My article on BUILDING ENGAGEMENT WITH YOUR DOG.

Dogs pick up very quickly on our emotional and physical energy- if we are happy and enthusiastic, the dog is more likely to react favorably. Dogs often imitate other members in their pack, including the humans.

Sometimes having high value food inside a toy will help the dog gain interest in the toy.

Luring: The purpose of luring is to increase prey drive in the dog, and bonding/engagement with the owner. It’s also great exercise for the dog, and helps satisfy their need to bite. Engage the dog’s prey drive by tugging a fuzzy toy along the ground- move rapidly backwards a couple steps- reward, move rapidly to the left a couple steps-reward, move rapidly to the right a couple steps- reward. I use and recommend the Chase ‘N Pull toy. A homemade soft toy well attached to a strong string with a pvc pole will work too. I utilize the OUT or DROP command- which is to completely disengage from whatever is in their mouths, or whatever they are looking at. My blog contains a detailed article on OUT. While my methods do increase prey drive, it is in a controlled manner in which yes and no are very clear to the dog. *Younger pups should not be encouraged to jump up to get the lure, as their joints may not be sealed yet. Used in moderation dragging the lure along the ground for them to chase,and light tugging is fine for most pups. Light tugging should be done so that the toy and pup are kept horizontally, as tugging upward could cause damage to a young pup’s neck or spine.

Always stop playing BEFORE the dog wants to stop. Even if the dog only plays for 30 seconds, stop at 29 seconds. Be consistent with this, and very gradually add more duration. Results doing this are astounding.

Dogs who have many toys always around never really learn to appreciate them. I get one special toy, maybe leather/sheepskin/fur whatever the dog really loves- that only comes out for a very limited time, and only when he is engaging with you.

Try playing with the toy by yourself, have the dog tied or held nearby without other distractions, so they see you playing. Holding the dog back builds drive, it makes them WANT to engage.

Many dog’s like balls, especially ones that squeak when bitten. To build engagement, try bouncing a ball against a wall, get very excited about the play. Again, dog is on tie back with nothing better to do than watch. You can also try having another dog,(or several), that get really excited over play in front of the tied dog, this can help build their desire to join in.

I highly recommend using the dog’s daily meals as rewards for training, this is one of the best things you can do for bonding with your dog. Hand feeding gives “ value” to the owner in the dog’s point of view, instead of giving the food bowl value. Dogs will take for granted what is given freely, controlling the dog’s most valuable resource gives us a huge advantage in training. I always set the dog up to win, none of the dogs I’ve worked with have ever missed a meal training this way.

CLICKER- A clicker is the fastest way to tell the dog they have done well. A food reward must be given every time it is clicked. Dog’s learn much faster when they know the reward is guaranteed.

HIDE AND SEEK- a great game for building drive and engagement. Have someone hold the dog, and you go just slightly out of sight of the dog, call the dog’s name, then your recall word HERE/COME. The helper releases the dog. When the dog reaches you give a jackpot (handful of the dog’s daily meal) to the dog.

WAIT and TAKE IT game is used to build calm behavior, and focus on the handler. Take a piece of food in your hand, with fist closed. Bring your hand close to the dog. Give a verbal WAIT command. Let the dog sniff, but don’t let them have it until they settle a bit and are calmer, then say TAKE IT, open your hand and reward.

FOCUS GAME using the dog’s daily meals. Have the dog sit on a safe raised object. Stand in front of the dog. Let the dog see you take two pieces of their food, one in each hand. Outstretch your arms all the way out from your side. Look directly at the dog’s eyes and make a “kissy” sounds or other attention getting noise with your mouth. The instant the dog turns their gaze from your hand to your face IMMEDIATELY say YES! - and reward from either hand. Repeat often for best results.

TOUCH ( to a hand)is also a very helpful command. Hold a safe object like an empty water bottle in front of the dog, usually curiosity will lead the dog to put its nose on it. Immediatly reward the dog. If they are uninterested, put a piece of kibble inside the bottle and shake it- reward when dog touches the bottle. Add the verbal cue TOUCH once they get the idea. If the dog tries to bite the bottle, use a two quart sized one instead. Once the verbal command is learned it can be used to get the dog’s attention away from other distractions. It can also help position the dog while doing basic obedience like heel. The TOUCH command is also very valuable when I have a dog who is worried about an object. Utilizing a clicker, I’ll condition the dog to touch the fearful object - then reward them for doing so.

TRAIN SIMPLE TRICKS- ones that dogs often love are fast paced like SPIN, CATCH, and BACK.

ADDING VARIATION keeps training more exciting for the dog and keeps them engaged longer. Be consistent with the training, but inconsistent with the routine you use. Switch hands when using food, add a trick like spin. Do an obedience command, then throw a trick in, or a quick game of tug ( providing the dog understands the rules) then add another obedience exercise.

TRAINING EQUIPMENT - A specific collar/harness are often used by law enforcement and the military for tracking, a different one for protection work, a different one for being a house pet. The dogs quickly associate the equipment with the exercise, and disengage from that exercise when the equipment is off. Utilizing a specific collar on the dog can also mean “food is now available through training” and taking it off means “training is over, window is closed”. This can really help the dog to distinguish the difference between engagement work/play and relax time- thus training the dog to learn to have an OFF switch.

Recall on lead, using pieces of the dog’s meal. Let the dog move about in a mildly distractingly area, then call the dog’s name. When they come towards you, step back a couple feet, stay animated and exciting, then reward the dog when they reach you.

Play keep away using a toy. The dog MUST be able to actually grab the toy during the game, or else it causes frustration and often even aggression in the dog. Train and utilize the OUT command during the play. 

Confidence building exercises are also excellent. I highly recommend them for increasing engagement with your dog. Luring the dog with high grade food rewards up/under/over/through all sorts of safe natural and man made objects helps with engagement, as well as bonding with your dog.

More articles like Adolescent to Adult- Problem Solving, Pup Basic Manners Training, Reactive Dogs, Nail Trimming, and Senior Dog Care are available at my blog, which is open to the public and free of charge.

My past girl Zoë- winning costume class, tricks class, and overall BEST IN SHOW.

NEIGHBORHOOD DOG’S EXCESSIVE BARKING

 Here is my article on Neighborhood Dog’s Excessive Barking.

One of the main reasons human’s started keeping dogs was because they would bark, and alert them to potential danger. For centuries man has selectively bred certain qualities into dogs, and to this day alerting is still seen by most dog owners as a positive thing.

Dog’s know nothing of property lines nor posted signs. To a dog, what land they can see or have accessed belongs to them- and should be guarded from strangers. Responsible dog owners work with their dogs, and train them not to bark excessively.

Most dogs who bark to the point of being a nuisance are not getting their mental and physical breed specific needs met- this isn’t a dog problem, it’s an owner problem. You will want the law on your side, regardless of how you handle this. Be sure to keep a log with the dates, times, frequency, and duration of the barking.  Your local town clerk should be able to tell you if your area has a noise ordinance (which is a law), and what that entails. If broken- the police will respond to a noise ordinance issue, and this may resolve the situation.

You could talk to the neighbor about their dog barking, they may not be aware it is actually a problem. If they are cooperative, you could go with the owner and meet the dog personally with some high grade food treats- which to a dog can make a stranger into a best friend pretty quickly. Once the dog sees you are nice, and not a stranger anymore- they often completely stop barking at you.

There are more laws now about chaining a dog outside, and the length of time that can be. The dog warden for your area will have that information. Sometimes getting animal control involved is the best thing for the dog, as the lucky ones may be re homed to someone who will give them a better life- but there is also a good chance the dog will end up getting euthanized because of behavior issues, or just lack of space at the facility.

If other neighbors are also complaining to the owner about the barking, this peer pressure can quickly get positive results in your favor. Getting a petition signed by everyone in your neighborhood can also be very effective in stopping unwanted barking. A privacy screen set up on your property to block the dog’s vision can help to minimize excessive barking. Try contacting the Homeowner’s Association if you are in one, they usually take noise seriously.

I, unfortunately, have dealt with some pretty uncooperative neighbors in the past - I found if their dogs are barking at me, it was usually because the neighbor’s want them aggressive to keep people away. What I do is find out the dog’s name ( usually the owner is swearing and screaming at the dogs, so name is pretty easy to hear), and when they start barking at me while I’m in my own yard- I say in a sincere friendly voice “Hi (dog’s name), what a good watchdog you are! “ and then go about my business. In a few days the dogs just ignore me while I’m gardening in my yard.

Remember anger usually reflects anger back- so do NOT glare at the dog, nor send hateful energy their way, as these things will only make the situation worse because the dog will believe you truly are a bad human, and that you definitely shouldn’t be where you are.

More articles like training the Quiet Command, Bite Prevention, Fear Aggression, Reactive Dogs, and Pup Basic Manners Training are available at my blog. The blog is open to the public, and free of charge.

❤️🐺❤️

All Basics-Dog Training

 Hello, 

Welcome to All Basics-Dog Training!

Do you have a new puppy, a reactive dog, or an adolescent dog needing guidance?  We offer helpful, easy to understand articles. The site is open to the public, and free of any charge.

Just click on any title from the glossary, and it will automatically bring you to that page. 

There is also a “search” bar where you can add any specific word like impulse control/nail trimming/senior dog, etc. to go directly to all the articles that contain that word.

*If you are using a mobile phone and would like to see our complete glossary of over fifty titles, please view on  “Web version” (bottom of the page).

Best wishes to you and your canine companions!

Kim Chappell 

and Kenji the Australian Cattle Dog.❤️🐺❤️

BITE PREVENTION

 Here is my article on BITE PREVENTION.

I vividly remember the first time I was bitten by a dog.  It was a dog chained outside his owner’s house, and I was a very young child. I went there with my Mother, and was told it was okay to pet the dog.  As I had been instructed I bent down, and slowly reached out my hand for the dog to sniff.  He lunged foreword without warning and bit me.  My hand was bleeding and I was horrified. Why would this cute little dog do such a thing when I obviously meant him no harm?  Unknown to me at the time, I had broken several of the basic rules that dogs live by. 
1- I made direct eye contact.
2-I misinterpreted his wagging tail as a greeting.
3- I moved straight towards him.
4-I leaned slightly over him.
5-I put my hand into his personal space.
6-The dog was restrained, which likely activated his fight response. 

It’s a common belief that by walking up to a strange  dog and putting your hand out for the dog to sniff is the proper way to introduce yourself to them.  Nowadays more than ever this belief is getting people bitten, and healthy dogs euthanized. 

The majority of dogs naturally have a personal space area, a “bubble” per say.  Inside of that bubble their genetic survival instincts respond to perceived threats.  This area will be different for every dog, and every threat.

Dogs instinctively rely on four actions when they feel threatened.  Those are fight, flight, fidget, and freeze. 

Years ago we didn’t have the amount of nervous, anxious, and fearful dogs that we often see today in modern society, which adds to the problem.  Dogs were not as mass produced in puppy mills, and few came from other counties with little to no social skills.   
Many owners today are hesitant to advocate for their dogs, which in turn causes the dogs to deal with the situation.  Some breeds have also been intentionally bred to be more submissive overall, which unfortunately can cause them to be very insecure and easily stressed.

Resource guarding can also come into play.  To a dog a resource can be many things including food, a home, a toy, or even a person. 

With the necessary increased leash laws across the country we are seeing more dogs restrained by cables, chains, and leashes than ever before.
When a dog is restrained their flight response is removed, and very often their drive response is increased.  The added stress of spacial pressure from a stranger moving toward the dog is often all it takes for the dog to react.  Some dogs will freeze, and hope the situation resolves itself by the threat backing away- when the stranger continues to advance toward the dog is often when the bite occurs. This can cause long term behavioral issues with the dog, as well as being a huge legal liability for the owner.

Dogs sense of smell is up to 100,000 times better than ours. They can interpret our scent and intention from several feet away, there is no need to pressure the dog by getting into their personal bubble and forcing them to sniff our hand.

DO:
- Let the dog have the choice to come up to you, if they aren’t interested- so be it.
-Always ask first if you can pet a stranger’s  dog.  Be respectful and accept “NO”,  if that is the answer.   Personal dogs are NOT public property.  
-Learn to read the dog’s body language, looks can be very deceiving.  A wagging tail indicates arousal, NOT necessarily that the dog is friendly.  A dog with a stiff body stance should  be left alone. 
-Move slowly, don’t lean over them, nor stare directly into their eyes.
- Turning your body to the side is less threatening to the dog than facing them straight on.
-Stay relaxed and calm.
-For dogs who are elderly, deaf, or blind take extra time so as not to startle them.
-Any time the dog backs away from you immediately stop what you are doing.
-Teach children NOT to run up to dogs.

DON’T:
-Don’t  reach over the dogs head to pet them, a scratch under the jaw is  much less stressful for the dog than patting them on the head.
-Don’t come toward a dog with your arms open and outstretched.  The dog may interpret  this as you are going to grab them.
-Don’t ever hold a dog’s face, and force them to look into your eyes.
-Don’t reach out and hug a strange dog, this can easily be taken as a life threatening   intention by the dog.  Every year many children get bitten in the face by hugging dogs.

Advocate for your own dog- other than the Veterinarian and their staff no one “needs” to touch your dog.  Dogs can be and are socialized very well by just learning to co exist around new people and other dogs without physically interacting with them.
It’s okay to tell people NO they can’t pet your dog. 
If the person continues to advance, I get my dog behind me.
I put my hand up like a traffic cop toward the person, with a firm verbal “NO”, which works for most.  I can also look at my dog and firmly say “LEAVE IT”, totally ignore the person, and walk away.  I don’t engage in conversation with them if they cannot be respectful.  The safety and well being of my dog must come first.

For information on how to correctly introduce personal dogs to new dogs please see my Acquainting Two Dogs article.

Many more dog training articles are available at my link below, including Fear Aggression, Muzzle Conditioning, Deterrents for Aggressive Loose Dogs, Dog to Dog Reactivity, and Restraint Training for Dogs.  The site is open to the public, and free of charge.❤️🐺❤️

https://allbasics-dogtraining.blogspot.com/

Our Demo dog - Kenji! ❤️🐺❤️

 

WHINING DOGS

Here is my article on Whining Dogs.

First off, WHY are they whining?

That is a very good, yet a bit complicated question.There are many reasons why dogs whine, it can be a learned behavior, pain related, it can also be due to their genetics- certain breeds tend to be more vocal in general.  

Many breeds nowadays have been specifically bred to be more submissive, which in turn often makes the individual more insecure and needy.  Dogs will feed off each other’s behavior, and if one whines the others will often start as well.  Whining can be because they are uncomfortable, or because it got them something they desired- like attention or food.

Dogs are going to repeat behaviors that benefited them in the past.

Pain must be ruled out first as a cause, and it may not be easily visible.  I recommend having a complete physical done by a Veterinarian with full blood work panel as well. Dogs may have joint pain, digestive issues, allergies, or parasites- all of which can cause dogs to call out to us for help in the form of whining.

Are they getting enough mental and physical exercise? 

Perhaps they are frustrated - ask the dog to engage in something constructive first in exchange for your attention, THEN you can reward them.  

Set boundaries in the relationship with your dog, they thrive on a consistent daily structured life.  With a dog who whines for attention, everything should be earned.   I highly recommend using all the dogs daily meals as rewards for training.  Hand feeding gives “value” to the owner in the dog’s point of view.   Controlling the dogs most valuable resource gives us a huge advantage in training.  Asking them to do something basic like an already learned sit, down, or heel will encourage calm behavior from them, and helps put you in charge of the situation.  Wait them out until they respond, then reward them with praise, complying with their request, and occasionally with a piece of their daily meal.  Reward them for calm behavior, it will pay back threefold.  Always be more consistent than they are persistent.

Control your own emotions- dog’s watch and look to us for information, they pick up on our moods and behaviors.  If we are stressed or worried this will very often affect them as well.  

Often redirecting the whining into a constructive behavior works. Lots of mental games are helpful, especially for highly intelligent and active herding breeds.  Mental stimulation will often tire a dog faster than physical exercise.  Most dogs can be distracted with a chew - I have an entire article on various ones available on Chew Toys For Dogs.

Whining can be communicating excitement, as a greeting behavior.  People should greet the dog in a calm manner, and with a low pitch voice- if calm behavior is what you want to get back in return. Anxiety and whining in dogs is often created unknowingly by humans.  It’s very important NOT to make a big deal out of leaving the dog.   Stressed energy from us will cause anxiety in the dog, and then the person leaves them alone - and that is the state of mind they often stay in for hours.  I recommend leaving calmly and quietly, and give the dog an interactive food toy like a rubber Kong toy- filled with part of the dogs daily meal, if frozen even better as it will take longer for them to empty it. This usually distracts the dog long enough for you to get out the door before they realize you are gone.  Often the dog accepts the situation, and rests. Leaving white noise, TV, or classical music on can also help calm the dog while you are gone.  The same goes to when we come back home to the dog.  When I come home I DON’T immediately go to the dog, I take care of my own stuff first for a few minutes, allowing the dogs mind and adrenaline to settle a bit before letting him out of his crate or kennel.  This puts him in a calmer, more balanced state of mind- instead of the frenzied mind often caused by letting him out immediately. For dogs with severe anxiety I would buy an Impact or Gunner crate. They are expensive, but when you consider the potential damage to your property as well as Veterinarian costs for the dog getting hurt trying to get out or getting into something while out, these crates are well worth the money.                                                             Dogs often whine during the beginning of crate training, this is normal to an extent.  My article on Crate Training will help with conditioning the dog to love their crate. 

Fearful whining- fear is by definition an emotion, so  technically speaking we can validate - but not reinforce fear.   We can, however, redirect and reinforce the state of mind the dog is in- because dogs live in the now, and learn by action.   People want to believe they are helping the fearful dog by comforting it, like they would a frightened child.  The difference is dogs are not human children, and they cannot rationalize like humans can. If we are in a worried state of mind when petting a frightened dog, they will pick up on our unbalanced energy.  The petting will often be seen by the dog as praise, and we end up reinforcing the undesirable behavior they are doing at that moment.  By providing fearful dogs with consistently calm leadership and direction we will help guide them through their fears.  Training basic obedience, interrupting and redirecting towards a more positive activity, incorporating  structure into their daily routine, and giving praise and reward at the appropriate time, dogs will learn coping skills that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.

The whiny dog may be overstimulated.  In many dogs, especially ones under one year of age- a common reason for whining is the dog has sleep deprivation.  This occurs more often in households with young children.  Try scheduling the dog’s day with one hour of quiet crate time then one hour of play time outside the crate. Rotate throughout the day.  Repeat for a minimum of one week, then assess the dog’s behavior and schedule daily “naps” as needed.  Dogs always thrive best on a consistent daily schedule.  In the case where the pup has done something inappropriate, information in my Time Out Pup article describes the best way to utilize the crate in this circumstance.

Appeasement whining is a submissive behavior around others, and a form of  communication. Behavior may include yawning, lip licking, averting eyes, flattening ears, and tucked tail.   Confidence Building drills are excellent for bonding with your dog, as well as giving the dog a more balanced state of mind. Using the dog’s daily food as rewards or a favorite toy lure the dog in/under/through/onto safe objects. Start easy and gradually make the obstacles more difficult.  Lots of praise throughout the process.

TIPS:

You can train the WAIT and TAKE IT game to build impulse control, and focus on the handler.  Take a piece of food in your hand, with fist closed. Bring your hand close to the dog.  Give a verbal WAIT command.  Let the dog sniff, but don’t let them have it till they settle a bit and are calmer, then say TAKE IT, and open your hand and reward. Repeat.  Goal is to have calm, quiet behavior, and direct eye contact before rewarding. 

PLACE command is very helpful impulse control exercises for older pups, they will learn to go to their dog cot, lie down, be quiet, and stay there until given a release word. Sessions should be fairly short to start.  A tie back can be used at first, always supervised. I have a very detailed article on training PLACE.

Box Feeding, which is basically classical conditioning, can be an invaluable tool for a insecure, worried dog.  Using the dog’s daily meals they will learn to keep their heads inside the box while noise distractions are gradually added.  They learn the sounds are not to be feared, so they actually look forward to them because they are rewarded with pieces of their meals AFTER the scary noise and short pause.  This conditioning transfers over to their basic obedience, making an overall more mentally balanced dog.  I have a detailed article on Box Feeding.

Structured walks : The structured walk changes the dog’s behavior from a free for all to a calmer, more balanced state of mind. They should be daily or twice a day, and can be done indoors if the weather outside is unfavorable. I have a very detailed article on Structured Walks including many tips on how to easily reach your goal. 

I highly recommend Treadmill training-which is excellent for both the dog’s state of mind AND year round low impact physical exercise.  Just a walking speed, but with gradually added duration. I have an article on how to easily and safely treadmill train a dog.

Treatment from your Veterinarian in conjunction with training may be necessary for some dogs temporarily to help them learn coping skills.  There are many different options available from acupuncture and holistic medicine, to modern anti-anxiety treatment.

The Double Down/Head Down exercise combines already learned verbal commands with low level stimulation from a quality remote electronic collar.   When a dog’s body is in the lying down position, with their head down as well, their brain naturally starts to calm.  The electronic collar is used at lower levels as communication NOT as a correction. I have an article available on how to train this valuable exercise.

If the whining is just occasional, and not really a problem- you can ignore it until the whining stops, then immediately praise with a verbal “Good Quiet”.  My article on training  the QUIET command is useful if it’s just occasional nuisance whining.

A weighted vest can be very effective for whiny dogs.  I recommend the XDOG brand. Start with the vest empty, then add sand or metal BBs to the pockets very gradually up to ten percent of the dog’s body weight. This weight is for resting ONLY, as running or jumping with this weight could damage the dog. Thundershirts and Thunder Ease spray are also beneficial to many.

My site below contains my numerous articles with suggestions on how to help keep your pup,adult, or older dog mentally and physically occupied.

Index includes- Adolescent to Adult Problem Solving, Senior Dog Care, and Pup Basic Manners Training, and are available at my link below.  The site is open to the public, and free of charge. 

❤️🐺❤️

https://allbasics-dogtraining.blogspot.com/ 

DOG BOOTS

 Here is my article on Dog Boots.

Often dog’s front paws are a full size larger than their back paws. 

With the harder material dog boots I will buy a size for each, which is ideal because it gives you two complete pairs in case one pair is wet/damaged you have a spare set.  

Be sure the boots are of good quality materials and proper fit, think of how we feel when shoes don’t fit us well.

There are several good  reasons to train your dog to wear boots on their paws.

Benefits:

-Dog boots will help prevent paws from getting snowballs in the fur between the toes and pad.

-They will give paw’s some protection from the extreme cold while walking on ice.  

Salt used on the roads can quickly dry pads so they crack and split causing open wounds. 

Ice can also be sharp and cut a dog’s pads.

-Provide a barrier between paws and hot pavement or sand.

-Create safer footing on areas where sharp debris are a hazard. 

- Keeping the dog’s paws themselves and inside the house cleaner. 

Having a dog already conditioned to wearing something on their paws will be very beneficial if they happen to get an injury, and need their paw bandaged. 

Tips:

-Use lots of praise and high grade treats like deli meat as rewards. 

-Do your training before the dog normally eats their daily meal, hungry dogs are more happy to cooperate.

-You can start practicing with loose human socks before the dog boots if necessary to get the dog accustomed to them.

-If needed break down this first step to handling the paw, the boot just touching the paw, half way on and remove, fully on and remove - rewarding with praise and a piece of food after each action. 

Training:

Take one front paw and put the boot on,reward, walk the dog around, praise and reward. 

Put second boot on other front paw, same sequence as above.

Put third boot on one back paw, same sequence as above.

Put last boot on remaining paw, same sequence as above. 

Remove the boots at regular intervals to make sure they are not rubbing on the dog’s dew claws or paws.  Dew claws can be wrapped loosely with Vet wrap if needed before putting boots on to help prevent rubbing. Human toddler’s socks can also be used inside the  boots, wrap the top with two strips of velcro to secure. 

My preferred brand of Winter dog boots are sled dog booties sold by “Mountain Ridge”. Kenji is wearing a set of orange ones in the photo, they make different colors and styles.  Their Velcro has elasticity and holds well.  If going in deep snow I recommend lightly covering the velcro with electrical tape, leave a short tab of tape flipped over at the end for easier removal.  

Warm weather paw protection should be of breathable material, because dog’s sweat through their pads. Summer time on hot pavement Kenji wears the “Hipaw Summer Breathable Dog Boot”, sold on Amazon. 

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

For pad protection I use and recommend Musher’s Secret, which is a highly effective wax based formula, and non-toxic.  Rub thoroughly into the areas between and over the pad and toes.

I coat the dew claw toes as well to keep them soft and pliable.  Used as needed year round. 

More articles on dog training and care are available at my link below, the site is open to the public and free of charge.❤️🐺❤️

https://allbasics-dogtraining.blogspot.com/