Friday, May 29, 2015

Task Management

Many times I listen people complaining about the tasks around cleaning and taking care of our pets and how hard it is to find time to take care of those tasks. For those people I found a very good article to share …

 The Truth About Frogs 

Mark Twain once said that if the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you can go through the day with the satisfaction of knowing that that is probably the worse things that is going to happen to you all day long. Your “frog” is your biggest, most important task, the one you are most likely to procrastinate on if you don’t do something about it.

If You Have to Eat Two Frogs, Eat the Ugliest one First 

This is another way of saying that if you have two important tasks before you, start with the biggest, hardest, and most important task first. Discipline yourself to begin immediately and then to persist until the task is complete before you go on to something else.

If You Have to Eat a Live Frog at all, it Doesn’t Pay to Sit and Look at it for Very Long 

The key to reaching high levels of performance and productivity is to develop the lifelong habit of tackling your major task first thing each morning. You must develop the routine of “eating your frog” before you do anything else and without taking too much time to think about it.

Take Action Immediately 

Successful, effective people are those who launch directly into their major tasks and then discipline themselves to work steadily and single-mindedly until those tasks are complete. “Failure to execute” is one of the biggest problems in organizations today. Many people confuse activity with accomplishment. They talk continually, hold endless meetings, and make wonderful plans, but in the final analysis, no one does the job and gets the results required.

Develop a Positive Addiction 

You can actually develop a “positive addiction” to endorphins and to the feeling of enhanced clarity, confidence, and competence that they trigger. When you develop this addiction, you will, at an unconscious level, begin to organize your life in such a way that you are continually starting and completing ever more important tasks and projects. You will actually become addicted, in a very positive sense, to success and contribution.

No Shortcuts 

Practice is the key to mastering any skill. Fortunately, your mind is like a muscle. It grows stronger and more capable with use. With practice, you can learn any behavior or develop any habit that you consider either desirable or necessary.

Action Exercise

What is your “frog?” What is the one task that you despise doing each day? Once you have chosen your “frog” make it a habit to wake up every morning and do that task first.
Quote: Brian Tracy 
Link: http://www.briantracy.com/blog/time-management/the-truth-about-frogs/

Friday, May 08, 2015

Australian Shepherd

The Australian Shepherd | Aussie



australian shepherd blue merle
Origin

The origin of this breed as generate a lot of discussion and controversial, but what is settled is it's recognition came from America.
It is believe that the Aussie origin were the shepherd dogs that settled brought to the New World, were breading was made with the only goal to bring up it's working characteristics, shepherd, guard and fast thinking.

australian shepherd tri-red

The main impeller to the recognition of this dogs was an actor/trainer, Jay Sisler, of shows that use Aussies, or Blue Dogs as were the now, as show partners.

Only in 18 of April pf 1991, Australian Shepherd was recognized as a bread by American Kennel Club.

Australian Shepherd and Golden RetrieverCharacteristics

Aussie is a owner devoted dog that needs training, attention and contact with people.
It isn't a dog to put aside in the yard !

It is a dog that follows the owner through every room and loves to lay down at his feet. This characteristic may be rewarding, since we are never alone, and we have always some one near us, but can also be disturbing, since implies too have a shadow that needs attention and even follow us to the WC.

Dew to his strong working genetic component, this breed needs exercise, attention and training. If that isn't done or even not follow every day, the Aussies may became destructive or imagine form of escape or other ways to reach what he wants.

They are atletic, curiose dogs, great for physical activities, like agility, frisbee, flyball ...


australian shepherd red merle

Guard and alert for presence of strangers and even defend in case of invasion of their territory.

Don't adapt well to sedentary life and only tolerate a residence in a apartment if follow by a dedicated owner that is ready for physical activities.

Their quick thinking many times overcomes the owner.

Has many hear and is a moderate shaver that requires regular brushing.

australian shepherd blue merle

Consideration

SIZE: The ideal size is 51-58 cm for males and 46-54 cm for females.

COR: Blue-merle, Red-merle, black, and red his colors, with or without white spots and/or cobber spots. The white collar must not go below the cernelha. The white is tolerated in the neck (partial or forming a complete collar), in chest, legs, lower face, straps in head, and may go lower part until reaches 10 cm measure horizontally by elbow. The head white must not dominate the eyes that must be surrounded by colorful areas. The Merles, characteristically become darker with age.

Coat: Texture and size medium.

Other references

American Kennel Club

http://www.akc.org/breeds/australian_shepherd/index.cfm

Australian Shepherd Club of America

http://www.asca.org/

Is an Australian Shepherd the Right Dog for You?By Liz Palika

http://www.lizpalika.com/rightdog.html























Books about the breed:

The Australian Shepherd: Champion of Versatility
by Liz Palika (2003, Howell Book House).

All About Aussies: The Australian Shepherd from A to Z by Jeanne Joy Hartnagle-Taylor