Problem: Article: Part of the reason why certain comments that your mean friend makes may bother you so much is because he or she is commenting on things that you are self-conscious about. One of the easiest ways to defend yourself against these types of remarks is to deepen your acceptance of yourself.  Learning to love yourself (even your imperfections) is not easy and it will take time, but working on your relationship with yourself can help to protect you against mean comments and behavior.   Accept yourself for who you are. Take time each day to appreciate the person you are. Acknowledge your strengths and triumphs (even the small ones.)   Forgive yourself when you make a mistake. Don’t beat yourself up if you make a mistake, just forgive yourself and move on.   Treat yourself well. Don’t do things that make you feel uncomfortable or allow others to pressure you into doing things that you don’t really want to do. Do things that make you feel happy and fulfilled.     Learn to say no. Don’t say yes every time someone asks for a favor or wants you to do something with them. If your friend says something mean to you, let him or her know that those comments were hurtful and that you’d like them to lay off.   At first, respond with a casual comment to let your friend know that his or her comments are hurtful. Try saying something like, “Ouch! That was kind of mean. Could you not say things like that to me, please?”   If the meanness continues, let him or her know that you are serious by saying something like, “I’m not joking. You are being unnecessarily mean. Knock it off.”  Practice delivering these requests until they sound natural.   Be firm when you speak and use direct eye contact so that the person sees that you are confident and serious.   Be persistent. Don’t stop defending yourself just because the behavior continues. The more you practice this type of self-defense, the more your friend will get the idea that their words are hurtful and that you will not tolerate them. If your friend yells at you, he or she probably expects you to yell back. And if you do yell back, he or she will yell back louder, and so on. Instead of retaliating in like manner to your friend’s anger or meanness, respond calmly and kindly. This unexpected approach will confuse and redirect the behavior.  For example, if your friend yells at you for a mistake you made, don’t yell back. Respond in a calm, kind voice. Say something like, “I am sorry that what I did upset you, but I don’t think it was such a big deal that we can’t discuss it reasonably.” If your mean friend tends to belittle or speak to you in a condescending tone, respond to this type of behavior by calling him or her out on this behavior. This technique works especially well when others are present who will support your condemnation of this type of negative communication.  For example, if your friend says something to insult you (or someone else), try responding with something like, “Come on Jimmy, making remarks like that is beneath you. Show everyone that you are better than that.” If this person is constantly beating you down and refuses to change after you have confronted him or her, your best option is to get out of the relationship.  Don’t hope in vain for things to change because it is more likely that they will become worse the longer you are attached to the person. If the person is someone you have to see on a regular basis because you go to school together, work together, or something else, try to engage with the person as little as possible.
Summary: Learn to love yourself. Defend yourself. Respond calmly and kindly. Refuse to be insulted, even if it’s passive aggressive or subtle. Get out of the relationship.

Problem: Article: While the dog is still learning good walk behavior, use a non-extendable leash between 4 and 6 feet long (1.2–1.8 meters), and avoid chokes, prong collars, and other collars that cause pain to the dog. You can use a head halter or "no-pull" front attachment harness to minimize the amount a large, energetic dog can pull, but be aware that you should not strain on the leash either, due to the risk of serious damage to the dog's neck. An extendable leash makes the dog pull on the leash even when it's supposed to move, making training difficult. Long, extendable leashes are better suited for playing at the dog park. Until your dog follows you on the leash without pulling or constant stopping, consider your walks training sessions. Like all training sessions, they work best when they're short, frequent, and fun for the dog. Try taking a five minute walk twice a day, and increase that up to ten minutes only if your dog stays focused on the training exercises described below. Since this is less exercise than a dog needs, supplement walks with a drive to a dog park, or energetic games of fetch or tug-of-war in a backyard or hallway. If convenient, get this exercise done before the walk, so the dog is less rambunctious. Almost all of the training methods below involve giving your dog treats, an excellent motivation for dogs that will help it learn good behavior. Pick something the dog gets excited about, preferably something with a strong smell and soft enough to eat quickly during a walk. Give this treat only during a walk, and only as described in the instructions below.  Try pieces of hot dog, cooked chicken or ham, cheese, jerky treats, or freeze-dried liver. Many dogs even like fruits and vegetables, but avoid grapes, raisins, onions, garlic, chives, avocados, unripe tomatoes, and inedible seeds.  Cut the treats into pea-sized pieces. You'll be feeding the dog a lot of these, so they need to be small to avoid overfeeding. If the dog strains at the leash the entire walk, barks or runs at passersby, or if you've tried the training methods below and the dog won't pay attention to them, start out indoors or in your backyard, where there are fewer distractions. You can use the ordinary training techniques described below, walking around the yard or apartment, or get a training clicker and use these training lessons that you can do in a small area:  Put the leash on and stand at the end of it, so it is taut. When the leash goes slack, click the clicker and show the dog a treat in your hand. Put the treat on the ground next to your left foot. Move to the end of the leash, and repeat several times. Once the dog learns to stay near you (which may take several 5-minute sessions), toss a treat pass the dog's nose, within range of the leash. If the dog comes back to you after eating the treat, click again and put a second treat down next to your foot. Repeat this training exercise until the dog returns to you consistently. If your dog starts jumping or barking when it sees you pick up the leash, stand there patiently until the dog stops. Once it is standing still and quietly, slowly move to clip the leash onto the collar. If the dog gets excited again, pull back and wait. Don't put the leash on until the dog stays still for the whole process. Stand still again if the dog tries to bolt out the door, until the leash goes slack. Praise the dog when this happens, then walk it for a couple minutes indoors or in the yard, so it calms down before you begin on the real walk.
Summary:
Use a suitable collar and leash. Plan on short walks. Choose a treat to use only while walking. Start indoors if the dog is completely untrained. Teach the dog to stay calm before a walk.