Now that Elvis knows "sit," you can move on to "blanket training." It is simple to teach and there are few tricks that a dog owner will find more useful.

Place a towel or blanket on the spot in a room that Elvis has chosen as the place he prefers to lay. Call him over to the towel, point at it, and give him the "sit" command. Pet him and praise when he sits, and repeat the trick several times a day.

On the second day, add "on your rug" to the command (don't worry, Elvis won't quibble over whether it is a rug or a towel). Say, "sit ... on your rug." Make sure you point at the towel because teaching Elvis to respond to where you are pointing will be used in other tricks in the future. Every time Elvis sits remember to praise him and pet him.

After a few days, drop the "sit" from the command, point at the towel, and use the "on your rug" command. It won't take long until Elvis follows your command. Give him plenty of love and attention every time he does.

Now you can take Elvis with you any time you travel. Just put the towel down in a motel or a friend's house and give the command. Elvis will feel at home, no matter where you are.

ER: You said that flea and tick medication causes skin irritation on two of your dogs. My sheltie, Millie, also gets severe skin irritation from the medicine. What do you do for the two who cannot tolerate it?

-- Leslie, Merced

A: Leslie, there may be good news on the way for Millie and all other dogs who have adverse reactions to the type flea and tick liquid that is applied directly to the skin. The Old Trainer is currently testing a product called Comfortis. It is a beef flavored pill that you feed your dog once a month.

Rowdy and Rocky were the two border collies who had problems with the flea and tick medication. They both developed skin irritations and both dogs scratched and chewed more after the application than they did from the fleas.

They started Comfortis May 15, and everything is positive after two weeks. There is not a sign of a flea, the skin inflammation has disappeared, and the chewing has stopped.

The product has some limitations. It does not kill ticks, so if you are in an area with ticks you will have to use a tick collar in addition to the pill.

In addition, some dogs have a problem keeping it down. That has not been a problem for Rowdy or Rocky. Discuss this product with your vet, and watch this column for an update in a couple of months.