INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Cut a piece of cheesecloth nearly twice as large as the mouth of the strainer, and center it over the top of the strainer. Rest the cover strainer over a large bowl. Fine mesh strainers are optimal for this project, but the cheesecloth should sufficiently trap any solids even if you need to use a wider-gap plastic colander instead. If you don't have cheesecloth, consider using large sheets of filter paper or clean (i.e. never previously used) painters' straining bags.

SUMMARY: Drape cheesecloth over a large strainer.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: If you don't already have a Chihuahua, you will need to get one that is ideal for breeding. Contact a breeder that specializes in breeding Chihuahuas. If you are looking to adopt a Chihuahua you can breed, you should get it from a well-established and humane breeder that has solid documentation of its lineage. Make sure your potential dog is in good physical and mental shape. This means it needs to adhere to the breed standards for size and shape, as well as being well tempered and social. Contact your local Chihuahua clubs, as well as national organizations, for a list of breeders that use good breeding stock and have a good track record. Make sure to go only to a respectable breeder. Good breeders will allow you to visit them, have happy and healthy looking dogs and puppies, have a lot of room for the dogs to roam, have a specialty breed they specialize in, and will show concern and interest in how you will care for and raise their dogs. When you are interacting with a well-regarded breeder, pay attention to how the person conducts business and how he or she interacts with the dogs. You can learn a lot just from watching how a professional conducts business. The Humane Society has a good checklist to use when assessing a breeder. In some cases you can pay to hire a stud, a male dog that is hired out to impregnate female dogs. This means that you may only need to adopt one dog, most likely the female. You need to figure out if it is ready and capable of reproduction. A female Chihuahua should not be used for breeding until she weighs at least 4 pounds and she has had a few heat cycles, as she will not be physically mature enough to handle a pregnancy until after that age. A male Chihuahua will generally have viable sperm when he is over a year of age but he is at his prime breeding age from 1 to 5 years of age. Does your dog have desirable breed traits? Does it meet breed standard minimums? According to the Chihuahua Club of America, the Chihuahua should be a "compact little dog with terrier-like qualities of temperament" and should be a "well-proportioned little dog not to exceed six pounds." The head should be "a well-rounded "apple dome" skull" with "full, round" eyes "but not protruding." The ears are "large, erect type ears, held more upright when alert, but flaring to the sides at a 45 degree angle when in repose." Does the dog have any abnormalities that may be passed along to its offspring? Many defects, such as a mismatched jaw, can be heritable traits.The Chihuahua breed is also prone to a few serious health problems. Dogs with these problems should not be used for breeding, as their offspring have a higher likelihood of developing these problems. These include: Collapsing trachea Luxating patellas (kneecaps) Hydrocephalus (water on the brain) Atlantoaxial instability (neck instability) Dental problems, including deformed teeth or jaw problems. Their small mouths can mean dental problems that wouldn't cause an issue in larger dogs. Do you have the financial resources to pay for any potential complications during the pregnancy and delivery and with the puppies? Things to consider are the possibility of an emergency Cesarean section surgery and the mother becoming potentially deathly ill with pregnancy related conditions like hypocalcemia, metritis, or mastitis. Is there a market in your area to sell the puppies? Marketing starts well before the puppies are born. Contact local dog clubs to connect with potential buyers. Are you prepared to keep any unsold puppies and raise them alongside the parents? Sometimes it can be hard to sell all the puppies in a litter. Do you have the time to devote to the proper care of your dog and the puppies, including daily handling of the puppies to properly socialize them to humans? Puppies that are handled daily are used to humans and make good pets. Puppies that don't have much interaction with humans or who are handled roughly by humans can be fearful of humans and don't make good pets.

SUMMARY: Adopt a Chihuahua to breed. Assess whether your Chihuahua is old enough to breed. Figure out if your dog has good physical traits for breeding. Assess whether your dog has physical problems that could be passed on to offspring. Consider whether you have the financial ability to breed your dog. Assess whether you have the time to devote to breeding your dog.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Making friends is sometimes a numbers game, much like dating. That means that the more potential avenues you have for meeting people, the better your chances are of actually meeting someone you like spending time with! Comment and post regularly in the groups that you've joined. This will increase your chances of having a positive interaction with someone. People are also much more likely to notice you if you participate in multiple groups. The amount of time and energy you spend communicating with the person should be equal to the amount of time and energy they invest. If you're always the one sending the first message, asking all the questions, doing all the talking, or even writing longer responses than them most of the time, the investment is not equal. Overloading the person with information on yourself can be overwhelming to them and it might scare them off. It's important to share and allow yourself to be vulnerable to build a friendship, but do this a little at a time. Start with the basics about yourself and save your deepest secrets and other more personal information about yourself for another time after you've gotten to know each other better. For example, you might start by sharing about where you grew up, what kind of music you like, and what your hobbies are. Then, once you know each other better, you might talk with them about things like career choices, relationship issues, and other personal problems. Being a good listener is an essential component of friendship. When you're friend is talking, make sure to look them in eyes and show interest in what they're saying. Put away your phone or any other potential distractions when you're talking with your friend. Some other good listening strategies to adopt include: Nodding to show that you understand what they're saying. Using leading phrases to show that you're listening, such as "Mmmhmm, "I see," and "Go on." Asking questions if something they say is unclear, such as, "What did you mean when you said that you couldn't play last night?"

SUMMARY:
Participate regularly in multiple online communities. Balance the time and energy you spend communicating with the person. Share a little about yourself at a time. Give the other person your full attention when they're talking.