Is there a certain area on the body that is itchier than others? Does your pet lick his feet, under his tail or along his belly? The most common areas of irritation for allergic dogs are around the back and tail, the abdomen, and the legs and paws. It can be common that your dog's itching is so severe that he chews his skin to the point of creating a "hot spot". This skin lesion can develop overnight and can get very large very quickly. The skin is pink, moist, hot and painful. You may even see sticky material oozing from the wound created. These are infected open wounds and need veterinary intervention to give your pet relief. Chronic cases of itching might result in the thickening and roughening of the skin so that it looks like elephant hide. Hot spots are often the symptom of allergies to fleas, foods, grass, mold or other environmental substances. There may be more complicated underlying conditions such as low thyroid (hypothyroidism) levels or Cushing's disease (hyperadrenocorticism). Secondary bacterial and yeast (malassezia) infections are not uncommon and will require specially tailored treatment. There might be a particular time of year that your dog is itchier. Perhaps he is itchy after being on the lawn or after eating a certain food. By noticing patterns, you will help to narrow the focus of your pet's treatment to help with the itching. If your dog has a really strong body odor, seems excessively thirsty or does not seem as lively as usual, you should take your pet to the veterinarian. Your veterinarian will need to do blood tests and evaluate swabs from the skin surface to get more information to help define appropriate treatment. Whenever you notice your dog itching, write down the circumstances, including where your dog has been, what he's been eating and what part of his body is itchy. This will be extremely useful for your veterinarian, who will rely on this information to narrow down the possible causes for your pet's itching and skin lesions.
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One-sentence summary -- Pay attention to which parts of your dog's body are itchy. Look for hot spots on your dog's skin. Consider the timing. Check on your dog's overall health. Take notes when you notice the itching.

When you truly love being a server, it shows. You will become infectious with your good attitude and earn larger tips. People are proven to tip higher when they feel a social connection with their server, as if they could be friends. The best way to cultivate this attitude is to enjoy your work and interactions with others. A big, open-lipped smile can increase tips up to 140%. Take some time to get presentable before arriving to work. A dirty waiter or waitress is unpleasant to look at and reflects poorly on you and the restaurant. Wash your apron and uniform, and make an effort to wear nice clothes when at work. While attractiveness hasn't been proven to increase tips for male waiters, effort and cleanliness definitely does. Women should wear a little basic make-up to earn more tips, as a French study showed that 50% more men left tips to waitresses wearing make-up than those wearing none. Unfortunately, more attractive women have been proven to get higher tips than less, but you should exploit this fact for your own benefit as well. The same study found that adding a bit of personality to your outfit, like a flower or button, increased tips by roughly 15%. For women, this is particularly noticeable when wearing something in your hair. In order to build connections with customers, and thus increase your tips, be sure to let the table know your name. When you arrive, say hello and let them know your name before launching into the specials. Waitstaff who introduced themselves earned roughly $2 more per bill. If the table offers you their names, be sure to remember them and use them. The best way to do this is when you get the check. When returning a credit or debit card, be sure to thank the name on the card when handing over the check -- it's been shown to increase tips. When people feel treated or gifted upon, they generally try to "pay back" the person being generous to them. Even writing a simple "Thank You" on the back of a check was shown to increase tips, and simple smiley faces and pictures help as well. Being kind and generous during the meal can create the same effect. If someone spills something, or an order doesn't come out perfectly, you should offer to rectify the situation for them as best you can. This is especially crucial when it is busy or the restaurant is filling up. While you should always be kind and courteous, you want people to eat, pay, and move on so that you can get a new table, and thus a new tip. To do this, come collect the dishes once everyone has finished eating, and ask about further courses (like dessert) instead of waiting for them to ask you.
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One-sentence summary -- Fall in love with your job. Look good and smell nice. Introduce yourself. Give the customers a little something extra, like a mint or simple drawing. Learn to turn tables over.

Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart. Keeping your legs straight, reach for your right foot. Hold this position for ten seconds. Then reach for your left foot and hold this position for ten seconds. Finally, reach toward the center and hold this position for ten seconds. Sit in a chair with your knees bent. Place your hands on the sides of the seat. Straighten the leg with the affected knee until your heel is resting on the floor. Keeping your leg straight, gradually lift it off of the ground. Lift your leg as high as you can. Then gradually bring your leg back down to the resting position. Practice one set of five to ten repetitions, four to five times per week. Place a mat on the floor. Lie on your stomach with your legs straight. Bend your arms and place them underneath your chest. Slowly bend the affected knee. Bend your knee as far as you can. Then slowly bring your leg back down to a straight position. Do three sets of five to ten repetitions. Practice this four to five times per week. Stand in front of a chair. Place your foot with the affected knee on the seat of the chair. Keep your standing leg straight. Move the foot of the standing leg back until your knee is bent at a 95 to 100 degree angle. Gradually lean forward. As you lean forward push into your knee. Then gently push back to the starting position. Do a set of five to ten repetitions. Practice this four to five times per week.
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One-sentence summary -- Stretch your legs. Try a sitting knee straightening exercise. Do an active knee bend. Try a step up lunge.

Machine wash your garment if the label contains a symbol of a three-sided container with wavy lines on top. Think of this symbol as your washing machine filled with water to help you remember what it means. You can machine wash as normal, without any special considerations. If this symbol has one line under it, use the permanent press wash cycle. If this symbol has two lines under it, use the gentle wash cycle. If this symbol contains one dot, wash it in cold water. If this symbol contains two dots, wash it in warm water. If this symbol contains three dots, wash it in hot water. If this symbol contains a number, wash it in water the temperature (in degrees Celsius) of that number (e.g., if the number is 30, wash the garment in water with a temperature of 30 degrees Celsius, or 86 degrees Fahrenheit). You should hand wash your garment if the label contains a washing symbol with a hand in it. You should not put items with this symbol in the washing machine, as the fabric may be too delicate. Generally, you should not hand wash items at a temperature higher than 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). Do not wash your garment if it contains the washing symbol with an X through it. This goes for both machine washing and hand washing. Instead, take the garment to the dry cleaner to ensure the fabric is cleaned appropriately.
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One-sentence summary --
Identify when to machine wash your clothes. Identify when to hand wash your garment. Identify when a garment cannot be washed.