__What's That? Who's There?

Holidays are often filled with friends and family going in and out of house. If your pet is excitable or tends to get stressed with noise and crowds, consider placing her safely in a crate or a room that's "out-of- bounds" to guests. Give her blankets, food, water, toys ... and check in with her regularly to make sure she's okay. This will help to ensure your pet stays safely with her family, rather than accidentally slipping out door.

__Mmm mmm! Extension cords!

With all pretty lights during holiday season, you probably have a variety of extension cords running every which way. Some pets have a real 'taste' for extension cords -- keep an eye on them to prevent chewing, or they could be in for a real 'shock'! Where possible, tie cords out of way. Some hardware stores also sell a plastic tubing into which you insert cords to keep your gnawing little pet from hurting herself.

Happy Holidays to you and your family -- both two-legged and four-legged!

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PetFriendly.ca features pet-friendly cottages, cabins, B&Bs, hotels, and other lodging from across Canada that welcome pets! Visit them online and subscribe to their free newsletter for pet lovers around the globe! http://www.petfriendly.ca/

How do we define our relationships? A relationship is a two way street. Why would we decide to go into a relationship if we are NOT ready to walk down a new street? If we need a relationship just for sake of feeling safe and secure about ourselves then we are in for a long haul.

A two way street type of relationship, in my definition, is when both partners involved accept each other for way they are and not way they want other person to be. In many cases, we look to exterior values, being physical or of a material nature. How do they look? What car are they driving? What do they do in life? These values exist only at surface level. These traits eventually lose all relevance and eventually fade.

Accepting your partner requires an amount of responsibility from your part in numerous ways. And we must not, under any circumstance, allow ourselves to become a doormat for other person. We should treat each other with respect, from a deeper level as equal, and learn to listen, enabling development of a strong foundation, crucial in building of a solid relationship. We need to understand their soul. I only ask you to be honest with yourself. Identify your previous partners and see what exactly attracted you to that person initially. It might surprise you to see that we always look for what is acceptable on exterior, disregarding what values exist internally.

There are many principles with regard to relationships and it would be to your benefit if you were to apply some careful thought and consideration to what motivates you to become involved in relationships you do. Consider what, in reality, you really want as a human being. After establishing this, in your own right, you will be able to identify these qualities within another person and then you are more likely to be successful in finding right partner for you.

A relationship is based on three things. First, to be able to associate socially on some common ground and enjoy being together. Second, to be able to communicate well and express our emotions in a healthy way. Third, to be connected with your soul partner and allow your partner to get to know you better by opening up on a deeper level.

Joseph Ghabi http://www.freespiritcentre.info