Sew dog tags to their collars to avoid noise

Dear Heloise: I'm a big fan! We have two mini schnauzers, Millie and Maggie, who sleep at my feet all day in my home office. Here are my two dog hints:

We don't like the tinkling of dog tags because we are both light sleepers. I use fishing line to sew their tags to their harnesses in a conspicuous place. I put both home-phone and cell-phone numbers on the tags because we travel a lot.

Their favorite toys are socks! Because they were originally bred to hunt rodents, I think the socks resemble, uh, expired prey. I collect socks with holes, and when I have a few, I take one of the pairs without holes and stuff it full of the holey ones. Next, I split the elastic top of the stuffed sock lengthwise into four strips. I tie the strips together with several knots to close the "sock rat." You might want to keep an eye on the toy to make sure they don't shred or swallow the sock. When the toys wear out, no great loss, because they are essentially free! — Diana from Leesburg, Ind.

How lucky you are to have two mini schnauzers in your life! Our Cabbie also rests wherever we are — office, kitchen, den or bed! She even has several pillows throughout the house to snuggle up on. Thankfully, she has not brought me a dead rat, like our departed Black Jack (a Lab/greyhound mix) used to do!

— Heloise

Dear Heloise: The inner bowl from an old slow cooker makes a perfect dog dish for bigger dogs. It's heavy enough that they can't pick it up and carry it around. It won't tip over and is easily cleaned. — Karen from Indiana

Dear Heloise: I have two adorable cats that love to chase my computer mouse across its pad. I got frustrated with all the fine fur that got stuck on both the pad and the mouse ball. I used a lint roller on the pad and compressed air in the mouse itself. Now, the ball tracks where it's supposed to, and I have a cleaner pad. — Renee, via e-mail

Dear Readers: Do you enjoy bird-watching? This is an inexpensive and fascinating hobby; all you really need is some binoculars and a book to help you identify the birds. A journal also is helpful to log the birds you've seen. (I have my list of birds I've seen written on the front inside cover of one bird book.)

My favorite spot is the South Texas coast near Rockport, where there is a whooping-crane refuge. I've been honored to see these large, magnificent birds several times. It's always a thrill!

— Heloise