INPUT ARTICLE: Article: From the moment you bring your eight-week old Dalmatian puppy home, he is starting to learn. He is soaking up information about his environment, so it's important you start establishing ground rules from the first day. Dalmatians have a reputation for being stubborn, so start training at the earliest opportunity. For example, if you do not intend to allow the dog on the couch but let him up as a puppy, intending to enforce the rules when you start training in a month or two, the poor dog will be very confused. If you want to keep your dog off the couch, start training him not to get on the couch from the moment you bring him home. Though your Dalmatian might be a puppy when you bring him home, start house training him immediately. This helps your puppy avoid developing any bad habits to begin with. Show your Dalmatian where the toilet spot it.  When your dog relieves himself in the correct place, immediately praise him. This is called positive reinforcement. Your praise tells him that what he did is good, and this makes him more likely to repeat the behavior. To toilet train your Dalmatian you need to supervise him indoors at all time. Keep him on a leash on your wrist, or if you can't be with him, put him in his crate for short periods of time. Every hour, take your dog to the toilet spot and praise him when he relieves himself or offer a treat. Pretty soon he'll get the idea he can get treats for free just by eliminating outside. Simply letting the dog relieve himself without giving feedback in the form of praise is an opportunity wasted. At your puppy’s young age, you are teaching him to trust you. You want your Dalmatian to want to please you when you start serious training. This means being gentle with him and using positive reinforcement. Refrain from smacking the dog, and instead praise good behavior.  When your Dalmatian puppy misbehaves, which he will do frequently, aim to redirect his behavior onto something more appropriate. For example, if he plays tug with your pants, distract his attention onto a tug toy and then praise him for playing with that. It is fine to give your puppy guidance that he is wrong for tugging on the trouser with a brief, curt "No!" Then, redirect him onto the tug toy with a happy, "Good!" This uses positive reinforcement and helps him to make judgement calls about what he's going wrong and right. Getting your Dalmatian used to people and other dogs can help prevent some behavior problems later in life. Take your Dalmatian to puppy socialization classes or dog parks so that he is confident around other dogs. This also gives your dog a chance to read other dogs' body language and learn how to react around them. Make sure to get all your dog’s shots before taking him to public places around other dogs.

SUMMARY: Start training your Dalmatian immediately. Begin house training your dog when you bring him home. Use positive reinforcement to encourage good behavior. Socialize your dog as a puppy.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: While you might be tempted to completely overhaul your lifestyle, it is not necessary to make big changes to start living in the moment. Start by incorporating new habits one at a time. Once you feel like you have mastered a habit, add something else.  For example, instead of trying to meditate for 20 minutes per day right away, start by trying to meditate for three minutes per day. Then, increase your time as you become more comfortable with meditation.  Walk to work with your phone in your pocket. Do not text or talk on the phone unless it is an emergency. Learning to live in the moment can also be a part of your daily routine. You can incorporate mindfulness into your daily routine by deliberately noticing the sensory details of something that you are doing. Focus on the sight, sound, smell, and feel of your daily activities. For example, the next time that you brush your teeth, notice the smell of your toothpaste, the sound of the brush against your teeth, and the way that it feels. It is normal for your mind to wander, but in order to live in the moment, you need to keep your mind focused on the present. When you notice that your mind is wandering, use gentle redirection to focus on the present again. Acknowledge that your mind is wandering without judging yourself for doing so. Don't get upset at yourself if your mind wanders. It is normal for your mind to wander sometimes. Just accept that you took a little mental vacation and return your focus to the present. It may be difficult to remember to be mindful when you are very busy. A mindfulness cue, such as a string tied around your wrist, a pen mark on your hand, or a coin in your shoe can help you to remember to be mindful. When you notice the cue, make sure that you take a moment to stop and notice your surroundings.  You can also use something more external like making a cup of tea, looking in the mirror, or removing your shoes after work as your cue.  After a while, you may begin to ignore the cue because you are used to it. If this happens, change your cue to something else. You may not be living in the moment because you are too set in your routine. One way that you can become more aware is to change up your routine. You can do something as simple as changing the way that you drive to work, altering the way you introduce yourself, or tweaking a favorite story. Making a small change to one of your routines may be enough to make you more aware of your surroundings. Try taking a different route for your evening walk or add a new ritual to your bedtime routine. Meditation is a great way to train your brain to live in the moment. As you meditate, you practice noticing your thoughts and simply watching as they go by. Learning to meditate takes time, practice, and guidance, so your best bet is to find a meditation class in your area. If no classes are available in your area, you can also buy CDs that will help you learn how to meditate.  To get started with meditation, find a quiet spot and get comfortable. You can either sit in a chair or on a cushion on the floor with your legs crossed. Close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing. As you focus on your breathing, try not to get distracted by your thoughts. Just let them happen and pass by. Without opening your eyes, observe the world around you. Pay attention to how you feel as well. What do you hear? What do you smell? How do you feel? physically? emotionally? Set a gentle timer on your phone so that you know when to stop. You may want to start by meditating for 5 minutes and build up from there. Make sure the people you live with know that you will be meditating and ask them not to disturb you.

SUMMARY:
Start small. Notice sensory details about routine activities. Redirect your mind when it wanders. Choose a mindfulness cue. Change a routine. Learn how to meditate.