the dog and the chipmunk are in cahoots

I keep a crate of apples outside our front door to encourage us to grab one as a snack. The kids have easy access when they are playing outside, and customers or visitors can grab one as well. It’s a nice cool, shaded spot that is covered and safe from the rain; perfect for apple storage. The only problem is Dean, the chipmunk that lives in a crack in our fieldstone front porch. He drives the cat crazy every day by running back and forth in front of his window (the day the cat went outside it took a few moments for Dean to realize that his protective glass barrier has somehow been removed and a very frenetic chase ensued). Dean eats exactly half of an apple every day. When I get home from work in the evening, I find this every time:

I also find the dog sitting patiently, waiting for me to throw him the rest of the apple. He can’t reach the apple crate because our invisible fence prevents him from coming on the front porch. They seem to have a sweet little set-up going.

This is my solution – I found this fellow (I call him Frank – our rodents have a Rat Pack theme) in the dollar store while scouting out Halloween treat bags. He now resides on my front porch with the apples, to act as chipmunk deterrent. I’m hopeful, but with my luck the chipmunk will find him attractive and make friends or try to have its babies. We’ll see how it goes. In the meantime, Chester the dog will continue to get the occasional apple as a treat. I don’t mind giving him a whole one.

how to attract skunks and what to do to de-stink your dog afterwards

Sometimes it takes us a while to catch on, but eventually we figure things out. In the last couple of years our dog has been skunked repeatedly. We shake our heads, mutter something about the small brains of Chesapeakes and stay well clear of him for a few days. Two nights ago it happened again. It suddenly dawned on the dad that our practice of composting vegetable/fruit scraps by throwing them into the field may not be so brilliant and may actually be attracting skunks. Well.

The compost area will now be moved to the southeast corner of the field, away from the reach of the dog (he has a boundary collar that won’t let him wander off the side and back lawn – which is quite a large area).

The dad did some research and came up with this concoction that worked almost miraculously. We made a double batch, considering he is a large dog and his coat is naturally water resistant (Chesapeakes have a double layer of hair and natural oils that the water doesn’t fully penetrate – to keep them warm while they are in the water). The dog is once again allowed in the house and was sleeping at our feet within an hour of his de-stink bath. Here is the solution:

De-skunking Solution

• 500 mL bottle hydrogen peroxide
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 1 to 2 teaspoons of liquid soap.

Mix ingredients together in a bucket, adding lukewarm water if needed (for larger dogs). The solution will fizz; a chemical reaction is occurring. Use immediately – do not store.

Rub directly into dog’s coat, massaging the solution in well - you will want to use old clothes and possibly gloves, to keep the skunk oil off of yourself and any clothes that you actually like (you may not be able to wash the smell out of your clothes easily). Promptly begin cleansing the affected areas thoroughly, massaging the solution deep into your dog’s coat. Do not get the solution in the dog’s eyes, ears or mouth.

Allow the solution to remain on your dog for at least five minutes (longer if strong odour persists).

Rinse your dog well with lukewarm water. Repeat steps 3-5 as necessary until the smell is gone (It only took one try with our dog).

As for the skunk – well, I think he made the dog angry. All we found was his tail.

Linked to Frugally Sustainable, I Did It Tuesday, A Pinch of Joy