Dogs are one of life’s greatest pleasures. Their loving faces, wagging tails and incessant need to make you happy always puts a smile on your face. As a dog lover, you want to make sure that you and your furry family member are protected. While we love our pets and always hope for the best, their actions might cause problems, which can lead to messy lawsuits and expensive bills.

First, talk with your insurance company. Most homeowner’s insurance companies have a liability policy in place for dog bites. See what it would cover in case your dog bit someone and what sort of legal action can be taken against you.  If you don’t have coverage, get it. Don’t admit any liability or offer to pay any expenses before you talk with your insurance company in the event of an incident.

Some insurance companies may require that your dog attend obedience training, similar to how insurance companies require new teenage drivers attend traffic school. This measure is done to help make sure that you have worked with your dog to prevent an incident from occurring. Obedience training will also help prevent accidents involving children and adults.

Take the necessary measures to insure that you, your family and your furry friend are protected from accidents.

While deaths related to driving under the influence (DUI) are at record lows, there are still far too many deaths related to alcohol.  A good night out can quickly lead to a night of terror, destruction and death. But when you are having that good time, how can you know how much is too much?

In all 50 states, the legal limit for your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is .08. This is still too vague to know how much is too much, because a woman weighing only 120 pounds can reach .08 with only 2 servings of alcohol where a 180 pound man can reach .08 in 4. Let’s look at the science and feel of it all.

When you reach a BAC level of 0.020 a few subtle changes occur. At this level the body starts to relax and experience a decline in visual function and the ability to multi-task. While this BAC usually occurs with only one serving of alcohol – the equivalent to one shot of liquor or a five-ounce glass of wine or one beer – in an emergency situation reaction times can be slowed.

When you reach a BAC level of 0.050 you can experience exaggerated behavior, loss of small muscle control, an inability to focus your eyes quickly, impaired judgment, and a release of inhibitions.  This can reduce your coordination behind the wheel, reducing your ability to safely operate a vehicle.  This is especially true in a high risk or emergency situation.