If you are a regular Tiny Talk or Diva Dialogue reader, then you might already know that I have a puppy. Well, this week, I am excited because our pup is turning 1 year old tomorrow!

I am especially excited about this birthday because I feel like I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Now that he is older, I can see his bad puppy habits are starting to fade away.

Being as excited as I am, I have tossed around the idea of throwing a doggie birthday party. While I don’t have any children of my own, I thought it would be fun to spoil our pup in his own way. Some people think I am crazy, but I think it would be a neat idea.

If you like the idea of celebrating your pup’s special day, here are some fun ideas:

• Bake a cake: Search online for some pet friendly cake recipes for your dog.  Some favorites that caught our eye include Peanut Butter Delight and Kibble Cake.
• Buy a special toy & wrap it: Does your dog have a favorite toy?  If so, why not buy him a shiny new toy that isn’t already all chewed up.  And, for even more fun, you can wrap it and let your dog tear off the paper without getting in trouble!
• Head to day care or the dog park: Is your dog socialized?  Then, let your dog play with his neighborhood friends by sending him to day care or taking him to the dog park.
• Head somewhere new & take a long walk: Rather than taking the same old walk, go somewhere different and let your pup explore the new surroundings.
• Have a party: Invite the neighborhood dogs over for a party.  Let them run around in the background and nibble on the birthday cake that you made. Some websites like Good Dog Express offer fun dog party supplies.

For at least a month now, my house has been plagued by ants. I find them on the tile, in the cracks of the sofa and climbing my bathroom walls. They never find any scraps of food or bits of grease to latch on to, but still they persist.

Desperate to get rid of these pests, I started searching for alternatives to  that horrible, toxic and smelly ant spray. Here’s what I found:

-Environment, Health and Safety Online recommends vinegar, cayenne pepper, salt and perfume placed at points of entry and at various points along the ants’ path.

-The Frugal Life has similar advice, with a huge list of testimonials from readers who add cinnamon, black pepper and bay leaves to the list of natural ant-deterrents.

-There’s even a WikiHow article recommending a whole onion or some drops of 100% orange oil to keep your house ant-free.

-Some of the best advice I found comes from the NCAP, an organization committed to reducing the use of harmful pesticides. If you can spot a colony by following the trail of ants until it disappears, the NCAP recommends pouring a pot of boiling water on it–what could be easier than that?

With a puppy in the house and several friendly neighborhood squirrels running around, there’s no way I was turning to pesticides before trying out these safer remedies. And with such great advice on the web, those ants won’t even know what hit ‘em!

As the weather heats up, the last thing you want to do is throw on a fur coat and lock yourself inside the sweltering house all day. Unfortunately, your pets generally don’t have the option of throwing on a bathing suit and heading to the pool when summer gets too hot to handle. Some animals, like many types of birds and snakes, thrive in the heat. But for your family’s furrier friends, consider these tips from Cesar Millan’s blog post 4th of July Tips for Keeping Hot Dogs Cool. A zookeeper friend of mine also recommends giving Pedialyte to dehydrated dogs and cats (after you check with your vet, of course), and my own pooch loves to chew on ice when he overheats.

Keeping your pets at a comfortable temperature isn’t your only concern this Independence Day weekend, however–read this Humane Society article on how to prevent Fourth of July festivities from terrifying your canines and cats. And, if you want to celebrate the summer right alongside Fido or your feline, check out our fun collection of pet announcements and party invitations! You might not be able to teach an old dog new tricks, but you can learn how to make this a great summer for every member of your family!