Tips on dogs, cleaning, & money

Teaching a puppy to stack

I used a table with a non-slip rug when I first started training Victory to stack, a nylon slip collar and some treats.  He was a very fussy treat eater, and would only eat certain treats.  He really only likes the pure chicken treats, without any additives.  We practiced in very short sessions, telling him “stand” and positioning his legs, and if he moved them out of position, gently putting them back, and giving him treats when he’d hold the stack for a short time.  Once he did pretty well on the table, we moved to practicing on the ground.  I only practiced for a few minutes when he was really young, and then we’d play and run.

Cleaning tips

I think I got this tip from a Hints from Heloise column years ago, and don’t remember the exact measurements that were in the original tip that I read, but to clean a smelly sink drain, here is what I do, and it works great.  Put about ¾ cup of baking soda in the drain, add a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of cream of tartar.  Then pour some white vinegar in the drain and let it bubble for a few minutes.  Then rinse with a lot of hot water, and you have a clean sink drain.

For dried stains on washable fabrics, you can use a mixture of 1/3 cup vinegar, 2/3 cup water, and 2 tablespoons mild dish liquid.  Dab with a sponge on the stain and let sit for about 10-15 minutes, and then launder.

Financial tip

I am a huge fan of Vanguard mutual funds because of their low cost expenses.  And, if you want an easy way to invest, you can have money deducted from your checking account or pay check and have it sent straight to your Vanguard account.  I like the Total Stock Market and Total Bond Market Index funds.  The expenses are .07% for the Admiral stock market index fund and .11% for the Admiral bond market index fund, and the returns as of 10/31/11 for 1 year are 8.03% for the Total Stock Market Index Admiral fund and 5.03% for the Total Bond Market Index Admiral fund.  We also like the Wellesley fund for college savings.  Its expense amount is .28% and its one year return is 8.14%.  The Admiral funds have a slightly lower expense than regular investor shares.  You need $10,000 to invest in Admiral shares.