1. If your dog walks on salty sidewalks or streets, be sure to rinse the salt off the bottom of his feet.

2. Ask your parents to make sure that liquids like car anti-freeze are put away in cupboards or high up on shelves where young children and dogs can't accidentally drink them. They are very poisonous.

I am a new owner of a yellow Labrador puppy, and I have a question concerning his sleep. When we first got our dog, we let him sleep in one of our bathrooms, but my mom can't stand the smell so we went out and bought a doghouse today. However, we're not sure if it's too cold for him to sleep outside now, since he's only three months old and the temperature drops down close to zero degrees Celsius here. What we should do?

There are two issues here: the cold weather, and a messy puppy.
A twelve week old puppy is too young to spend that much time in the cold. Puppies need to be older and build up a thicker coat. You should check with your vet, but until you do, don't leave the pup outdoors. The dog should do well for short times during the day if the temperature is well above freezing. Here are some suggestions:

1. If you're not already, take charge of cleaning the mess from the pup, even if you have to set an alarm to wake up before everyone else. When they wake up, the bad mess is gone. Try to replace the smell with an air freshener that everyone likes. Be sure to clean the floor underneath the papers if that's what you're using. If you have a room where people don't go very often, that might be better than a bathroom where people visit often.

2. Bathe the pup whenever he gets into his own mess, or at least wipe him off really good with a wet cloth, until the smell is gone. Be very careful that you dry him and keep him indoors until he is totally dry. Newly bathed puppies smell really nice.

3. Start housebreaking your dog. Be persistent about setting the timer to go off every 15 minutes for potty breaks.

4. The more you leave the pup alone, the more he will be laying in his own mess or close to it. Spend as much time with your pup as you can. That way you can work on the 15 minute housebreaking plan and bond better with your pup.

Your job is to keep the dog smelling good and work on the housetraining (which will take a while). If your parents are getting frustrated already, you will have to work harder to make this a good experience for them. Sometimes kids have to help their parents enjoy the things kids enjoy. Remember, these hard times don't last forever (they just seem like it). Someday you will have a great-smelling lab that lays at your feet and asks to go out to relieve himself. You will look back at these puppy days and be glad you worked harder to get through them.

The above is a suggestion, not a substitute for professional advice. Consult your veterinarian for all concerns you may have.