INPUT ARTICLE: Article: The school dance is a great place to ask the girl out. Just wait for a slow song, ask her to dance, and ask her if she wants to be your girlfriend at the end of the song. You'll know from looking into her eyes while you're dancing whether or not you have a chance. You can also use the dance as an excuse to ask her out, beforehand. Though this is more bold and puts the pressure on a bit, it gives you a great excuse to ask the girl out! The vibe at the dance is guaranteed to be a bit more romantic, say, than the vibe in your school cafeteria during lunch, so if you ask her out at the dance, there's a better chance she'll have romance on her mind. The downside: it may be next to impossible to get her away from her friends. If you think you're a Casanova when it comes to the written word, then write her a cute, short note that tells her that you like her and that you want her to be your girlfriend. This is a pleasant way to surprise her and to take off some of the pressure of having a real conversation; just make sure you know that she'll get the note, whether you're giving it to her during class or sticking it in her textbook or locker. Tell her to get back to you via note. Whatever happens, there's nothing to be nervous about because she won't have to be there to see your reaction! This should be more of a last resort. If you really feel shy but want to ask the girl out and have a brave friend or two who have enough charisma to talk to the girl (without charming her too much, of course), then you can have one of your buddies go up to the girl and ask her if she wants to go out with you. Just make sure they know exactly what to say and that they don't end up making you look like a wimp or misrepresent your intentions. If you really want a trusted friend to ask her out for you, then you may want to rehearse what he's going to say. Yeah, this will feel ridiculous, but you'll be grateful that you've prepped your friend for the big move! You can also ask the girl over the phone if you're more of a phone guy. Call her up (hopefully you have her number already) and ask her if she wants to go out with you. For this move, it's especially important to think of something that you can do together so you don't just ask her out and then struggle to awkwardly get off the phone. You can also get her number from a friend of hers if she's willing to give it out after that, she'll probably know what to expect when you call. If you're already friends or know each other fairly well and you have an idea of what she might like, you can give her a nice but inexpensive piece of jewelry, a CD, a book, a nice notebook, or something that you think she'll like without overwhelming her or making her uncomfortable by how nice it is. You can ask her out while giving her the gift, or even prepare a note asking her out within the gift so you can take some of the pressure off. This maneuver is not for the faint of heart. If you really like her, write, "Will you go out with me, (her name here)?" outside in chalk and take her for a walk to show it to her. Yeah, it'll be a little embarrassing if she says no, but imagine how cute it would be if she said yes to your chalk message! Get her her favorite type of cookie or dessert and have someone write, "Will you go out with me?" on it in icing. This may sound cheesy, but if you're able to pull it off, she'll be impressed by your thoughtfulness and your creativity and won't be able to resist you. Make sure you have a steady hand when you write your message and the rest will follow!

SUMMARY: Ask her out at the dance. Write her a note. Have your friends talk to her. Call her up. Give her a small thoughtful gift. Write it in chalk. Ask her out in food.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Allergies are often the primary source of inflammation in the ear, which makes the ears more susceptible to infections. While it may be difficult to determine an allergic cause, it helps to start paying attention to factors such as if new foods or treats were introduced before the ear infection flared up. If they contained a particular protein, you may want to avoid that giving your dog that protein. Animal proteins and dairy products in food are more likely to cause allergies for pets than grains are, despite the popularity of the notion that grain free diets are better for dogs with food allergies. Specifically, put your dog on a diet trial with a novel, or new, protein, one your dog has never eaten before. New prescription diets should be fed exclusively for at least 8 weeks and ideally for a minimum of 12 weeks. Give no treats, table scraps or other food sources during this time. This may help to determine if food proteins are the problem and home in on which are culprits. The best novel protein diets are prescription formulas because they will have the least likely chance of cross-contamination with other protein sources, but they are often the most expensive choice. At the end of the trial, if your dog is not showing signs of ear inflammation or skin allergies (most commonly itchy paws and sometimes itching of other areas of the body), then you can 'challenge' your dog's diet with a single type of treat or the old food. If you notice signs of irritation near the ears, feet, or skin when you re-introduce the old food or treat, then you know that this food or any food containing this protein should be eliminated. If the ear infections tend to spring up at the same time of year every year, a seasonal environmental allergy may be causing the ear infections. While your dog has an ear infection, you should make sure he doesn't get excess moisture in his ears. Avoid letting your dog play in water, swim, bathe, or be groomed until the ear infection has cleared up. Extra moisture will aggravate the ear infection and make it last longer. Keep checking in with the veterinarian until the ear infection is completely gone. Some ear infections are mild and easily treated in 1-2 weeks with topical medications and cleaning. Some infections are more complicated and may take many weeks, further testing, treatments or procedures to treat. Follow your veterinarian's recommendations about when to check in, since the vet can help you determine if the ear infection is cleared or if more needs to be done. Once your dog has had an ear infection, he's more likely to struggle with them throughout his life. The good news is that there are several things you can do to prevent ear infections in your dog. Here are several preventative measures: avoid letting your dog swim or bathe too frequently plug your dog's ears with cotton before bathing him flush your dog's ears with a product containing salicylic acid (which helps wet ear canals dry) check and treat any allergies your dog may have frequently clean your dog's ears

SUMMARY:
Determine if your dog has allergies. Try putting your dog on a diet trial. Challenge your dog's diet. Restrict your dog's activity. Follow up with your veterinarian. Prevent ear infections.