The common wisdom used to be that we didn't "own" cats.

We fed them, admired their beauty and enjoyed their company. We let them in and out of our homes with a degree of good humor, and we grieved for them after they left us, sometimes without ever really knowing what happened to them.

While we wouldn't suggest telling your cat that he's "owned" -- because he still doesn't think so -- we can do a lot better by our cats than we ever have before. And that's really true for older cats.

The popularity of cats has led to an explosion in knowledge of how to care for them at all stages of their lives, and geriatric care is no exception. Barring accidents, cats can live healthier, happier lives years longer than they ever have before -- 10, 12, 14 years. Protected from the outside world, cats can live even longer, with 16, 18 and even 20 years -- or more -- a possibility.

But longer, happier lives do require effort on the part of cat owners. Sadly, study after study shows that cats aren't seeing that effort: Pet owners dedicate more time and money into keeping their dogs healthy than their cats.

You love your older cat, right? So change that. Why throw away good years you could share? The place to start: a visit to your veterinarian.

Regular physicals -- for geriatrics, twice a year is best -- are even more important as your cat ages. These need to be more extensive than when your cat was younger: Your veterinarian may suggest blood and urine tests, for example, to determine what's normal for your cat so that subsequent changes in the test values are more apparent.

Work with your veterinarian to address chronic health issues, or those that can lead to them. Key among them: Don't let your cat be fat. Obesity shortens a cat's life and makes the time they have less enjoyable.

You'll need a plan, though, because you can't starve a cat thin without risking serious health problems. So talk to your veterinarian and take it slowly.

Once you and your veterinarian have addressed all the health problems, you'll want to keep your cat active and comfortable.

Play is important, even to older cats, but especially to indoor ones. You don't have to spend a lot of money on toys to come up with ways to keep your cat busy. Cats can chase, hide, climb and explore with an endless variety of toys, many of them recycled household objects. Keep your older cat active, but avoid the flying leaps of youth. Shoot for low-impact play more often.

You'll also want to make rest easier. Your cat may have problems getting up on to high beds or cat trees, so make sure there are plenty of low-level spaces for your cat to enjoy a good nap. Make litter boxes easier to get to as well, perhaps by adding them on every floor, even if your cat has been used to using stairs over the years.

The bottom line: Look at your aging cat in a new way, and do what it takes to accommodate the changes brought on by aging, with the help of your veterinarian.

You and your cat will both be happier for it!

Q&A

Never let a puppy grow up unguided

Q: I'm a college professor, which means I have time off over the holidays. My kids are grown and gone with their own families far away, and my marriage is a thing of the past. I have done my homework, and I know "the experts" say Christmas isn't a good time to raise a puppy. I get the reasons why, but I'm not expecting company and I have time to get things off to a good start.

I have a dear friend who's a veterinarian, and she knows of a litter by a good breeder, a longtime client. The breeder shows and does all the health tests, and it's a breed I had growing up -- a cocker spaniel. I'm going to get my puppy mid-December. Your best advice? -- W.P., via e-mail

A: My problem with Christmas puppies is twofold, neither of which applies to you. First, a lot of the puppies sold at Christmas come from puppy mills or small-scale, quick-buck breeders who either don't know or don't care what it takes to develop a healthy, well-socialized family pet. Your breeder doesn't fit into this category, it seems.

My other concern is that the holidays can be just too much stress for getting a puppy started. Too much noise, change, company -- not your situation, so it's all systems go.

My best advice: Forget everything you ever heard about starting training at 6 months. Your puppy starts learning the moment he's born. And by the time you get him, he's as absorbent as a bath towel, taking in the sights and sounds of his world and trying to figure out his place in it.

The position he decides he has may be quite different from the one you want him to have, which is why you need to be involved in the process as he learns to live with his new family.

It's not that complicated, really. Your puppy wants to be part of your family, and he craves loving leadership. Just keep a few things in mind as you enjoy your youngster:

-- Bond with your puppy.

-- Socialize your puppy.

-- Never let your puppy do anything you wouldn't want a grown dog to do.

-- Teach your puppy using positive methods; make training fun. (Sign up for a good puppy class now, even if you don't start until next month.)

-- Realize your puppy will make mistakes, and don't get angry when he does.

-- Remember always that preventing bad habits is easier than fixing them later.

Every minute you spend with your puppy is not only delightful but also an investment in the future. Best wishes and enjoy every moment. As with children, puppies are grown before you know it!

(Do you have a pet question? Send it to petconnection@gmail.com.)

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet-care experts headed by "Good Morning America" and "The Dr. Oz Show" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Gina Spadafori. The two are also the authors of several best-selling pet-care books.

On PetConnection.com there's more information on pets and their care, reviews of products, books and more. Contact Pet Connection in care of this newspaper by sending e-mail to petconnection@gmail.com or by visiting PetConnection.com.

THE BUZZ

Grant helps keep pet food coming

-- The nonprofit Meals on Wheels has struggled in this economy to continue the delivery of meals to the elderly and pet food to their animals because rising gas prices have decreased the number of volunteers able to deliver the food. Meals on Wheels provides for pets in more than 100 of their locations, understanding how important animals can be to the socially isolated. To help keep the food deliveries on track, Meals on Wheels has collaborated with Banfield Charitable Trust to start "We All Love Our Pets," a program providing grants nationwide both to create new pet food delivery programs and also to assist volunteers with the costs of distribution.

-- Microchipped pets within the shelter system were able to be reunited with their owners three out of four times, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Microchipped felines were 20 times more likely to be returned to their owner than their non-microchipped shelter counterparts, and dogs were 2 1/2 times more likely to be returned than non-microchipped shelter dogs.

-- "Love dolls" aren't just for lonely men -- lonely dogs will soon be able to get a fake mate as well. The DoggieLoveDoll, the world's first "sex doll" for dogs, comes in three sizes, is made of soft rubber and is easy to clean. The more than vaguely disturbing new product will be in stores by the end of the year.

-- People can rest with their pets forever -- at least in one church-run cemetery. Members of the Church of the Epiphany in Norfolk, Va., approved allowing cremated pets to be laid to rest in the same columbarium niche with the cremains of their owners. -- Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker Shannon.

THE SCOOP

Stop the bite: Watch feline body language

Human stupidity (from the cat's point of view, that is) in misreading or ignoring body language earns more than a few cat lovers a scratch or bite from time to time -- the result of misinterpreting a cat's "I've had enough" signs.

The classic example of this phenomenon is the cat who, while being petted, "suddenly" grabs the hand that pets him with teeth and claws, to the shock and sometimes anger of the human doing the petting.

In fact, these "out of the blue" attacks rarely are. Before the biting or clawing, a cat gives out subtle (subtle to us, anyway) signs of diminished tolerance. Primary among them: an increase in the stiffness and twitching of the tail.

Often, the problem starts with petting your cat's tummy, a very vulnerable area for any animal. Your cat may even offer his belly out of love, but after you start to pet, he may become increasingly uncomfortable with the attention. Most cats just don't like tummy rubs, although exceptions to this rule certainly do exist.

Watch your cat's body signs: If he's tensing or that tail starts twitching, stop petting immediately. Not only does doing so save you claw and teeth marks, but stopping before your cat strikes also slowly builds up his trust in you and his tolerance for physical attention. -- Gina Spadafori

PETS BY THE NUMBERS

Where'd you get that cat?

Cats just seem to show up, at least a lot of them do. According to the American Pet Products Association's 2008 pet owners survey, more than a third of all pet cats adopted their owners. Here are the top reported sources for getting a cat (multiple responses allowed):

Friend/relative: 39 percent

Stray/found: 34 percent

Shelter/rescue group: 22 percent

Owned mother: 13 percent

Private party: 8 percent

PET Rx

Bite wounds always potentially serious

When it comes to little pets -- rodents and birds -- bite or claw wounds inflicted by cats or dogs are always a potentially deadly situation, even if it doesn't seem so at first. Dogs and cats are able predators, and their jaws are quite capable not only of piercing the skin of smaller pets, but also of crushing internal organs and breaking bones. Even a little pet who seems to have escaped an attack with "only" a small bite or scratch can fall victim to infection -- as can small pets with no visible signs of injury at all.

If your small pet is attacked by your cat or dog, attempt to control the bleeding, and contact your veterinarian. Your little pet may need to be treated for shock, infection or internal injuries, and very likely should be started on antibiotics as soon as possible. -- Dr. Marty Becker

Pet Connection is produced by a team of team of pet-care experts headed by "Good Morning America" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Gina Spadafori. The two are also the authors of several best-selling pet-care books. Contact Pet Connection in care of this newspaper, by sending e-mail to petconnection@gmail.com or by visiting PetConnection.com.

People love to collect, and it seems everyone has something they just can't get enough of. For us, pet-related trivia seems to hold endless fascination. We collect it, we share it from our homes a thousand miles apart, and we file it. Because, well, you never know when pulling out that file will remind you of something you've been meaning to write about.

This week, we've pulled out some of the quirkiest pet-related tidbits for sharing. Hope you enjoy them, and if you have some yourself, we'd love to hear from you.

-- Cat got her tongue: If you look at a cat's tongue with a magnifying glass, you'll see it's covered with row after row of barbs. These little structures that line the surface of a cat's tongue are called filiform papillae. They're hooked, and they are directed toward the throat.

These barbs help to hold prey while eating, and they also help a cat keep her fur in perfect (or should we say "purrfect"?) condition, pulling out dead and dying hairs, along with any debris picked up in the day's travels. Cats can actually feel when a few hairs are out of place, so that tongue is also a convenient, built-in hairbrush.

-- Doggone grass-eaters: Don't assume "tummy ache" when your dog grazes. Your dog may just be a bit of an omnivorous gourmet, seeking out the best of the available vegetation.

Dogs are predators, which means that their ancestors survived by eating meat. In the wild, however, it's not all cuts of juicy sirloin but the entire animal -- including the vegetation found in the stomachs of herbivores.

Many dogs show a distinct preference for tender shoots, especially those glossy with morning dew or damp from a cooling shower.

-- The colder the day, the rounder the cat: Cats sleep in one of two basic positions -- upright (think the New York Public library lions) or on their sides. How curled a cat is when sleeping on her side will depend on how hot or cold the animal is. The more tightly curled a cat is, the colder the air temperature. Curling into a tight ball helps to conserve body heat. When cats stretch out, they expose their bellies, allowing heat to escape and helping to cool them.

-- Dog tags for pets and people: Dogs have been taxed for centuries, but the idea of using a tag to signify that a dog was "street legal" seems to date to the late 19th century, when Cincinnati, Ohio, started issuing tags on an annual basis, and other cities and states soon followed suit.

Although wooden tags for soldiers were used in the U.S. Civil War to help identify the injured and the dead, it wasn't until World War I that American soldiers got metal tags as standard issue. The resemblance between the tags of soldiers and of dogs -- along with a good dollop of droll military humor -- soon had the new tags called "dog tags," a term that sticks to this day.

-- Keeping the weapons covered: A cat's claws can slow him down, which is why claws come out only when they're needed.

It's a mistake to refer to claws as retractable, by the way. The normal, relaxed position of a cat's claw is retracted, or sheathed. To bring out those daggers, a cat must voluntarily contract muscles and rubber band-like elastic ligaments underneath her toes. If it were the other way around, the poor cat would have to keep her muscles tensed all day long to keep her claws sheathed.

We'll have more pet trivia another day!

Q&A

True grit story: Most don't need it

Q: After a gap of more than a decade, we gave in and now have another cockatiel. We had to start from scratch with a cage, dishes and more, so we figured we'd look into what's the latest and greatest. In your book "Birds for Dummies," you say birds don't need grit. But the pet store sold it to us anyway and said you were wrong. Not sure what we should think now. What's the story? -- T.E., via e-mail

A: In the last decade or so, our knowledge of what it takes to keep pet birds healthy has changed dramatically, and some sources haven't kept up with the latest information. Grit (which is finely ground rock) was thought to help birds grind their food, but it's no longer recommended for most birds by avian experts such as my "Birds for Dummies" co-author, Dr. Brian L. Speer, a board-certified avian specialist and past president of the Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV).

Indeed, grit is now thought to have a negative impact on bird health, removing vitamins A, B and K from the digestive system. And grit occasionally leads to a potentially life-threatening problem, when the amount of the stuff in the bird blocks the digestive system.

Still, some birds can make use of a small amount of grit. Canaries and other finches should be allowed a couple of grains every few months. Other birds, from budgies, cockatiels and lovebirds on up into the rest of the parrots, don't need grit at all and shouldn't be offered it.

I find that misinformation is more commonplace for birds than for any other pet. And it's everywhere -- from bird clubs to pet shops to the Internet and even some general-practice veterinarians. The best advice I have for anyone who wants the latest and best bird-care information is: Find a veterinarian who's a board-certified avian specialist, or find one who takes the extra time to stay current on avian care. You can find such a veterinarian through the AAV (aav.org).

(Do you have a pet question? Send it to petconnection@gmail.com.)

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet-care experts headed by "Good Morning America" and "The Dr. Oz Show" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Gina Spadafori. The two are also the authors of several best-selling pet-care books.

On PetConnection.com there's more information on pets and their care, reviews of products, books and more. Contact Pet Connection in care of this newspaper by sending e-mail to petconnection@gmail.com or by visiting PetConnection.com.

THE BUZZ

Rabies shots for more than canines

-- The American Veterinary Medical Association reports that cats have a higher incidence of rabies than dogs, while horses and ferrets have less chance of being rabid than either dogs or cats. Talk to your veterinarian about vaccinating all -- for the health of your entire family, two- and four-legged both. In other rabies news: Alabama recently became the last state to accept three-year vaccinations for rabies. The immunization has long been known to last at least three years, but the progress in getting the recognition into regulations in all states has been slow.

-- More than half of pet owners sleep with their pets or allow the animals to lick their faces. A study by Kansas State University notes that this practice, along with not washing hands after handling pets or pet food, was a contributing factor in the development of new strains of E. coli. Remember our motto: Get rid of the risk and keep the pet! Wash those hands!

-- Remains of the oldest relative of modern seals, an animal who roamed the Earth some 20 million years ago, were discovered on Devon Island in the Canadian arctic. The fossil has a head like a seal but a body similar to an otter with large, webbed feet. Science Daily reports that the fossil will be used to help scientists study what led the ancestors of seals and walruses to evolve into mammals spending most of their time in the water.

-- Respondents to an informal poll with 2,000 participants on Dogster.com said that concern over pet-food quality and ingredients was the most likely reason for them to switch pet foods. Three-quarters of respondents had this concern when it came to food choice, far surpassing veterinary recommendations at 14 percent or price at 8 percent. -- Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker Shannon.

PET Rx

Food is not love: Get the pounds off your pet

Obesity in pets causes a lot of the same problems it does in people. An overweight pet is prone to a host of related problems, including diabetes, joint, ligament and tendon difficulties, breathing and heart challenges. Overweight cats can even develop skin problems from not being able to groom themselves properly. The overall impact on comfort and longevity can be dire.

Is your pet overweight? Healthy pets have some padding on them, but a little is plenty. Rub your hands over the ribs of your dog or cat. The skin should move easily back and forth, and you should be able to feel the ribs. Your pet should have a definable "waist" at the bottom of the rib cage, a small tuck-in at the stomach. Take a look from the side: If your pet looks pregnant, he's fat. From above, a bump out from the middle into an apple shape is equally bad news. In birds, look for a thicker breast or rolls of fat.

Crash diets aren't good for pets, especially not for fat cats, who can develop a fatal liver problem if forced to reduce too quickly. A pet doesn't get fat overnight, and he shouldn't be forced to change course any more rapidly. What you'll need to do is change your pet's eating and exercise habits gradually.

The best place to start is with a trip to your veterinarian. You'll want to make sure your pet doesn't have any problems that might make lifestyle changes difficult or dangerous. Your vet can also suggest a food plan that might help.

Carve some time out of your schedule to walk your dog or play with your cat -- three times a week, at least. Be sure to work in some aerobic exercise, anything that gets a cat or dog really moving. Dividing the daily food ration into small portions and making pets work to find them or putting food in puzzles that require work to get at will also help. -- Dr. Marty Becker

PETS BY THE NUMBERS

Smaller birds have bigger popularity

Parakeets and cockatiels both increased in popularity by more than a third between 1998 and 2008, but the popularity of all other birds kept as pets took a 44 percent tumble during the same period. The percent of pet owners who had pet birds of any kind, by year:

1998: 3.3 percent

2000: 2.7 percent

2002: 2.6 percent

2004: 2.6 percent

2006: 2.5 percent

2008: 2.5 percent

Source: American Pet Products Association

THE SCOOP

Lidded trash cans an easy mess to fix

Do you have a pet who likes to rummage in bathroom wastebaskets or the kitchen trash bin? This behavior is very rewarding to the pet who indulges in it, so it's a very hard habit to break. You can try to booby-trap the cans by buying motion-detector noisemakers or mats that give animal trespassers a small electric shock.

An easier, kinder and more reliable way to solve the problem is to simply remove the temptation. For some pets, a lidded trash bin will solve the problem. For others, you'll need to put the bin behind the door of a cabinet or pantry. Sometimes changing your behavior is the most efficient way to change your pet's behavior -- and the strategy is easier on you both. -- Gina Spadafori

Pet Connection is produced by a team of team of pet-care experts headed by "Good Morning America" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Gina Spadafori. The two are also the authors of several best-selling pet-care books. Contact Pet Connection in care of this newspaper, by sending e-mail to petconnection@gmail.com or by visiting PetConnection.com.

Parrots are incredibly intelligent, and for anyone who doubts this, we point to Alex, Dr. Irene Pepperberg's well-known African Grey, who showed by matching words to objects that he and his kind are anything but "bird brains."

And yet, we too often see these brilliant beings kept as little more than decorative objects, prized for their plumage and locked for nearly all their lives in cages that are too small no matter how large. Is it any wonder so many pet birds die young, or rip out their own feathers in frustration?

Toys are essential to maintaining the physical and mental well-being of parrots large and small. Playthings help keep pet birds fit while fighting the boredom that can contribute to behavioral problems such as feather-picking.

There are toys your bird can hold, toys that hang from the top and sides of the cage, and toys that do double duty as perches and swings. Twirlies, holdies, chewies, puzzles and noisemakers can all keep your bird occupied. Although you can buy toys by major manufacturers from the big chain stores, it's also nice to choose from the variety of playthings lovingly made by a cottage industry of bird lovers and available from independent bird shops, through catalogs and on the Internet.

Some basic rules apply when shopping for toys, to ensure they are suitable and safe for your bird. Look for the following when choosing bird toys:

-- Materials: Toys are subject to your bird's healthy urge to destroy, which means safe components are a must. Wood, rawhide, plastic or stainless steel chain, rope, cloth and hard plastic are among the more popular materials that make up safe toys. Choose toys that break down into pieces that can't be swallowed. An exception: Toys made to hold food items, such as dried corncobs or fruit chunks. With these, eating is a large part of the fun.

-- Construction: Challenging toys, the best choice for busy birds, feature pieces combined in ways that make it hard for the birds to pull the whole product apart -- but not too hard. Indestructible toys are not appropriate for most birds, because the time and energy used to rip apart the gadget is part of the reason toys fill such a need.

-- Size: Little toys for little birds, big toys for big birds. A big bird can catch and lose a toe in a toy made for a smaller bird, and small birds can get their heads trapped in toys made for their larger relatives.

Some birds are apprehensive of new toys. If yours is one of them, try to set the toy outside the cage (but within eye range) for a day or two, and then put it on the floor of the cage for another day or two. Once your bird starts to play with the toy, you can go ahead and attach it to the cage.

Don't overwhelm your pet with toys. Instead, keep two or three in the cage and rotate new ones in regularly. Shopping for bird toys can be fun, but the costs do add up, especially if you have one of those gleefully destructive parrots. With some creativity, you can make your money go further by complementing store-bought bird toys with alternatives.

The cardboard cores of toilet paper and paper towel rolls are perfect for shredding, especially for smaller birds. String those tubes together on a thick leather cord and hang them in your bird's cage. Other cheapies include ballpoint pens with the ink tube removed, pingpong balls, old plastic measuring cups and spoons, and plastic bottle tops. (Wash in hot soap and water, rinse well and air-dry before offering such items to your bird.)

Toothbrushes are another bargain toy, sturdy and colorful. You can buy cheap ones new or give your pet your worn ones after running them through your dishwasher (or hand-washing in soapy water, followed by rinsing and air-drying). The hard plastic keys on a ring sold for human babies are also a budget-wise buy that birds love, and real keys can be just as fun, after a scrubbing.

Keep your eyes and mind open for playthings your bird can enjoy -- you may surprise yourself with the possibilities!

Q&A

Don't leave cat home alone for long

Q: How long can my cat stay home alone if I leave plenty of food and water? I don't have anyone to care for him while I am gone, up to four days at a time for business. -- S.W., via e-mail

A: How would you like to be left with food that's getting older by the minute, water that's developing a skin of slime and a bathroom where the toilet's backed up? That's pretty much what you're dealing with if you leave your cat unattended for more than a day.

Even worse, what if the water is spilled, or your cat eats all the food on day one? And what if he gets seriously sick or injured, and no one's around to help?

Although there are some time-release food-dispensers that can keep a cat covered for a weekend in a pinch -- and pet water fountains can keep pets happily hydrated with a freshened supply -- your pet really should have someone check in at least once a day, preferably more.

If you don't have friends, relatives or neighbors who can help, hire a pet sitter to come to your home. PetsitUSA.com, Petsitters.org and www.petsit.com all offer searchable listings, or simply ask friends and co-workers for recommendations (and check references!). -- Gina Spadafori

(Do you have a pet question? Send it to petconnection@gmail.com.)

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet-care experts headed by "Good Morning America" and "The Dr. Oz Show" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Gina Spadafori. The two are also the authors of several best-selling pet-care books.

On PetConnection.com there's more information on pets and their care, reviews of products, books and more. Contact Pet Connection in care of this newspaper by sending e-mail to petconnection@gmail.com or by visiting PetConnection.com.

THE BUZZ

AVMA offers info on pets and H1N1

-- Since the news broke of a housecat in Iowa testing positive for the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus, pet owners and veterinarians have been scrambling to learn more: Can my pet get sick? What would the symptoms of H1N1 in cats be? How is it identified? How is it treated? The American Veterinary Medical Association has put up an information page on its Web site (www.avma.org/public_health/influenza/new_virus) to get the answers out. The page offers continuously updated information on the H1N1 influenza virus (also known as the "swine flu"), how the virus might affect pets, and what veterinarians should know when talking with clients and treating patients. The trade group's response underscores the critical role veterinarians play in the public health system for pets and people alike.

-- Our seemingly insatiable appetite for providing pets with accessories at home is now making the transition to the automobile. LeaseTrader.com, an online car lease swap marketplace, reports a 67 percent increase in the number of customers who shop for a vehicle with pet needs in mind. The company says economics are pushing consumers away from large SUVs and toward dog-friendly smaller crossovers, wagons and hatchbacks.

-- November is Pet Diabetes Month. The disease affects one in 200 cats and one in 500 dogs worldwide. A new Web site, www.petdiabetesmonth.com, offers awareness and information on the disease to pet owners. The owners of diabetic cats can also find advice and support on the Feline Diabetes site (felinediabetes.com), which is run by a doctor whose own cat was diabetic.

-- Max wins out these days as the most popular dog name in the world. And it's not just Max: Pets have a much higher chance of being given a name traditionally reserved for humans than one considered normal for a dog, such as Fido. Fido had a good run, though. Evocative of the loyalty for which dogs are known, Fido gained favor in the 1860s when President Lincoln's so-named dog was the first presidential pet to gain celebrity status recognition after posing for a formal photographic portrait. -- Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker Shannon.

THE SCOOP

Clicking with your pet is easy, fun

When you're looking for an easy way to train your pet, it doesn't get much better than clicker training. The no-force technique works on animals of all sizes, ages and abilities. And that's true of the people who would administer clicker training, since it doesn't require strength or much coordination on the part of the trainer.

Best of all: It's fun for trainer and pet alike.

A clicker is a small plastic box that fits in the palm of your hand -- a child's toy that's also called a "cricket." To make the noise, you press down on the metal strip inside the housing and quickly release it -- click-click!

The clicker itself doesn't have any magic powers. What it provides is timing -- it allows a trainer working with a dog who understands the game to let the pet know that the behavior he's doing right now is the one that's being rewarded. And that means the behavior will be repeated. The clicking noise becomes a reward because in the early stages of training, the sound is linked to the delivery of something a dog wants, most usually a tiny treat.

To get started, ask around for clicker-training classes in your area. Many trainers offer them, either as an integral part of their training services or as special "trick-training" sessions. If you can't find help in your area, look online for Web sites, books, videos and more.

Clicker-training even works with people -- your mate, your kids, your boss. But you didn't hear that from us! -- Gina Spadafori

PETS BY THE NUMBERS

People, pets share illness, too

Many of the same problems that make us sick are sources of misery for our pets, too. According to 2008 claim records from Veterinary Pet Insurance (PetInsurance.com), the top 10 human medical conditions that affect pets are:

1. Allergies

2. Bladder infection

3. Arthritis

4. Diabetes

5. Skin cancer

6. Gum disease

7. Acne

8. Stomach ulcers

9. Cataracts

10. Laryngitis

ON GOOD BEHAVIOR

SURPRISE YOUR DOG FOR GOOD RESPONSE

If you want your dog to come when you call without thinking twice, call your dog a few times daily for a fun surprise.

Call your dog to initiate play, to get dinner, to leave home for a walk or car ride, or to enjoy a petting session. Mix up the good stuff, so your dog never knows what to expect but learns that it's all good.

If you never make the mistake of calling your dog and then doing something your dog thinks is unpleasant, your dog will automatically come when you call with a wagging tail and happy look on his face.

Always praise your dog as he's heading toward you, since silence can worry dogs. If he hesitates, squat down to his level with open arms. Good routines become good habits. -- Susan and Dr. Rolan Tripp, AnimalBehavior.net

Pet Connection is produced by a team of team of pet-care experts headed by "Good Morning America" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Gina Spadafori. The two are also the authors of several best-selling pet-care books. Contact Pet Connection in care of this newspaper, by sending e-mail to petconnection@gmail.com or by visiting PetConnection.com.