Have some time this summer?  Here's some recommended Animal Fun summer reading (all available at Amazon.com):

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate Dicamillo

Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry and Wesley Dennis

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

Secondhand Lions by John Whitman

Still have time?  Feel like coloring?

Print the drawing by clicking here link or http://usera.imagecave.com/eaterofstaples/cat-contestcopy.jpg and color it

Here is what the drawing looks like:

How about finding some time for your pet dog?

Dog Tricks

Tips for teaching your dog tricks and commands:

It's quite easy to train your dog.  Here are some things to remember:

- Don't show you dog the treat; hide it in your hand

- Give your dog a treat immediately after he does the trick, and pet him too; let him know he's doing a good job

- And of course, be patient. Sometimes it can take a while for your dog to learn a trick, but with some patience and practice, your dog will figure it out

- Make sure that when you're training, you and your dog are somewhere where your dog won't get distracted. A room where it's only the both of you would be the best place

- Never get mad at your dog or yell at him for not cooperating or not doing a trick. Simply don't give him a treat. 

Sit:

Step 1: Say 'Sit' clearly and slowly a few times whilst following the next step

Step 2: You'll need both hands to do this step. Lightly push on the dog's lower back with one hand. Get his head to watch the other hand—the other hand you'll have the treat in—and you'll raise this hand above your dog's head, until he backs up a little. The combination of his back being gently pushed down and him backing up should get him to sit.

Step 3: Give him the treat and say in a happy tone, 'Sit' (to help him associate the word with him sitting), and pet him too.

Soon enough, he should sit without you doing any of Step 2.

Lay:

Step 1: First, get your dog to sit (but don't give her the treat yet)

Step 2: While saying 'Lie down', have her head follow your hand to the ground (hold the treat in this hand)

Step 3: You might have to lightly push on her shoulders to get her to lower completely.

Step 4: Give her the treat and say in a happy tone, 'Lie down' (to help her associate the word with her lying down), and pet her too.

Soon enough, you'll be able to drop step 3 and step 2— and she should lie down on command.

Pawshake:

Step 1: First, get your dog to sit (don't give him a treat yet)

Step 2: Have a treat in one hand, and hold your other hand out near his paw

Step 3: Grab his paw and say 'Shake'

Step 4: While still giving his paw a handshake, give him the treat with your other hand and then pet him

This one could be a little hard to learn, but eventually your dog will give you his paw at Step 2 (and then you won't have to do Step 3). From here, you can teach him High Five.

High Five:

Step 1: First, have your dog sit and do a Pawshake with you

Step 2: Repeat Step 1, but raise your hand a little more than usual (so he has to lift his paw higher)

Step 3: Hold your hand out as you would to high five someone: if your dog's used to lifting his paw up high, he should automatically lift it when your hand is near him. From here, you can high five his paw.

Take a Bow (or simply 'Bow'):

This one's a bit different from the others, but still very simple

Step 1: Every time your dog stretches (in a position where her head and arms are to the ground, her arms are stretched out in front of her, and her rump is in the air) you immediately say, 'Bow!' a few times, and give her a nice long pet (you probably won't have any treats at hand, but a good petting will suffice). 

Do this any time you see your dog stretching. Every so often, see if she learned how to do in on command.

This process might sound weird, but it definitely works: after about a month of me (and my family) constantly doing this with Keeper the Greyhound, she learned how to stretch/bow on command :)

Dance:

Step 1: Let your dog see the treat. Hold the treat just out of his reach, so that he'll try to stand to get it.

Step 2: Once he stands up, give the treat to him and say, 'Dance!' After a few times, try having him stand for a longer time before giving him the treat. You can also get him to spin if you move the treat in a circle just out of his reach

Hope you have fun.  Teaching your dog tricks will also give you quality time with your pet.