Pssst! Wanna see a picture of my pets?

I love to take pictures, especially of my pets. And yet, I realized recently that quite some time had passed since I've made my long-suffering dogs sit nicely and look alert while I tried to capture a perfect moment, suitable for framing.

What made me realize how long it had been was one of life's little tragedies: the death of my parrot, Patrick. I had him more than a year, and I never once took his picture. I guess I figured he'd be with me for decades, and that as his feather-picked body continued to mend he'd get better-looking. Things didn't turn out that way at all.

And now, the pets who remain are suffering because of my regret, even more since I bought a nifty new digital camera. They're almost as tired of getting their pictures taken as my friends are of seeing the images.

So what, I say. I'm still shooting. And I've gotten pretty good over the years, mostly by following a few tried-and-true tips:

-- Get your children involved. I have to rely on my niece and nephew since I have no kids of my own, but they're wonderful photographer's assistants. Get a kid to help you with your pictures by teasing your pet with a toy, or zoom in close to get pictures of kids and pets together.

-- Head outdoors. Natural light -- early morning is best -- avoids the dreaded red-eye shot, where the flash makes your beautiful pet come out looking like a monster. Taking pictures outside gives your pet a more natural, healthy look. If your pet is a solid, dark color, use your flash outdoors (if your camera enables you to do so). The flash brings out the detail in your pet's face. If you do end up with red-eye, though, don't despair. One of the nifty things about digital photography is that you can remove red-eye in the finished product. I do this with Photoshop, but lots of less-expensive programs will do the same.

Bear in mind that being outdoors can be risky for some pets. If you take your bird outside, make sure his wings have been properly and recently clipped. Without a proper wing trim, a bird may be able to gain enough loft to fly out of reach. And indoor cats may be tempted to bolt. So be careful.

-- Get close. If you want a good picture, you need to go where your pet is. Shoot at just below your pet's eye level and zoom in as closely as you can for good detail.

-- Watch your backgrounds. Think neutral -- a plain wall, not a cluttered cabinet. Think contrast -- light for a dark pet, dark for a light one. If your cat loves to sleep on the busy fabric of your sofa, for example, consider throwing a solid blanket down first.

-- Be creative. If you want your pet to kiss your children, do as the pros do: Put a little butter on your children and let the pet kiss it off. This is a tip I got years ago when I interviewed a woman who trained animals for commercials. I've smiled every time I've seen a dog smooch a kid on TV since, knowing that more than affection was at play.

The best advice, and perhaps the hardest to follow, is to be patient and have fun. Film is cheap, and digital images are free once you have the gear. Take lots of shots, enjoy the good ones, and toss the rest. Just don't forget to get some pictures. You can be assured I've learned my lesson: Any animal who's here more than a day will be "shot," so I never have to regret not having a picture.

PETS ON THE WEB

No fancy graphics on this Web site (or graphics at all, for that matter) and not a lot in the way of text. But you don't need either to enjoy the Songs of Brazilian Birds Web site (www.mma.gov.br/ingles/CGMI/cantoave/cantoi.html), with its 51 recordings of sounds you'd usually have to be standing in the rain forest to hear. Some you might not hear even if you were in Brazil, since a few of the recordings are of birds whose future in the wild is very much in doubt. Among them, the hyacinth macaw, a stunning blue bird who's the largest of the parrots kept as pets. The raspy sound of their cries fades hauntingly away in the offered clip.

THE SCOOP

How odd that two books about dogs in the workplace should cross my desk the same week. Of the two, I found myself smiling more at "Working Dogs: Tales From Animal Planet's K-9 to 5 World," by Colleen Needles and Kit Carlson, with photographs by Kim Levin (Discovery Books, $15.95). The photographs are extraordinary, and they capture the spirit of dogs from Gidget, the famous Taco Bell spokesdog, to such workaday lugs as Bosco, the Labrador who fetches errant pins in a bowling alley.

"Dogs With Jobs: Working Dogs Around the World," by Merrily Weisboro and Kim Kachanoff, DVM, (Pocket Books, $24.95), is a more thoughtful exploration of the same ground, with writing that will sometimes bring you to tears. The story of Happy Ralph, a racing greyhound at the end of his career, is especially well-done, his story told with love, heart and honesty. These are two books I won't be parting with anytime soon.

QUESTIONS FROM THE PACK

Q: I am moving to a new neighborhood that has other dogs, all in pens. I don't have the money to fence the yard just now, much less buy my dogs their own pen each. I need a short-term solution to keep them in my yard and not the neighbors' yards.

I've heard that pouring ammonia around the perimeter will keep the dogs in their place, but does it really work? Please respond. I don't have much time! -- N.L., via e-mail

A: Ammonia won't work, sorry. Your dogs won't like the smell, but it won't slow them down for a second in their hurry to explore their new neighborhood.

A fencing is the only long-term solution. In the short term, you'll need to take them out on leashes or put them on tethers.

Tethering is not a good long-term solution, so please don't even consider it as a permanent fix to your problem. Dogs do not do well tied up; some even become vicious as a result. Tethering has other hazards, too. Your dogs can tangle up their lines and become unable to reach food, water or shade, or loose dogs can attack them. For these reasons, I recommend tethering for short periods at a time, and always under supervision. And remember: Never use choke-chain collar with a tether. It's too easy for a dog to strangle himself.

If you cannot afford to fence the whole yard right away, look into ready-made dog runs. You can find them relatively cheaply for less than a couple of hundred dollars, less if you are able to find one secondhand. These will keep your dogs safe during their potty breaks.

Q: I am trying to find out at what age we should introduce our kittens to canned food. Also, how soon should we have our cat spayed after having kittens? -- D.C., via e-mail

A: Mother cats start tiring of nursing when their kittens are around 3 weeks old. You should make solid food available from that point on. Softening dry food with water and placing a dab on each kitten's nose makes the transition easier. As the mother shows less and less interest in nursing, the kittens will gradually move over to solid food. By the age of 7 weeks, they should be completely weaned.

Cats can become pregnant not long after weaning their babies, so don't delay in calling your veterinarian to arrange a spay. Many an "oops" litter has become a "double oops" because someone didn't realize just how prolific a breeder a cat can be.

When you're discussing the mother cat's spaying, ask your veterinarian about neutering the kittens as well. Spaying and neutering are now routinely and safely performed on kittens and puppies as young as 8 weeks of age. With so many unwanted cats and kittens, you'll be taking a positive step toward ending the cycle of misery if you ensure that all your cats and kittens will not be reproducing.

While you're thinking about weaning, here's something else to work in to the routine: helping your kittens learn to use a litter box. At the same time you start weaning them, have clean litter boxes available. The mother cat will teach the kittens how to use them.

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

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

Sometimes it seems as if I've spent my whole life in a crusade to get people to stop using choke chains as an everyday collar for their dogs. And sometimes it seems a futile effort, since not a day goes by that I don't see a dog with a choke chain for a collar, the license hanging from the ring as proof that the animal wears the deadly chain all the time.

In the past I've argued that the choke-chain collar is only for walking and training your dog, and you put your dog at grave risk if you leave a chain collar on an unsupervised dog. That's because the ring of the chain has been known to get caught, even on the tooth of another dog in play. When a dog is snagged, his natural instinct is to pull away, and that causes the collar to tighten. The more panicked he gets, the more he pulls, the more the collar tightens. The end result, you can well imagine.

Your dog should wear a collar and tags for his own safety. And for safety, that should be a collar with a buckle or snap holding it together -- not, not, NOT a choke chain.

OK, so that's what I've always said. Today I'm going to say something more on the subject of choke-chain collars. When you take the chain off your dog -- as soon as possible, please -- don't put it aside for training or for walks. Just throw the darn thing away.

The choke-chain collar is an effective training tool when used correctly. And it's not cruel when used correctly. The problem is, the choke-chain collar is rarely used correctly. In a lifetime of sharing my life with dogs, training dogs and writing about dogs, I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen the average dog lover using a choke chain correctly -- and I'd still have two or three fingers left over for counting.

There are only two ways to put on a choke-chain collar: with the moving end over the dog's neck (right), or under the dog's neck (wrong). By the simplest law of averages you'd think folks would get them on right half the time, but all I ever see is the wrong way. When the moving part of the chain comes from under the dog's neck, the chain doesn't release easily when the leash is slackened. Since the collar's usefulness as a training tool relies on a quick snap-and-release action, a collar that's put on wrong is useless at best, and cruel at worst.

But even if the collar's put on right, people still manage to use it wrong. The collar is meant to be loose at all times except for the occasional split-second tightening to correct a dog's behavior. And yet most collars are tight all the time, as gasping dogs in coke chains drag their owners down the street.

I realize it may be hard to give up the choke chain. It's an ingrained part of our consciousness, one of the things we buy automatically for our dogs -- food bowls, a leash, a choke chain. Many pet lovers may not even know an alternative exists. But it's out there.

Primary among them, especially for people who have trouble walking their dogs, would be a head halter such as the Gentle Leader. Take the basic idea of a horse halter (where the head goes the body will follow), and add a couple of features just for dogs. Head halters are not muzzles. They work through pressure to the back of the neck and top of the muzzle, spots used by canine mothers to transmit the message of "I'm the boss" to their pups.

If you can't walk your dog without choking him and running the risk of dislocating your own shoulder, it's time for a change. Throw out the chain, and the danger and confusion that comes with it, and go for the alternative that's both safer and more effective. Get a head halter for your pet. Your dog and your shoulder will both be grateful.

PETS ON THE WEB

Alley Cat Allies has been working for a decade to change the way we think about and deal with feral cats. The group promotes stabilizing feral populations through trap-neuter-return programs. As do many feral-cat advocates, the group argues that maintaining stable, nonbreeding colonies of cats is a more humane and cost-effective way of dealing with the problem than the constant effort people expend to exterminate wild cats.

The coalition's Web site (www.alleycat.org) is a resource for those who feel the same way, with information on why the trap-neuter-return program is a viable solution, along with tips on how to set up such a program in your community. Especially valuable are articles on taming wild-born kittens and relocating cat colonies.

THE SCOOP

Although growing constantly, the beak of a normal pet bird does not need to be trimmed. Your bird keeps her beak at the proper length with normal chewing. An overgrown beak is frequently a sign of illness. Contrary to what some bird books still preach, don't accept "beak trims" as a routine health-care measure -- they're not. The bird who gets routine "beak trims" instead of proper medical attention may have an attractive beak, but is at risk of succumbing to the disease that is causing the abnormal growth in the first place. Many of these underlying problems can be corrected if addressed early and accurately. See a veterinarian who specializes in avian medicine if your bird is having beak problems.

QUESTIONS FROM THE PACK

Q: I have been researching the Staffordshire bull terrier breed for about a month now, and I like what I see so far. I was wondering if you could give me any reasons why I should or should not buy this breed. -- S.S., via e-mail

A: The bull and terrier breeds -- the American Staffordshire terrier, bull terrier, miniature bull terrier and Staffordshire bull terrier are the American Kennel Club versions -- have come in for some bad press as "pit bulls" in recent years. That's a shame, because all these dogs, pit bulls included, were considered to be stable pets for generations.

What prompted the change is that pit bull-type dogs became popular with certain people who broadened the dogs' traditional aggression toward other dogs, producing animals that would bite people. Couple this trait with these dogs' awesome physical power and you've got an animal that justifiably should be feared.

If you buy from a reputable show-breeder, however, and socialize and train your puppy, you'll end up with a calm, sensible dog with an easy-care coat who provides good companionship for a family. The downside? These breeds are not as likely as, say, a golden retriever to be overly fond of other dogs, and you'll also be constantly dealing with people who are afraid of your "pit bull."

The Staffordshire bull terrier is on the small end of the scale for bull and terrier breeds, 14 to 16 inches at the shoulder. But like all of these dogs, they pack a lot of power into the package. The Staffy bull is my own personal favorite of this group, an even-tempered, good-natured and wholly reliable spark plug of a dog. I sat on the floor with one at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show in February and was covered in kisses in less than a minute. What a sweetheart!

If you do end up with one of these breeds, remember that you have an even higher responsibility than other dog owners to have your pet be a good citizen. As the owner of the bull and terrier breed, it falls to you to help improve the public's bad impression of any dog who resembles a "pit bull."

Q: I liked your advice on keeping kibble available for cats at all times and giving them a small amount of canned food at room temperature once a day.

Having had many cats over the years, I've discovered that they most often get hit by cars after dark, and that most of their fighting occurs during their dawn and dusk patrols. Keeping cats in the house at those times cuts down on problems, and the wet food treat is a great motivator and training aid.

Buster, who is currently my only cat, knows that he should show up just before the sun goes down, then he will get his tablespoon of wet food. He'll then be in for the night. I hope to keep my next cat(s) indoors always, but this system is a workable compromise. Keep up the interesting columns! -- F.R., via e-mail

A: I always get nasty mail when I say this, but the indoor-only life isn't possible for every cat and every cat lover. I always recommend that people have indoor cats and that they convert their indoor-outdoor cats. But I'm also aware that anything to make the life of a cat with outdoor access safer is well worth mentioning.

Your suggestion is an excellent one, and can save the life of many a free-roaming cat. My other suggestion for anyone who lets a cat roam is to make sure the animal is neutered and kept current on all vaccinations, including rabies.

Another way to keep your cat more safe is a fence designed to keep cats in the yard. (Yes, it's possible!) The San Diego Feral Cat Coalition has information on its Web site at www.feralcat.com/fence.html. The information is from the Alley Cat Allies group, but I couldn't find it on the Web site anymore. If you don't have Internet access for the San Diego group, call the ACA for more information at (202) 667-3630, or write to them at 1801 Belmont Road NW, Suite 201, Washington, D.C. 20009-5164.

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

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

My friend Jan has a soft spot for weird kitties. Her cats are so skittish, I'm not sure she has as many as she says she does. For years I haven't seen anything more than the flash of a tail heading down the hallway.

The exception is Noodles, who is odd in a wholly different and mostly gregarious way. At the advanced age of 15-plus, he remains one of my all-time favorite cats. This, despite the fact that I wince remembering the numerous times he has sunk teeth or claws into my hand while I was petting him. But maybe I have a soft spot for weird kitties, too.

As if the permanent residents weren't crazy enough, Jan once had temporary custody of two cats -- both of which came to her after exhibiting a distaste for even the most clean and well-placed of litter boxes. After a few months at Jan's house, the cats were cured of their various mental and physical problems and then returned to their original owner.

I don't think Jan herself is crazy, by the way, but I'm willing to admit I may not be the best judge of such things. After all, the number of animals who have come through my own little foster-care system over the years has probably numbered more than 50, and not a few of those pets were what you might generously call "challenged" in one way or another.

Now, though, I wonder a little if she's in over her head. She has wild kitties in her back bedroom. She trapped them outside her workplace and had them neutered and vaccinated. Now she's enduring all-out kitty warfare between the resident cats and the fosters, as she works to tame the latter. And she's struggling to find permanent homes for these formerly ferals, cats who will require the most patient and understanding of owners at a time of year when cozy kittens are starting to become plentiful.

Jan's foster cats don't stand up too well against kittenish competition. Still, she has placed two of them so far, and knows -- just KNOWS -- that she'll find the right people for the rest of her foster cats.

I hope she's right, and I think she will be. Those of us who love animals know we couldn't get by without hope, and Jan is as true an animal lover as I've ever met.

Although their situation seems precarious now, Jan's foster cats are on the right road at last. Their luck changed for the better when someone with a soft spot for weird kitties decided to take them home.

PETS ON THE WEB

If you like to look at cats, you'll love the Cat Delight Web site (www.dell.homestead.com/cat/home.html). Every month, several dozen photos are selected by a panel of judges to be featured as the best. Judging from the pictures for January and February, this will be a great year to keep an eye on this site. And who knows -- maybe your cat can be one of those featured!

THE SCOOP

Springtime is when we all think of gardening. If you're putting in some new plants, don't forget to include a few your pets will enjoy. Carrots are favored by many dogs, and make a great substitute for commercial treats for overweight pups. Catnip is a natural for cats, but also consider valerian, another herb that makes kitties dance with joy. Rabbits, guinea pigs, rats and other rodents will enjoy any leafy vegetable you plant. And as for parrots, what's good for you is great for your bird. The fresher the better!

QUESTIONS FROM THE PACK

Q: I have changed my four golden retrievers over to the BARF diet. They love it, and I make sure it is balanced. Their coats and teeth look wonderful. I will never buy dog food again! Just interested in what you think of this. -- T.B., via e-mail

A: A great many dog lovers have embraced the raw-food diet known as BARF with a near-religious fervor, while a great many veterinarians shake their heads in disbelief and even horror at what they see as a dangerous fad. (BARF stands for Bones and Raw Food, or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food.)

Australian veterinarian Dr. Ian Billinghurst is the creator of the BARF diet, but raw-food diets have been around for years, primarily promoted by American holistic veterinarian Dr. Richard Pitcairn. Earlier raw diets included carbohydrates from grains, while later incarnations are made up almost exclusively of raw, meaty bones and vegetables. The idea is that the diet is most like what a dog would eat in the wild: raw flesh and bones, along with vegetable matter from the bellies of their prey.

A BARF diet requires a leap of faith for many pet lovers: The first time you hand a whole chicken wing or turkey neck to your dog, you're certain that you're killing him. After all, how many times have we heard that poultry bones can kill? (Which is very true, by the way, of cooked ones, which shatter easily and take on the properties of an ice pick once inside a pet.)

Worries or not, an ever-growing number of dogs are getting raw provisions every day. Advocates argue that a diet of cooked meats and grains, which is what goes into commercial foods, is both unnatural and responsible for many health problems. And they also question the quality of the meat, which generally ends up as pet food because it's deemed not fit for human consumption.

On the other side of the issue, many veterinarians aren't satisfied with the data to support the claims of the BARFers, and point to feeding trials conducted by commercial pet-food manufacturers that show generations of healthy pets. They also worry that most pet lovers aren't capable of preparing a proper pet diet on their own. (The convenience of a commercial diet, after all, is a pretty strong selling point, considering how busy our lives are.) Finally, veterinarians worry about food contamination such as salmonella.

Raw-food advocates, not surprisingly, have answers for every one of these concerns. One thing is certain: The debate will rage for years.

As for what I think: I'm sitting on the fence on this one. I respect my veterinarian friends who want to see the results of feed trials and other controlled studies, but I also respect my intelligent dog-loving friends whose pets are indeed doing well on a raw diet.

Anyone who is considering a raw-food diet absolutely must do his or her homework first. Required reading: "Give Your Dog a Bone," by Dr. Ian Billinghurst (self-published, $27.95), and "Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats" (Rodale, $16.95). "Give Your Dog a Bone" is available from DogWise at www.dogwise.com, or by calling 1-800-776-2665.

Also, my friend Christie Keith has been raising what she jokingly calls "organically grown Scottish deerhounds" since 1986, and her Web site (www.caberfeidh.com) has a great collection of articles and links on raw-food diets.

Q: A few weeks ago we got a female cockapoo. She was 10 weeks old when we got her, and she is really a sweetheart.

I just lost a beloved Westie in November and another one two years before that. They were wonderful dogs and were very affectionate. They would snuggle with us on the sofa in the evening and loved to be held and cuddled.

Our cockapoo, Addi, is good if you hold her when you are standing or on a chair in the kitchen. However, when you want to hold her on the chair in the family room or on the sofa, she constantly needs to be chewing a toy. When she does not have a chew toy, she will not stay near you or relax. I am in a panic because we want a dog that will snuggle, and she does not seem to want to. My husband and son are upset with her.

Will she ever be calm and a snuggler? I realize she is just a puppy and that her teeth must be bothering her; however, I don't think my Westies were like that at this age. -- H.D., via e-mail

A: I think you're probably forgetting what balls of fire your Westies were as pups. And that's what this girl is -- never forget -- a puppy.

Will she settle down? Certainly! How much, though, is anyone's guess. The fact that you describe her as a "sweetheart" and say she likes to snuggle sometimes leads me to believe she's on the right track. No one can say for sure, but chances are if you give her love, guidance and training, she'll turn out to be wonderfully snuggly companion.

Until then, be patient and try to enjoy her puppyhood. It doesn't last forever.

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

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