Got a shivering pup looking up at you with those big brown eyes? Given that we coat horses to keep them cosy in winter, coating a dog isn’t so much of an indulgence, really. For DIYers, this dog coat pattern on Circle of Crafters looks like a real winner.

The author, Bobbi-Lynn, has thoughtfully included a range of sizes according to your pooch’s girth, and I’d imagine it wouldn’t be that hard to extend the back measurements to accomodate your favourite sausage dog.

I’m sure this pattern could even be re-jigged a little to accomodate a certain Cornish Rex I know, who has decided to spend winter glued to the heater.

Part of the charm of this page is in the gallery of pooches who are getting the benefit of this pattern. By turns fun (and just a little scary) it’s a great tribute to the versatility of this pattern.

Cat treats are a little harder to come by than dog treats. It’s easy to see why – treats tend to be mostly about training, and most people don’t even think about training their cats!

That said, I think cats can and should get some training. Most cats can be taught to come when they’re called, and if you catch ‘em young, they can be taught all kinds of tricks. Check out this youtube video from the States.

I reckon at the very least, cats should be taught “come” (which could save their life one day), and “get down” which comes in oh so handy at our place where little black pawprints cover every surface.Another command I think every cat should learn is “stay”. Think about it. How many scenarios can you come up with where that would come in handy? Just off the top of my head…

• Keeping an indoor cat from running out the door (it works because they know they’re busted!)
• Keeping an outdoor cat from running out in front of a car.
• Stopping a cat from jumping up onto food preparation areas.
• Keeping a cat from jumping down into a dangerous situation – like when you’ve just dropped a glass and haven’t picked up the bits (or is that just me? I’m kinda clumsy.

I’m a great believer in treat-based training, but I couldn’t for the life of me find something that my cat would work for – besides the not really health-and-sloppy fish paste option.

Cat treats need to be yummy to the cat but easy to handle and dole out in small quantities. I bought some scary heart-shaped ones but Mei Mei turned up her tiny nose at them. My last cat loved dried fish, but again, they were not to the likings of our little princess. I was fast running out of options, until I discovered these appallingly-named treats at Woolworths. Say it with me now “Love ‘em Purrfect Liver Treats.” Naming products is a science, see?

They come with all kinds of reassuring claims about natural goodness and veterinary degrees and such. They’re dry enough to handle and moist enough to be tasty, you can break them up if you want to, they cost just four bucks and best of all, Mei Mei will literally jump through hoops for these.

I tend to run my dog through his arsenal of tricks about three times a week these days just to keep him on the ball. Now when we’re doing our little trick sessions, I often feel a pair of beady blue eyes on me – that’s Mei Mei, wanting treats too.

She learned “sit”, “stay” and “get down” so fast I’m kind of wracking my brains for other useful things to teach her. Like all treat-based training, you have to be sneaky or she’ll only do it when there are treats in sight. Good thing these are generally within reach now.

RATING:
BUY IT: Woolworths/Pet Supersavers
COST: AUD$3.95