Mountain Views News          Saturday, August 9, 2014

8

JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS

Mountain Views-News Saturday, August 9, 2014 


LOOKING FOR A BEST FRIEND?

A GENTLE LEASH 
ON LIFE

Happy Tails

 Maybe an itty bitty one? Think of Yum 
Tum! 

 Yum Tum is an adorable 4 month 
old grey and white domestic short hair 
kitten. He is a sweet, charming kitty 
with a ‘take me home’ expression and 
cute button nose. He is an affectionate 
boy who purrs as soon as he gets in your 
arms. He gets along well with his kitten 
friends and is very social with people. 
This playful guy has a lifetime of love and 
affection to share and would be a great 
addition to a lucky family. Full of life 
and eager to meet his family, Yum Tum is 
social and loves people! 

 Please come in to meet Yum Tum and 
his kitty friends in person. They will 
charm you with their kitty antics and love 
of life. If a kitty is part of your future, you 
won’t want to miss these cuties. Its kitty 
season and they won’t last long!

 The kitty adoption fee is $99 which 
includes neuter surgery, a microchip, 
first vaccinations and a free wellness 
check-up at a participating veterinarian. 

 Take advantage of our new cat adoption 
program to celebrate “Kitten Season”! 
The ‘Me and My Shadow’ companion 
adoption program allows you to have 
Twice the Fun at a Third the Cost! When 
you adopt a second kitty, who must be 
black like a shadow, the cost is only $29. 


Yum Tum currently resides at the San Gabriel Valley Humane Society located at 851 E. Grand 
Avenue in San Gabriel with his kitty friends. We are located off San Gabriel Blvd., north of 
Mission and south of Las Tunas. 

 To arrange a ‘Meet and Greet’ with Yum Tum, please stop by any time from 10:00am to 
4:30pm Tuesday thru Sunday. 

 His adoption fee is $99 which includes a microchip, neuter surgery, first vaccinations and a 
free wellness check-up at a participating veterinarian. Feel free to call us at (626) 286-1159 
for more information on Yum Tum. 

 

 See our website at www.sgvhumane.org for information and photos of all our available pets. 

 As a dog-walker and pet 
sitter, I have had many clients 
ask me which is the best type 
of collar or lead to use for 
walking their dog. Well, to 
be completely honest, I am 
hesitant to respond to that 
question with full confidence 
until I get to know their dog 
on a personal level. There are 
so many dog walking and 
training collar & lead products 
on the market these days, 
each with their own specified 
(even patented) technique 
and philosophy, that it can 
be somewhat confusing and 
rather overwhelming to select 
the proper product for your 
pet. With so many types of 
collars available today, there 
are equally numerous types of 
dogs, at various developmental 
levels of human bonding and 
obedience. If you take a little 
time and effort to choose the 
right tools, you are bound 
to find a match in the mix 
eventually. I do not claim to 
be an expert on the subject, 
however I do know that each 
dog has it’s own specific needs 
and it is important to use 
humane handling methods 
to meet those needs, in order 
to foster positive results 
and establish a trusting 
relationship with your pet. It 
is also important to research 
the philosophy behind a dog 
handling product before 
putting it to use. Having read 
several articles and doing a 
little research of my own, I 
came up with a list of collar 
types that would most likely 
be found at the local pet 
supply store today, in hopes 
of informing and helping you 
select the proper lead product 
for your beloved canine 
companion. Be aware that 
this list is just a good start. It 
does not include every single 
product available in today‘s 
market, and the descriptions 
are brief, so you will want to 
research each product more 
specifically in consideration of 
your own dog’s needs before 
making a final 
selection.

 Buckle Collars: 
These are collars that are 
simply fastened with a buckle. 
They are typically made of 
nylon or leather, and are 
either flat or rolled. Most 
buckle collars are adjustable, 
but do not tighten on the dog’s 
neck once fastened. Rolled 
leather collars, although more 
expensive, tend to fit more 
comfortably. Adjustable nylon 
collars are recommended for 
growing pups. For the owner 
whose dog does not pull to the 
point of choking and gagging 
and who also responds well 
when learning commands, 
the buckle collar works fine.

 Body Harness: Harnesses 
were originally designed 
for sled dogs. Pulling is the 
reaction of about 99% of 
dogs placed on harnesses, so 
unless the goal is to teach a 
dog to pull, it is worthless as 
a training tool. I recommend 
the harness as a dog seatbelt. 
A leash with a solid brass or 
steel clip strapped around the 
back of the seat and fastened 
to the harness makes a great 
restraint for a dog that might 
otherwise crash into the 
windshield upon impact.

 Break-away Collars: A 
special quick-release collar 
that will unfasten if a strong 
pull is placed on the collar. 
However, the collar will not 
unfasten when attached to a 
leash. This collar was designed 
after the inventor’s dog choked 
to death because its collar got 
caught on something.

 Choke Chains / Slip Collars: 
Metal choke chains are still 
being used as a training tool 
in traditional methods, where 
the dog is corrected by a quick 
snap of the leash if he doesn’t 
obey a command. Slip collars 
are similar, except they are 
made of soft materials such as 
nylon or cotton. These types 
of collars should never be left 
on an unattended dog, and 
always removed when the 
leash is removed.

 Electronic Collars: Often 
called remote or e-collars by 
advocates, and shock collars 
by detractors, these devices 
deliver an electrical stimulus 
causing pain to the dog when 
given a correction. It is my 
experience, when evaluating 
most dogs who have been 
trained using shock devices, 
that these collars can destroy a 
dog’s self-confidence. I would 
never use nor do I advocate 
the use of shock collars as an 
obedience training device. 

 Head Halters: Head Halters 
are the latest in politically 
correct, morally proper 
tools that feed into owners’ 
desire to treat their canine 
companions humanely. The 
halter is very effective in 
achieving compliance and 
obedience without excessive 
restraint, however some feel 
that the dog’s personality is 
somewhat marginalized by 
its use. I personally feel this 
tool works better than most in 
controlling a dog’s tendency 
to pull, without choking. 

 Prong or Pinch Collars: 
These collars may seem like 
a kind of medieval torture 
device, but they are actually 
humane when used properly. 
They should definitely be used 
for training “neck insensitive” 
dogs only.

 I want to make it clear 
that this article is not meant 
to advocate the use of any 
particular collar type over 
another. A sincere, caring pet 
owner takes the time to try 
and understand how his or 
her dog(s) thinks, learns and 
bonds with human beings 
and the best candidate to 
determine which product 
works best for their pet is his 
owner. No training equipment 
can ever take the place of a 
strong, mutually respectful 
relationship between a dog 
and his master. Finally, do be 
gentle and loving in the way 
that you treat your dog and 
your dog will be gentle and 
loving in how he responds to 
you, of that I am sure!

PET OF THE WEEK: PRINGLE

Animal ID #A4737000


Meet Pringle (A4737000)! Pringle is a dreamy 
7-month-old tan male Short Haired Chihuahua 
Mix puppy who was found in La Puente and 
brought to the Baldwin Park Animal Care Center 
on July 23rd. Weighing 3 pounds and expected 
to top out at around 6 pounds, Pringle loves to be 
carried and does not seem to have had experience 
walking on a leash. He would be a perfect purse 
pet. He likes everyone he meets, both human 
and canine. Pringle will be an affectionate and 
charming indoor pet and companion for an 
individual or a family (as long as any kids are old 
enough to be careful with this delicate fellow!) in 
any living situation. Go down to the Baldwin Park 
Shelter today to meet Pringle and fall in love! To 
watch a video of Pringle please visit: http://youtu.
be/sq3V7-VmIKU 

 To meet Pringle in person, please see him at the 
Baldwin Park Shelter, located at 4275 N. Elton, 
Baldwin Park, CA 91706 (Phone: 626-430-2378 or 
626-962-3577). He is currently available now. For 
any inquiries about Pringle, please reference his 
animal ID number: A4737000. 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 Pringle or the adoption process, 
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/.