Saturday Sky and Comment Commentary

Saturday Sky
A beautiful, crisp, sunny day a SW Michigan.

Although there are many beautiful autumn colors now, most of our trees are oaks and just stay boring green until it's way too cold out to want to rake. Then, their leaves turn ugly and drop off. Usually they don't fall until after the first snow and I end up raking them in the spring.

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Sister Doris sent an email saying . . .

Your post (T is for Three Dogs) was touching but you lost a chance to herald spay/neuter and the programs that do spay/neuter.

Thanks Doris.

Yes, please spay and neuter and support organizations that help pet owners afford the surgery. There are already way too many wonderful animals who can't find a good home.

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Marianne asks . . .

Little 15 pound Harry rules the roost and melts Remy into a panting little (50 pound) puppy! She gently paws at him asking him to play, and he growls back, and they tumble and roll all over the house and yard all their waking hours! He's wonderful, loves us clearly, a good buddy to Remy, but is having trouble being potty trained. Any suggestions??

This is a common problem with rescue dogs and often the reason their original owners got rid of them.

It is almost never the dogs fault. His original owners are to blame.

Dog trainer Gail says that new dogs in the home have to earn their run of the house. At first they should be kept in the room with you. When that's not possible they need to be crated or gated into a room with a washable floor.

When the dog pottys in the house, even if you don't catch it right away, put the dog outside immediately and tell it "NO POTTY IN THE HOUSE!"

It's not uncommon for it to take up to six months to correct poor potty training. It's an unpleasant and difficult part of the rescue adoption process, but well worth the effort.

My ultimate recommendation: Take him to a beginner obedience class with a trainer who works with companion dogs, not show dogs. A good trainer will help with the potty training and you'll learn lots of other cool doggy things, too.

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Kerry asked about my big fish picture. . .

My first thought was that it looks like a catfish. Might he be?

Looking back at the picture, I see how you might think that. But no, it has no whiskers.

It is a member of the Salmonidae Family which includes many species of Salmon and Trout. That much I can tell for sure.

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