I really love giving my dogs their baths, and it’s become much more easy since I got instruction on how to do it better.

I have two dogs, a cocker mutt and a Lhasa-Poo mutt. They’re so adorable but they sure do get dirty. When it’s rainy in the spring, they track all kinds of mud into the house. In the fall, they bring in the leaves with them.

So I give them baths, oh, about once or twice a month, and do a bit of sprucing up, clipping and “pruning” here and there.

If I were to take my dogs to the groomer every time they needed a bath, I’d be spending somewhere between $75 and $150 every month! Think of all the money you can save when you do it yourself.

But I know it can be frustrating, especially if you don’t have the right tools or you don’t know what you’re doing.

Here’s what I did: I purchased a book called Grooming Your Dog at Home - the Ultimate Guide. It’s an incredible book, filled with EVERYTHING you need to know, for next to nothing. It’s on sale now, so it costs less than $20! You’ll save way more than that the first time you skip a visit to the groomers. And even better, when you bathe and groom them at home, you get to bond even more to your pets. They learn to trust you more, and you learn to trust yourself more. And then it becomes really fun.

But it absolutely makes a huge difference to have a professional train you to do every step the easiest, best way.

One of the most difficult things about taking care of my cocker mutt is cleaning those floppy cocker ears. I learned a LOT about the best and easiest way to do this, and how to KEEP his ears clean and keep that nasty smell away FOREVER! Smelly dog ears are disgusting! And they’re bad for your dog.

My Lhasa-Poo mutt has trouble with eye boogers. If I don’t keep after him, he’s got those black globs under his eyes on that cutie-pie cream-colored face. Learned some great tips about taking care of that too.

In Grooming Your Dog at Home - the Ultimate Guide, you learn about different coat textures, how to take care of long-haired dogs, curly haired, wiry, and everything in between kind of dog. You also learn about your dog’s diet and the effect diet has on keeping the coat super shiny and soft. There’s LOTS of information for all different kinds of breeds. And the book is filled with pictures and step-by-step instructions so you can do the whole process like a pro.

Shedding is another huge topic. You really can learn how to keep it under control. And that makes EVERYTHING so much easier.

Do you have a double-coated dog or a single-coated dog? My older cocker mutt is a double-coated dog. He used to shed like CRAZY. My little one, the Lhasa-Poo, doesn’t shed at all! Love that! But his hair grows — fast. He has a big burly coat in the winter, and in the spring and summer, I shave it all off. And then the naked, frisky side of him comes out. What a hoot!

Anyway, come visit this doggie site for lots more information about grooming and pet care.

Canon has always boasted about its portfolio of ultra-compact digital cameras and tasted significant success with the SD series of the Elph models. In 2007, Canon created a niche for itself with the modest-looking but very competent PowerShot SD1000. The new Canon PowerShot SD1100 is a serious upgrade on this outperformer and it is one of the most sought after compact cameras in the market today. To a certain extent, the minimalist look has been compromised but, it still isn’t extravagant in any way. The tweaked presentation is a bit thicker and has pronounced rounded edges along with curved notches, which gives it sportier looking.

The body is made from a metal alloy that is sturdy enough to withstand an era of neglect. The SD1100 incorporates Canon’s patented technology — iSAPS, i.e. Intelligent Scene Analysis. It has the ability to match the subject facing the lens with its own database of various ‘scenes’ and compare details like white balance, distance, lighting, contrast and colour hues to create the best possible level of exposure. It makes automatic shooting a lot simpler without confusing its user with too many options. Instead, the PowerShot SD1100 aids the entire process by offering many preset modes. Its face detection capability has negligible comparison in the market, as it goes beyond just tuning the focus or exposure. On offer is face detection with flash output (automatic) and white balance tuning to ensure that the skin tones get detailed a lot better. Another useful feature is Motion Detection and you have the option of setting your camera in ISO (auto) mode, which enables faster clicking with increased shutter speed.

Convenience is personified in the Canon SD1100 and you can view captured images with the Slider switch, which is handy in switching between shooting and review modes. It is perfectly located right under the spot where the right thumb would grip the camera. The most notable addition is the optical image stabilization and the new resolution that has been raised to 8 Megapixels. It can record video clips (4GB) and provides 60 seconds of fast-frame rate. You can edit the entire movie within the camera itself! It offers Playback/Preview modes and voice-notation for adding sound to the still images.

Conclusion: the PowerShot SD1100 is a diminutive digicam suited particularly for those who have been searching for a feature-rich camera that delivers heavy-duty performance and can literally slide into a pocket.

You can now purchase new and used Canon Powershot SD1100 at a great discount prices by clicking this special Canon SD1100 link.

There is no doubt that Whistler British Columbia is one of the most popular vacation destinations in North America for those who love the mountain life. Whistler has dozens of inns and hotels which accommodate tourists, mountain bikers and skiers. The price and quality of the hotels in Whistler range from economical to luxurious five star hotels. Most any tourist or traveler will be pleased with the hotels in Whistler.

The Fairmont Chateau Whistler Lodge and the Hilton Whistler Resort and Spa are the most luxurious of the hotels in Whistler which enjoy a prime location beside the ski lifts. Other Whistler hotels, such as the Summit Lodge, are situated on the outskirts of Whistler Village. These Whistler hotels offer visitors stunning views over surrounding mountains. From some such Whistler hotels, visitors can enjoy watching the ski slopes long after they have concluded their day of skiing. Hotels in Whistler Village proper, such as the Whistler Village Inn and Suites, provide visitors with easy access to local restaurants and shops for those people who wish to become familiar the village itself. Whistler also has conference facilities which can be accessed easily from most central Whistler hotels.

As Whistler is preparing to host part of the 2010 Vancouver Whistler Winter Olympic Games, many hotels in Whistler are undergoing upgrades. The Athletes Village will provide housing for approximately twenty five hundred competitors and officials. The hotels in Whistler expect to accommodate thousands of visitors. Some hotels Whistler are already accepting reservations years in advance from those who wish to secure their accommodations now. Most hotels in Whistler can be booked online. You can easily find many travel websites which you can search to find the best deals on Whistler hotels.

Hotels in Whistler BC are at their busiest during the ski season.  If you visit Whistler during the off season, it’s possible to get room rates as much as seventy percent off regular hotel rates. Cash conscious tourists find that these discounts make Whistler a very desirable destination. Visitors staying in Whistler will enjoy easy access to some of the most beautiful mountain biking and hiking trails. Hotels in Whistler provide an excellent home base for vacationers who plan to explore this pristine region of British Columbia. Finding the right hotel in advance will pay big dividends on a vacation you will remember with fond memories.