Hints from Heloise

Dear Heloise: Thanks for the column about coping with a pet’s blindness. DOGS are so adaptable! Our miniature dachshund was in her teens when she lost her hearing. Dogs usually are good at scrambling out of the way. When you have a small dog who is not in your line of sight and she can’t hear you coming, you might accidentally stumble on her. We put a bell on her collar. Even though she couldn’t hear us, we could hear her. — Carolyn T., Orange, Calif.

Carolyn, thank you so much for sharing this with my readers. Our beloved pets do get older and have many age-related health issues, similar to humans. They do adapt rather quickly and “just get on with life,” focusing on “Where is my chew toy?” — Woof, woof, Heloise STUBBORN STICKER Dear Heloise: I recently purchased a used car for my daughter. There is a bumper sticker from the previous owner that we would like to remove. Do you have any hints on how to remove a stubborn sticker? — Dan in Texas

Dan, sure do! There are a couple of methods to use. First, heat the sticker by using a hair dryer to warm and soften the adhesive. Start on one end and blow the hot air on one corner. Then gently lift the edge and begin peeling the sticker. Keep using the hair dryer as you go. The second way is boiling water. Slowly pour the boiling water over the bumper sticker to loosen the adhesive. Again, begin lifting the sticker from a corner. Gently peel the sticker and get more boiling water as needed. Be careful not to scratch the paint! — Heloise TRAVEL HINT Dear Heloise: One thing I made for my children was a hanging bag with 12 pockets. It holds a coat hanger so that the bag could hang on the back-seat coat hook in the car. Each pocket had a toy or treat that the kids were allowed to have each hour that we traveled. Simple items such as sports cards, gum, stickers, etc., made the distance seem shorter with the anticipation of what they would find in the next pocket. — J. Garner, Abilene, Texas