"Lay Off Those Blue Suede Shoes, Mitsy"

We all love our furry friends to bits, but how many of you can relate to the anguish of coming home to those big shining eyes and wagging tail only to find that "Mitsy" has turned your brand new Italian shoes into something that now resembles an old rawhide chew toy.

Your immediate response may be to banish Mitsy to the dog house for the rest of the day and utter a few choice words that cannot be printed in this column. But wait just a minute,have you really been fair? Remember, dogs need tons of exercise and no, I don't mean a leisurely stroll down the block on a "retracto leash." Their energy level, especially a young dog, is extremely high and unless they have an intense daily work out, those Italian shoes and much more, are fair game in Mitsy's opinion.

Now you're probably thinking, "I barely have time to work on my own love handles and now you're expecting me to do an Olympic athlete style work out with Misty everyday? Come on, get real."

Well, it may be easier than you think. Here are a few ideas for you and Mitsy to try:

1. Hang a tetherball on your clothesline about 3 inches above your dog's forehead. Put some "eau de poulet" (that's French for "chicken scent") on the ball, sit back and watch Mitsy have the time of her life.

2. Take a tennis ball and racket to your nearest park. Hit the ball as hard as you can (bonus—you might even improve your tennis game!) and let little Mitsy do her retrieving thing. Chances are she'll do some heavy power snoozing when she returns home and Italian leather will only be in her dreams.

3. Buy her a selection of innovative toys that squeak, jump, scream, etc. They'll provide hours of amusement as she tries to train them to sit, come, stop squeaking, etc.

The time you invest in satisfying your dogs exercise requirements will allow you to co-exist happily ever after!