A dark smudge runs the length of the center hallway in my house, a streak that just happens to coincide with the shoulder height of the retriever, Benjamin. In another room, a matching stain closer to the baseboard gives mute testimony to the fact that the older dog, Andy, loves to sleep against the wall in that corner.

The living-room carpet looks grubby, with a stain that's probably not coming out, where some animal -- one of mine or a guest, I don't remember anymore -- decided to wipe his muzzle. During the rainy season, the air hangs heavy with the fragrance of wet dog. Given the retriever's propensity for seeking out any available body of water, this special perfume wafts through the house even in the dry months sometimes.

Were any glossy home magazine to show an interest in my home, it would surely be for the "before" pictures, not the "after." House Beautiful, it's not.

Even though I wouldn't trade the nose-prints on my front window for an immaculate mansion without animals, I do try to keep the mess to a minimum. Aside from the stained area rug, the floors are hardwoods, tile and linoleum. I own a powerful vacuum, and painting is on the agenda for fall.

It is possible to have a clean, odor-free home and a pet at the same time. I know people who do, although I also know they work harder at it than I do. For the rest of us, here are a few suggestions to make life with a pet cleaner and easier:

-- Choose flooring carefully. Tile, linoleum and hardwoods are easiest to keep clean, but if you must have wall-to-wall carpeting, choose some that is synthetic and stain-resistant. Varied hues of the same color hide dirt and stains the best.

-- Opt for tightly woven, smooth-surfaced upholstery. Such fabrics will resist a few claw marks and will not encourage a furniture-scratching cat.

Steer clear of highly textured, nubby fabrics and wicker -- all of which encourage scratching. Make sure there's a scratching post or cat tree available instead of the furniture.

-- Use floormats in pet areas. Rubber-backed mats of synthetic pile collect dirt and moisture and clean up easily. Use them just outside and inside the doors, under food dishes and in sleeping areas. A suggestion from a reader: Car mats work well, too. Teach your dog to wait on the mat until you can wipe his paws and you'll never have to deal with muddy footprints again.

-- Keep the litter box scrupulously clean. The benefits are twofold: You won't smell a clean litter box, and your cat won't shun one. Deodorized litters and hooded boxes are fine only if your cat tolerates them -- some won't.

-- Clean up messes immediately. Keep enzymatic cleaners (available at your pet-supply store) at hand. Once stains set, they are very hard to get out and attract pets back to the area to mess again. Never use an ammonia-based cleaner on a pet mess: Ammonia smells like urine to a pet and can invite a repeat performance. If you don't have an enzyme cleaner available, try white vinegar and water, followed by a gentle soap.

-- Keep pets clean. Bathe pets regularly, and keep them brushed and combed. While this cuts down on smell and shedding, it also helps human allergy-sufferers cope with the dander that can prompt an attack.

Those are the basics. Do you have a favorite tip on keeping both pets and a clean house? Let me know and I'll share the best in a future column.

CYBERLINKS: In March 1996, firefighter David Giannelli saw a mother cat struggling to pull her kittens out of a burning building in Brooklyn. He collected her and her kittens, named her Scarlett for the red patches he saw through her singed fur, and took the family for help. One of her five kittens died, and Scarlett was scarred for life. Her story continues to be news -- she was recently featured in People magazine -- and she and her kittens have all found homes. This amazing story of a mother cat's devotion is featured on Scarlett's own page on the North Shore Animal League's Web site, http://www.nsal.org.

Gina Spadafori, the award-winning author of "Dogs for Dummies," is affiliated with the Veterinary Information Network Inc., an international online service for veterinary professionals. Write to her in care of this newspaper, or e-mail to Giori(at)aol.com.

4520 Main St., Kansas City, Mo. 64111; (816) 932-6600

Summer is a wonderful time of year to start raising a puppy, and there's no shortage of pet possibilities in your local shelter.

But how do you choose?

Pick a puppy with your head, not your heart. Before you step into a shelter, be clear in your mind the kind of dog you want: small, medium or large, long-haired or short.

Once you've narrowed the field, puppy-testing can help you home in on the one who'll be right for you.

One by one, take each of the puppies you're considering to a safe, secure area away from others. Observe how the puppy reacts to the change -- tentative exploration is OK, but beware the puppy who's so terrified he won't move. Look, too, for how busy a puppy is: Playfulness is fine, but full-out go-go-go is maybe a little too much.

The puppy who's probably going to be the best for you is going to be "medium" in personality. He may not be the smartest in the litter, but he may be more interested in your point of view than the one who is the smartest. He has moxie, but not so much he'll drive you crazy. He's willing to try new things -- he's no shrinking violet -- but he'll like them better if you are with him.

Here are a few simple tests to help you evaluate a puppy:

-- Interest in people. Put the puppy down facing you. Walk a few steps away, bend over and call to him. (Bending over makes you less intimidating.) If the puppy seems a little tentative, crouch and open your arms. You're not "ordering" the pup -- he doesn't know what you want, after all. You're trying to see how attracted he is to a nice person. So be nice. Call gently, click your tongue, rattle your keys.

The medium-personality puppy you want will probably trot over happily, perhaps after a slight hesitation. The too-bossy puppy may come over and nip at you, and the shy one may not move except to shiver in terror. The one who doesn't care a bit about people may go investigate a bug in the corner of the room.

-- Accepting authority. Gently roll the puppy on his back and hold him there with your hand. The medium-personality pup you're looking for will fuss a little, settle down, and maybe even lick your hand. Too-bossy pups usually keep struggling, and the shyest ones freeze in terror.

-- Praise and petting response. Praise and petting are integral parts of training and communicating with your dog, and finding a puppy who wants affection enough to earn it is important. Talk to the puppy lovingly and stroke him, but let him decide whether he stays with you or not -- don't hold him.

The medium-personality puppy will probably lick your hands and be glad to stay with you. Rolling over is fine, and don't be surprised if he urinates a little -- called "submissive urination," this is a kind of a canine compliment, a recognition that you're "top dog." A puppy who bites hard is probably dominant and unsocialized, and the one who wants nothing to do with you probably isn't people-oriented enough. Stay away, too, from the one who's terrified of being touched.

Talk to the shelter staff and volunteers, and compare your observations. The best shelters offer adoption counseling and keep the animals in their care socialized, so the shelter staff can offer excellent advice on picking the right puppy.

Choosing the right pet can be very difficult when you're in a shelter thinking that the puppy you don't pick isn't going to get chosen at all. Don't play the guilt game. Pick a healthy puppy with a temperament that's likely to produce a good pet. You're still saving a life, still providing a good home.

Your chances of success are better if you take your time and pick the best puppy you can.

CYBERLINKS: Dr. Evan Blair has put together a wonderful collection of information and links on his homepage, ExoticNet (http://www.mindspring.com/(tilde)palidian/ExoticNet.html). Blair, a veterinarian, is a lifelong bird-lover, and as a result, his avian pages are very thorough, but he also does a credible job with areas on other small mammals and exotics, such as ferrets, guinea pigs, hedgehogs, reptiles and rabbits.

Gina Spadafori, the award-winning author of "Dogs for Dummies," is affiliated with the Veterinary Information Network Inc., an international online service for veterinary professionals. Write to her in care of this newspaper, or e-mail to Giori(at)aol.com.

4520 Main St., Kansas City, Mo. 64111; (816) 932-6600

Ozzie is a beautiful cat, black with perfectly placed patches of white on his chin and his chest, a fluffy purr machine whose job in life is sitting in the lap of my friend Jan. His veterinarian wouldn't recognize the lovely cat he is at home, though, because in her office he's a spitting, slashing, yowling feline demon.

Sweet Ozzie is not alone in his Jekyll-and-Hyde routine.

Taking a cat to the veterinary hospital can be an ordeal for all involved. For many cats, the only time they leave home is to be taken to a place that smells funny, is often full of dreadful d-o-g-s, and has strange people who poke and prod them and handle them in ways they'd rather not be. The first sight of a carrier is often the last sight of a cat -- stupid, they are not. Although most cats are more cooperative than Ozzie, the difficulties in getting cat and veterinarian together may be enough to keep a cat-lover from making an appointment. This delay can keep cats from getting the preventive care they need, or even prompt attention to illnesses that could turn serious.

Although you may not ever make your veterinarian your cat's favorite human being, you can do a few things to make the trip easier. Here are a few tips:

-- Use a carrier. A startled or frightened cat is hard to hold onto, and either or both of you could be injured if you try -- or you may lose your cat in the parking lot. No matter how much you want to comfort your pet, leave him in the carrier until you're safely behind the closed door of the examination room.

-- Get your cat used to his carrier. If the only time your cat sees his carrier is when he's going to the veterinarian's, you may have a hard time putting him in it. Bring the carrier out of the closet from time to time, and put it in the middle of the room. Leave the door open, put treats or toys inside, and let your cat explore.

-- Take trips that don't end with a shot. Put your cat in his carrier and take a short car trip now and then. A towel over the carrier may make your pet feel more secure -- not only in the car, but also in the vet's waiting room.

-- Avoid feeding your cat before the appointment. Don't give your cat food within three hours of a trip to the veterinarian's. He could vomit during the car ride, and some blood tests are not valid if taken soon after a meal.

-- Avoid the use of tranquilizers. Don't give your cat a tranquilizer without consulting your veterinarian first -- even if you've given them before and have them in your medicine chest. These drugs may mask symptoms of illness.

-- Work to minimize stress. If your cat is especially freaked out by dogs (as is often the case if he doesn't live with one), ask for the first appointment of the day or the first after the clinic opens after lunch. You may also consider a cats-only clinic or a hospital that has separate dog and cat waiting rooms.

If you feel you can't handle taking your cat in at all, ask your veterinarian about house calls or consider a veterinarian whose practice is mobile. If you use a house-call service, confine your cat to a small area before the veterinarian arrives -- dragging your pet out from under a dresser is a lousy way to start an exam.

CYBERLINKS -- Cindy Tittle Moore is the wonder of pet cyberspace, the woman behind a library of FAQs (netspeak for Frequently Asked Questions) that'll keep any cat- or dog-lover up-to-date on behavior and health issues. Her rec.pet.cats FAQ homepage (http://www.zmall.com/pet(underline)talk/cat-faqs/homepage.html) offers links to documents on infectious diseases, behavior problem and even genetics. You can also explore e-mail lists and newsgroups from there, or jump to the dog areas. When it comes to cats, though, nothing beats the Cat Fanciers site (www.fanciers.com) with information on cat breeds, rescue and shelter groups, health and behavior, showing and referrals to breeders.

Gina Spadafori, the award-winning author of "Dogs for Dummies," is affiliated with the Veterinary Information Network Inc., an international online service for veterinary professionals. Write to her in care of this newspaper, or e-mail to Giori(at)aol.com.

4520 Main St., Kansas City, Mo. 64111; (816) 932-6600