In this mask-wearing pandemic time, it’s difficult to gauge a person’s mood because the mouth is covered. You can try to read the eyes or eyebrows in hopes of sensing if the person is smiling, frowning or upset.

Fortunately, our dogs do not need protective masks. And, if you pay close attention, you can possibly determine a dog’s mood by factoring in a key clue — his ear placement. This applies no matter if the dog has upright ears like in a German Shepherd or drooping, heavy ears like in a Basset Hound.

Although there are more than 200 recognized dog breeds plus countless mixed breeds, all dogs sport about 18 muscles that they use to raise, turn, and tilt each ear independently. Let’s take a closer look at two common canine ear positions: cupped and flattened.

Raise your hand if you miss talking face to face with your veterinarian about your pet in the exam room. I know I do. Our Furry Brady Bunch includes three dogs and four cats. Like many of you, I spend more time in the veterinary clinic than I do at the offices of my doctor, dentist and eye doctor combined.

Before COVID-19 arrived this year in full force in March, I made four veterinary visits in 2020. They included:

• Treating stomach issues in Casey, my confident, certified therapy cat.

• Performing a dental cleaning under anesthesia for Kona, our friendly, smart terrier-mix.

• Giving head-to-tail wellness exams for Bujeau, our shy Bernese Mountain Dog-mix and Rusty, our just-adopted orange tabby kitten.

During this pandemic, has your always-up-for-adventure dog become a not-budge-off-the-couch homebody? Or is your dog showing signs of cabin fever, canine style, by racing to the door whenever he hears another package delivery? Has your indoor cat become super clingy or is he hiding more since you and your family have spent most of this year 24-7 together under one roof?

B-a-t-h time. Some dogs are major tail-wagging water fans. They love being in water – be it a lake, a backyard pool and yes, even a bathtub or walk-in shower. Others, like my terrier mix, Kona, see the tub of water or a spraying garden hose and quickly shift into reverse gear. And, then there are dogs like Bujeau, my Bernese Mountain Dog mix, who now tolerates regular baths because high-grade treats are being doled out and we make bath time pleasant and calm.

Bottom line: our dogs – and on rare occasion, our cats – benefit in many ways when we treat them to a proper bath – especially when they roll in mud or worse, duck poo.

Hot dogs. These two words may make you think of those meaty treats inside toasted buns. But hot dogs can also describe a life-threatening condition – heat stroke – that can quickly occur not only in dogs, but indoor cats, too.

Summer’s arrival signals higher temperatures. Sunny skies can increase the risk of injury, even death to pets for heat-related incidents. That’s why as a master certified pet first aid/CPR instructor, I am on a mission to educate pet parents and pet professionals about hot weather hazards facing their dogs and cats.

In less than two months, the number of pets in our home unexpectedly climbed from four to six this year. The adoptions of Rusty, an orange tabby kitten; and Emma, an 8-pound young stray dog, were not planned.

In late January, I flew home with then 6-month-old Rusty from a national cat conference. In late March, skinny and scared Emma showed up with no collar or microchip ID in our neighborhood. For several weeks, no one claimed her despite us reaching out to shelters, rescue groups and veterinary clinics. She became ours officially in mid-April. Quickly, the newbies were warmly welcomed by our current four leggers and are now full-fledged members of our Furry Brady Bunch.