Of Cats and Locusts

Gabby, my tabby cat, was out in the garden this morning. He's restricted to a fenced yard, and only has outdoor privileges when the dog and I are outside. He was exploring the catnip patch, a favorite pastime of his, when he saw wings fluttering in the grass. On the hunt, he took attack stance and crept up on the hapless critter.

Upon closer inspection, Gabby didn't know what to make of what he was seeing. Interested, I approached quietly and identified the prey as a locust. I expect they'll be abundant in the Midwest this year. I've seen a number of them already. This one was a beauty. With its transparent wings and shiny eyes, it was quite a presence in the grass. So much so, that Gabby thought better of attacking it and backed away.

Safely back in the house, he acted like a returning warrior. He and I both know differently though. The coward. For this round, the locust wins hands down. It must have looked like an invading alien to my pampered Gabby. We'll see what the next encounter brings.

Training Your Dog

My dog, Harry, is a wonder. He's a sheltie and golden retriever mix, a comedian, nurturer, and genius. I'm being objective here.

My husband and I have taught Harry many tricks and behaviors, some of them unintentionally, and I have a few tips on how to teach your dog to do useful things.

I've had dogs all of my life, and Harry is by far the best pupil I've ever had. I'm sure this is partly because he's naturally intelligent and likes to learn. I also realize that I'm a much better trainer than I used to be. Here are a few things that I've learned:

Use Your Dog's Knowledge of Human Language

Dogs understand language. Tell them what things are and they'll remember. When you get around to training them, a little vocabulary comes in handy. Instead of saying "Good" when your dog has performed well, explain to him what he did: "Good sit" or "Good stay" works wonders. This reinforces the name of the behavior you want from your dog, and it also makes it clear what you're praising him for.

Never Call a Dog to Punish Him

This seems like a no-brainer, but there are lots of people out there who yell for their dogs to come and then wale the tar out of them. Seriously, after one bad experience like that, would you come when someone called you?

Treat Your Dog With Respect

Snapping a rubber band at your dog's nose or smacking him with a cardboard wrapping tube may seem funny, but your dog isn't going to get the joke. It's cruel and disrespectful. If you wouldn't want it done to you, don't do it to your dog.

Groom Your Dog

Learn how to groom your dog. This means giving him a bath, trimming his hair, making sure his collar isn't getting too tight, clipping his nails, checking his ears, and looking for any problems (like hot spots on the skin, fleas, ticks, burrs, etc.). Your dog knows that you're taking care of him. I prefer the personal approach to taking Harry to a salon. I'm sure he prefers it too.

Reward Your Dog for Good Behavior

If you give your dog a treat when he does something good, like performing a trick, you aren’t bribing him. You are reinforcing good behavior. Positive reinforcement works on humans, and it also works on dogs . . . really well.

Most dogs love to eat, so give them a little something (make it small so he won't start putting on weight) every time he does what you want him to do. Keep some small treats in your pocket, and use them. If you cook, try making your own dog biscuits. Dogs love homemade treats, and it's great to give them organic, nutritious, tasty snacks. If you make them yourself, then you control the ingredients. These days, that's a good thing.

Give Your Dog a Change of Pace

Looking at the same four walls and yard gets to be a drag. If your dog has developed bad behaviors like chewing his skin raw, gnawing on his feet, excessive barking, or other negative traits, it shouldn't be much of a surprise. Give your dog something interesting to do.

Place treats in different areas of the house and move your dog's treat bowl from day to day. Make it a game for him to find it.

Take him for a walk at least a couple of times a week.

Buy a dog video and give your dog some TV entertainment.

Play with him at least a couple of times a day.

Take him for a ride in the car.

Talk to him during the day.

Let your dog outside for brief periods a number of times during the day, not just when he needs to go out.

Your dog loves you, but bonding with him means more than feeding him. You can develop a deep bond with a pet if you start thinking of him and treating him like a companion. Your dog will notice the difference.

Once this bond starts to grow, you'll be amazed at what you can teach him (or her) to do. Dogs are smart. Just how smart is a matter of some debate, but one day you'll be looking at something your pet has figured out and the hairs will stand up on the back of your neck. It's happened to me, and one day it will probably happen to you.

There are Ways to Deal With Cats in the Garden

You love your cat, but you probably love your garden plants too. What do you do when your cat doesn't want to live in harmony with your plants? It's a problem, but you're not alone in being frustrated.

From gardeners who are battling neighborhood or feral cats, to the cat lovers who would also like to keep a decent looking flowerbed safe from their own marauding kitty cat, the problem of cats in the garden can be never-ending, frustrating, and expensive.

Want some natural, sneaky, and inspired ideas for foiling feline hijinks? I wrote a blog a while back for my herb blog about this very problem. 'Be gentle', is my motto. But I also believe in using a cat's natural aversions against him. Cats hate unexpected noises, anything sticky, and citrus. Try some creative ways to use these natural cat repellents to keep your flowerbeds safe: Keeping Cats out of the Garden