Your Oddest Pet Questions

Most experts agree that dogs do dream, but we have no idea what, exactly, they dream about. We can only assume that canines, like humans, experience the good with the bad. In other words, the sounds and movements your pet exhibits could be signs of nightmares — or merely his efforts to catch a frisbee in some subconscious dog park. It sounds as if your Lab sleeps pretty soundly, so I'd say the barking and paddling are perfectly normal. He's probably just having fun chasing the neighborhood cat down the street in his dreams.

Since poodles can't brush or floss their own teeth, the odor could very well be caused by plaque. Most animals need to have this buildup periodically removed by a vet. Bear in mind that the procedure involves a vibrating device that squirts water into your pet's mouth, so mild sedation or anesthesia is usually required. Once the plaque's eliminated, the odor should dissipate. Keep it at bay — and prevent gum disease and tooth loss — by cleaning your poodle's teeth daily with a canine toothbrush and paste, which comes in pet-friendly flavors like chicken and beef. Or, at the very least, provide your pooch with rawhide dental strips, such as C.E.T. Oral-Hygiene Chews ($6.49 for 30 small-dog treats; entirelypets.com), and schedule regular checkups to avoid serious dental problems in the future.

Of course, even healthy dogs with spotless teeth can have smelly breath as a result of their diet. If your dog eats table scraps seasoned with garlic, his breath probably doesn't smell all that great — which is one reason to stick to commercial dog food. Lastly, if your poodle exhibits other worrisome signs (excessive urination, weight loss, vomiting) or has reached an advanced age, bad breath may indicate kidney disease, diabetes, or some other metabolic disorders, and he should be examined by your vet right away.

It depends on what you call calm. A study by veterinarian and biobehavioral specialist Dr. Nancy Dreschel demonstrated that dogs who lived with other pups showed significantly less increase in the stress-related hormone cortisol during storms than phobic animals without a canine companion at home. But there was no difference in the dogs' behavior. In other words, getting another pooch might improve your pug's "inner calm," but it won't stop him from freaking out. (I've seen howling, trembling, hiding, even chewing through walls.) And, of course, you could always end up with two dogs who hate storms instead of one. But there are other methods for helping your pug. Start with what psychologists call desensitization: Play a CD of storm sounds (try f7sound.com) very softly, then gradually turn up the volume over time.

Another way to comfort your dog may seem somewhat counterintuitive: During a storm, distract him, play his favorite game, and reward cheerfulness with treats. In time, he'll begin to associate thunder and lightning with good things, not bad. What you should never do is react to your pug's terror by stroking and soothing him. You're inadvertently saying, "Act frightened and I will pet you." If you ignore the disturbance and go about normal activities, with luck he'll eventually understand that all is well. If none of these tactics work, your vet can offer short-acting medication (given when a storm is coming) to calm your pup.

I've always thought of myself as more of a "cat mechanic" than a "cat psychologist," but in this situation we need to try and understand how and what Harley might be thinking.

You shouldn't assume that his behavior is related to sex. Much like dogs, cats of either gender who live together will mount each other as a sign of social status. It's possible that Harley simply wants to show his pal the fox who's boss.


Another possibility: an irritated plumbing system. Since your kitty just started exhibiting this behavior at 9 years old, schedule a trip to your vet in order to rule out a urinary tract disease, a common ailment in male cats.

Then again, good, old-fashioned sexual desire could be to blame, after all. Even neutered males will display the tendencies of an intact cat if the stimulus is great enough.

Put another way: Harley finds this activity fun, and he likes it. What to do? I wouldn't recommend adopting another cat. While a playmate could serve as a distraction and put a halt to the behavior, the new guy might also become the unwilling object of affection, and he may not go for that. A fight could follow. And getting rid of the fox will likely send Harley in search of another object to mount.

Truthfully, what's the harm? If company is coming over and you fear embarrassment, just put the fox — and the cat — in a private area.

Well, yes and no. You can't do much to train any animal to use a litter box, but some rabbits — like cats — will take to it naturally. One couple I know confined their bunny to a bathroom before heading out, and then returned to find (surprise!) that Flopsy had used their cat's litter box without any prodding. Of course, not every rabbit shares this instinct. And even those who do urinate in the box may still drop pellets everywhere else. Bottom line: It's worth a try to see what happens — just don't expect 100 percent accuracy.

Absolutely. Short-haired breeds, dogs with light-colored coats or bare patches, and puppies with delicate skin are most susceptible to burning; your bull terrier qualifies on all counts. This doesn't mean you can't go to the beach, just that you should take the same care with your dog as you would with any child. So avoid the sun during the hottest part of the day — between 11 A.M. and 3 P.M. — and consider getting your pup a dog tee (or a kid's-size cotton top) for protection. Slather nontoxic SPF 30 sunscreen on his ears and muzzle — those areas burn first since the skin is delicate and doesn't have much hair. You can buy a spray made especially for pets, or just use a sunblock for babies, as long as it's free of zinc oxide, which can be harmful to dogs. And don't forget the bare spot on his tummy; sunshine reflects off hot sand and concrete and can burn his undercarriage. Finally, light-colored dogs can occasionally develop carcinoma on the ear tips. This isn't common, but taking precautions now beats dealing with skin cancer later.

I've always thought of a dog as an open book, trying his best to please and possessing an unmistakable happiness flag attached to his south end. But the path to feline understanding is a twisted one. Cats are harder to read than dogs, and their actions can be partially explained at best. We do know, however, that cats clean themselves by licking and that they only groom friends and family. So you could consider yourself honored. Of course, your kitty may also like the flavor of your new hand cream, the saltiness of your sweat, or the taste of supper on your skin. You'll never know for sure. If you'd rather not be licked, the best response is to tell your friendly visitor to stop while gently pushing her off you. She'll get the message eventually and won't take offense. She may not even notice — she's a cat.

Are you telling me that you own a cow and haven't named her? Poor Elsie or Mavis or whichever moniker you choose. The information you read is udderly true. A study conducted by researchers at Newcastle University in England confirmed what dairy farmers have long understood — contented cows produce more milk. The British scientists concluded that bovines who were given names, spoken to affectionately, and treated with kindness, produced as much as 68 more gallons of milk annually than animals who hadn't been socialized to humans. According to the study's author, stressed-out cows release too much of the hormone cortisol, which in turn inhibits lactation.

Naming also helps in other, smaller ways. Every cow that I've ever treated, whether a barnyard pet or a member of a large herd, was called something. The names weren't always creative (Blackie or Number 617), but they did make tasks like recording milking performance, breeding dates, and vaccinations a whole lot easier. It's also nice to be able to say, "Stand still, Mary," when you're trying to milk the animal. I think President Taft would have agreed. During his tenure in the capital, he kept a dairy cow on the White House lawn. She provided milk for the first family — and answered to the name Pauline Wayne.