I use wire fencing to keep critters away from certain plants. I collect throwaway rolls of wire fencing with a 2 x 4 inch grid. I like it a little rusty, because it's nearly invisible in the garden. I cut pieces, usually about 2 feet high, and encircle the plants to keep out critters like woodchucks. Woodchucks can dig under and climb over a fence that high, except that I cut the fencing so that pokey wire ends stick out of the top and bottom. They are very sharp, so nothing has tried to climb over it. I have to watch out not to skewer myself in the garden, and it's probably not the best method to use if you have little children running around. Maybe something like that would work around your apple tree?

I don't know whether I'd trust an unheated garage to store a plant over a northern winter but if you have a basement that stays above 40ú, can be put where it can be left alone....no watering, no giving light of any kind, no feeding....it can come back better than ever. No thinking a little sprinkling will do it some good...it wont. When we give plants light, we are expecting it to do something....like grow....same with heat....same with food. Leave the poor plant alone....do not do anything to encourage growth. In February--or March....bring the plant out...remove it from its pot if you left it there, or you might have hung it--upside down...which is equally the way to leave it.... cut it back to about 4"....removing all dead branches..inspect the roots and remove any that appear dead or damaged. With a clean pot, put something in the bottom to keep the soil away from the drainage holes---the pot MUST DRAIN....fresh potting soil, place the plant in, water it to drainage, then place it in a sunny window where it is left to gain leaves. Turn it every other day to ensure all parts receive adequate sunlight. Do not feed it until sufficient foliage returns and then only as it requires. Do not let the drainage sit under the pot longer than 5 - 10 minutes.... Within 6 weeks your plant should have foliage that will signify its beginning to return to its old self.

You have to be both honest and assertive, and it helps to have a S/O who can help. I refuse to allow people to help me in the kitchen, tell them straight out "thank you, but nobody is allowed to help me in the kitchen", let them know that I know that I'm a BAD PERSON to be this way, and then I ask my partner to help distract them. I'm happy to talk and don't mind if they watch, but the kitchen is MINE. We have a small galley kitchen, so most people understand. Our friends know this about me and we can joke about what a control freak I am. BTW pharaoh makes a good point--I've gotten much better over the years at having food ready before anybody arrives, so any last-minute kitchen work is usually minimal; this also helps ME enjoy entertaining more. Guests who are family, and especially when they're staying with you, are another problem entirely, and one I haven't had much luck with solving. When I'm preparing dinner I can play the usual ogre and keep people out but you can't guard the kitchen 24/7 so I try to let it go. I get especially frustrated when people try to "help" by emptying the dishwasher and just guess where things go. Not quite the same problem, but my sister-in-law and her family had already arranged a visit to Washington, DC when my partner and I had just moved into a new condo on fairly short notice. They didn't stay with us but she did show up at our condo, literally the day after we had moved in, with a large raw turkey. It wouldn't even fit in our small fridge or freezer so of course we had to cook it then and there, meaning we had to rummage through all of our boxes to find cooking utensils, spices, dishes, silverware, etc. It's a bit of a family joke now and when she says she is coming to visit we will say "please don't bring a turkey" but at the time I just about threw a fit over it.

Hmmm. Dogs should be sleeping when they are not in the presense of their people while in the home. I do notice in my neighborhood that when people leave their dogs in the yard, free to their own devices, they bark incessantly. I would strongly recommend that you don't let the dog stay in the yard unsupervised. If you truly do want to fix this problem without collars or surgery and without a behaviorist then your best bet is to confine the dog in a bedroom or a crate with acceptable chew toys. Most of the time when people don't let their pets stay inside when they are not home is because of destructive chewing. That's why it's important to train your dog when it's a puppy what is ok to chew on and what isn't. Stuffed kongs and other good chewies will help with anxiety but it is not sufficient excercise or mental stimulation for a working terrier. I have a terrier mix and a bearded collie, both working dogs that need a great deal of excercise and mental stimulation and I'm always trying to figure out new ways to get them worn out. I would suggest a brisk 30 minute walk before you leave for work. That will tire the dog and his senses. Then he goes in his play room to chill until you come home for work at which time he gets another walk to tire him and his senses while you fix supper or whatever. Knowing that terriers are bred to search for rodents and whatnot and having observed how much mine yearns to dig in search for these critters, I periodically take him to the woods where I let him sniff and dig to his hearts content and it really is a pleasure to watch. I suggest you let your dog have regular opportunities to excerise this instinct that he was bred to have. If a person was trapped in a yard all day, everyday with nothing to do they would be bored out of their minds. Same with dogs. On days where weather doesn't permit a lengthy walk, or even if it does, I play fetch and tug of war and hide and seek with the dogs. I do so until the ball stops coming back. I run them up and down the stairs for treats until their tongues are dangling sideways out of their mouth. Then I give them a stuffed kong when play time is over and they fall fast asleep. Short durations of this excercise won't impact your lifestyle too much and it will make all the difference in the world to your pet. You've identified the problem, here are some easy solutions you can put into action today and I hope that helps. Not long ago, I did call the police because of a barking dog that one of the idiot neighbors left all alone in a kennel outside for a week while they were out of town and the dog whined and cried and howled all day and night. I don't know that it accomplished anthing as the dog continued for days.