Give dogs a task so they forget about barking

I have two adorable Shih Tzus. When anyone comes over to the house, they bark like crazy maniacs. The 4-year-old gets aggressive with the 2-year-old in the process. Five minutes later, they are totally calm.

Also, when I take them for a walk, if any person or dog goes by, they bark incessantly and want to go toward them. Every other dog is so well-behaved, but mine are crazy lunatics. Please help. person is not present. Your unpredictability as to where you are going helps your dogs learn to pay more attention to you.

Both of these things require a considerable amount of training. Don’t give up.

My last two female bearded collies both urinated and left burn marks on our lawn. Our lawn is well-watered, but if I didn’t pour a quart-size container of water on the spot after they peed, it would burn the grass.

We just lost our last beardie in November. In her old age, she no longer wanted to go in the yard but would go on a short walk. I carried my bottle with me so she didn’t burn the neighbor’s grass. I’m sure people wondered what I was doing, but at least their lawns weren’t damaged. female dogs are more likely to burn the grass because they pee in one location, whereas male dogs tend to squirt urine everywhere they go. It’s thoughtful of you to bring water to pour on your dog’s urine.

Just remember that no matter how thoughtful you are, there will be someone who will complain. So the best advice I can give all dog owners is to keep their dogs away from their neighbor’s yards and find common areas where their dogs can pee instead. #keepthepeace

My husband and I have a 4-year-old cat we rescued as a little kitten, named Oliver. He is happy, healthy, playful and makes us laugh all the time. What is the least stressful way to move a cat from our house to a two-bedroom condo? his bed daily (and in the car and his carrier when you move) and put a pheromone collar on him, if he will let you, to reduce his stress. Put plug-in pheromones in the new home the day before you move into it.

When the movers arrive, put Oliver in a bathroom with his food, litter box and bed. Play music or turn on white noise, like a fan, to block out the sound of the movers.

After moving, keep him in a quiet room for a few days until the furniture is situated and you know where his food and litter box will go. Cats can generally handle people unpacking boxes; what they can’t handle is furniture being moved around.