6 Types of Muscle Tightness

Everyone has tight muscles sometimes, and some people have tight muscles all the time. While tightness is certainly uncomfortable and a request for attention, it is not a useful adjective for diagnosis, because this sensation has several causes. Treatment for one type of tight muscle can actually make another worse. Learn six types of tightness so you can respond to your muscles' complaints more effectively.

#1 Short and overused

After a long hike or intense workout, the muscles in your legs may feel tight and sore, because they have been overused. The muscles are contracted and could benefit from gentle stretching, especially while they are warm from activity.

#2 Long and overused, but weak

Unbalanced posture creates imbalanced muscles. Some muscles will be short and contracted. Others will be long for counterbalance, which creates stiffness that feels like tightness. Computer posture is a great example. The muscles in the front of the chest are short and overused. The upper back and shoulders are overstretched and working in a compromised, weakened position . Isometric exercises, such as squeezing the shoulder blades together and down to shorten and strengthen the upper back muscles, are effective.

#3 Underused and weak

If a muscle is not used, it will atrophy and the surrounding connective tissue and fascia become dense. In computer posture, several arm muscles fall into this category. Gradually increase strength through exercise to rebuild the health of the muscle and feeling of suppleness to the fascia. Exercises that use many muscles at once, like pushups with the knees down or bench press with light weight, work better than machines that target individual muscles.

#4 Strained

Muscles that are overused to the point of strain tighten up for protection. That can come from overdoing any workout, yard work, or helping a friend move. The first step in healing is rest. Ice, heat, or a combination can help, too. Then gradually introduce exercise and stretching. It is important to back off your usual routine and build up slowly to avoid additional strain.

#5 Trigger points

Strain can create trigger points and so can structural imbalance, poor posture, and being cold. These knots are often described as tightness. The best treatment is warming the muscle, pressing or massaging the tender points, and then stretching.

#6 Scar tissue

Muscles and connective tissue that have been damaged, either from a sudden injury or continual microtrauma of poor alignment, repair themselves with stiff, inflexible scar tissue. Manual therapy like deep tissue and cross fiber friction massage is an effective treatment. Gentle stretching sometimes helps, but overstretching creates microtears in the connective tissue and even more scar tissue.

Manual therapists and exercise professionals need to diagnose the source of tightness, so it can be addressed appropriately. For example, lengthening or stretching a long and overused muscle makes it even stiffer. For the client, becoming aware of what underlies the feeling is an important tool for self care, injury prevention, and personal growth.

To learn more about how to take care of your muscles and regain your vitality, visit http://www.undulationexercise.com Anita Boser is a Certified Hellerwork Practitioner, Professional Structural Integration Practitioner, and author of "Undulation Exercises." You can read her weekly blog articles at http://www.undulationexercise.blogspot.com

Chrysler Aspen

Chrysler if a very popular name all around the world, if you own one of these you would know why it is in such a high demand. All of these cars are made from the finest quality and do their owners proud. The Chrysler Aspen is a new type of SUV that has flair, fluid angles, crisp lines and strong stature instilled. The exterior feature of this car is just as great; you can customize the car to best suit you. You can add things like spoilers, mags, wings, dual exhausts, tinted windows, you can spray it another color and you can add vinyls. You might not want to change the color of your Chrysler Aspen though; they are available in such stunning colors! Some of the colors include;

o Cool Vanilla

o Light Khaki Metallic

o Marine Blue Pearl

o Steel Blue Metallic

o Brilliant Black Crystal Pearl

o Bright Silver Metallic

o Mineral Gray Metallic

o Cognac Crystal Pearl

These are really striking colors and you are guaranteed to like a few of them and you might even have some difficulty in choosing just one. There is also a selection of seating fabrics, styles and colors that you can choose from. However, like mentioned above, you could have the vehicle sprayed if you get bored of the original color after a while. A motor vehicle outlet will be able to do the customizing of your vehicle for you, or you might even find a mechanic can do it, you just have to ask!

The Chrysler Aspen is the ideal family vehicle as it can comfortably seat up to eight people. The interior of the car is just as nice as the exterior; with great innovative features, passenger and driver facilities and within the cabin you will be amazed to find many different conveniences that you are bound to enjoy.

Another great feature of the Chrysler Aspen is the fact that it comes with a six-disc CD stereo with a navigation system. So you can enjoy your favorite tunes while you are on the road. When we are going to a place we have never been to before, we sometimes tend to get lost. But with this vehicle, you should easily get to know your way around! On the radio of the car you can select the full screen navigation system that will provide you with step-by-step instructions on where you need to go in order for you to get to your destination. This is easily the coolest characteristic of the vehicle as it is so useful. You don't have to sit with those confusing maps anymore or stop to ask for directions.

Just by touching a button you can choose to have the wind blowing in your hair, or you can choose to keep the rain out. With this sun roof, you can experience luxury the way it is supposed to be felt; in a Chrysler Aspen.

You will not regret your decision if you decide to purchase this vehicle, the overall view of it would be; just stunning!

Dennis is an Orlando area car sales consultant. Visit him at his website where you can find Orlando Cars including all Orlando Chrysler Jeep's at invoice price everyday.

Signs of a Man Falling in Love With You - Insight For Women

When it comes to matters of the heart, men aren't the easiest to understand. As women, we want and crave to know when the man we are with has fallen for us. Unfortunately, not all men are that clear or vocal about what they are feeling. There are some signs of a man falling in love that can help a woman gain some insight into what her guy is feeling.

One of the subtle signs of a man falling in love is his need for connection. When a man's feelings shift from like to love he craves more time with the woman he's with. If you notice that the man in your life can't seem to get enough of you and would do just about anything to have even a few minutes of your uninterrupted time, he's hooked. On the other hand, if the man you are with makes constant excuses for why you two can't see one another, he's just not that emotionally invested in the relationship.

Another of the signs of a man falling in love is that he wants you to experience new things. Most of us have dated a guy who was content just staying at home and sharing intimate time together. Although this is flattering, it doesn't build a foundation for a loving relationship. When a man is in love he wants the best for the woman he's with. He wants to experience all kinds of things with her, not just intimacy. If your boyfriend rarely suggests you two go out and you never take a vacation together, that's not a good sign.

You can also tell a man is feeling more committed emotionally to a woman if he spends money on her. If you're with a genuinely generous man this sign is a little harder to decipher. However, if you're with a man who is always complaining about not having enough money and he frequently waits for you to pay for things that's worth noting, especially if you know that he can afford it.

Specific things you say and do can make a man feel helplessly drawn to you. If you are convinced he is the one there are things you can do to ensure he only has eyes for you. For more insightful tips about understanding men including a way to get him to fall deeply in love with you, visit this informative site!

You don't have to leave love to fate or chance. If you are tired of waiting for him to fall hopelessly in love, there are things you can do to make it happen now. Find out right now what you need to do to capture his heart forever.

Guide to the Famous Residents of Suffolk UK

Suffolk is a wonderful county rich in history, distinct architecture and breath-taking, scenic countryside. The following article aims to outline a number of the famous Suffolk residents and visitors, both past and present.

Twiggy - one of the world's most famous models, Twiggy, shares a home in Southwold with her actor husband, Leigh Lawson. The couple (pictured above) can often be seen taking a walk along the beach in Southwold, and Twiggy says she loves shopping - especially for food - in a number of Suffolk markets. It was one winter in 2004, when the couple were having lunch in a pub after one of their walks on the gusty beach, that she was spotted by Steve Sharp, the marketing executive for Marks & Spencer.

He had the immediate idea of using her in the now well-regarded M&S campaign. Twiggy says, "I'm very happy I went to that pub. It's funny, when I think of all the times I've been to meet someone about a job, and worried about what to wear, and got changed a million times. And then there I am that day in Southwold in my woolly hat and anorak, and Steve spots me. It just shows, doesn't it?"

Angus McBean (1904-1990) - a highly influential photographer thought to have revolutionized portraiture in the 20th century by photographing the likes of Audrey Hepburn, Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Agatha Christie, Laurence Olivier, Noel Coward, Vivien Leigh, and The Beatles (to name but a few). During the 1970s, McBean began his first short-lived retirement and moved to Suffolk. Here he concentrated on restoring his spectacular moated house, Flemmings Hall, in Bedingfield near Eye. McBean turned the house into a decorative fantasia on Greensleeves, in keeping with his own sartorial style. For ten years McBean did not work as a professional photographer, preferring to photograph a few of his Suffolk friends as a hobby, and instead focused his energies on giving guided tours of Flemmings Hall, and restoring antiques for the antiques shop he owned in Debenham, today home of the Debenham Arts Festival. McBean was a highly regarded member of the Suffolk community, and there are even reports of him having judged a photography competition in Eye. By his eightieth birthday McBean was restoring his second medieval house in Suffolk. He died in 1990, on the night of his eighty-sixth birthday.

Brian Eno -the musician, composer, record producer and singer, Brian Eno, is best known as the keyboard and synthesiser player for Roxy Music. He grew up in Woodbridge, where he still owns a large Victorian house.

Michael Palin - the Sheffield-born globe-trotter and former Monty Python comedian, Michael Palin currently lives in Suffolk. He met his girlfriend, Helen Gibbins, whilst on holiday in Southwold in 1959. This meeting, alongside Palin's other childhood memories, became fictionalised in his play, East of Ipswich. The couple married in 1966, and returned to Southwold in recent years to live. Palin opened the Electric Picture Palace in May 2002, saying that it would be very welcome after a 40 year absence and he commended it as a focus for interest in films and film making. Palin left a signed photograph which is framed and hangs in the foyer. The inscription reads:

"To the Electric Picture Palace, Southwold. May your screen bring joy and your organ continue to rise! All good wishes Michael Palin. Opening Day May 18 2002."

He also wrote the foreword for the book The Best of Southwold edited by John Miller.

Ronald "Carl" Giles (1916 -1995) - often referred to simply as Giles, this Suffolk-born cartoonist was most famous for his work for the British newspaper the Daily Express. A bronze statue of his character "Grandma" to commemorate him is located in Ipswich town centre.

Two of Britain's greatest painters, John Constable and Thomas Gainsborough were both born and lived in Suffolk.

John Peel - the influential DJ and radio presenter, John Peel lived in Suffolk for 33 years, and his gravestone was erected three years after his death. Peel was Radio 1's longest serving DJ when he died aged 65 in October 2004, famously championing The Undertones' Teenage Kicks on his show. He was quoted as saying he would like the song's line "our teenage dreams so hard to beat" on his tombstone. The DJ is buried in St Andrew's Church, in the village of Great Finborough, Suffolk. Peel's widow, Sheila Ravenscroft, said: "We have put the words on the stone that he would've wanted. I wouldn't dare do anything else!"

Claudia Schiffer - the eternally youthful, German super-model and actress Claudia Schiffer owns a £5 million Elizabethan mansion, Coldham Hall (pictured below), in Lawshall near Bury St Edmunds. Schiffer was married to Matthew Vaughn, producer of hit British film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, in St. George's church in the village of Shimpling on 25 May 2002. Shimpling is in south Suffolk, located around 7 miles from Bury St Edmunds, and is part of Babergh district. Despite being very a private person, Schiffer has been seen at the fashionable Suffolk Show in Trinity Park, Ipswich.

Ronald Blythe - the English writer and editor for Penguin Classics, Ronald Blythe, is best known for his book, Akenfield: Portrait of an English Village, which details life in Suffolk from the turn of the century to the 1960s. Blythe was born in Suffolk and educated in Sudbury. While a young man, he worked for Benjamin Britten at the Aldeburgh Festival.

Sportsmen - Suffolk's contributions to sport include Formula One magnate Bernie Ecclestone and England footballers Terry Butcher, Kieron Dyer and Matthew Upson. Due to Newmarket being the centre of British horseracing many jockeys have settled in the county, including Lester Piggott and Frankie Dettori. For more information please see Newmarket Racing.

Sue Ryder (1923-2000) - this remarkable British peeress who worked with Special Operations Executive in the Second World War later opened and based the Sue Ryder Foundation (AKA Sue Ryder Care) in Cavendish, Suffolk in 1979.

Cradle of Filth - this extreme metal band featuring songs that focus on a horror theme were formed in Suffolk 1991, and lead singer Dani Filth married his girlfriend Toni on October 31 2005 in Ipswich - the couple and their daughter Luna still reside in Suffolk.

Norman Tebbit - the outspoken former Conservative MP who was a key figure in Margaret Thatcher's government, Lord Tebbit and his wife, Margaret, currently live in Bury St Edmunds, where he aimed to enjoy his retirement and "a peaceful life". The couple also favored Bury St Edmunds because of the facilities close at hand for Margaret, who was confined to a wheelchair after the IRA's bombing of the Grand Hotel in Brighton during the 1984 Conservative Party conference, where Tebbit was also injured.

Corgis from the film, The Queen - Helen Mirren impressed cinema-goers the world over with her performance as the Queen - but few people know her co-star Corgis come from a small Suffolk village! The dogs - Anna, Poppy, and Poppy's puppies Megan, Alice and Oliver - belong to Liz Smith, a retired outside caterer from Little Blakenham, near Ipswich, who became known as "Corgi Liz" on set. Smith was approached to help with the film after her dogs were spotted at an obedience competition by an animal consultant for film and television.

A number of famous people were born in Suffolk and began the preliminary years of their childhood there - these include the actors Bob Hoskins (Bury St Edmunds) and Ralph Fiennes(Ipswich), the film & theatre director Trevor Nunn (Ipswich), Hip-Hop DJ and television presenter Tim Westwood (Lowestoft), and poet, writer, and traveller Charles Montagu Doughty (1843 - 1926, Saxmundham).

William Songer - Captain Arthur Wakefield's brother-in-law who travelled to Nelson, New Zealand on the Whitby as Wakefield's servant, was born in the village of Stoke by Nayland, and suggested naming the township after his birthplace.

P.D. James - the renowned crime fiction writer, P. D. James, has a second home in Southwold and was created Baroness James of Holland Park in 1991. She often sets her novels in Suffolk - for example, in Unnatural Causes, the character Superintendent Adam Dalgliesh goes looking for a quiet holiday at his aunt's cottage on Monksmere Head, just south of Dunwich. However, all hope of peace is soon shattered by murder. On his initial journey, the detective stops at Blythburgh church and enters 'the cold silvery whiteness of one of the loveliest church interiors in Suffolk'. Covehithe is the setting for Death in Holy Orders, and in The Children of Men, a novel set in the future, Southwold is the centre for the compulsory suicide of the old! P. D. James' autobiography is full of local allusions, including pictures of the Cathedral of the Marshes at Blythburgh.

Francis Bacon - not exactly a resident but the artist Francis Bacon was frequent visitor to Long Melford, where his lover's brother, David Edwards, owned Westgate House. This Georgian house was an ideal escape for Bacon from London pressures. The House has a large walled garden which played host to riotous parties, as Bacon enjoyed entertaining his friends from the East End. Long Melford is today offers a thriving Arts Scene with many top class art galleries. For more information please see Art Galleries in Suffolk and Art Exhibitions in Suffolk.

Ruth Rendell - another much loved author, Ruth Rendell once lived in Polstead, and in 1997 was created Baroness Rendell of Babergh (of Aldeburgh in the County of Suffolk). Rendell features Suffolk in many of her novels, produced her own illustrated Ruth Rendell's Suffolk. Make Death Love Me begins with a robbery at thevAnglia Victoria bank in Suffolk, and - written under Rendell's penname, Barbara Vine - Gallowglass is set in Sudbury, while she wrote about Orford and Aldeburgh for part of No Night is Too Long, Polstead and Nayland for A Fatal Inversion and Bury St Edmunds and its surroundings for The Brimstone Wedding.

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) - a frequent visitor to Suffolk, the author Charles Dickens made several references to Suffolk in his work. For example, Satis House is featured in Great Expectations. When he became famous he toured the county giving recitals of his work - he opened the lecture hall for the Ipswich Mechanics Institute in 1851.

Suffolk Tourist Guide is the best place for information, tourism, and culture in Suffolk.

A Case Study of Lincoln Electric

Nine out of ten new businesses fail within their first year. This is an alarming statistic that may in fact be more of a myth than truth. However, recent data suggests the same trend just not as extreme. According to Brian Headd and data from the U.S. Census, a more realistic figure suggests that 62% of businesses close within the first six years of operation (Headd 2). This raises the question of: What makes a successful business? By analyzing and dissecting the intricacies of Lincoln Electric's consistently stellar performance as well as paying close attention to several interesting financial pitfalls an answer can be found.

Value in the Individual

An organization at its core is made up of individuals and equipment. Now which of these has the most influence over the success of that organization? Most emphasis must be placed on the individual because he is the one that can be creative, motivated, skilled, efficient, and responsive. The proper function of management is to draw out these characteristics and encourage their growth in a productive setting. A large portion of Lincoln Electric's (LE) success can be attributed to this unique and effective management style which ultimately leads to a competitive advantage. No matter the economies of scale a huge corporation such as GE can offer, the increased productivity level of a properly motivated individual production worker can easily compensate for it. This management style is further fostered through a combination of structural, strategic, and cultural norms within LE.

Structurally, Lincoln Electric aims to flatten the hierarchical structure and eliminate nonfunctional middle management positions. To do this, LE has fostered an "open-door" policy between production workers and executives as well as created an Advisory Board that has representatives of the workers who meet with executives twice a month. Strategically, LE pushes for an integrated approach of maximizing output and reducing costs. Though this seems straightforward and simple, the effectiveness is in the details. Cost reduction will be explored at a later time, but to maximize output, Lincoln Electric draws from its motivated employees. However, these employees are not naturally motivated. This is the role of James Lincoln's Incentive Management System. This system provides a tool to motivate all employees through bonuses that redistribute a large portion of the corporation's yearly profits. Two main results stem from this redistribution. First, there is a heightened sense of ownership in the company from top to bottom because if the company as a whole does well, everyone is compensated for it respectively.

Secondly, there is increased personal performance. This performance boost is the result of a sort of quiet competition within each work group. A specific bonus pool dollar amount is allotted to each work group, and the bonuses are then distributed to the members of that group according to their quantified relative performance on the semi-annual Merit Rating. Now the Merit Rating's function is to counteract some of the pitfalls of a strategy based on speed and efficiency. Generally the result of an emphasis on speed is the sacrifice of quality and safety. Each tenet of the Merit Rating (including Dependability, Quality, Output, and Ideas/Cooperation) is a reaction to the common shortcomings of a traditional production worker. By being rewarded for attendance, work quality, and contribution of ideas on top of their piecework output leads to a well-rounded final product that is produced at the proper specifications in record time.

To further the speed of production, LE places a strong emphasis on idea generation and worker input. This allows for creative ideas and suggestions on the production process to be spread over the whole corporation. As a result, there is a strong and steady increase in LE's productivity per worker. The Merit system also serves to increase coordination by rewarding teamwork while at the same time introducing an element that is historically known to be one of the greatest efficiency drivers of all time: competition. Though this seems like teamwork and competition would be in conflict, they are not. Since there are only a certain number of possible Merit Points available, competition over these points between members of the work group exists. However the total payoff at the end of the year is split up based on the profit of the corporation as a whole; therefore encouraging teamwork and idea sharing. This comprehensive Incentive Management System unifies the direction of the workforce and leads to a balanced and efficient set of goals that yields a strong competitive advantage over rival companies. In a commodity industry it is the process, not the product, that must prevail and be differentiated. Lincoln Electric has found the perfect process, but is it a universal process that can apply overseas?

Cost Reduction and Market Expansion

The blind pursuit of profit can easily lead to poor decision-making. That is why the means to creating income is vital. The question is how does a company increase margins? Two simple choices exist: Reduce costs, or increase output through expansion and efficiency. Lincoln Electric has identified this dynamic duo and integrated it into the general business strategy. To reduce costs, LE uses a variety of strong business tactics. There are three shifts on equipment, so it is constantly rotated and allows for no downtime on equipment. This prevents having excess capacity which leads to unnecessary overhead costs. Also, LE has aimed to flatten the structure of the company and eliminate levels of the organization that detract from the established open communication environment between workers and management. This reduces salary expenses and ultimately increases profit margin.

The concept of guaranteed employment is another brilliant cost-reducing idea of James F. Lincoln. The cost of retaining employees on payroll is less than the cost to recruit and train motivated and creative workers. As a result, during downturns, LE did not layoff workers but would retrain and deploy them elsewhere in the company. This would encourage loyalty to the company and highly reduce employee turnover, once again reducing cost to Lincoln Electric through a variety of quantitative as well as qualitative means. Lastly, there is the concept of limited benefits enhanced profits. This enhancement reflected back to bonuses and worker's piecework compensation which put more control in the hands of the individual with the allotment of money and compensated for their lack of benefits. LE's approach to maximizing output was explored previously, and the general consensus was a focus on developing a creative, motivated, and efficient production worker who consistently puts out more effort than a similar production worker in another firm. Another option to increase output is expansion into other markets.

Lincoln Electric first expanded to Canada by opening a manufacturing plant in Toronto in 1925. About twenty years later, LE Canada adopted the Incentive Management System (IMS) including its annual bonus and piecework facets. Due to the similar cultural norms between the U.S. and Canada, this adjustment flowed smoothly. However, poor decision-making led to this application of the IMS in other markets, including Europe and South America. Friction resulted because the cultural values of the production worker are different. Also, government regulation in Germany and Brazil led to major adjustments that undermined LE's incentive efforts. In Europe, workers valued benefits such as vacation time over annual bonuses. It was discovered that annual bonuses did little to increase individual production efficiency without the piecework aspect of the IMS. Piecework was in fact illegal in Germany.

Obviously if more planning or research had been done, this crucial fact would have been discovered and LE would have avoided expansion into Germany. The root of Lincoln Electric's troubles began with the quick expansionist mindset of George Willis. The main trouble was the speed of the expansion. LE incurred long-term financial debt for the first time in the corporation's history. The added interest expense and permanent liability hurt future income statements heavily. A study of Lincoln Electric's Consolidated Income Statement as well as the Balance Sheet reveals some interesting financial facts.

Starting in 1987, LE had no long-term debt. This skyrocketed along with the push for expansion in subsequent years to over $220 million in 1992. As the Income Statement suggests, the height of this long-term debt matches with the first net loss of Lincoln Electric. Failure to control spending and keep costs low (the historical competitive advantage of LE) undermined the desire to increase output through expansion. Another interesting fact is that as sales leveled off in 1992 and 1993, general costs and expenses failed to coincide so they continued to rise until 1994 which happens to also be the first posted net income after the losses of 1992-93.

This analysis of cost-reduction and market expansion raises several questions. How can Lincoln Electric prevent similar losses in the future? How closely correlated is the 1992-93 net loss with geographic expansion? What can Lincoln Electric do in the future to maintain its historical rapid growth and competitive advantage?

Recommendations

So decision time has come about Indonesia. Is Indonesia ready and willing to match up with Lincoln Electric's strategy, or will it repel the incentives that are the key competitive differentiators? After analysis of Indonesia's economic and financial situation, I recommend slow expansion into their welding market. The current distribution network of Tira and SSHJ should be altered so that it can be refined and expanded. Though smaller, SSHJ's strategy coincides with LE's more so than Tira's strategy. I suggest using only SSHJ salespeople because they highlight the cost-savings and benefits of Lincoln Electric's products while aiming to draw in new customers via LE's name recognition and reputation for high-quality. LE should utilize cooptation to provide the company with local contacts and recommendations so that previous errors in incentive management can be addressed and altered. Exact details of my recommended Indonesian expansion are specified in the following list:

o Combination of piecework and salary with a salary representing a figure slightly lower than the average Indonesian manufacturing worker wage of 250,000 rupiah.

o No annual bonus because the economy is so shifty and volatile that it would most likely not affect daily effort.

o Guaranteed employment would exist through the understanding that economic change would not threaten a workers job. Job security would encourage intense loyalty and be a strong factor in building a consistent workforce.

With this comprehensive entry strategy into the Indonesian market, I feel that Lincoln Electric will only be met with success. This strategy encompasses the strongest aspects of LE's Cleveland incentive system while tailoring it to be profit-maximizing in the specific Indonesian environment. Gillespie should have no worries as he presents these plans to his colleagues because the foundations of this plan are rooted in the historically successful traditions of Lincoln Electric, and have been adjusted to compensate for the differences that hindered previous global expansion.

Brian Borton is a BBA student at The University of Texas at Austin. He is a Finance major at the Red McCombs School of Business with an emphasis in Financial Markets/Banking.

Works Cited:

Headd, Brian. Redefining Business Success: Distinguishing Between Closure and Failure. Accessed April 19, 2006.

My Dog is Having Puppies! Now What?

Most of us really do not know too much about a female dog having puppies and so I thought I would gather some information so that if you ever have to care for a pregnant female dog, you will have some knowledge of what to expect and do.

A female dog comes into heat (or an average sized dog) about every six months and for large dogs about every 8 to 10 months. The heat period lasts for up to three weeks. The first sign might be a swollen vulva and then sometime during the first week your female will start to bleed. Then comes the call of the wild and the male dogs will descend upon your property with total determination, so be prepared for lots of company.

Unless you are a breeder it is advisable to have your female puppy spayed as soon as it is possible. However, once in a while in our busy lives, we may forget to have it done and lo and behold we have a pregnant dog on our hands.

Pregnancy can last anytime between 60 to 67 days with the average being 63 days. If possible keep track of the date the neighborhood male visited your dog. About three weeks after that take her to the vet to have the pregnancy confirmed.

If your dog is pregnant she will begin to eat more than she usually does (approximately 1 1/2 times more). Be certain to feel her a high quality food. There are foods available at pet stores or your vet for pregnant females, however if you choose not to go that route, be certain to feed her quality dog food.

During the nursing period she will eat even more. Do not withhold food, as she knows what she needs. It might be wise, if advised by your vet, to feed her vitamins and supplements.

From the time of breeding many dogs tend to go through behavioral changes, some will become a great deal more affectionate, while others might get a bit more irritable. Some believe it or not even suffer from morning sickness, followed by a huge appetite.

The pregnancy begins the moment the male's sperm reaches the female's eggs. As I said the average pregnancy lasts about 63 days. In the beginning the puppies are just a series of fertilized eggs that soon begin to divide into cells. They start with two cells and finally dividing into 16 cells which is what it takes to make a puppy.

From the 9th day to approximately the 20th day these fertilized cells change into am embryo and attach themselves to the wall of the uterus. By the 25day your vet or breeder can begin to feel the embryos and confirm the pregnancy.

By day 28 the embryo begins to resemble a puppy and is about 2 centimeters long, By day 30 all kinds of interesting things begin to happen, the legs and paws are beginning to form, the embryos begin to open their mouths and stick our their tongues and seem to be panting. The central nervous system begins to form and the puppy's sexual characteristics begin to form, also.

By day 35 the eyelids fuse to protect the forming eyes from contamination. The fetus is officially formed by this time and is about the size of a billiard ball.

From day 45 to the day the puppy is born all kind of wonderful things are gong on. The calcification of the bones now enables your vet to X-ray the puppies and see how many there are.

By day 55 the puppy has a full coat of hair, nails and paw pads, the baby teeth are formed but will not be visible until a few weeks after birth.

By day 57 they are completely formed and are beginning to develop a sense of smell.

Day 63 or there about the birth will happen and comes in 3 stages, the cervical stage, which lasts anywhere from 6 to 12 hours. The puppy will be born between 10 to 20 minutes after the female begins straining and it usually will take an hour or more between each puppy's birth. Most puppies are born head first, but sometimes mother nature pulls a trick and a puppy can be born breach with the legs or tail coming out first.

Most females will remove the birth sack by themselves, but if she does not it is up to the human to do so. In this case, I hope you have had a conversation with your vet on what to do.

Prior to the birth you should have prepared a whelping box for your female so that your female knows where to go. Many females want their humans with them at the time of birth and some will not deliver unless the human they love is there.

Line the whelping box with lots of newspapers to absorb the fluids and have it in a secluded place so that the mother feels safe. Keep little children away unless well supervised and quiet.

This is just a birds eye view of what to expect if your female is pregnant. I most urgently advise you to have several talks with your vet regarding the upcoming birth and if you possibly can, have someone who is familiar with the birthing process with you to help if needed.

Puppies are such wonderful critters and such a joy to have around, but spaying your female is really the best way to go.

If this article has been of benefit, please visit my web site and blog at http://www.cats-and-dogs-on-the-web.com.

HHO Gas Car Kit Conversion For Browns Gas - Do It Yourself And Convert Your Car To Burn On Water

HHO gas is the latest innovation to increase gas mileage, increase power and improve emissions. Your car will not be totally dependent on water but will be a hybrid of sorts by utilizing water as a catalyst once it is broken down to HHO also known as browns gas. By using HHO gas one can expect to see and increase in gas mileage of 20 - 50%. This is not new technology but is starting to get rediscovered as gas and diesel prices continue to increase.

You can find HHO gas car kits online for hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Believe me they are worth every penny! The key here is that if you have a vehicle and you would like to make your own HHO or browns gas kit for your car or truck there is a lot of information online.

How is HHO gas utilized in your gas or diesel engine. When you convert your car to burn on water you are converting water to a gas that you engine can use. Some even refer to this as hydrogen on demand. Through a process of electrolysis water that is in a sealed container under your hood is converted to hydroxy also known as browns gas or HHO gas. This gas is then introduced to the airflow in the intake manifold using your engines vacuum. This gas is then mixed with the gasoline providing better gas mileage.

The process is so amazingly simple and the parts to build the system can be found around home or in your shop. This homemade hydrogen generator is easy to build. What you are looking at is a sealed quart size container, electrical wiring, baking soda, an automotive fuse and some vacuum hose. There is a handful of other parts but if you are wanting to make such a system it can be made for under $100 per vehicle! What is nice is it requires very little modification to your vehicle and can be removed within minutes and no one would even notice you had it installed.

There are forums online that focus HHO gas or browns gas technology as an alternative energy to reduce car emissions, increase gas mileage and improve power. HHO devices for cars are starting to get noticed. This technology has even been brought up in th news for improving gas mileage.

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