LG = Large Garbage. I dropped $2000 on a LG washer and dryer. The dryer had to be replaced within a week because the door gasket allowed air to escape making a whistling sound. It whistled while it worked, loud enough to hear at the other end of my house. The washer will not clean clothes well no matter what we do. Four service calls have been made, no one showed up for the fifth, and LG will not replace or make a refund. The problems? Not enough water and there is dirt and lint on top of the door glass after each use! LG said that there is no way there will be dirt or lint on the door glass. No matter what cycle we choose or what extras we add, all the water the machine adds is 5 gallons. (After a large load, I allowed the machine to drain into a 5 gallon plastic bucket after the wash and rinse cysles and it filled up the bucket once plus a little more in another.) LG customer service stated that for a large load, 13 gallons would be used and with their "Water Plus" feature, an extra 3 liters would be added. To top it all, the repairman who came out the first three times, told me my clothes were to dirty for the LG washer and that I needed to get a $50 trade-in to wash my blue jeans. He also told me that the dryer would require two cycles to dry completely. That he was right about. His advice also was to stop using liquid detergent and liquid softener because they gummed up the interior of the washer, use 1/2 of the recommended HE detergent and to start using dryer sheets. All are not recommended by the LG instruction manual. LG = Large Garbage. LG = AKA Gold Star. Save your money and find something else that really works. BTW The top loading 15 year old Whirlpool that was replaced by the LG was on its last legs before it was replaced. On its last day in my house, it did a better job of washing than the LG did on its first day. Save your money. There are better brands available!

Again, thanks for all the replies and helpful hints about using Speed Queens. Having explored the local laundromat - it seems clean, but who knows what was washed in the load before yours? - I am now doing wash using the 5 gallon bucket and (new!) plunger method. Saves money and gives you great arm toning exercise at the same time. For one person's wash it's really not bad at all. @jakvis: I don't think this poor old Maytag is worth fixing. I googled its serial number and found that mine was not the only one with problems. Indeed, mine seems to have lasted a relatively long time, probably due to light use. The link below has some reviews. Here is a link that might be useful: Maytag SAV2655A Reviews

Yes, they definitely suck you in with the cheap-cheap price on the printer then hit you with the ink cost. Our printer is a Brother, chosen b/c it has separate cartridges for each color of ink. The salesperson insisted the printer would work if one of the cartridges was empty (we hardly ever print colors), but that is not the case. All four cartridges have to have ink. Plus we really hate the printer - it is balky and temperamental (not like my Brother sewing machines!). We keep talking about replacing it but haven't done it yet. Donna

When our dog was a pup, I was so consistent with taking her out she never learned to signal either, or so I thought. But a dog who has a routine will instictively know "their clock" and at some point I noticed how she would come and either sit next to me or stare intensely at me when she knew I should be taking her out. I started asking if she had to go potty and she'd tilt her head as if to say, "duh" and off we'd go. She's a lab but I was raised with Poodles, so I know and really love the breed. To be honest, it kind of pains me to see how you talk or feel about your dog; I'm not judging but it's almost as if you haven't really bonded with her. Sure an occassional piddle is frustrating BUT (and I say this with sincere kindness) usually training problems are the result of poor handling and not a dogs apptitude. Poodles are very smart, responsive and kind dogs. They are also people pleasers which is why the breed tends to have a very soft personality. They don't respond well to harsh scolding or handling; it can actually have a lasting negative effect. They also require a lot of exercise and as with any dog who isn't getting ample exercise, that boxed up energy can interfer with their focus and learning ability. If you are keeping her crated for most of the day and night, it's probably extremely stressful for her. I know a lot of people like crates but I'm not one of them. Like choke collars, most people don't know the proper way to use them and the dog suffers as a result. Since Poodles are social dogs who love to be with their people, she will probably love being thethered to you, but really, your dog should WANT to be in your presense as much as possible and should be following you willingly from room to room, if she doesn't, IMO that's just another signal that maybe you two haven't bonded. If it were me, instead of tethering, I'd just call her to come sit next to you, give her the occassional cuddle or pet. Take her out every two hours but make the entire process something she sees as fun and enjoys. Get excited about going out and then give her a treat when she goes. A lot of people don't like the treat system either, but in some cases, it can be necessary. Once you have her on track, then you can slowly pull away from it, but if it were me, I'd feed her twice a day and give her a tasty low fat treat when she does good. As for the free feeding, it's really not a wise thing to do. It can contribute to unhealthy weight gain, it can make it so your dog isn't food driven (which is helpful when they are in training). Dogs need to have jobs, let her get a little hungry so she can work for her food by going potty outside before eating. And later by doing little jobs that will help you. Withholding water at night is also unwise. I know there are people who do it, but that doesn't make it right. It's very easy for a dog to become dehydrated which can cause other physical problems, it's not worth the risk. Our lab can and will drink almost 2 gallons of water a day if we let her so I get the 3 am potty runs, believe me! To control it some though, we have the water in a central location and once we feel she's had enough, we just distract her from it by calling her to us. Problem solved. Sometimes, you just have to think a little outside the box. I also think you could really benefit from a good trainer. Every dog is different, what one dog responds to another may not. A good trainer will be able to determine what will work with your dog and teach you the tools you need to know as part of the process. With good training technique and ample exercise, I have no doubt that your dog can and will excel much better.