You might think it cruel to pen a dog up in a crate for hours at a time. But dogs are instinctively den animals, so confined spaces are not as oppressive to them as they are to us. In fact, crate trained dogs will seek out their crates as a source of comfort.  Crate training is a useful way to manage your dog's behavior when he's unsupervised for extended periods of time. For example, many owners crate their dogs when they go to sleep or leave the house. Although older dogs can be taught to enjoy their crates as well, it's easier to train a young dog.  If your puppy is a large breed, don't train him in a large crate that you think he'll grow into. Dogs won't relieve themselves where they sleep or relax, so you need the crate to be appropriately sized. If you use a crate that's too large, he might urinate in the far corner of it because he has so much space. Don’t isolate him in the crate immediately by locking the door the first time you get him to enter it. You want him to create a positive association with the crate, so that he enjoys his time in there.  When you begin the crate training process, place the crate somewhere the household gathers. The idea is to make the crate part of the social scene rather than a place of isolation. Place a soft blanket and some of your dog's favorite toys inside the crate. Once you've made the crate an inviting space, use treats to lure him inside. At first, place some outside the door so he can explore the exterior of the crate. Then, place treats just inside the door, so he will poke his head in to retrieve them. As he grows more comfortable, place the treats further and further inside the crate.  Do this until your dog enters the crate without hesitation. Always speak in your "happy voice" when acclimating your dog to the crate. Once he's comfortable entering the crate for treats, reinforce the positive association with mealtime.  Place his dog bowl wherever he's comfortable eating. If he's still a little anxious, you might have to place it right by the door. As he grows more comfortable over time, place the dog bowl further back into the cage. With treats and feeding, you'll find that your dog is growing more acclimated to being in the crate. He still needs to learn how to cope with the door being closed.  Begin closing the door at mealtime, when the dog too distracted by his food to notice what's going on at first. Close the door for very short periods, lengthening the time as the dog grows more comfortable. When a puppy whines, it may be adorable and heartbreaking, but when a grown dog whines, it can drive you nuts. If your puppy whines inconsolably, you may have left him inside the crate for too long. However, you cannot release him from the crate until the whining stops. Remember — every reward you give reinforces the dog's last behavior, which was whining in this case.  Instead, release the dog once he's stopped whining. The next time you close the door on the crate, leave him in for a shorter period of time. If your puppy cries when he's alone in the crate, bring the crate into your bedroom at night. Have a tick tock clock or white noise machine to help the puppy get to sleep. Make sure that they have already eliminated outside and don’t need to urinate or defecate. Young puppies should be crated in your room at night so that you can hear them tell you they need to go out in the middle of the night. Otherwise, they will be forced to mess in the crate.
++++++++++
One-sentence summary -- Understand the value of crate training. Begin crate training young. Make the crate an inviting space. Encourage him to enter the crate. Feed the dog in his crate. Begin closing the door behind him. Don't reward the dog for whining. Comfort your dog during long crate sessions.


There are paper products available that are made with recycled paper, which means that no new trees were cut down to make those products. When you do need to buy paper products, look for things that were made with “post-consumer waste,” including:  Bathroom tissues Printing paper Greeting cards Paper bags When you do have to print or write things down on paper, make sure you get the most out of that paper by writing on both sides. If you currently only use one side of each piece, you can cut down on paper use by half just by using the other side too!  Writing or printing in a smaller size or font will also help you cut down on the amount of paper you need for notes and projects. When writing in notebooks, always fill the pages, and don’t start a fresh book until you’ve filled all the pages. Everybody loves a well-wrapped gift, but that doesn’t mean you have to use brand new wrapping paper for every gift you give. Instead, when you get a gift, keep the bag or wrapping paper it came in so that you can use it again for another gift. Newspaper can also be repurposed as an eco-friendly wrapping paper or tissue paper to stuff a gift bag. There are plenty of crafts that require paper, so instead of using fresh sheets, why not reuse old paper that was already bound for the recycler. You can use old newspapers, notes, cards, and other paper to make things like:  Origami Wreaths Paper flowers Paper mâché Dolls When you do have paper that you can't reuse or repurpose, make sure you recycle it instead of throwing it in the trash. Paper that goes in the garbage just ends up in a landfill. But paper that goes into the recycling bin can be sent to a special facility and turned into something new.
++++++++++
One-sentence summary -- Buy recycled paper products. Use both sides of a piece of paper. Reuse gift bags, wrapping paper, newspaper, and tissue. Turn old paper products into crafts. Recycle paper you can't reuse.


When you remove the pie from the oven, set it on a cooling rack to let air circulate above and below the pan. Avoid touching the meringue as it cools, as this can cause the eggs to release moisture. If you don’t have a baking rack, set the pie on a heat-resistant pot holder while it cools to protect your countertops from scorching. After cooling the pie to room temperature, move it to the refrigerator. Lemon meringue pie should always be chilled before serving. Make sure the pie is on a top shelf to prevent other items in the refrigerator from spilling or dripping on the pie. Avoid putting any plastic wrap or foil over the pie if you’re refrigerating it for less than 6 hours. Covering the pie with a wrap can crush the meringue, causing it to release moisture and get runny, which is called “weeping.” Remove the pie from the refrigerator when you’re ready to serve it. To get a clean cut, dip a knife in cool water before cutting the pie to prevent the meringue from sticking to the knife. If it’s a humid day, you may notice that the meringue produces water immediately after you remove it from the refrigerator. This is normal, and you can still cut and serve the pie. Once you’ve served a few slices of the pie, return the remaining pieces to the refrigerator to prevent bacteria growth. Never leave the pie sitting at room temperature for long periods of time. If the pie has been sitting out for longer than 2 hours, it’s best to throw away the remaining pieces to prevent foodborne illness.
++++++++++
One-sentence summary --
Set the uncovered pie on a rack to cool for 1 hour. Place the uncovered pie in the refrigerator for 3-6 hours. Cut the pie with a wet knife after cooling it for at least 3 hours. Avoid storing the pie outside of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours.