist of ones with steel shafts, graphite shafts, big-headed clubs, investment-cast golf clubs, forge golf clubs, cavity-backed golf clubs and others. This is your experimental stage, so its best to try different ones and have fun. You can even ask your friends if you can try out their golf clubs on the range.

Jena Luthowski writes about http://www.golfgearonsale.com, Golfballs coupons and Golfsmith coupon codes.