In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: Although the method of applying petroleum-based paints to damaged or pruned trees has persisted (and many hardware stores stock wound-dressing products), it has not been shown to help trees.  Wound dressing trees may prevent the trees from forming callouses, which trees use to protected wounded areas. Dark-colored tree paint—especially paint that contains asphalt—on a tree’s trunk will raise the tree’s temperature, often to a harmful degree. Contrary to helping a wounded or pruned tree, wound dressing can actually be harmful.  Painting tree wounds may interfere with the tree’s growth of “scar tissue”-like wood.  Wound dressing can also seal in excess moisture (which is unhealthy for the tree) and can trap harmful bacteria and fungi inside of the tree. In most cases, trees do not need to be painted in order to resist fungal or insect infestations. Trees already have natural methods of protecting and defending themselves from foreign invaders, and do not need human help.  If you prefer to take an active role, apply an organic dressing that contains beeswax and lanolin to protect the wound’s surface moisture. You may also apply a light coating of insecticide or fungicide to the wounded or pruned wood. Unlike human bodies, trees do not “heal” wounded flesh. Rather, they use a process called compartmentalization, by which a tree can internally seal off damaged areas   This is a natural process, and one which trees do not need assistance to perform. The scar tissue that develops from compartmentalization protects the tree from fungus and blocks the undamaged parts of the tree from invasive insects. Just below the bark on a tree are systems that carry nutrients and fluids throughout the tree. These will transfer nutrients within the tree and help compartmentalize when a section has been damaged. Often tree wound dressing is applied to poorly pruned trees, in an effort to “heal” them from the effects of poor pruning. If a tree is properly pruned, the tree will not need to be painted.  When you prune a limb, cut as close to the trunk as you can. Make the cut close to vertical (do not prune tree limbs at an angle). The vertical cut will have a smaller surface area than a diagonal cut, and will leave the tree with less surface area exposed. Prune trees in the winter, when their growth has slowed and insect infection rates are lower.
Summary: Avoid painting damaged trees when possible. Recognize the potential harms of wound dressing. Assist the tree in healing itself organically. Let the tree compartmentalize the wounded area. Prune trees correctly.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: Although any German Shepherd dog is trainable, they are very strong and powerful animals. If you start out with a puppy, you have the opportunity to shape and mold its personality and develop your relationship early.  If you happen to get an older dog, adult dogs can still be trained effectively. German Shepherds can be very protective of their family members, so you want to socialize your puppy early in puppyhood. This will get them used to interacting well with a wide variety of people and animals, which is essential. This will be a big dog, and you want to prepare the dog when they are young and small for future grooming and veterinary visits. They may need nail trimming, ear cleaning, temperature taking and other procedures. These procedures will be difficult to accomplish should your full-sized adult German Shepherd dog object. You will need to train them to sit, stay, and heel, in addition to house training them. Your puppy will not understand your commands immediately. Have patience with your dog when they don't do exactly what you ask right away. German Shepherds love to learn and they are highly motivated to follow your commands if they are rewarded with treats. Pet your puppy while they're eating, as long as they do not stiffen and stop eating when you are petting the puppy. If the puppy stiffens, stops eating or growls, you have to deal with this aggressive response immediately. Teach your puppy that people are not a threat to the food bowl by adding food to the bowl while they are eating. Start with a few kibbles (or whatever type of food you normally feed) in the bowl and add food so the puppy associates good things with people near the food bowl. Do this by removing the food bowl and feeding the dog by hand. The puppy needs to earn each and every piece of food from you with a “sit” or some other command. There is no bowl to guard.  Once the puppy is more confident and compliant around food, you can bring out a plate or bowl and continue your hand feeding routine in the presence of the bowl or plate, but don’t feed directly on the plate yet. Make the bowl no big deal. If a piece of food is dropped inside, let the puppy take it and praise them. Then feed nearby again. The bowl will not always have food inside. Gradually increase the amount of food you drop in the bowl as you stand or sit there with the puppy. It won’t take long before the puppy realizes that you near the bowl means food and good things and it is not something to guard. You can also add high value treats like roasted chicken breast into the bowl if your puppy seems to need more reassurance that you bring goodness to the food bowl. If, at any time, you feel that you are in danger. STOP. Get a professional trainer involved immediately to prevent harm to yourself or another family member, particularly a child. Resource guarding can be a very serious symptom of fear aggression and, if you are seeing this in a puppy, it needs to be addressed ASAP so it does not escalate. You can gradually ask the puppy to look at you to get more food, then sit and wait for more food, etc.. The humans controls the resource of food and rewards the puppy for good behavior. After your puppy has mastered a command, start treating intermittently so that you don’t have a dog that will only perform for food. You still praise your dog, just not offer a treat each time. If you are working to modify a command to create a faster response, add in treats again to shape the behavior until they have it down. Then start using treats to reward truly outstanding performance. Do not yell at your pet. Learn to recognize when you are losing patience and stop the training session on a happy note. Your dog can sense your frustration in your body language and tone of voice. Try another day when you are both fresh.  If you continue to have problems, get a professional trainer involved. Typically, as puppies are first learning commands, one adult family member will be responsible for training. Later, when the puppy is consistent and understands the basics, other members of the family can participate in formal training.  It is important for the dog to understand that not only one person in the household is to be obeyed. Your puppy should be 8-10 weeks old and started on their vaccine series for this first class. There are puppy preschools designed for puppies who have not yet finished receiving all of their vaccines. The school will have certain requirements for enrollment and you will likely have to provide proof of vaccination.
Summary:
Begin your training attempts at around eight weeks old. Start gently handling your puppy’s paws, ears, tail, etc. Begin training your puppy with basic commands. Use food treats and praise to reinforce your commands. Prevent feed bowl aggression. Address food aggression. Use feeding time as a training time. Wean your puppy off of treats for performance. Do not create fear in your puppy. Enroll your German Shepherd puppy in a basic or puppy obedience class.