Call them the Finger Crossers, if you will -- those folks who know if their dogs get loose they'll get them back only when conditions are absolutely right: if there isn't another dog to play with, a squirrel to chase or a scent to follow. Or if they're fast or lucky enough to corner them.

If you're one of these dog owners, you may well be in the majority. While "Come" is one of the most basic of dog commands, it's probably the one dogs obey the least. While it's true some dogs are naturally more inclined to come when called than others, obedience is not an impossibility for any dog.

Figuring out why your pet won't mind is the first step toward fixing the problem.

Maybe your dog is afraid to come to you. If you're one of those people who have to chase your dog, you may also be someone who isn't very happy when you've finally caught up with him. Screaming at your dog for running away or punishing your pet when you collar him at last is a good way of making sure the next time he gets loose he'll run farther, faster. Wouldn't you?

Being reunited with you should be a positive experience. Never, ever punish a dog for coming to you or for failing to come.

If you're not punishing him, perhaps your dog really doesn't understand what you want. Few people practice the "Come" command enough -- or at all. You probably use "Sit" a half-dozen times a day, just around the house, but you probably don't use "Come" in the house when you want your dog near you. Maybe all you have to do is open the refrigerator. If that's the case, your dog doesn't understand the relationship between the command and the action of coming to you. He just knows if he's sitting in the right place at the right time, you might drop some food.

Or maybe your dog doesn't see why he should listen to you. You may have a dog who believes that what you want is only one of the factors that go into his deciding what he's going to do. A dog who knows what's expected of him and respects you is going to mind you. A dog who thinks you're a dope who couldn't catch a bus is going to treat you like the fool he thinks you are.

If the problems are training and respect, you can fix them both together. Train your dog, work with your dog, and the respect will follow. Teach your dog the "Come" command in increments, on a standard 6-foot leash, on progressively longer and lighter lines, and with lots of praise. Practice, not just in formal sessions but in everyday life. And sharpen up all your dog's manners, because they all help reinforce your role as leader. Elicit the help of a trainer if you just don't seem to be getting anywhere.

Should your untrained dog get loose, there are a couple of tricks you can use to catch him. Try to sweet-talk him in with a kneeling, open-arms stance, or run away from him, enticing him to follow -- the chase instinct is very strong in most dogs. Another strategy is to use a command he knows well, like "Sit." Once he's planted, you can take him by the collar. (Don't forget to praise for the sit!)

Remember, though, a loose-dog situation is not about obedience -- it's about keeping your dog from becoming road-pizza. If you're one of those Finger Crossers, keep him on leash for his own safety and start training now.

Pets on the Web: The parakeet, or budgie, is one of the world's most popular pet birds, a wonderful starter pet for a novice or child who's still interesting enough for the more experienced bird-keeper. The "All About Budgerigars" Web site (www2.upatsix.com/abs/allabout.htm) is a good source of information for both the first-time 'keet keeper and the experienced breeder or show competitor. You'll find many gems among the articles and dozens of essential links to other sites. The only criticism: This site could use a lot more pictures, especially of some of the more unusual colors or varieties.

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

By now the book covers are nearly as familiar as a can of Campbell's Soup, almost as ubiquitous as the Nike swoop. The "Chicken Soup" books are a sales phenomenon, one that would be easy to dismiss as pure hype were it not for a rather crucial element: These books have heart.

From the original "Chicken Soup for the Soul" (now coming up on its fifth "helping" of stories) to the more narrowly focused collections of stories for the "teen-age soul," "woman's soul" and even a cookbook, these books are what a friend of mine calls "great bathtub reading," and to her, that's the highest praise there is.

And a bathtub is a good place to read them, because otherwise you're going to need tissues. That is what I learned after reading the newest in the series, "Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul" (12.95; Health Communications Inc). From what one of the co-authors says, my reaction is fairly ordinary.

"I've had people start crying in book stores," said Dr. Marty Becker, the veterinarian who is one of four co-authors for the book.

The 90 stories -- chosen from more than 5,000 submissions -- pack a punch, to be sure. Becker believes it's because there's something special about the role animals play in our lives, and the difference an animal can make to someone who's in trouble -- or just needs the touch of another living being.

"Rarely do our true feelings come out with other people," said Becker. "But our pets ... they see your naked self, your true self, and they validate you with the wag of a tail. You come home and they greet you like a rock star. Fifteen minutes of fame, every time you walk in the door!"

"It's no wonder this is important in the high-tech, low-touch world we live in," he said, "where people don't know their neighbors, where they have a long commute to a 50-hour-a week job. Animals reflect back positive emotion -- and we need that in our lives."

Becker says it's not an either-or proposition -- either you love animals or you love people. He has found that for some people finding a place in the heart for a pet is the first step back from a life of isolation.

"I don't want to suggest that pets are substitutes for people," he said. "Pets can help us find the affection connection with other people. They're a great social lubricant."

The veterinarian hopes the book can be an inspiration for all kinds of animal lovers. It's certainly a celebration of the highest levels of an almost spiritual connection between people and animals. "Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul" has a handful of stories by such celebrities as Barbara Bush, Betty White, and two famous animal lovers who have passed on, Jimmy Stewart and Gilda Radner. While it's no doubt those names help sell books, the stories by people you've never heard of are the ones that will really stay with you. Maybe even change your life.

"You should take from this book the message that the need to love and be loved is timeless and tangible," said Becker, who said he hoped those of us who find we just don't have time for the lives we should be living find another lesson in the stories, and in the time we share with animals.

"I'd like to see people get off the hamster wheel of their lives and play," he said.

And maybe later, you could write about it. The publishers are collecting stories now for a second collection, to be released in the year 2000.

Pets on the Web: Want to be a veterinarian? My Veterinary Information Network colleague Dr. Stuart Turner has put together a wonderfully attractive and informative Careers in Veterinary Medicine Web site (www.vin.com/scripts/asp/career_web.asp) with features on the profession and on the veterinary schools and colleges. (His own school, the University of California-Davis, is in the spotlight this month.) The site also offers the option of searching for veterinary resources on the major search engines and provides a page of links to other careers for animal lovers. Not to be missed: His feature on how women are changing the profession.

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

With pets as with anything else, nothing succeeds like excess. That's why some of the most popular pets are the ones with lots of lovely fur -- such as collies, cockers and Persians. Even breeds like the golden retriever seem to get fluffier every year.

But there's price to be paid for such beauty, and if you don't pay, your pet will. Consider a simple mat, so easy to overlook on a longhaired pet. Have you ever had your hair in a ponytail that was just a little too tight? A mat can feel the same way to your pet, a constant pull on the skin. Try to imagine those all over your body, and you have a good idea how uncomfortable an ungroomed coat can be.

Your pet need never know what a mat feels like if you keep him brushed and combed. You should go over him daily, clearing snarls, and brush him out completely every week. For shorthaired breeds, doing so is a cinch: Run your hands over him daily, a brush over him weekly, and that's it. Even shorthaired cats, who do pretty well on their own, benefit from this attention.

For longhaired pets, grooming is a little more involved. Divide the coat into small sections and comb and brush against the grain from the skin outward, working from head to tail, section by section. Lightly misting the part of the fur you're brushing with water from a spray bottle makes working the brush through the coat easier and helps keep the fur from breaking. Work slowly and gently, with lots of sweet praise and encouragement. If either of you starts losing patience, take a break.

For those mats, sprinkle in some cornstarch and work it in well. Slice the mat with scissors from the skin out and then pick it apart gently with a comb. If your pet is heavily matted, don't put either one of you through the torture of combing them all out -- have the coat cut short by a groomer, instead.

One of the most often neglected parts of grooming is nail trimming, and it's easy to see why. Some pets lose control when the nail trimmers come out, which is why many owners leave trimming up to their veterinarian or a professional groomer -- or ignore it entirely.

The problem is that nail trims need to performed regularly, every month or so at least, which means it's up to you to keep it up. Get your pet used to the idea slowly by handling his feet and rewarding him with praise and treats. Short nightly sessions -- while you're watching TV, perhaps -- will build tolerance quickly.

When it's time to cut, start with just one nail and take just a fraction of an inch off before calling it a day. Eventually, you'll build to the point where you'll trim to just beyond the pink line that marks the vein. (In black nails, shine a flashlight through the nail to see where the vein is.)

If you're uncertain about your nail-trimming technique, have your veterinarian demonstrate and watch while you practice. But whatever you do, don't ignore nail trims or any part of a regular grooming regimen. It's an important part of the pet-lover's responsibility for maintaining good health and comfort.

More on "lost" pets: Many readers wrote to remind me that I missed something in my recent column on how to help pets find their way back home -- microchips. It's true that more pets than ever before are carrying this invisible, high-tech ID, and it's a good idea to have any animal you find "scanned" by your shelter or veterinarian.

Pets on the Web: This one's for my 6-year-old niece, Kate, who called me recently with news of her new pet, Ginger, a dwarf rabbit. "Aunt Gina," she said, "will you write a book on rabbits?" No doubt I will, someday, but I would consider it a real accomplishment if I could do as good a job as the House Rabbit Society has with its Web site, www.rabbit.org. This well-run site serves as a strong voice for the proper care of rabbits. Oh, and Kate: The HRS site has a special area just for kids.

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