Q: Using a mouth rinse on a daily basis can help clean out the back of your throat and prevent bacteria that causes bad breath and a variety of mouth diseases. Mouth rinses may contain antimicrobial agents to prevent disease, fluoride that reduces tooth decay, and odor neutralizers to combat bad breath. Some mouth rinses are merely cosmetic, meaning they seek to eliminate bad breath temporarily but do not have the bacteria fighting powers of stronger brands. Make sure you purchase a mouth rinse that is therapeutic and designed to clean your mouth and throat in addition to eliminating bad breath. Mouth rinses will come with instructions on how to use them. Most of them require you to swish or gargle the liquid for a number of seconds before spitting it into the sink and rinsing out your mouth with water. Tonsils are small collections of lymph tissue in the back of the throat that are often the cause of infections and bad breath. Some people have their tonsils removed via operation to keep these from occurring, but if you still have your tonsils they may require upkeep to prevent the buildup of bacteria. Sometimes, tonsil stones, which are concretions of food particles and mucus, build up in the folds of the tonsils and cause bad breath. They may also make you feel like you're gagging, or like you need to clear your throat constantly. If you're having trouble with tonsil stones, you may need to regularly irrigate your tonsils, using an irrigation system you can purchase at a drug store. Tonsil irrigation systems work somewhat like nasal or ear irrigation systems do, in that a rubber syringe is used to spray water and some kind of medication in the back of the throat to remove unwanted debris. Make sure you don't use too much pressure or force, or you could irritate your tonsils or cause bleeding. You can also buy tonsil sprays at most drug stores. These are medicated sprays you use on the back of your throat to clean out your tonsils and prevent decay. If your tonsils are growing uncomfortably large, taking oral probiotics might hinder their growth. Talk to your doctor before trying any new medication, however. If you aren't able to remove tonsil stones on your own, or they pose a serious problem for you, see your doctor. When brushing your teeth each day, make sure you take a few minutes to brush the back of your tongue with your toothbrush. This helps clean your throat and mouth in addition to your teeth, and prevents the build up of disease and bad breath causing bacteria.
A: Use mouth rinses. Take care of your tonsils. Brush your tongue.

Q: You should start disciplining your puppy as soon as you bring it home. Puppies learn quickly and should be shown what behavior is unacceptable in your house. This also means that you must be consistent when responding to bad behavior. If not, your puppy will be confused, making it harder to prevent the bad behavior. For example, say your puppy barks at the neighbors and you command it to stop. Then, it starts barking at the postal carrier, but you say nothing. Your puppy will be unsure about when it shouldn't bark, making it likely that your dog will bark whenever it feels like it. Reward-based training uses discipline to help the puppy understand when something is a bad choice. Any type of reaction can be a reward in the dog's mind, so often the advice is to completely ignore bad behavior. However, if your dog is exhibiting behavior that's self-rewarding (for example, the dog enjoys chewing shoes) then this doesn't really work. That being the case, a short but sweet guiding command is appropriate. When it exhibits behavior you don't like, simply say "Not that" or similar words in a disapproving voice. The aim is not to scold him, but to guide him. When your puppy tries to get your attention by barking, jumping up, or nipping at your fingers, it's best to ignore him. Consider what reward your puppy is trying to get when engaging in bad behavior in order to determine when to ignore him. If your dog is jumping up on you when you come home, it probably wants your attention. Withholding your attention sends the message that it needs to act differently to get your attention. Eventually, your puppy will learn that good behavior earns your attention and affection. For example, if your puppy starts barking at you, turn your back to it and take away any attention. Your dog will learn that it gets nothing from you when it behaves poorly. Get your puppy's attention by making a loud noise. You might try clapping your hands and firmly saying "no" when you catch your puppy doing something undesirable, like chewing on your shoe or squatting to urinate on the carpet. The noise and disapproving tone will distract your puppy from the bad behavior. Redirect your puppy's attention on desirable behavior. For example, if your dog was urinating inappropriately, pick up your puppy and immediately take it outside to the appropriate toilet spot. If your puppy is engaged in bad behavior, remove it from whatever is causing the behavior and place it in a different environment. You might put it in a quiet room in the house away from distractions or outside in the yard. Leave your dog in time-out for 10 to 30 seconds, then remove it and act as though nothing happened, if your dog has stopped the bad behavior (like barking). If your puppy hasn't stopped, wait until it does. Respond immediately and consistently to the bad behavior. As soon as you see your puppy acting up, remove it to the time-out spot. Be sure to do this every time you notice the bad behavior. Ignore your puppy's barking. If your dog's just trying to get your attention, it should soon stop. But, if it continues barking despite your inattention, figure out why your dog' s barking and remove it. For example, if your dog is barking at the traffic out the window, pull the blinds. If the behavior continues, remove your dog to another room for a few minutes. You can also try to quiet your dog by giving it something to chew like a rope toy. Puppies are naturally playful and have to learn limits when it comes to playing rough. As soon as your puppy nips, say "ouch" and yelp. Ignore your dog for up to 20 seconds after it lets go of your hand. This will teach your dog that you won't tolerate rough play. Avoid pulling your hand away when your puppy nips. Your puppy will see this as part of the game and will continue to chase you. Studies have shown that physically punishing your puppy (like hitting, kicking, growling, or staring down) actually increases aggression in your puppy. You should never use physical punishment to correct undesirable puppy behavior. Physical punishment could injure your puppy and ruin your relationship.
A:
Start early and be consistent. Use reward-based training for self-rewarding behaviors. Ignore bad behaviors that aren't self-rewarding. Distract and redirect your puppy. Use time-outs effectively. Stop your puppy from barking. Keep your puppy from nipping. Avoid using physical punishment.