Category — Independent Guide Dogs

The Simon’s Town Museum may house many artifacts of life in Simon’s Town throughout the ages, but the building has more than enough history of its own. In the past it has been used as a school, post office, jail and magistrates court amongst others. On your Cape Town holiday make sure that you take a photograph of the oil painting in the Old Residency which when photographed always fails to develop. If the very idea of this frightens you then you may not want to visit the basement of the museum during your tailor made holiday to Cape Town. The basement used to be the old punishment cell where slaves and prisoners were dealt with. Even today whiplash marks can still be spotted on the ceiling and it is said that if you walk the museum at night then you can hear the echoes of their cries.

If you want a break from the horrors and the hauntings of Simon’s Town then there are a number of different activities that you can enjoy in this region. Whale watching trips are especially popular with tourists on their Cape Town holidays and the nearby Boulder’s Beach is also the best place to spot penguins, with over 2500 birds.

As a seaside resort, Simon’s Town offers some of the best luxury accommodation in the Cape Town area. But one house that you probably won’t want to spend the night at is the Admiralty House which has been standing since 1740. The house was famously visited by Rudyard Kipling who noted that the then Admiral kept turtles tied up to the jetty, so that they could swim around in the sea until the soup ingredients were ready for them. The Royal family have since visited the house and various members of aristocracy reported the strange instances that had happened to them whilst visiting the house on their Cape Town holidays. Lady Campbell spotted men in naval uniform on the stairs, whilst the wife of a Vice-admiral reported an invisible man opening a door for her. The same woman in grey is regularly seen at Admiralty House, Ibeka and The Residency and these three buildings are said to be linked together by a network of tunnels.

With a prominent naval history Simon’s Town is home to a number of maritime heroes, but the best known of these was Able Seaman, Just Nuisance, RN, the only dog to serve in the Royal Navy. A commemorative statue of the Great Dane stands in Jubilee Square and has become the symbol of the town, with vendors selling Just Nuisance key-chains and fridge-magnets for you to purchase as souvenirs on your Cape Town holidays.

Simon’s Town is also an important pilgrimage site for Muslim visitors. During the 18th Century a Muslim grave was uncovered under trees and whilst it is unknown exactly who was buried there, the site is said to have a strange physical aura surrounding it.

Simon’s Town is the perfect place to spend a few days whilst on your tailor-made holiday to Cape Town and, like many of the former residents, who still haunt the city, you’ll be so taken with the destination that you won’t want to leave.

Rachel Hill is a Southern Africa Travel specialist, a company specialising in tailor-made holiday to Cape Town as well as holidays to other destinations in Southern Africa. Our experienced consultants will help you design your very own luxury holiday, and will be happy to provide you with a free quote.

Some of us may not notice but a lot of Great Danes are included in various films and television shows. Do you know that the famous cartoon character Scooby-Doo is a Great Dane? This animal character of the popular television series was created based on a Great Dane. But, Scooby-Doo is not the only popular Dane. In fact, Great Danes have been in various films and television series even during the 19th century. So what makes this breed so popular to be sought after by various film makers?

This domestic dog is known for its giant size and gentle personality and is often referred to as the “Gentle Giant and the “Apollo of all breed”. Along with the Irish Wolfhound, Great Danes are considered the tallest dog breed with the height ranges from 30-40 inches (76-100 cm.). The males typically weigh 54-90 kg. (120-200 lbs.) and 45-68 kg. (100-150 lbs.) for females. This breed’s giant and powerful body is covered with short, soft, thick and shiny close fitting hair in six show-acceptable colors. The colors are fawn, brindle, blue, black, harlequin and mantle. Other colors such as white, fawnequin, merle, merlequin and fawn mantle may occur occasionally but are not acceptable in the show ring.

The head is long and narrow with an accentuated frontal stop and a rather large nasal canal. The neck is strong and muscular, a pure white neck is preferred in a harlequin. The usually dark and deep set eyes with lively intelligent expression are medium in size. The ears are either cropped rather long, pointed and carried erect or left natural. Cropping of the ears is more common in the United States but is prohibited in some European countries such as UK, Denmark, Germany and in some parts of Australia and New Zealand. The tail reaching to the point of the hock is medium-length.

Referred to as the “Gentle Giant”, this large and powerful appearance conceals a kind, sweet and affectionate temperament. They are good towards humans, even children, also towards other dogs and other animals. Dominance issues and aggression may occur rarely but can be addressed with thorough obedience training starting from an early age.

The average life span of Great Danes is ten years but can live for 12- 13 years as long as they are kept in good shape. Since large breed with fairly slow metabolism, they are more prone to a deadly disease called bloat. This may result to immediate death if not addressed quickly. Hip dysplasia is another problem common to this breed as well as to other large breeds. Breeding stocks or parents should be tested to make sure that they do not carry faulty genes and are likely to have healthy pups. Other health problems include dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and other congenital heart diseases, yeast infection and deafness especially among pure white Danes.

To make sure none of these diseases will affect your dog, check your dog’s ancestral history. Making sure that your dog’s ancestors aren’t carrying any of these diseases will guarantee you of a sweet, kind and giant dog with less or no health problem.

By: Richard Cussons

Locating financing for Semi Trucks, over the road trucks, and big rig trucks can be a major job. Todays economy is all over the place and conventional semi truck financing has dried up at many banks and/or lending institutions. Semi Truck owner operators can seek and find special financing in the secondary markets where there are repos and off lease trucks to be secured for acquisition.

Due to a contracting economy, many lenders have excess inventories on their books that they need to put back on the street. These in-house inventories are non income producing, therefore putting pressure on the lender to make a deal with the consumer. These deals can be found in the price, the financing or a combination of both.

An off lease commercial vehicle and/or construction equipment has been returned to the lender as the lease has expired. The lessee has made a decision to return the item in lieu of excercising the buyout option. A repo has arisen due to a default of the lessee for non payment terms or a violation of the terms of the lease. Either way, the lender has taken these trucks and/or equipment back and now must recondition the items and either sell these items or re-lease them.

Some lenders offering repos and off semi trucks in the repo market offer these trucks with a minimum credit score of 525. This gives the startup and/or seasoned business an opportunity to start and/or expand their fleet with bad credit. This opportunity would have never existed in the past. Other lenders offer no credit check but are reference and income driven to make sure they have qualified a good candidate to take over one of their over the road trucks. The semi truck financing in this paragraph doesnt stop here, others lenders with good credit and time in business offer no down payments and up to 60 months to repay. This obviously gives the over the road truck owner operator an unique opportunity to acquire semi truck financing. Other over the road truck financing programs start at 575 and the down payments can be anywhere from 6-10% down based upon the applicant and the specific semi truck. In addition, if you are a cash buyer, there is large opportunity to acquire a semi truck at a substantial discount.

The types of semi trucks, over the road trucks, and big rigs we are talking for financing are :

Peterbilt, Kenworth, Freightliner, Mack, International, Volvo

Dont forget the financing deals on reefer trailers, flatbed trailers, drop deck trailers and gooseneck trailersThis could include manufacturers such as Wabash, Doonan, Utility, Wilson, Fontaine, Innovative, Great Dane and Vanguard

In conclusion, this is a buyers market for owner operator trucks, and trailers, . Check out all the deals in the market and make sure that you have a stable income base to assume whatever debt that you may occur.

Happy hunting for your acquisition and related semi truck, over the road truck, and big rig fiancing.

By: J.M Luna

Wild boars used to roam in the wilds of Europe many centuries ago. In those days the titled land-owners cherished the large dog known as the “Boar Hound” which had the courage, the agility, the speed and the strength to hunt these beasts and bring them down. It is believed that the magnificent dog that we know of today as the Great Dane is descended from the original “Boar Hound”. One can readily see that the Great Dane would have the ability to perform this task admirably. They have the length of leg for the speed, the chest and lungs for the endurance and great strength of jaw.

It is a mystery why this dog is called the Great Dane since there is no actual tie in history that relegates this dog to the country of Denmark as its origin. It was known early as the “Deutchse Dogge” in Germany and is believed to have been developed in that country. They were prized by the land-owners not only for their abilities as a dog for the hunt, but their beauty and passive tranquility as dogs which could reside in the manor and be a part of the household. They are indeed quite nicely attuned to being a dog that lies quietly in front of the fireplace, while at the same time being a fearless and active hunting dog of great stamina and power. They also do well at the job of guard dog while at the same time being a gentle family pet, allowing children to climb on them and tug on them without a hint of aggression. For the most part, the Great Dane is quite happy to just lie around the household and sleep. Owners need to be aware that to keep this giant dog in good health, they should give it plenty of exercise, it will not choose to do so on its own!

Great Danes, like most of the giant breeds, take a long time to mature, and the puppy years last at least until the dog is a two year old. Puppies of course can be more rambunctious than adults so there is a period of time when the youngster can do good deal of damage to the household in the absence of supervision. Early training is a must since by the time they are six months old they could weigh nearly 60 pounds and be quite a handful if not taught basic manners in the house. Their excessive height allows them to check out counter tops nicely by the age of six months.

Danes come in nearly every color, even Harlequin (white with black spots). The most beautiful of the Danes are perhaps the Blues, which can range from a light gray to a steel-blue coloring. However, Dane lovers will profess that they all are a delight to own, regardless of color. The head of the Great Dane appears quite regal in nature, the jowls should not be loose and there should be no hint of drooling. The jaw is rather square in appearance and the muzzle should be as long as the backskull. The look of the dog should be clean and when moving he should balance well and be “light on the feet”. A good Dane will move with such grace that one could not imagine that in reality he weighs more than 140 pounds! A male Dane should be 32 inches at the shoulder and a female 30 inches. Less than 28 inches is a disqualification in the A.K.C. show ring.

Probably the most important aspect of the Great Dane should be the temperament, which must be one of dependability and never aggressive. Aggression in such a large breed could have disastrous consequences and breeders of today should be commended that they have made a great effort to maintain the gentle nature of this dog.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Animals

The For Sale sign is in the front yard. The house is clean and the lawn is mowed. Everything seems ready for prospective buyers to walk in and fall in love with your home. An offer for your asking price is imminent. That is the way it is supposed to work, but many sellers will attest to the fact that it’s not always that easy. In this current market it is important to “stage” your home, showing it in the best way possible.

The local real estate market fortunately has not been impacted by the current economic downturn to the devastating extent of other cities. But that doesn’t mean buyers aren’t being picky. With more long-term intentions and less money available for home improvement loans, buyers are taking a closer look at potential homes. It has been said that a home shopper forms an opinion in the first two minutes, which means a seller has to have their house ready from the second someone pulls up to the curb.

Do you need an expert to stage your home? Not necessarily. In fact, you already have an expert on hand. Your real estate agent has been in and out of many homes and he or she knows what buyers like and what they react to negatively. It is a good idea, however, to ask a friend or relative whose opinion you value to walk through and give you an objective point of view. What may look like the perfect room to one family is a deal breaker to another.

Inside the Home

Walk room-to-room and look carefully with a checklist in hand:

* Paint/Wallpaper condition

* Personal items (like photos, books, knick-knacks, etc)

* Condition of furniture and fixtures

* Placement of furniture

* Lighting

* Best feature of the room

* Worst feature of the room

* Repairs needed

After noting the specific condition of each room, first make a list of simple changes that can be made. A fresh coat of paint in a soft neutral color can make a huge difference in a room, particularly a focal room like the living room or kitchen. Removing old wallpaper and repainting is always worth the effort.

Simplify and depersonalize by removing family pictures and sentimental objects. Store the old shabby chair and extra television set. Keep personal items like cosmetics, bathroom supplies, or toys in containers that are easy to take in out of a cabinet. Keep a few cleaning supplies in a tub under the sink, so a quick clean up is easy to accomplish when someone calls to come see the house.

Emphasize the assets of a room, such as big windows or beautiful hardwood floors. Arrange the furniture to give the house and open feel and make it easy for people to walk through a room. Flowers belong in the garden not on the drapes or bed coverings, so choose neutral curtains and bedspreads to draw attention to the room not the decorating.

Stow away and de-clutter, but don’t cram it in. You don’t want to make it look like storage is an issue. It may be worth the money to rent a small storage unit. While your home may not feel as cozy to you, be assured that you will soon by settling into a new house with all your favorite possessions.

Outside the Home

A few flowers or healthy plants in attractive containers at the entrance are always a good idea. Curb appeal really does matter, so take the time to keep the lawn mowed, hedges trimmed and front walk clear of debris. A little effort on your part to stage your home inside and out, can bring big returns in a quicker sale.

Escapeso Realty operates in the austin real estate market. Their site provides a interactive search of the Austin MLS along with general information about Austin real estate. Their site also has a page where webmasters can download a mortgage rates widget.

Now that you have decided to get a Great Dane, the next thing for you to do is to train him. Training a dog such as a Great Dane is not an easy thing to handle considering this breed’s size and personality. If the dog owner is equipped with the right training tips, training objectives will possibly be achieved. Below are some things to remember when training your Great Dane.

- A Great Dane is a large dog but has gentle temperament and friendly nature. Dominance issues and aggression occur in rare cases.

- Walking and running exercise is good for them.

- Despite their size, you do not have to own a house with a wide fenced yard to accommodate this breed. They can manage life in an apartment quite well.

- This breed should be feed with foods that contain the right balance of protein, carbohydrates, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. Too much protein may cause health issues such as bloat.

- Start socializing your dog at an early age. Well-trained dogs are friendly and properly socialized.

- Use positive reinforcement training techniques. Great Danes are gentle dogs and may not respond quite well to cruelty or harsh training techniques.

- Correct behavior problems as soon as it occurs. Behavior problems are difficult to correct if not addressed immediately.

- Even if you do not have children, perhaps you will have in the near future. So better get your puppy used to the loud behaviors of children. Take him in the park to meet other people’s kids.

- Make sure that the puppy is protected with up to date immunization especially when taking him to areas where he might contract a disease.

- Make training periods short but enjoyable. Dogs have short attention span and are easily distracted. Training should be enjoyable and interactive to prevent them from getting bored and to keep their minds working.

- Use training tools such as crate, leash and collar. There are various types of training tools for you to choose from, choose the one that suits your dog’s needs and personality. Just remember to use these tools properly. Misuse of any of these tools may mean danger to your dog.

- Reward your dog. The purpose of the reward is to let your dog realize that what he did is correct and you are expecting him to do it again. Giving him his favorite treat or toy will do.

These tips may seem so simple and insignificant but if followed, will surely help you in training your dog.

By: Richard Cussons

Spring is here, which means the warm weather months will be upon us. For most Great Dane owners, were relieved. Our Great Danes can run loose in the yard while we air-out our homes from the long winter months. Hibernation is over and we can take our furry friends to the park, the beach, and on trips. But we want to have a safe summer! In order to do that, we should glance over a few tips and rules for the safety of our Great Danes. For most of you, these are just reminders. For new pet owners, these should be used as a guideline:

Traveling by Car

On very hot days in particular, try not to take long car rides with your Great Dane. While youre behind the wheel, consider your Great Danes feelings. YOU may not be warm enough to have the air conditioning on. What if you were wearing a down jacket? Your Great Danes coat is just like a down jacket. Consider his comfort. Always provide plenty of water to prevent dehydration.

Stopping at the Store real quick

Forget it. It doesnt matter how quick it is. Do not leave your dog in the car while youre shopping in the summer. Its cruel. Its inhumane. If someone wants to report youthey can, they will, and they should. You decided to take your Great Dane with you. If you plan to go shopping or window-browsing, leave your dog at home. While this may sound harsh, were very aware of the repercussions of leaving your dog in a locked car: death. On a hot summer dayyour dog can succumb to fatality in less than five minutes in a hot car. Pease be responsible.

Poisonous Foliage

If you see mushrooms growing in your yard, remove them immediately. Your Great Dane can become seriously ill from eating them. Some plants and berries are hazardous to your Great Danes health as well. If youre not sure which plants pose a threat, research the shrubs and plant-life in your yard to see if theyre pet-friendly.

Mowing Your Lawn

Some Great Danes may be petrified of your lawn mower, others may think of it as a game or a noisy thing they wish to attack. Regardless of how funny it is, accidents easily happen this way each summer. Your Great Dane should not be in the vicinity when youre cutting grass. Most vital veins are located in your pets limbs. Should they get cut by your mower, they may die from their injury.

Jen Carter is staff writer for Dynamite Great Danes – owned by professional qualified Great Dane Breeder Gale Renz. You may publish this article only if you do modify it in any way.

A dog who does not know who the pack leader is, is a confused dog and can exhibit many unwanted behaviors because of it. Your Great Dane is a pack animal. All dog packs have a pack leader and social hierarchy in which each individual animal knows its own place.

Great Dane puppies are taught pack behavior by their mothers before they even leave the whelping box. By understanding pack behavior you can use it to help train your dog.

Pack leadership always involves the strongest animal. In dogs and wolves this leadership position is generally held by an adult male in his prime with sufficient life experiences to guide the pack in the business of day-to-day survival. Your dog will need to have a pack leader or she/he will become confused which will cause her to exhibit destructive behaviors and she will take her anxiety out on those around her and her surroundings. A dog’s behavior and your dogs body language is a good sign of them having a pack leader or them becoming the pack leader. A dog who knows her place in her human pack is a happy and well balanced dog.

You, your family, and your Great Dane make up a pack. You or one of your family members will have to assume the alpha male or pack leader responsibilities and hopefully the hierarchy will have each human at a point above the Great Dane dog.

Here are 15 tips to help you become the Pack Leader of your dog family:

1. A Pack Leader always goes first. First when going through a doorway, first when going down or up stairs, and first when walking your dog. Your dog should be behind the pack leader at all times. When walking your Great Dane you should be leading not following. Your dog should be by your side or behind you. Walks like this help release pent up energy in your dog. This is the number 1 way to communicate that you are your dogs pack leader.
2. When you come into the house or the room where you dog is you should ignore the dog for a few minutes (even if you only leave the room for a minute).
3. Your dog should always have to work for a treat. A simple obedience command should be given before any treat is given. If she does not follow the command she should not be rewarded with a treat. The dog should always take the treat gently from your hand.
4. You should have set times for your Great Dane feeding, Great Dane feeding should be done on a schedule. Do not feed table scraps to your dog (especially Great Danes) Great Danes have very sensitive stomachs and if you deviate from her normal food and treats you will have a sick Dane.
5. Just like the walking and going through doorways first you should always eat first. The leader always eats first. When you give your dog food, eat a small snack first while your dog watches before feeding her.
6. You should never allow your dog to mouth or bite anyone at any time, including during play.
7. Your Great Dane should not sleep in your bed, not only because there may not be room for you but also because in the dog pack the leader sleeps in the most comfortable place. This is not to say you can not ever allow your dog on your bed. You can invite your Dane to lay in bed with you but just make her stay at the bottom of the bed and not push you out of the way.
8. If you establish eye contact with your Great Dane she should look away first. When the dog looks away first it reinforces your status as pack leader.
9. When walking your dog you should never allow your dog to “walk you”. You should have a slack lease, not tight. Remember, the leader is always first and leads the way.
10. One of the basic commands your Great Dane puppies should learn is “drop it”. What ever is in her/his mouth you should be able to take possession of at any time.
11. You should never play tug-of-war with your Great Dane. This is a game of power and you may lose, especially if you have a Great Dane, you may end up getting hurt.
12. When you put your dogs food dish down make her wait until you tell her “Ok” to eat. Put yourself in front of the food dish and make her sit first. If the dog does not follow your command take the food up and try again in 15 minutes.
13. All games played with your Great Dane pups should start and end with you.
14. If you have a very dominate dog who has a problem with growling you should stop them immediately and do not allow them to lie on the sofa. Remember, the leader of the pack gets the most comfortable spot.
15. The most important rule in being a pack leader is to picture yourself as big, powerful, and confident.

Remember, always stay in control and not to let your emotions show while training your Great Dane dog. If you do not think you will be able to establish this role you should enroll your dog in Dog Training Classes. Your dog will be happy, balanced, and secure knowing she has a strong pack leader.

If you would like more information on the Great Dane or becoming a pack leader Click Here [http://www.greatdane-dog-world.com/pack-leader].

Casey L Lane is an avid animal lover. She volunteers at her local animal shelter and has been know to take in strays. While waiting in her car at a local food market parking lot a women dropped her dog out of the car and drove away, well Casey picked that dog up, brought it home, and gave it the love it needed. She owns a Great Dane website called the World of Great Danes, it has a ton of pictures and several articles. She is adding content daily so check this site often. On the Kids and Danes page she has a book you can download for the kids, on the Great Dane Puppies page there is a book you can download for How to Find a Good Dog Breeder, and more free things to see and download.

Before getting a Great Dane, think about the training that you will be giving your Great Dane. Great Dane training is very important especially if you have little kids in the house. Great Danes are not known to be predominantly ferocious; however, they oftentimes think that they are smaller than they really are in reality.

An adult Great Dane can be perceived as a horse walking around your living room. If a Dane without Great Dane training jumps on you, it can and will knock you down. And much worse, when a Great Dane jumps on a little child, it can cause injury or worse unintentionally. This is why its important that you have your Dane needs the Great Dane training. It is not for the soft hearted people but it is a necessity to prepare your new pet to its new home.

Jumping

Great Danes are actually really good with people and they always want to jump up to greet someone. This isn’t a problem when the Dane is a puppy but when it becomes full grown, and still thinks its puppy sized, this can get to be a big problem.

The first thing you would want to teach your Dane is by training it to stay down during the initial Great Dane training process. You can give your Dane treats whenever it refrains from jumping on you especially when walking in the door for the first time.

If your dog gets down after telling it to, give your dog a treat. As long as you stay consistent and so long as your dog understands whatever it is that you want during Great Dane training lessons, teaching it to stay down and not jump on you or anyone else will be easy.

Potty Training

One important thing that you should have in Great Dane training is potty training. This is to preparer your dog in being an inside dog and this would mean training your Dane to go outside when it needs to do its business. One way of doing this is to look for warning signs.

Some of the warning signs that your dog would want to potty is when it starts sniffing around, or looks like its about to squat. If this is the case, take it outside instantly. When your dog does its business when you take him outside, give him a treat or praises for the behavior. Again, being consistent all through out will let your dog know why its being rewarded.

Great Dane training is really not that tough, however, make sure that you do this while your dog is still small and easy to manage because once he gets older, Great Dane training will be harder since the dog that you will be training at that time may be bigger than you are.

By: jason bb han

If you are just starting out in the trucking industry, you will need to determine the type or types of available semi trailers. There are numerous types of semi trailers with various manufacturers. The type of cargo you will haul will determine the type of semi trailer needed. Specializing in one specific type of cargo will allow you to purchase a new or used semi trailer that will accommodate your needs.

A tanker trailer is used for hauling liquids and fuels. Milk and other similar dairy products are transported in tanker trailers. There are specific cleanliness and refrigeration requirements that will need to be known before moving this type of merchandise. The upkeep of this semi trailer is very important. Fuel is also transported in tanker trailers and usually ships to gas stations or truck stops. Tanker trailers can be more difficult to drive due to shifting liquids. The driver should be aware of how to drive these effectively before embarking.

Flatbed trailers are a very popular type of semi trailer and are quite versatile. These trailers can be used to haul heavy equipment, construction items and machinery. The merchandise can be loaded from the rear, sides or the top with the use of a crane. Drivers will need to be aware about how to secure the items for transporting safely and if there are any requirements for protecting the items from the elements. Use of tarps can assist in protecting the equipment. Loading, unloading and securing the items can be strenuous work.

Van semi trailers are another widely popular type of semi trailer that can be used to transport most types of merchandise. Adding a cooling unit to the compartment will allow for the transportation of perishable items. Most van trailers have rear loading doors and will need the assistance of a forklift to fill the container. Some van trailers have side doors which can add ease to the loading process. Shipments of food items will typically occur to grocery stores and warehouses.

Livestock trailers are used to move animals. They are designed to allow air to circulate, keeping the animals alive. There may be loading and unloading requirements for the driver as well as periodic checks to ensure they are upright and not trampled. Shipment may be to farms and ranches or to meat markets. Typical shipments are for cows, horses, sheep, and hogs.

Deciding on the type of cargo you prefer to haul will help determine the type of semi trailer that should be purchased. Semi trailers can be purchased new or used; however, used trailers are generally more affordable. There are a number of manufacturers available to choose from such as Great Dane, Wabash National, Fontaine, Fruehauf, Utility, Trailmobile, Wilson, Strick, Dorsey, Reitnouer, Lufkin, Stoughton and Dragon. Choose the make and model of the semi trailer that best suits your needs.

Please visit http://www.UsedSemiTrailers.com