Outdoor Furniture, Outdoor Patio and Outdoor Gardens

Frequently Asked Questions

1. QUESTION:
   Minitures of everything.from house furniture,outside patio stuff.everything?
   Where can I find a place that sells only minitures.

   • ANSWER:
     Not sure what you're looking for, but try here:

     http://www.miniature-gardens.com/miniatures/miniature-furniture.html

     If you're furnishing a dollhouse, try a Google search for dollhouse furniture.

2. QUESTION:
   what is the best way to keep puppies from chewing on patio furniture...can't always watch him outside?

   • ANSWER:
     I used a non-toxic product called Repell to keep my Peskie Eskie from teething on almost all of my furniture inside and outside. I also used it to create barriers where I didn't want her to go and furniture I didn't want her invading. I got it at the pet store, but now see it a discounters. A huge 16 ounce bottle costs about .99 and I still have a lot left. I really does work to help train puppies.

3. QUESTION:
   Are indoor teak furniture pieces okay outside?
   I know that teak is the best wood for patio furniture because of many properties of the wood but was wondering if I bought a piece of furniture that was meant to be indoors but it was made out of teak and I put it outdoors, would it hold up well?

   • ANSWER:
     Teak will do fine outdoors - even if it was designed for indoor use. Keep in mind that untreated teak will weather to a medium gray color. You may want to to treat it if you want to keep its existing color.

4. QUESTION:
   Is there something I should do to wicker before putting it outside?
   I have a wicker set of furniture that I've had inside for a while, but now I'm getting new furniture and want to put the wicker outside for some patio furniture. Is there something special I should be putting on it, like a spray or something, or will it be okay in the elements? I'm in Alberta, Canada and we get rain, snow, hail, etc. Bringing the furniture inside on a crappy day isn't an option. Any help would be appreciated!

   • ANSWER:
     A clear varnish would be good,or available in all wood shades as an aerosol.Any DIY store will carry them.

5. QUESTION:
   Question on patio furniture?
   I have been shopping around for good patio furnitures and have seen some floor models in stores.

   I live in Ohio where there are several seasons.

   What I would like to know is how durable are these patio furnitures. Will it last long to just leave it outside all year long in Snow, Sun etc., Do their color fade out because of sun etc.,

   If there is any one who could recommend some good but reasonably priced brands, I would appreciate it

   Thanks
   Bob

   • ANSWER:
     When deciding on what kind of material your garden furniture should be made of, choose one that will best suit your needs. Consider not only its aesthetic value but its ability to stand through time as well.

     Wood garden furniture is a sturdy piece but you have to check it regularly for cracks or splints. If there is any, you can go to the nearest shop and have it repaired easily. Otherwise, the cracks or splints can cut whoever is sitting on it and your furniture will rot and become futile.

     Garden furniture made of hard plastic requires very minimal maintenance because it cannot be affected by weather changes. It is water-resistant and therefore cannot be damaged by the usual rain.
     (continued at http://patio-decks.blogspot.com/2008/04/patio-furniture.html )

6. QUESTION:
   keeping cats away from my patio i have an allergy to cats and they hang out on my furniture outside, ets.?

   • ANSWER:
     Just move. There is no way to get rid of the cats, once they have established themselves. You might as well paint "CAT HOUSE" in big red letters on the front of your house and just leave it.

7. QUESTION:
   Will my Patio Furniture Rust??
   I have some very nice patio furniture I want put outside next to the pool. The top is mosaic art,and the rest is a dark iron. Will this rust??? Will the chlorine from the pool cause it to rust? If it can what can I do so it won't rust.
   Thanks

   • ANSWER:
     It depends on what the metal is... iron will certainly rust outdoors, and this has nothing to do with the chlorine in the pool. If the metal is finished aluminum, it won't rust but there's every possibility the paint or surface color will flake off... that's what is happening to ours and it's on a covered porch. Use a magnet to determine what the metal is.

8. QUESTION:
   Patio furniture?? wooden futon?
   Okay, I live in a apartment complex. We have lived here for two year and the past 6 moths we have used a wooden futon outside on our patio. My apartment manager has decided that this is an "eyesore" and has to be removed immediately. To my knowledge, there are 5 other people with futons as well along with regular couches and even a washer and dryer... I was wondering is a futon considered patio furniture?

   • ANSWER:
     No, not that I know of . I would go and ask about the washer, dryer, and the others, find out if it is just the condition of yours or if there is something else you can do to it to make it look better. Like recover.

9. QUESTION:
   ANSWERS! My dog attacks patio furniture.?
   I have a 4 year old English Bulldog who believe it or not is very hyper. Whenever he's outside and I even touch my patio furniture he goes into attack mode. I mean I almost have to choke him out to get him to let go, even when people are sitting in it. I don't know what to do because we want to have kids but I'm afraid this is some underlying problem that could turn into something else. Plus I'd like chairs without teeth marks in them.

   The vet was no help with answers.

   • ANSWER:

10. QUESTION:
    How to get rid of fleas outside on my patio?
    I live in an apartment building. There are no pets in my home. The carpets were steam-cleaned and cleaned very well. I have not found any in my home or on anything inside my home. My problem is that on my patio, they are everywhere. I've gotten rid of all my furniture outside as I think that might have been part of the problem...

    Keep in mind I do not now, nor have I ever had any pets (with the exception of a fish) so please do not tell me to treat my pets.

    My question is, what can I do to my patio to keep the fleas out/off/away? They are all over the patio and I can't sit out there without them jumping on me... a flea bomb won't work because it's a patio... Please help!

    • ANSWER:
      You need some to apply type of pesticide. Pyrethrin usually works well for fleas and it is not as toxic as other pesticides since it is just an extract from the chrysanthemum. Permethrin also works great. These links may help.
      http://www.picaridin.info/pyrethrin.htm
      This link may also help.
      http://www.pestproducts.com/outdoor_fleas.htm

11. QUESTION:
    A man set our patio furniture on fire?
    I don't know how to go about this situation with out sounding completely irresponsible but I just need some opinions.

    This past saturday we had a get together at our house. We had a fire pit in the back yard. At one point one of my husband's "Friends" starting getting rather violent. We asked him to leave. He wouldn't. He would stand outside our fenced in yard staring at us so at one point we decided to just go inside and forget about him. We left our fire pit with some hot coals on the fire but it was not a raging fire whats so ever just some hot coals. After about 30 minutes we went back outside to smoke a cigarette and our patio chairs were on top of the fire, my daughters plastic toys were on top of the fire pit. It was obvious this person had done this so my husband went after him since he was still in the area just standing there. They got into a fight and the police were called. They were asking questions to my husband to bring about assault charges against him for attacking the guy which, to be honest, I can see why. He should not have gone after him for a fight. BUT the cops never even looked at the back yard and the furniture which was burned and cushions that were melted our fire pit table is black and burnt up.

    Where do we stand with this. We want to bring charges against him so he will have to pay for our ruined stuff.... but since there was no police report about the fire we don't feel we have a case. I kept repeating over and over that he set a fire to our patio furniture but they just kept saying this was an assault call and no mention of the fire

    it just boggles my mind that he will get away with this. I know my husband was in the wrong for going after him (my husband got really hurt, broken ribs, broken wrist, etc) and we dont even want to file charges about that BUT the fire is what we want taken care of and our 500 patio set is GONE now.

    • ANSWER:

12. QUESTION:
    Help! My Corgi's are ruining my patio furniture!
    We have 2 Pembroke Welsh Corgis- both 5 months old. They are finally house trained and VERY good dogs... however, I have an outdoor daybed on my deck, a really nice piece of patio furniture, it's been there since before we got the puppies and the dogs have always been allowed on it because they don't chew... but all of a sudden, just in the last 3 weeks, they've torn all the buttons off the pillows, thrown them off the bed, and pottied number one AND two on the cushion. They don't do it on any of the other cushioned chairs outside, and they've never even moved a pillow on the couch inside!... I've shampooed the mattress with pet smell remover and let it dry for 2 days in the sun, washed all the pillows that go on it and I bought a spray called "keep off" that is made to keep pets off of furniture- something about the smell i suppose. But it seems that the second it starts to wear off, they're on it again! Does anyone have suggestions or ideas? Nothing in our everyday life has changed, they eat the same, we go on the same walks- I'm at a loss. Please help!

    • ANSWER:
      Confine them to an area so that they can't damage your furniture. Build a small run outside where they can do as they please without you worrying about what is happening.

13. QUESTION:
    Help, how do I care for wooden patio furniture?
    I recently purchased a dark wooden patio set, and unsure of how to maintain it. The wood was treated with linseed oil, now do I remove the linseed oil and and seal it with a product, or do I just leave it? I am not too sure if we'll be able to put the patio furniture away in the winter, so it might be stuck outside all winter! Also, i don't want the sun to strip to much of my colour, can anyone help? The following link is for the smaller version of my table, please look at the bistro table, and picture mine double the size... thanks in advance

    http://www.bouclair.com/en/outdoor/furniture-1.html
    Just wanted to add, the furniture is not teak I wish I could afford that!

    • ANSWER:
      Dont remove the inseed oil! It will protect your setting from weather! Just re-oil it every season, it will bring the colour out and look like new each year. cheers

14. QUESTION:
    my american bulldog won't stop biting my patio furniture?
    i have a 1 year american bulldog. he is very lovable, and is potty trained, and obeys commands such ass sit, go outside, come, etc the basic. but he enjoys biting the patio furniture. lately all he does is turn over all the chairs, the rocking chairs, and cushions. we have plenty of chew toys and things for him to play with when we're not around (he only does this when we're not around.) we have already gone through 2 beds, he chews them open to take out the fluffy part inside of it. he give him plenty of excersise, and play with him every afternoon and take him to the dog park 2x's a week. i've tried the sour apple stuff but t's not working, i think he likes it. what else can i do? we always tell him no and ignore him and he know we are upset with him, but he doesn't care. it's funny cause when i walk up to a turned over chair or rocking chair and i look at him to tell him now, he already knows and bows his head and lays, like saying yea i know i wasn't supposed to lol.
    another issue i have is when we tie him up because we need to work on the yard or have company over that he needs to be tied, he does not stop barking. it is so annoying, we can never have him tied up.
    has plenty of chew toys and the only reason why we tie him when we're working on the yard, is cause if i am cleaning the pation with soap and water he just continues to dirty it, if i tie him, i clean, i finish and when it drys he can get un tied and continue playing.

    • ANSWER:
      When you are not going to be able to supervise your dog ... crate him

      He can't do any destruction if he does not have access to it

      Why is that when you are working in the yard or when you have company does you dog need to be tied? He should be properly trained and socialized so that he can be with his family. Barking may be annoying to you but I am sure being tied to one location is much more annoying to him. Which is why he is barking. He wants in on the festivities. Train him so that he can be with you while you are outside as well as when you have guests over.

15. QUESTION:
    Patio / outdoor furniture?
    I cant afford outdoor furniture...I have looked every where and its so expensive (400 and up) is there anything else I can use for patio furniture...any ideas. We live in Oklahoma and I love the warm weather. Could I use a futon..or would it rust? If I brought the mattress in at the evenings...I feel bad that my family cant enjoy sitting outside, but at the moment we just don't have extra money for a patio set...i have even looked on craigslist and everyone that is selling theirs wants 350 and up for used stuff...any ideas at all would be helpful and please don't be rude

    • ANSWER:
      Whenever I go to Rite Aid or pretty much any drug store around here, they have those stackable resin chairs out front for like each. They also have resin patio tables for about and umbrellas for about . They also have powder coated metal frame with glass top end tables for about each. If you want chaise lounges, people are selling those aluminum-framed with plastic webbing vintage ones on eBay for about each.

      For a larger area of shade, you can also find deals on about a 10 foot square easy-up for less than .

      Regarding a futon, you could probably put one outside. But, with the humidity in Oklahoma, it may rust fairly quickly. Especially if you left it out in a rain or hailstorm. When you buy a futon mattress, however, it usually comes sealed in a plastic bag. I would leave this on the mattress for increased moistrure protection.

16. QUESTION:
    the water that they use for the sprinkler system is that sewer water???
    i was just wondering because this morning i went outside and the sprinklers where on and it smelled like cow manuer and then again that would be dangerous if that was poop because some kids play in it,and it also gets on our patio furniture outside such as our chairs and our table and that has alot of bacteria.oh and one last thing could you tell me why they use that type of water and not fresh water.

    thankyou
    so much!!!

    • ANSWER:
      Raw sewage is not used for irrigation because of odor and spreading pathogens. If recycled water is used, it has undergone three step water treatment and while it is not quite drinking water quality, it is close. What you were smelling may have been put on the ground before watering commenced.

17. QUESTION:
    I adopted a catahoula mix couple months ago and he keeps going #2 on the patio, he wont do it outside, help!?
    My catahoula mix is a great dog, he obviously was an apartment dog before. He is a hurricane rescue dog from Houston and I adopted him in Dallas. Only issue is he only defecates on the patio. He will urinate when walking and he watches my other dog urinate and defecate when walking yet he refuses to defecate outside. He doesn't do it inside the apartment only on the patio. I am using "No Go" a house breaking aid and putting his feces outside so he can smell that when he walks but still nothing. Please help cause I want to put furniture on patio and enjoy being out there. Thanks to everyone!!

    • ANSWER:
      well it sounds like with the trauma he recived from the hurricane..he may have gotten messed up. your best bet is to basically re-potty train him. first i would replace the carpet or what ever is on the floor of the patio because he will still be able to smell the "Scent" of the poop no matter what u do and the smell lets him no its okay for him to go there. take him for atleast 2 1/2 hr walks a day. and if possile he needs to be let outside every 2 hours and after eating, playing, drinking and when he wakes up from a nap. when you take him outside associate a word like " potty, outside" w.e you decide & say it continuously wile hes doing the deed.and afterwords give him a treat and lots of praise. after a while of consistant training with your dog you should be able to use your patio.

18. QUESTION:
    Someone stole a loaf of bread+ furniture from my kitchen at night??
    I went downstairs in the middle of the night as i had heard something making loads of noise (must have been a VERY clumsy burglar). As soon as i got into the kitchen i was hit around the head with a loaf of bread- which the burglar then ran off with!
    I then found a note saying that someone had stolen back their loaf of bread that i had stolen from them...... I then went outside and my patio furniture was gone!?
    What sort of loony would rid me of my bread and garden furniture??

    • ANSWER:
      Is a sign! you must give things to the poor.

19. QUESTION:
    Adirondack chairs made from recycled poly?
    I am shopping for new deck chairs. I see now a lot of sites are selling outside furniture made from recycled poly lumber. It is recycled plastic I guess. I'm wondering if the "lumber" is as durable as they say. It costs more but says it is very durable and maintenance free. So it might be worth it? Anyone have patio furniture made of this? What do you think? The chairs I'm looking at are at www.OutdoorDeckStuff.com. They have tons of colors so I'm very tempted!
    Thanks!

    • ANSWER:
      These are definitely worth the investment. They are very durable. Pick a color and go for it.

20. QUESTION:
    Why do we sit on hard wood chairs in the dining room?
    Why do we sit on hard wood chairs in the dining room, but our patio furniture is padded? We sit outside for a barbecue, so it's not because we're eating.
    For that matter, even some toilet seats are padded.

    • ANSWER:
      Dining room tables are generally wood. So, matching chairs are made out of wood. You can get padded chairs, but they're expensive. You can also get pads that sit on the chair seat in a variety of colors and patterns.

21. QUESTION:
    Want a divorce but cannot locate soon to be ex husband?
    My husband and I have been separated for 18 months. In 6 more months (according to the state that I reside in) I can file for a complete divorce. I drive by the place he resided at about once per month since I moved out. When I drove by in December he was still living there (car parked outside furniture on patio, drapes in windows etc.) Now since January I have been driving by and now there aren’t any drapes, patio furniture or his car there. In fact I can see straight inside from the parking lot and the place is totally empty. I can’t serve him papers unless I find him … I don’t know where he works and we have no mutual friends. What do I do? Even if I could find his phone # (I doubt he has one) he wouldn’t tell me his address anyway so that I can serve him with papers! I don’t want to get a lawyer involved b/c I don’t have that kind of money.
    We do not have children or own a house.

    • ANSWER:
      Every state has a procedure to follow to give notice to a person even if the person cannot be found. Sometimes it is posting the document in the courthouse, sometimes posting something in the local paper. You simply need to get the forms to fill out from the courthouse or legal aid or an attorney. Not being able to find the person shouldn't hold up the proceedings for more than 30 days or so during the notice period.

      Good luck.

22. QUESTION:
    What is the best paint to use for finished furniture?
    I have an oak table from Ikea that I want to paint or stain black to match the decor in my home. It has a glossy finish to it. I looked up Krylon paints but there were several options. I don't have a whole lot of space to do this. I would be taking the table and chairs outside to my small patio. Any info would help, thanks!

    • ANSWER:
      well, since you're painting it darker you won't need any paint with primer. i would think you could paint it with wall paint. when you're going out to buy it, though, ask someone who works there. they may have tips if we don't tell you enough.

23. QUESTION:
    Where could I find outdoor patio tables for a restaurant?
    I'm looking for outdoor patio or coffee tables for a restaurant, preferably plastic or fiberglass. I need something fairly heavy duty, preferably with a spot for an umbrella for shade. The style outside of In-n-outs is what we're looking for, but preferably a lighter material. Where would I go about finding furniture like this? All help is greatly appreciated!

    • ANSWER:
      Try http://www.allpicnictables.com/. Their entire site is for tables. You have to find something here!

24. QUESTION:
    How can I stop my 1.5 year old female boxer from chewing everything around our house?
    She is particularly bad about chewing on things when she is put outside. She eats our plants (prefers flowers) and just today she ripped up a cushion on one of our patio furniture chairs. I purchased some bitter spray (rosemary) from PetsSmart but it doesn't seem to work. We give her chew toys but it seems she would rather chew other things. She seems to exhibit this behavior when she is left alone outside in our yard. When I bring her inside she is less likely to chew on things but I can't have a dog that lives inside exclusively.

    • ANSWER:
      You would need to spend time on teaching her what's ok to chew. Dogs like to chew stuff(and come on, you have a boxer); it's their way of releasing stress. The best way to do it is whenever you catch her chewing stuff that you don't want her to chew, say "No" in a deep, low tone voice. Many owners make the mistake of screaming to the dog, ignoring the fact the screaming(higer tone voice) actually make the dog excited. Lower tone voice is dog's natural way of saying "you have stepped over the line". When your boxer is chewing her chew toy, pet an praise her with a higher pitch voice. The catch of this method is you really need to catch every single time she is chewing the right or wrong thing, or else she will get confused.
      So there is the text book way, here is what I did. I needed to go to work, and I had no time to sit next to my dog for the whole day. I gave her the "Kong" chew toy(you can buy it from petco). I packed it with peanut butter and biscuits tightly, so that my dog would need to spend the whole day digging them out. I also played catch with my dog with chew toys that were made of cloth. When he caught them, he would be really excited and keep chewing the chew toy. Overtime, you dog would like to chew stuff that are made of soft plastic(like the kong), and the cloth-made chew toys. This is because everytime she chews those stuff, it brings good feeling of "eatting peanut butter" and "playing catch".

25. QUESTION:
    Easy method to get rid of helicopter seeds?
    I went outside today and there were over a million of those helicopter seeds (they're usually green color than turn brown and have seeds in them, and twirl off trees) all over the place, patio, furniture, lawn, over everything. What's an easy way to get rid of them while theres tons more to come?

    • ANSWER:
      leaf blower.

26. QUESTION:
    How do you get rid of flies outside?
    My patio is open and lately a sworm (about 30) of flies linger around there. They are on the brick, furniture, and flying in circles. I have checked the yard for feces, rotten food, dead animals and have found nothing. We didn't have this problem last year. I am about to host a babyshower on the patio and don't want sticky traps hanging down. Is there anything else I can use??

    • ANSWER:
      Home Depot sells something called Home Defense, I think... It is a concentrate that you mix with water to do your own fumigation instead of calling an exterminator. A couple of days before the party I would just spray everything around there. Every angle in the flooring, ceiling and surrounding area. You will want to use a pump sprayer but even a pump bottle will work if you have nothing else, just so the proportions are mixed to specifications.

27. QUESTION:
    How can I make my own (inexpensive) patio?
    I am moving into a new house in a month with a HUGE backyard. I really enjoy sitting outside and lounging, especially in the summer. Problem is this house has no deck or patio. It actually looks kind of silly because the backyard is so big but with nothing taking up space. With all of the other costs of moving in somewhere, I don't want to put in a whole lot of money for this. I plan to get a real deck or patio eventually (probably not until next summer) but in the meantime, what can I do?

    I've looked at Home Depot and the decent looking paving stones are expensive, especially for the amount I need. I plan to have a dining set, fire pit and grill so I need enough room for all of those things. Is there anything I can do other than just setting the patio furniture in the grass?

    Any suggestions are appreciated!
    I wanted to add, I do plan to save up and install a deck as soon as possible. But in the meantime I'm looking for an easy solution that will look decent. I plan to have a lot of company over so it needs to look somewhat nice. I thought I could simply flatten the grass, outline the area I want as a patio with brick and put mulch inside over some sort of tarp. That's what I planned to do. Just looking for any other opinions as to if any one has tried this or has a better solution. Thanks guys!

    • ANSWER:
      save up for the real thing. the grass won't look bad and you don't have to worry about spills

28. QUESTION:
    How do I get rid of flies??
    The weather is getting so nice, and we cannot be outside without being bombarded by flies....is there any way to deter them from my backyard? They just sit on the patio furniture and wait for us....even flying in the house as soon as the door is open. It sucks! Thanks!

    • ANSWER:
      Lowes and Home Depot sell "fly bags" such as these

      http://www.horse.com/Farnam/Pest-Control/Rescue-Disposable-Fly-Bags-BUL25.html

      You simply fill with water and hang them away from your patio. When they fill up, you close the top and throw them (and the flies) away. Just be careful as they stink very bad!!

29. QUESTION:
    How can I get my dog to stop chewing things up outside?
    I have a one year old German Shep named Shadow. She is by far the best dog I have ever had but she is messing up my yard while my husband and I are gone. While we are at work we leave her outside to play. We have a great yard but anything she can find to chew on she will. We have tried to leave toys for her in the yard but she has actually eaten a few (rubber ones or the ropes) and it has made her sick. She prefers to chew on my patio furniture or she will find a huge log and drag it to the middle of the yard to chew up and eat. I have tried removing almost everything from the yard but that didn't really work. How do I fix this problem if she only does it when I am not there to correct her? I am worried for her health.

    • ANSWER:
      My dog did the same thing. We basically had to go buy that bitter apple spray and spray it on everything. And I mean EVERYTHING. Sprinkler heads, patio furniture, window frames, everything.

      The only other thing I've found that works is to pretend you're at work one day and wait to catch your dog in the act. And then when you see her chewing on something, jump out and scream NO! and startle her. Dogs hate to be startled, and if she starts to make the association that you could jump out and scare her at any time, she'll start being more cautious about what she's chewing on. I know it doesn't sound like the most Dog Whisperer method to be using, but it works.

      But definitely try the sour apple spray first. That stuff will work even if you can't be around.

30. QUESTION:
    have you ever all most fell asleep outside?
    i got some furniture on patio, and its pretty comfortable plus its 60 degrees outside and i have a blanket!
    i would kill for a trampoline!

    • ANSWER:
      in a car.

31. QUESTION:
    Need some info on Praying Mantids?
    My main purpose in life is to inform people about the wonder of Praying Mantids (and other insects). I've decided to take this time to write down basic information on almost everything you need to know about this magnificent insect. Enjoy! And please no mean comments.

    There are about 2,400 species of Mantids worldwide. Only 20 species live in North America. They can be found on trees, in tall grass, flowers, on patio furniture, cars, outside walls, or just about any where. Their diet consists of Crickets, butterflies, beetles, moths, grasshoppers, small rodents, small birds, small frogs, lizards, cicadas, and even other mantids. In most species, the female is bigger than the male. The most common species that can be found near the east coast are the Chinese Mantis, European Mantis, and the Carolina Mantis. The Chinese Mantis can grow to be 4 inches long. One way to tell if it's a Chinese Mantis is if it's all brown and has a green pinstripe on each side of the wings. Males tend to be aggressive. The European Mantis is small and can be all brown or green. The egg sack all mantids lay is called an Ootheca. It can contain up to 200 little nymphs. If you keep a mantid as a pet in the Unided States, they don't need humidity or any special temputure setting. Although they prefer 70 to 80 degrees. I believe each mantid has it's own personallity. Most Females tend to be more mellow than males. I've had some female Chinese mantids that can be hand fed crickets from Petsmart! If you have any questions about Chinese Mantids or European Mantids, please say so in the comments. I'll make sure that I answer your questions.

    • ANSWER:
      they eat what they can over power. Things over power them like hornets. depending on the species some oothecas contain more than 200 eggs or less. Some have 400 eggs. You can train them yes.

      Mantises don't bite. They attack with their legs but they don't really attack. And they are in the class of Matodea

32. QUESTION:
    What is the best way to tell people your house isn't a "crash pad"?! I had to kick a good friend out.?
    So We had a lil get together at my house. 2 of my friends ended up crashing because they were too drunk and didn't want them to get a DUI. Another friend lives a couple of city blocks away, her boyfriend lives a lil further, but he doesn't drive. WE'll call them daisy and donald.

    Daisy and donald have spent the night before because my husband said it was ok, but I'm not ok with that because daisy lives a few blocks away and does not drive. Donald is not allowed at her house. To be honest I dont' trust Donald I've experienced him being and angry drunk on 2 occasions, I"m not comfortable around him I don't even want him at my house but Daisy is my friend so I let him chill. Now I don't know where it go twisted and they thought it was OK to just crash here because they "don't have a ride" and they know I will say no if they as for a ride because If I say yes they expect rides and think its ok just because they give me money, but no it's not OK that's why I say know cuz i'm not a taxi and I'm very busy so TIME is an important factor for me.

    So my 2 drunk friends crashed out on my floor, therefore leaving no room. I don't know when or how they assumed they could stay. In fact it was very akward and I tried to be as straigh forward as I could without sounding like a bitch. The lights went out, I was turning the computer off. I was locking up and I asked them, "well what are you guys gonna do? I have to lock up my gates." They were like well, "ugh well go ahead and crash out, we're just gonna chill" It was like 2 am.

    I thought I was very clear when I asked them what their plans were I mean I was turning everything off!. They go outside to my patio furniture and donald is like, "look at all that beer that john left" so they were obviously planning to keep drinking outdoors till the sunrose! I felt reall stepped on and disrespected,.

    I went out there and told them I don't know what you guys are planning but YOU CAN'T CHILL HERE.

    DAISY was obviously upset they both left. So now daisy is saying she doesn't know why I kicked them out and that I'm mad at her. Yes I'm mad that i made it pretty clear they couldn't stay, and its not like she had to go very far, may be he did but that is NOT my problem. I don't know when he got things mixed up and thinks that he's very welcome here. So I have to talk to her and I don't know how to say it without her getting all defensive. '
    I obviously have to talk to her because she's also saying to mutual friends that she was confused and that I was random for telling them to leave, and that she HAD to wait for a cab at 2 in the morning on the street! Well she didn't have to do any of that, she could have gone home!! It's not that far just a hop and a skip
    My mistake is that the first time he got really angry drunk and slammed her against the parking lot wall, I should have said OK he's NOT allowed in my home. That night I thought she was over it because she was crying so bad and obviosly he physically hurt her. But looking back I should have told her that he's just not allowed in my house I didn't expect her to to stay with him.
    Well he's the type to offer gas and then forget he offered and not give you anything.

    • ANSWER:
      Don't be indirect in the future. To them, you weren't very clear.

      I'd call Daisy and apologize. Try something like this: "Daisy, I'm sorry you felt that I kicked you out, but I really need advance notice for overnight guests. I thought it was clear that I was inviting you all over for an evening get-together and not to spend the night, but I guess I wasn't. In the future, I'll be sure to be more direct so you can arrange for a ride or pick a designated driver."

      Then follow through. Next time you invite them over, let them know when the get-together is going to be over. Say, "We're having dinner at 6 and then we're going to hang out until about 11."

      You also need to talk to your husband to make sure that you two are on the same page so guests don't get mixed messages.

33. QUESTION:
    MY DOG POOPS IN HAS CRATE AND ON THE PATIO...HELP!!!?
    I am frustrated, upset, nearing violence against my Wirehair Fox Terrier, Oscar. My wife and I have two dogs, Odie, a Jack Russell, and the aforementioned Oscar. The dogs are great together, get plenty of exercise/walks, and for the most part are pretty good dogs. Oscar has an extreme case of pooping anywhere and everywhere. Since he was a puppy he would poop in his crate every night/day/evening he was in there. We could take him, out have him poop(reward him), put him in his crate, and come back 30 min later to poop everywhere and all over him. Ultimately, we figured he had crazy anxiety about the crate because he would bark constantly while in it. We started leaving him out at night with our other dog and it worked for a while, but now Oscar has started to rip up carpet/furniture/plant soil and poop in other areas of the house. So...back to square 1, he is again pooping in his house and practicing safe fire extinguishing maneuvers onto his poo....stop, drop, and roll. Additionally, we have a fenced in back yard that we allow the dogs to run free in early in the morning and before bed to "go potty” Oscar, though receiving much praise every time I take him outside and he "goes potty” toward the back of the yard in grass, insists on pooping on the patio right outside the sliding glass door. I have caught him in this act multiple times and have scolded him, taken him to the back of the yard, allowed him to finish, and then praised him….no luck! Ultimately, I am at my wits end, I cannot be cleaning a dog and poop up 2 or 3 times a day. I already come home every day at lunch to let the dogs outside and play with them for 20 min or so before heading back to work. I have moved our big crate outside and have resorted to using the hose to wash off Oscar and clean out that crate. My wife hates the idea of him sleeping outside at night at being in that cage all day, but I am the one that cleans this up morning, noon, and evening as I am the first one up, come home at lunch, and get home from work first. Finally, I am considering just giving the dog up. I have resorted to a lot of screaming fits, expletives, and a little rough handling to deal with his dog and I am of course not getting much of a response from that either. I have scoured the internet, bought DVD/Books, and tried everything and nothing. The craziest part is Oscar will be good for a month at a time and then horrible for 1-2 weeks. Oscar is 7 months old and was rescued from a puppy mill, I understand these types of dogs tend to be more challenging, but come on already!!!! Odie is 1.5 years and came from a good home. As an aside I did the feed Oscar and give him treats in his house with the door open to make him more comfortable with his crate…..still a nut case!

    • ANSWER:

34. QUESTION:
    Why does my dog....?
    Why does my 11lb adopted poodle stare at my wife and 15lb bischon from the back patio all day and night? She plays with us in the morning and at night, then runs outside, sits on the patio furniture, and just STARES ALL DAY.

    Just her head poking...staring...judging...plotting.

    I swear, it creeps out my wife and makes me think of Cujo!

    • ANSWER:
      Is your dog a standard poodle?

      If so, she is just studying you to see how much you and your family squirm when stared at. She is a psychologist at heart

      Dogs do not judge us, they just are...

      She is hoping to train you and your family to do something. If it were aggression, you would see the skin around the muzzle scrunching & the vocalizations would be very distinctive.

      Most dogs do not go postal unless they are suffering from a disease.

      She probably just wants y'all to throw something for her to chase fur goodness sake!

35. QUESTION:
    How can I design my own house inside & out?
    I want to get a software program that will let me design my own house with furniture and all so i can determine how much space i want in each room. And i also want to design the outside of the house like patio,pool and pool house to determine how much land i will need. But most important I want a big attic and basement.

    • ANSWER:
      try this. www.DigitalCanal.com

36. QUESTION:
    In your opinion, do you believe a cocker spaniel could live in the backyard?
    I have a cocker spaniel that is almost a year old, and ever since my parents bought him for the family, he's had to live outside (that was the only way my mom would give in to a dog). He has a corner fenced in the garage with a doggy door leading to the backyard and he has his food, water, and bed in there (since we live in texas and it gets really hot in the summer he also has a water bowl outside that is changed daily). As a puppy, everyone spent time with him and he was allowed to "visit" with us. But as he got older, everyone lost interest in him and I became the only one caring for him and training him (sort of like a single mom, if you wish). My brother wanted the dog very badly but stopped coming outside to play with him and doesn't even care for him. He won't come on walks with Chris and I, and his idea of quality time with him is to go outside and talk in a squeaky voice, pet him, and then leave for his friend's house. Since we got him for Christmas, I spent my whole Christmas vacation playing outside with him, and making sure he was okay. When I started school again I would do my homework outside on the patio (regardless of the weather, although my parents would yell at me sometimes to come inside). He is no longer allowed inside at all, because he chases our cats and my parents say that he will start running in the house every time the back door is opened if we let him in. He also isn't potty trained because he doesn't live indoors (although he knows not to pee or poop on the patio). He was such a good dog, and then all of a sudden he became a problem. I'm not sure exactly when it began, but I do think that the causes are that he doesn't get enough human attention, and I'm sure you all will agree with me when you hear his behaviors. He has begun chewing (although he's never had this problem before), and he actually began while we were away on vacation for three weeks (the neighbors were watching him). He chewed up our doormat and so we got another one. He chewed that and is still chewing on it occasionally. The other day he chewed the fabric off of our little trampoline, which he's never tried before. In my opinion, he's bored and lonely. He's seperated from his family. Some other things that he does: he jumps on the patio furniture and table (he only jumps on the table when he wants to see inside the house. It's the saddest thing ever, he sits on the table and just stares at you through the window, it makes me want to cry), he jumps on people when they first come, he pees sometimes out of excitement, he does not listen all the time, he does not come or stay all the time. I realize some of these are my fault and I trained him very wrong, but this was my first time and in all fairness I had very little guidance from my dad (who has had dogs) or help at all. I wish he could at least come inside when we're home, just to sit there while I'm doing homework or watching tv or something, but my parents won't allow it and it makes me so sad that he's alone for such a huge part of the day and I love him so much but no one wants to help, and my parents were going to hit him with a stick everytime he did something bad, and now since it's not working they want to use a shock collar and I am so upset and I don't know what to do. also, he runs out the gate sometimes when it's open and I'm so scared that he is going to get run over because he doesn't come back, even if i call him and dont chase after him. also, he has cherry eye and my parents dont want to spend the money on the surgery, and now they won't even get more drops for his eyes so they're not so goopy. they don't see him as part of the family, they see him as just a dog that doesn't need as much attention when something has gone wrong or he has a problem, and they expect me to solve it by myself, but I can't, and I don't know how and I don't know what to do. I want to spend time with him but I've started high school now and I don't know how I'm going to balance caring for him and getting all my work done. Also, I don't want to get rid of him, this is my first dog and I want to make things work. Besides it would be traumatizing to him. I just don't know what to do and I wish he could come inside, it's not fair to him to watch his family on the other side and want to be with them, but they won't let him. It's not fair.
    @Brennah: we have a gate that is locked during the day,so no one can get in the backyard

    • ANSWER:

37. QUESTION:
    Muscle Spasm in Dog's head, possible seizure?
    A few nights ago my dog vomited a few times, then in the morning work up swollen around her eyes then started getting hives. Took her to the vet and they gave her a shot of cortizone and Prednisone and benydrl..a few hours later she was fine, but sleepy. Then after taking her doses of prescribed benadryl and prednisone about 2 days later she started having strange muscle spasms on the top of her head where the main muscles are by the ears. She seemed to be in pain each time and would cry and act very out of it. After it was over with she would act very out of it too for a little bit, then would just be sleepy the rest of the evening. This is the third time this has happened and each time it seems to be getting longer. It doesnt happen one after another. First time was in the middle of the night, then earlier today, then just this evening.. I took her to the vet today and he basically said he was stumped, and didnt know what it was. (great huh)...so I am wondering if this could be from the prednisone, or if it is a seziure? We are going to ween her off the prednisone but she still will need to take 2 more pills to be done. I am worried that if it is the meds then it will get worse if I keep giving it to her but I know I have to ween her off.

    Please help!!!

    The only thing I can think off that caused the original allergic reaction (at least thats what it seems to be) is a bee sting since there are bees outside out patio, or that she possibly ingested some mold/mildew on a old piece of furniture outside?

    Please help my little lexi, poor thing. Oh and she is a female boston terrier about age 3.

    Any help appreciated. I will call the vet in the morning but he didnt seem to know what the deal was.
    Thanks!

    I also wanted to add... it dont really think it was an external sting because there wasnt really one localized place on her body... the contracting on the muscles was only on the top of her head but had no actual puncture marks anywhere. Could this be a reaction to something wrong with her liver caused by the meds??? it just seems weird to have all these symptoms happen one after another within only 3 days.. seems like they should relate in some way.
    and yes she has been vaccinated too.
    she also has not had a fever, normal pulse, normal vital signs etc...seems to be very healthy otherwise, just sleepy and a little out of it (she acts like she is stoned)
    could be possibly be from : steroid responsive tremor syndrome?? I have been researching online ..but i dont have a white dog.

    • ANSWER:
      The muscle spasms are from the central nervous system. I think there is more going on than just allergies. Please call a vet and let them know about the muscle spasms. That is serious. If you aren't satisfied with what the vet is telling you, please get a second opinion with another vet.

      Has she been vaccinated? Distemper causes muscle spasms and effects the central nervous system.

      ADD:
      Whew! Good! It's probably not Distemper then. But please let the vet know about the spasms.

38. QUESTION:
    Looking for input from experts, not the caulk, putty, Home Depot and duct tapers. Applied linseed oil to teak?
    patio furniture (because that's what someone told him to apply). I suggested using a sealant over that. I am a contractor and have used poly, and shellac on interior furniture I've made, but this is outside. In galveston Co. in Texas, so there will be some salt air to factor in as well as Houston pollution. Thanks for the input

    • ANSWER:
      This is the stuff I use for the furniture in Puerto Peñasco {similar conditions w/o pollution}. Although you need a maintenance coat yearly, it has worked well in preserving the natural look. http://store.hamiltonmarine.com/browse.cfm/teak-finish-satin-finish-armada-quart-104871/4,440.html

      The trouble with linseed oil is that it will attract the dust/pollution and in a years time will turn the wood black from mildew and will look like crap. {The reason I know this is because I did it} As the previous answer stated …..Oil seals on teak are only recommended for indoors.

39. QUESTION:
    i have a sims1 related question..?
    why won't my Sims eat dinner at the dinner table? I have a dining room and still they walk right past it and go outside and eat on the patio furniture. If I remove the door to go outside they walk all the way through the front door and around to the back yard to eat at that table. Why is this?
    They will sit at the table to study, nothing is blocked I'm sure.

    • ANSWER:
      Their passage is blocked. Sometimes we put chairs too close to the wall and the sim cannot get to it. Try looking at the chair from different angles. Move it farther from the wall. That should solve your issue.
      Source: Sims fanatic!!!

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