Did the cats teach my dog this unusual behavior?
DEAR JOAN: I recently adopted a wonderful dog that I named Baxter.
When Baxter and I go out for his morning walk, he kicks and scratches with his back legs after he makes a poo, like he’s trying to cover it up. I thought only cats did that. He did spend a lot of time with cats before I adopted him. Did the cats teach him to do that?
— E.J., San Jose
DEAR E.J.: For some reason, the thought of cats teaching dogs to do things scares me a little bit.
While there are documented cases of different species raised together sharing certain traits and habits, in this case, Baxter has not been indoctrinated into the cult of cat. He’s all dog.
Although it might appear Baxter is trying to cover his poo, he’s actually enhancing it. Dogs have pheromone scent pads in their feet, and by scratching around the poop deposit, they are marking their territory, leaving a scent that other dogs will detect.
DEAR JOAN: I have had a continual problem with pesky gnats that hover under our overhang on our back porch. They appear as it warms up and have not disappeared the past few years.
We don’t have any standing water or leaks and I can’t find a source of where they may be coming from. I’ve poured vinegar and water down the patio drains and still no luck.
Any advice on how to get rid of these so we can enjoy our back patio?
— A. Seaman, Moraga
DEAR A.: By your description, I think your unwanted pests are lesser house flies, also known as little house flies, also known, by me, as those darn flies that never land long enough for me to swat them. And I only resort to swatting when they come in the house, but I’ve gotten pretty good at whacking them in mid flight.
But back to your question, the swarm of circling flies are males, waiting for an unmated female to fly by. Because the lesser house fly is not as tolerant to heat or sun, they choose shady, cooler spots to hang out, and places where the air is still.
They don’t bite or sting, which means they basically are just annoying. Because they tend to swarm at a height of 5 to 6 feet, that puts them in the perfect human agitation zone.
Sprays and other deadly force efforts aren’t effective, but changing the conditions on your patio are. First, look for places where the females find attractive for laying eggs. That includes damp, protected areas such as in flower pots. Avoid overwatering plants, and watering in the evening. Instead, water early in the morning so that the sun and heat of the day will cause excess water to evaporate.
Lastly, place a fan on your porch, turn it upward toward the swarm, and set the fan on high. That should be like turning all the lights on at a singles’ bar, and the flies likely will scatter.
It’s not a permanent fix, but it should help you get through the worst of spring and fall, when the flies are most prevalent.
The Animal Life column runs on Mondays. Contact Joan Morris at AskJoanMorris@gmail.com.