My Pet World: How to get a cat to use the litter box
In your case I can advise you, but I cannot really answer your question. I do not think there are any tips I can give to you to make such a job on a dog that is so afraid easier on both you. There just are not enough hours in the day and the dog is too set in his ways. If he were younger or a bit less dramatic than the situation would be different.
The best advice I can give you is to just wave the white flag of defeat and take the dog to a groomer or your vet and have the job done professionally. It will cost money to do this but in the end it will be easier on both of you.
Q: There are flocks of wild quaker parrots in our park and we enjoy watching them. Last month we noticed an all blue quaker parrot flying in the group and then when we went back a few days later the bird was not longer to be seen. How does a blue bird appear in a group of green ones and what could have happened to it? -- James Prince-Westport, Connecticut
A: What you saw is a color mutation -- the color green is a combination of the primary colors blue and yellow and when a mutation in the genes of the bird removes the yellow color then you get a blue bird. Conversely if the mutation removes the blue color then you get a yellow bird.
What actually happened to the bird I cannot say -- a mutation like that in a wild population usually does not survive as the blue bird stands out in the flock of green ones and attracts the attention of predators, such as hawks who can zero in on and catch it easier than if it was chasing the green ones.
The domesticated quaker parrots that we keep as pets are bred in the blue colors as well as yellow, white and combinations of these colors, but those birds are bred in controlled settings, thus not subject to natural selection as the bird that you saw was.
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(Marc Morrone has kept almost every kind of animal as a pet for the last half-century and he is happy to share his knowledge with others. Although he cannot answer every question, he will publish many of those that have a general interest. You can contact him at petxperts2@aol.com; please include your name, city and state.)
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