Dog Bone Cake Pan

This non-stick cake pan works very well. It’s advisable to spray Pam or another non-stick cooking spray on it the first few times you use it. I did that, and the cake popped out just fine. It slid out of the pan as I was turning it over.

I was impressed at how much the cake actually did look like a bone.

I baked two layers and made a layer cake, so the cake began to crack when I frosted it. But if you’re making a single layer, it should be fine.

Cleanup was super-easy. Good as new after I’d cleaned it with just a paper towel.

P. Charles Morrissey, Frisco, TX

Behavior Problems? Get Thee to a Dog Park!

It’s fun to go to the dog park — every single person is smiling — but it’s also very important for the development of dogs of any age.

Why?

A dog who only interacts with its human family and has very little contact with others  does not develop socialization skills needed to interact appropriately with others. Dogs confined to yards or houses become lonely, over-protective, and more aggressive.

The dog park provides a place where dogs can safely socialize to reduce these problems. Regular contact with other dogs and new people keeps dogs from becoming aggressive. It teaches them how to behave around other dogs, because other dogs will correct them if they get out of hand.

This is important to dog owners and their neighbors, especially in family-oriented neighborhoods. Socialization produces a happier, better behaved, less destructive, quieter and more stable pet. Most dog owners know that free play with other dogs is a prescription for a happy dog who’s a joy to be around, and that a well-exercised pet is less likely to bark obsessively or be destructive.

Ever been stuck at home recovering from an illness or injury, or snowed in for days? How do you feel when you have cabin fever? Imagine how your dog feels, day after day, without a change of scene and a chance to play until he or she is tired.

A dog park cures most ills. Even once a week for an hour or so will give you a new dog.