Mountain Views News          Saturday, November 10, 2012

9

JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS

 Mountain Views News Saturday, November 10, 2012 

PET OF THE WEEK: 

ASTRO - #A4503124 


HOUSE-TRAINING YOUR CANINE WHAT 
WORKS FOR TODAY’S PET OWNERS

 
Dog ownership is on 
the rise in the U.S. 
and one thing that 
most new owners 
have in common is the hope of starting off on the right “paw” 
when it comes to house-training their new pet. House-
training a puppy doesn’t have to be as daunting a task as it 
sounds, if you set some boundaries and get on a workable 
regular regimen at the start. Here are a few basic pointers 
that might help get you started on getting your dog quickly 
house-trained:

Timing is everything - Puppies do best on a regular schedule. 
Lead your puppies frequently to a ’piddle’ pad in the area 
with which they are most familiar. Most puppies will need to 
relieve themselves as many as six times a day, at least. Follow 
the same path to the pad every time. The process will require 
your full attention for a few weeks, but the effort you put into 
it now will last for the rest of your pet’s life.

 Dine and dash - If you establish set mealtimes, your pets 
will become accustomed to relieving themselves on schedule 
as well. Keep tabs on when your dog relieves himself during 
training, and use that timing to get your dog accustomed to 
going outside or using the training pads regularly.

 Relaxation room - Dogs like their own den, and a proper-
sized crate is an excellent option for your dog to spend time 
in, during downtime. Have your dog or puppy sleep in the 
crate at night and when you are not home during training.

 Separate spaces - Set up the training pad in a special area 
away from the crate and food. Consider using special trays 
designed to hold training pads to keep the pad in place and 
deter dogs from playing with the training pads.

 Treat time - Use the same treat every time your pet does the 
right thing during house-training for positive reinforcement. 
Rubbing its nose in its feces may make matters worse and 
could cause your dog to hide when it’s time to go.

 
Go green - Consider environmentally friendly training pads 
such as Eco-Care Training Pads made by Simple Solution. 
These pads are made from 85 percent recycled material, 
saving landfills from over 400 tons of waste every year. While 
reducing landfill waste, they also maximize absorption, 
holding two times more liquid than leading pad brands and 
using polymer technology to convert liquid to gel, locking in 
moisture and preventing leaks. The pads are designed with 
odor neutralizers to eliminate tough urine odors and can 
be used with litter box mats, as a dog crate liner, as car seat 
covers and to clean up messy spills. Today, more owners use 
potty pad training when they have limited outdoor areas. For 
more information, visit www.simplesolution.com. 

Training assistance - Many pet owners find it helpful to 
include some basic behavioral training concurrent with puppy 
house training, to promote a stronger sense of structure and 
communication with the dog.

Thankfully, there are some very good trainers located right 
here in the Pasadena/Sierra Madre area. Some of them even 
make house calls, which adds the cutting edge advantage of 
one-on-one attention in the convenience of your own home. 
One of my favorite trainers is Connie Mackie. She has a 
naturally calming ‘dog-side manner’ which, combined with 
her excellent communication skills makes for a comfortable 
home visit, and is a great resource for tips on working with 
your dog between training visits. Connie can be contacted 
by phone at 310-927-1508 or by e-mail at: dreamdogs@
sbcglobal.net.

 The Pasadena Humane Society also offers a variety of 
evening and weekend training courses at their facility on 
Raymond Avenue. The certified instructors at PHS are 
qualified to train dog and master as a unit. Owners are then 
able to take what they learn with them and continue to use 
the same techniques at home. For more information about 
training classes at Pasadena Humane Society, visit www.
phsspca.org or call 626-792-7151.

 Whichever route you choose to take and 
whatever technique you choose to apply in 
training your puppy or your dog, for the best 
results it is very important to be consistent in 
your training routine. Also, when it comes 
to your use of commands and rewards, limit 
your vocabulary to only a few, single syllable 
terms, and strive to offer lots of petting and 
verbal praise as a reward, in lieu of snacks or 
treats. If you start early enough (in my opinion 
it’s never too early to start training) you will be 
doing your pet a big favor by teaching him to 
want to please you simply for the praise, rather 
than for food or treats. Remember, a healthy, 
well- trained & well-loved dog is a happy dog!

Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc

Meet Astro (A4503124)! Astro is a loving two year old brindle 
male Short Haired Chihuahua/Pug mix (a “Chug”) who was 
found in La Puente and brought to the Baldwin Park Animal 
Care Center on October 23rd. Weighing ten pounds, Astro 
walks acceptably well on the leash and is a perfect candidate for 
additional training due to his curious and intelligent nature. He 
gets along well with other dogs, both large and small, and has a 
natural affinity for the human lap. Volunteers think he will be fine 
with older children. Astro will be a playful indoor companion 
for an individual or family in any living situation. To watch a 
video of Astro please visit the following link: www.youtube.com/
watch?v=Lb4vI0YN8c0

 To meet Astro in person, please see him at the Baldwin Park 
Shelter, located at 4275 N. Elton St., Baldwin Park, CA 91706 
(Phone: 626-430-2378 or 626-962-3577). He is currently available 
now. For any inquiries about Astro, please reference his animal 
ID number: A4503124. The shelter is open seven days a week, 
12 pm-7 pm Monday-Thursday and 10am-5pm Friday-Sunday. 
This is a high-intake shelter with a great need for adoptions. 
For more information about Astro or the adoption process, 
please contact United Hope for Animals Volunteer Adoption 
Coordinator Samantha at Samantha@hope4animals.org. To 
learn more about United Hope for Animals’ partnership with 
the Baldwin Park Shelter through its Shelter Support Program, 
as well as the many dogs of all breeds, ages, and sizes available for 
adoption in local shelters, visit http://www.unitedhope4animals.
org/about-us/shelter-support-program/.


LENDING A PAW THERAPY DOGS” 
SPONSOR PET FOOD DRIVE

Lending a Paw Therapy Dogs is sponsoring a Pet Food Drive to 
support Foothill Unity Center’s Pet Food Bank as part of a pet 
wedding celebration.

On Sunday, November 18 at 10:00

Arcadia Congregational United Church of Christ

2607 S. Santa Anita in Arcadia

Therapy Dogs Ms.Margaret Rose Cortland and

Mr. Sundance Kid Melle

Will celebrate their wedding vows to be officiated by

Rev. Dr. Jolene Cadenbach

Because the happy couple is aware of how the poor economy has 
affected many pet owners’ ability to keep their pets, they are requesting 
donations of dog and cat brand name dry food for the 
Foothill Unity Center in lieu of wedding gifts; www.foothillunitycenter.
org. Donations by check (made out to the Foothill Unity 
Center) or cash also will be accepted. There will be a donation 
collection point at the wedding reception, or

contact Lending a Paw Therapy Dogs at 626-357-3575 to arrange 
a pickup. 

Foothill Unity Center serves the Foothill communities of the San 
Gabriel Valley and is headquartered in Monrovia. The Pet Food 
Bank helps people that would otherwise have to give up their pets 
because they do not have the money to feed them. In the first 
eight months of 2012, the Center has provided 671 unduplicated 
families with pet food. Lending a Paw Therapy Dogs has established 
a goal of at least 2000 pounds of pet food to be collected in 
order to sustain this program through the Holidays.

In addition, Maggie and Sundance would be honored to have 
you and your significant dog* attend the festivities. The reception 
will be on the church grounds immediately following the 
ceremony. The blessing of the animals will take place during the 
reception. (*It is extremely important that your pet is on a leash, 
friendly and have “church manners.” Clean up bags will be supplied 
if needed.)

Please RSVP to either twokuute@gmail.com or Immelle@aol.
com 

 

Our grateful thanks to this event’s generous supporters including: 
wonder Dog Ranch, Karren’s Kritters (Pet Rescue), Voice Communications, 
Cactus Communications, Happy Paws Dog

Grooming, and Monrovia Floral.