or is it? Stanley and Gabriel work things out in their relationship.

Dear Fisher,

Miles here. I am a long-haired dachshund mixed with black lab. I lived on the streets before I was rescued and I taught myself how to sound like a very big dog when I bark. It could be amusing if I didn’t over do.

I love going to the dog park, but it just takes me back to the day I had to defend myself from wilder, bigger dogs. I don’t bite – I just go up to the other dogs and get in their face and bark very loud at them. Other people say, “Whose dog is that?” and my human would like to say, “I don’t know.” I think I need to change some habits here. Any ideas? I really don’t mean to make her uncomfortable.

Miles

Dear Miles,

No kidding? I would love to hear that deep big dog bark coming from you, but I do understand it could make your human very nervous. Or should I say more than a little embarrassed? One day, one of those big dogs may just decide to let you know that his bite is worse than your bark. No one wants that to happen.

Memories come into play when a new situation reminds you of a past, more serious situation. At one point in your life, you probably had to bark loudly to warn other critters to keep away from some new found food. Your mind jumps back to that situation rather than realizing the dog park pack is just there for simple play time. Your barking is no longer appropriate.

The dog park is full of new stimuli and you might just get over excited. Sometimes a dog just wants to keep others out of his space. That is not unlike the human, who becomes uncomfortable when another human gets in their face to have a conversation. The difference being, humans are more likely to step back from the intruder rather than scream in their face.

You are wise to want to curb your barking tendencies when in a group of other dogs. Some things your human can do to help are:

1. Not shouting at you – you may think she is barking along.
2. Use a command like “stop” or “enough” followed by a treat when you stop.
3. Lead you away from the new pack of friends and return when you are calm. Repeat as needed until you realize you would rather play with others than walk away from them.
4. Check out a neat exercise over at How Stuff Works that involves and empty soda can and some pennies.

I hope some of these tips will work for you so you can continue going to the park. You might also want to think about saving your big dog bark for special situations when it is really needed. If you use proper etiquette on a regular basis, your big dog bark will carry a lot more weight. A major deep “aarf“ coming from you will make everyone want to stop what they are doing a listen to what you have to say.

Your friend,

Fisher

Dear Fisher,

I’m obsessed with lizards. I’m an inside Florida cat, but my human lets me go outside on our deck when the weather is nice. He thinks it is good for me to get some fresh air. Or, maybe to air out. I have to be supervised, of course. I wouldn’t purposefully do anything wrong. You know, a cat is a cat.

Anyway, when I see a lizard, I go nuts! I love to catch it and play for a very short while and then I munch on it. Chomp it right down….Yum. They are a tasty delight, but my human get all weirded out and I don’t understand why. They don’t make me kick or anything, so I think they are a great treat. Do you see a problem with this? Will you please tell him it is fine for me to continue my hunt for these luscious morsels?

Thank you for your time.

Domino

Dear Domino,

You must be very dedicated to getting your own dinner snack – those lizards are fast little critters! But I guess it is the game as much as the meal that entices you so. Your particular Florida snacks are called Green Anole (uh’no-lee) or Cuban Brown Anole, which are becoming more prevalent.

As a rule, they are not harmful. They are a vested part of the Florida lifestyle. But…lizards eat fleas and flies who could have tapeworm or other diseases. Like any other food whether for human ingestion or cat ingestion, there is always a possibility the food is not as fresh and pure as it appears.

These creatures live in the wild and can contract diseases from the insects they eat. For instance, one day you could choose a lizard that happens to harbor salmonella. You then become a victim of the bacterial strain most commonly known as food poisoning. This will likely cure you of your lizard hunger. Your digestive system will let you know. Contact your pet doctor immediately if you have any of these symptoms:

1. Lethargy
2. Increased hunger and thirst
3. Any out-of-the-ordinary behavior

Your human can also take a few steps to help you resist those extra calories: Check the plants on your deck to see if they are harboring colonies of little bugs. Moving the plants out into the yard will entice the lizards to move as well. Or, your human can spray the deck with pet safe bug spray to keep insects off. But I suspect you will be more in favor of getting served a civilized dinner before going outside. That may curb your appetite and reduce your infatuation to play only. Learn more about your prey by visiting FloridaGardener.

I have never been able to get close enough to eat a lizard. I am just wondering – do they taste like chicken?

Your friend,
Fisher

It looks so tempting!