Six more weeks of winter, six days of winter, six more hours of winter, what difference does it make? Six more minutes is sometimes more than I can stand when it's too dark, too cold, too wet to take out the dogs.

I'm a weather wimp. I admit it.

How fortunate for my furry housemates that I learned long ago that mental exercise can be just as satisfying to bored, bounce-off-the-wall pups. Most breeds were developed to work, and few dogs today are asked to. Giving them a job to do is good for them, and they like it.

Last winter, I taught the big retriever, Benjamin, to balance a dog biscuit on his nose, then flip it into the air and catch it on command. Now it's a heck of a parlor trick, performed with plenty of panache. He also knows to "woo-woo" or bark on request, shake hands and -- I love this one -- find every one of his plush toys and put them in the washing machine to be cleaned.

Every trick, whether useful or just plain fun, was born on a gloomy winter afternoon. My oldest dog, Andy, used to delight in jumping tricks -- through hoops, or over other dogs -- until his hips got the best of him. Now his favorite indoor game is finding hidden items, and he's so good that it's obvious his hips may be failing, but his nose sure isn't.

This winter we're working on complicated retrieves where all three dogs are put on "stay" and then only one dog is sent out and must find the right object by name -- Kong, frog, jack, football and so on.

Such games are to dogs what the daily crossword puzzle or the latest computer game is to us. They have to think, they have to learn, and when they get it right, their sense of accomplishment and joy is palpable, and contagious. And as pleasurable as these games are, with plenty of praise for a job done right, they also reinforce a dog's place in the pack structure we humans call "family." Dogs need to know there's someone in charge. A gentle, loving, fun leader, but a leader nonetheless.

Start with a simple game and build on it. If your dog likes to retrieve, begin with simple in-sight fetching and then slowly make things harder. Add a "stay," then "hide" the toy in an easy-to-find spot, making the game a little trickier as your pet learns you want him to "find," instead of merely "fetch."

Complicated tricks are really lots of little tricks linked together. Benjamin's laundry trick, for example, is a combination of several tricks linked together, including "find" (his plush toy), "paws up" (onto the washing machine), "drop it" (into the washing machine) and "find" (another toy).

To take care of two challenges at once, get your children involved. Trick training is a great rainy-day project for kids. When I was growing up, my brothers and I taught our standard poodle to play hide-and-seek. The dog became so good at it, he could have been hired out to track missing children. (Our games ended not when the dog got old, but rather when my brothers became too big to stuff in tiny hiding places.)

A couple of good references on trick-training and getting children involved: "Dog Training for Kids" ($17.95, Howell Book House/Macmillan General Reference) by Carol Lea Benjamin, and "Dog Tricks" ($12.98, Black Dog & Leventhal) by Benjamin and Arthur J. Haggerty.

Pets on the Web: All this rainy-day gloom-avoidance has me thinking about a couple of people who offer toys to keep your cats from getting bored. The first is Gail Colombo, owner of Cat Faeries (www.catfaeries.com), a one-woman company offering lovely things for cats and the people who adore them. I met Colombo a couple of years ago at a cat show and knew in a flash she was a serious cat-lover. Check out her Web site and you'll know it, too. The site is more than a catalog, offering links to many useful and entertaining cat sites. The Claworks Web site (www.wolfenet.com/(tilde)claworks) is nothing fancy in comparison, but the cat toys offered sure are. Company owner Tom Goodham sent me a few to look at -- colorful, handmade and filled with catnip.

Gina Spadafori is the award-winning author of "Dogs for Dummies" and "Cats for Dummies," and is the editorial director of 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

What's the healthiest diet for parrots? Despite a gradually building knowledge of avian nutritional needs, too many bird lovers think the answer is "seeds" -- to the detriment of their bird's health.

"We know that proper nutrition is important to maintain the health of our companion birds, but we're not always sure how to provide it," says Dr. Stuart Turner, the veterinarian who oversees the Pet Care Forum of America Online and a longtime parrot fancier with a bird of his own, an orange-winged Amazon named Petty.

"While it's easy to point the finger of blame at the pet-bird industry and at pet stores for limiting offerings or promoting diets as complete and nutritious, it's not really fair," he says. "In most cases, claims about nutrition are impossible to prove with the limited nutritional knowledge we have about the various species."

Turner says based on current knowledge, bird lovers do best to feed their pets a commercially available pelted food (Roudybush and Harrison's are two commonly available and recommended brands), while reducing the proportion of seeds and adding a moderate amount of fruits and vegetables.

"Change and diversity are important in nutrition," says Turner. "They not only ensure a greater chance of your bird acquiring critical nutrients that may be otherwise lacking in the diet, but they're also important for their contribution to better emotional health for bird -- different food choices help to relieve boredom."

Problem is, the goal of proper nutrition is easier set than accomplished. Some birds become "seed junkies" and resist efforts to broaden their diet.

"Foods that are new or novel may not be readily accepted," admits Turner, who offers some suggestions to bird lovers trying to get their seed junkies to eat a more balanced diet.

The first thing to remember is that persistence will likely pay off, he says. If a food is rejected, continue feeding the old diet for one to two weeks, then return to the new food again. Studies have shown this strategy increases the familiarity and gradually increases acceptance.

If you have other birds in your household who are eating a more varied and nutritious diet, they can often be used to "train" the other bird to accept it by housing them together or in close proximity. Be careful, though, that the birds are socially compatible and that they are confirmed free of disease by an avian veterinarian.

The size of pelleted diets is also important, says Turner. If the pieces are too large, your bird may reject them. Although many birds like to grasp the larger pellets with their feet, acceptance for others may depend on pellet size, so resorting to smaller pellets may do the trick.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are important, but remember they spoil very quickly and should be removed in a few hours to no longer than a day if not consumed. They can easily become overgrown with bacteria and fungus, and pose a health threat if not pulled from the cage.

Above all, says Turner, it's up to bird lovers to stay current as more becomes known about the best diets for parrots and other birds. "Keep up your reading of bird magazines and on the Internet," he says. "But remember always that the best source of information is going to be a board-certified avian veterinarian."

Pets on the Web: The San Francisco-based Senior Dogs Project (http://www.srdogs.com) is dedicated to helping older pets live healthier, happier lives and getting potential adopters to consider giving an older dog a home. The site offers advice on health care for older pets, including an interesting discussion of the new arthritis drug Rimadyl. Best parts of the site are the "10 Good Reasons to Adopt an Older Dog" and the pictures of successful old dog adoptions. I love the stories of older dogs like Hank, a golden retriever mix adopted at the age of more than 12 years. "We love Hank very much and know the inevitable kindness is nearer than we like to think. But in two short years he has brought us more joy, laughs and unconditional love than we had ever thought possible," write owners Dave and Dustine Sparks. Awww.

Gina Spadafori is the award-winning author of "Dogs for Dummies" and "Cats for Dummies," and is the editorial director of 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

Of all the things that annoy people about dogs -- or, more precisely, about dog owners -- "the pile" has to be near the top of the list.

On the lawn. In the park. On the beach. In the gutter. "The pile" is the reason people don't want to share public space with dogs, the reason many public places are off-limits to dogs, and the reason for many "No Dog" signs at hotels and inns.

Picking up after your dog is one of the most important things you can do as a dog owner, and yet it's something too many ignore.

If you're among those who look the other way while "the pile" is being deposited, it's time you thought seriously about changing your ways. The good news: It's not hard at all. All you need is a pocket and some plastic bags.

It's cheap, too. You can use the plastic bags they pack your groceries in -- better for big dogs -- or you can get dozens of sandwich-sized ones -- perfect for small dogs -- for less than a dollar.

The plastic bag is the world's easiest pooper-scooper. Here's how it works:

Before heading out the door with your dog, pop a couple of plastic bags in your pocket. If the need arises, push your hand into the bottom of a bag, turning it inside out and forming a mitten that completely covers your hand. Then pick up the poop with that plastic-covered hand, pulling it into the bag as the "mitten" turns inside out again, this time with the poop in the pocket and hand outside. Flip the bag's sealer edges inward, closing the bag, or tie the handles if you're using the bigger size.

Pop the package into the nearest trash bin and you've done your civic duty, without any fuss or bother. The pile is no more.

Why bother at all if it's not required by law that you scoop? Because you owe it to your neighbors, to the people who share the park and the sidewalks, to your dog -- and to all the dogs you'd like to share your life with in the future and won't be able to if dog-haters ever get the edge. And they're certainly not without ammunition.

There are those who believe dogs and cats don't belong anywhere but in the country on a large piece of privately owned property, and a park full of poop certainly doesn't help to argue otherwise. You know the people I mean: the ones who always insist they're thinking only of the animals when they argue that pets should be banned from developed areas. The animals will be happier in the country, such people insist, where they can run free, unbothered by leash or fence. It's not "fair" to keep them in the city.

People who insist that pets don't belong in the city and suburbs fail to take into account the exciting findings that reveal just how important pets are to the mental health of the people who share lives with them. Animals are good with us, and they're good for us. But for most of us they remain a privilege, not a right.

Protect your future with companion animals by looking out for those people who would never want one. Cleaning up after your pets is one of the best ways to accomplish both.

Pets on the Web: A great many people these days are interested in therapies such as acupuncture, homeopathy, aromatherapy, and herbal and vitamin supplements. It's not surprising that interest in these topics has grown in veterinary medicine as well, with more than a couple hundred veterinarians practicing what the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association calls "alternative, complementary and holistic veterinary medicine." The association offers a listing of its member veterinarians on its AltVetMed Web site (http://www.altvetmed.com/ahvmadir.html). You've got the best chance of finding such a veterinarian if you live in California, but don't despair if you don't -- there's even a member listed at the North Pole.

For help in locating more traditional veterinary care, the Veterinary Information Network's free VetQuest service (http://www.vetquest.com) provides listings for more than 25,000 veterinary clinics and hospitals, along with maps to help you find them.

Gina Spadafori is the award-winning author of "Dogs for Dummies" and "Cats for Dummies," and is the editorial director of 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