INPUT ARTICLE: Article: While normal dog shampoo and dish detergent usually kill fleas, if you need something more potent, you could try a special flea and tick shampoo. Read the shampoo label carefully to determine the proper way to use the shampoo for your dog. Soak you dog with warm water and rub the flea shampoo into its fur. Let the shampoo sit on the dog's coat for at least 10 minutes before rinsing it off with warm water. Flea shampoos usually contain pyrethrins, a type of chemical used to kill fleas. Flea shampoos kill fleas and ticks that are already on the dog. Flea and tick sprays are available in both aerosol and pump bottle forms. For best results, choose a spray that contains an adulticide and an insect growth regulator. Doing so will ensure that both adult fleas and their eggs are killed. Follow your veterinarian's instructions and the instructions on the label for proper use. Spray in a well-ventilated area and avoid getting the spray in your dog's eyes. Wear gloves while administering the spray to protect yourself. When spraying sensitive areas, such as the face, spray the product onto your glove and rub it on the dog rather than risking spraying in the dog's eyes, mouth, or ears. A flea powder is can usually be purchase without a veterinarian's prescription and works in the same way that a spray works. Read the instructions on the label to determine proper use. If you are uncertain about anything, ask your veterinarian before applying the powder to your dog. Usually, you apply a powder by dusting a fine layer over your dog's coat and letting it sit undisturbed. Note, however, that powders tend to make the coat feel gritty and need to be reapplied often. Begin at the dog's head and work back towards the tail, ensuring that the powder gets all the way to the dog's skin. Also sprinkle the powder on the dog's bedding. Repeat once per week if necessary. Dips and rinses should be applied to your dog's coat after flea infestation has started. Mix the dip or rinse as directed by the package label. Ask your veterinarian for further instructions. A dip, also referred to as a flea bath, requires you to soak your dog in a diluted, medicated solution. A rinse is a medicated solution that you pour over your dog's coat until it is soaked. Apply both to the entire dog, and do not attempt to use as spot treatments. Use dips and rinses in well-ventilated areas. Most flea dips should be left on your dog, not rinsed away. These products usually contain chemicals known as pyrethrins, permethrins, and organophosphates. Flea collars vary greatly in quality, and many of them have a limited range of activity, only killing fleas that are near the collar (around the dog's head and shoulders). However, high-quality flea collars can help repel or kill fleas when used properly. Be sure to select a collar that is appropriate for your dog's age and weight. Slip two fingers under the collar to determine if it is snug enough without being too tight. Cut off any excess length from the collar after you put it around the dog's neck. Do not let the dog chew on the end of the collar. Familiarize yourself with the label instructions so that you know how long the collar should last and what to avoid. Some collars become less effective when wet. Monitor the dog's neck beneath the collar and remove the product if its skin becomes irritated.

SUMMARY: Wash your dog with flea and tick shampoo. Purchase a flea spray. Try a flea powder. Prepare a medicated dip. Put a flea collar on your dog.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Having poorly marked or unclear boundaries can result in arguments as to whether or not someone stepped off-sides. Keep this from happening clearly marking boundaries with clear lines drawn in the dirt, gravel, or on the cement with a piece of chalk. You'll also have to decide which player will serve first. The victor of the previous game is typically allowed the first serve, however if there was no previous game, you might select the serving player with a coin toss. The direction of the first serve is always the decided by the player returning the serve. The game begins when one player serves the ball, usually by holding it in one hand and hitting it with the other. You might try a punching motion, as this can pop the ball outside the reach of your opponent. Each player should try to hit the ball, one clockwise, and the other counterclockwise. It is generally acceptable to hit the ball with either the fist or the open hand, but be sure you don't "carry" the ball when using an open handed strike. There is no rule in tetherball stating that you must hit the ball, so you might allow the ball to zoom past you intentionally to throw off your opponent. You can also hit the ball in the same direction as your opponent, sometimes sneaking it by him and giving you a better position to strike the ball out of his reach. To trick your opponent, you also might: Pop slower balls over the head of your opponent by lightly punching the ball upwards with your knuckles. Hit the ball lightly when your opponent expects a harder return. When one player manages to wind the ball all the way around the pole so that it can be wound no farther, the game ends. A match can consist of one, three, five, or more games depending on house rules. In some versions of the game, the ball must strike the pole with the final wrap above a height goal marked on the pole, generally a five foot (1 m) high mark. A height goal lower than five feet (1 m) can be used for younger players. If you want to mark a height goal for your tetherball set, consider using some colored electrical tape.

SUMMARY: Mark your boundaries. Take your position opposite your opponent. Serve or return the ball. Hit the ball back and forth. Fake out opponents with strategy and variety. Play until the victor is decided.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Wash your hair first, then pat it dry with a towel. Hold the hair dryer above your head, and aim the nozzle down at your sides as you blow dry your hair. Set the style afterwards with some hair wax. Add a flat, wide directional nozzle to your hairdryer to make the process more effective and give you more control over the direction of the air flow. There is no need to wash it more often than that. Not only can over-washing affect the texture of your hair, but it will also remove any styling products that you applied to the sides. If you remove these styling products, the sides will poof out. Not only can they look stylish and keep you warm during the colder months, they will also help keep down the sides and prevent them from poofing out. Make your hair look longer by parting it down the middle before you put the hat on. If you don't like wearing hats that much, try leaving it on for about 2 hours; after you take it off, your hair should be flatter along the sides and not so poofy. Rather than combing your hair back, try a middle or side part instead. This works best when the sides are still short, but you can use this technique after you've flattened the sides with a hairdryer. If the sides of your hair are starting to get long, you can keep them flat by applying some hair gel and using the palm of your hand to smooth the gel downwards into your hair. Use the handle of a rat-tail comb to make the parts nice and neat.

SUMMARY:
Blow dry your sides down to prevent them from poofing out. Wash your hair every 2 to 3 days. Wear caps and beanies as an alternative. Change up the way you part your hair to conceal the sides.