stock image Puppy Play Dates in Dublin
Have you recently added a new member to the family? The Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) is running free Puppy Play Dates on Saturdays so you can let your new little one socialise. Early puppy socialisation is important as puppies that grow up in isolation – both from dogs and a wide variety of humans – have a greater tendency to develop behaviour problems later in life such as fear-based aggression.
Puppies ages eight weeks to six months and their owners are welcome to attend the Saturday sessions to learn social skills and puppy play. All the 45-minute sessions are guided by a DSPCA Dog Trainer and provide a wide variety of training opportunities.
“Our goal is to provide an environment where puppies and their families feel safe and can learn.”
A new meaning for key RING
If you’re constantly looking for your keys it might worth investing in some trackers. These are small devices that you can pop onto your keys or into your wallet or bag. There are many brands to choose from and most come with a phone app that allows you to make the tracker ring or pinpoint its location. There are a few different companies offering products at a range of prices, of which Tile is probably the most well-known. However, they can be expensive at €20 – €30. Chipolo, Orbit, and Mynt ES are some cheaper alternatives.
Can meditation make you mellow?
Recent research has found a connection between meditation and improved health and wellbeing.
The study was conducted by Queen’s University Belfast and Victoria University, Melbourne in Australia. They wanted to look at the practice because despite the growing popularity of meditation to address a number of health issues, there was limited evidence to support it.
Dr Chantal Ski, Author and Reader in Cardiovascular Health at the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Queen’s University Belfast, said: “Through the comprehensive literature review, we found that there is a clear link between meditation and stress reduction. We focused on studies that analysed how meditation affected the endocrine system and a number of interconnected systems that regulate stress such as the Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal (HPA), the Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Thyroid (HPT) axis and the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone (RAA) system.”
Stress impacts almost everyone and persistent stress can eventually contribute to disease and mental illness. The endocrine system helps manage stress but the functioning of the endocrine system and wellbeing have been scarcely investigated. The study found a connection between meditation, the endocrine system and health and wellbeing.