I don’t have a dog, but if I did I would be trying to get it to talk. At They Can Talk there’s a bunch of researchers training dogs to use cheap electronic devices to “say” words. Some dog-owners claim to be able to train their dogs to chain together a string of spoken words into something like a sentence. There’s a whole community of folks trying it, and recordable buttons sold on Amazon, and a good book on it, How Stella Learned to Talk. — KK

Pet-friendly duvet cover

My dog is trained not to jump on the bed or couch unless his special blanket is laid out first. However, we recently discovered that our microfiber duvet cover ($30) repels dog hair, so our house rules have changed. We no longer lay out the blanket and we just invite him up, which he, of course, quickly adjusted to. I’m not sure where all his dog hair goes, but it definitely does not stick to our bedding. Another reason I’m happy with our duvet cover is that it’s made of seersucker, which means it never looks wrinkly. — CD

Cat donut cushion

Our cats spend a lot of time nestled in their Love’s Cabin Donut Cushions. We have one for each of them, but they often snuggle together in one. It makes me happy to see them sleeping in them. — MF

Find the perfect pet bird

I’ve owned birds in the past, and I’m not in the market for one now, but my daughter showed me this fun quiz that matches you up with the perfect type of pet bird and points you to rescue centers near you so you can adopt one. The quiz result said my kind of bird is the lineolated parakeet, and I agree. — MF

Squirrel-proof bird feed

The only reliable way to deter squirrels from bird feeders is to use hot peppered bird seed. Squirrels (and other rodents) hate the taste of capsaicin, but birds are immune and happily chow it down. Train your neighborhood squirrels by starting out with 100% of hot peppered seed like Wild Delight Sizzle N Heat Bird Food and then gradually dilute this expensive seed with regular stuff. I have not tried this, but you can make your own by mixing a cayenne oil like Flaming Squirrel Sauce with your usual seed. — KK

Potty training app for puppies

I was immediately overwhelmed when we brought our new puppy home two weeks ago. Puddle & Pile was a mind saver. I log when my pup eats, drinks, pees and poops and the app will predict when he’ll need to potty next and alert me. The more I log the more it learns about his habits and becomes more accurate. It’s not perfect, but it’s prevented a lot of accidents and I can’t find a better app for the job. Suggestions welcome! — CD

THIS ISSUE OF RECOMENDO IS SPONSORED BY INCOGNI

Searching yourself on Google or ChatGPT exposes shocking details like your address, SSN, and financial records. Incogni’s Unlimited plan automatically erases your sensitive data from online brokers, protecting you from identity theft and fraud. Get 55% off with code RECOMENDO

Sign up here to get Recomendo a week early in your inbox.