Dog Training Aids

You may think that dog training aids are out there for you to spend money and not actually reap any benefits from. That is not the case. Dog training aids are there to help you succeed in teaching your dog, this could be teaching him obedience, agility or any other type of teaching you want to do. There are many aids available but only a certain few will work with your dog and his temperament.

I find the best training aid to be treats, small pieces of human food chopped up and given to him when he has done something good has always worked wonders, that is unless your dog doesn’t really have an interest in treats. This is a really cheap method of a training aid but if you want to blow some cash there are hundreds of options available for you.

For dog agility training aids that are available are e.g. anti bark collars. Many dogs have a problem when they do dog agility. They start barking constantly basically because of the hype involved. Anti bark collars do one of two things or sometimes both, they give a small electric charge when your dog barks and spray some water up into their face. People may think this is cruel but it is completely harmless. It just lets your dog know that barking is not acceptable. These collars are available at pet shops and on the internet and are not too expensive.

For dog obedience some dog training aids that are available are dog clickers, the newest craze out on the market which allows owners instead of associating sit with a word they use a click instead and reward with treats, no punishment allowed. Another aid available is a harness; this gets fitted around your dog’s upper body so when you are teaching him to heel a slight tug on the harness pulls him back completely. The harness is a widely used obedience aid and is greatly used for bigger dogs such as German shepherds and Rottweilers.

There are also dog training aids available for around the home. These are simple and effective. Many people turn to dog training aids when nothing else has worked but they don’t have to be the last thing you try, with aids so cheap these days there is no reason why you can’t invest in something that will make your dogs learning process a lot more exciting!

Musings about childhood piano lessons

I was in a shopping mall last weekend and heard some beautiful piano music being played. It turned out to be the wife of a co-worker. She’s very good. She played a variety of songs fit for the season and did an excellent job.

The piano she was using was exactly like one she had grown up with. It was an upright model. When I grew up and learned how to play I used a more traditional style piano, but not a grand. I started taking lessons at age 4, and continued until I graduated from high school at age 18.

I admit to giving my parents and piano teacher fits every year. I hated the lessons even though I loved to play. The problem was that I really needed to practice each song and I was so jealous of those who could play by ear or only have to run through once or twice before they sounded like Mozart. I didn’t think it was fair. Everyone said I had a natural talent for it, a great sense of rhythm, but I still got stuck on notes and my fingers felt like they were detached from me sometimes.

I let my talent slip away for many years and am only now thinking about getting back into practicing more. It’ll take me a while to do it, but I think I may. We got an old piano at an auction that needs a good piano repair job done, but that comes later. I’m not good at restoring furniture so hopefully my hubby can take care of it.

I sometimes wish I had spent more time practicing when I was little, but as they say, youth is wasted on the young. Shoulda coulda woulda. With two children of my own I wonder if I’ll take the time to learn again, or have them learn it?

Government Help for Your Mortgage

A new program was implemented on October 1, 2008. Our President has made a reality the legislation that will let HUD’s Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to continue providing help to homeowners who are having problems paying their mortgages. The Hope for Homeowners program will carry on FHA’s work to help American families who feel they are trapped in mortgages they can’t possibly pay back. Under this new legislation, certain families facing hardship with their mortgage will be eligible to refinance into FHA-insured mortgages they can afford.

Families Could Possibly Be Eligible For This Program

You should not wait if you are currently in a bind. Today you can find out if you qualify for this exciting new program through FHASecure, FHA’s existing refinancing program. They will get your information from these two agencies:

1. You must call a local, HUD-approved housing counseling agency at HUD.gov;
2. You can also call the HOPE NOW Alliance at 1-888-995-HOPE

How Can the US Government Make This Long-Term?

Hope for Homeowners isn’t a hand out. It requires you to prove you have the ability to pay back something long-term. The FHA has had that as a long-standing requirement. FHA only allows families living in that home to be eligible for FHA-insured mortgages. And here are the qualifications for the new loan:

- Their mortgage must have originated on or before January 1, 2008;

– Their mortgage debt-to-income must be at least 31 percent;

– They cannot afford their current loan;

– They did not intentionally miss mortgage payments; and

– They do not own second homes.

Features of FHA-insured loans under the new program include:

- 30-year, fixed rate mortgage;

– Maximum 90 percent loan-to-value ratio;

– No prepayment penalties;

– $550,440 maximum mortgage amount;

– Extinguishment of any subordinate liens; and

– New home appraisals from FHA-approved appraisers.

HUD, Treasury, FDIC and the Federal Reserve will form the Congressionally-mandated Board of Directors and work together to establish additional program standards.

But Your Mortgage Company Can Choose Not to Foreclose

FHA will is asking banks and mortgage companies to come up with an alternative to foreclosing on borrowers. Just like the FHASecure’s recent growth, banks are asked to write-down the outstanding mortgage principal balances to 90 percent of the new value of the property. In many cases, reductions in principle will cost lenders less than the losses associated with foreclosure.

What Happens With This Crazy Financial Market?

This should put the brakes on the foreclosure train, this program will support FHA’s existing effort to stabilize local housing markets. From September 2007 to June 2008, FHA has guaranteed more than $93 billion of mortgage capital.

Where Does the Money Come From?

Well, the FHA will guarantee up to $300 billion in new loans. Families will pay an upfront fee of 3 percent of the original mortgage amount and then an annual premium of 1.5 percent of the outstanding mortgage amount. If there are additional costs, those will be reimbursed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Program Timeline

The program will last from October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2011. Since September 2007, FHASecure has helped more than 290,000 families obtain safer, more affordable mortgages. FHASecure is on pace to help 500,000 families by the end of the year.

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