Mountain Views News          Saturday, November 14, 2015

9

JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS

Mountain Views-News Saturday, November 14, 2015 


LOOKING FOR A BEST FRIEND?

A FEW TIPS FOR HOUSE-
TRAINING A NEW PUPPY

Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc

Who loves turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes? 
Meet Roy!! He is a charming little dog that could 
best be described as a “white roly-poly.” He is 
thought to be a Corgi-Chihuahua mix, around 8 
years old and weighing about 10 pounds. It is hard 
to resist petting his soft white coat, 
and you can’t help but smile at his 
outgoing, friendly personality. He 
will greet you with a wagging tail 
and a smiling face, and you can get 
lost in his big brown eyes. He has 
a compact, somewhat stout stature 
with short legs.

 Roy’s age of 8 makes him 
eligible for our ‘Senior for Senior’ 
discount adoption rate, but you 
would never describe him as an 
old dog. He is a spunky little 
guy who loves to chase a toy, and 
shake it vigorously before asking 
for it to be thrown again. He is 
easy to harness and loves to go for walks to the 
park. And he REALLY loves getting attention 
from people in the form of pets, massages, and 
belly rubs. He is quite affectionate and he can be 
a real charmer.

 What Roy lacks in size, he makes up in attitude. 
In his interactions with other dogs at the shelter, 
Roy appears to take the dominant role. He has 
even intimidated his current kennel mate, who has 
a strong personality and is larger than Roy. Roy 
may have learned that he has to be assertive to get 
the respect he deserves. The two dogs have worked 
their relationship out and seem to have a mutual 
respect for each other.

 Roy would make a wonderful companion and 
would fit well in many family situations. He 
loves being with people and definitely wants to be 
part of the family. If there is another dog in the 
home, they would have to meet Roy to see if they 
are compatible. Roy would probably do well as 
the only dog and would not mind keeping all the 
attention for himself. Roy has a lot 
of love to share – come in to meet 
him soon. He would love to share 
Thanksgiving with you! 

 In celebration of “Adopt A Senior 
Pet Month”, his adoption fee is $39 
which includes his neuter surgery, 
a microchip, first vaccinations 
and a free wellness check-up at a 
participating veterinarian. 

If you are interested in meeting 
Roy or any of the other available 
animals at the shelter, visit the San 
Gabriel Valley Humane Society at 
851 E. Grand Ave., San Gabriel, 
Calif. 91776. Stop by any time 
from 10:30am to 4:30pm Tuesday thru Sunday 
to arrange a meet and greet with Roy. For more 
information, call (626) 286-1159. See our website 
at www.sgvhumane.org for information and 
photos of all our wonderful pets. 

 Celebrate the season with our ‘Fall is for Felines’ 
promotion. All cats one year and older are available 
until October 31st for a $39 adoption fee. 

 2016 calendars are available at the shelter for a 
$10 donation. The photos were selected among 
hundreds submitted by shelter supporters. They 
make great holiday gifts for the animal lovers on 
your list! If you would like to order a 2016 calendar 
on line, you can do so through Paypal. Go to 
the shelter website at sgvhumane.org for more 
information. 


Dog ownership is on the rise these days and 
while there are as many philosophies on how 
to cohabitate with a pet as there are pet owner’s 
personalities, one thing all new dog owners have 
in common is the hope to start off on the right paw 
when it comes to house-training. House-training 
a puppy doesn’t have to be as daunting as it sounds 
if you set some boundaries and get on a workable, 
regular regimen right from the start. Here are 
a few basic pointers for house-training using a 
training pad, that I hope you will find helpful.

 Timing is everything - Puppies do best on a 
regular schedule. To get started, lead your puppy 
to the training pad frequently, as most pups 
relieve themselves at least six times a day. Follow 
the same path to the pad every time. This process 
will require a lot of attention for a few weeks, 
but keep in mind that your early efforts will last 
throughout your pet’s lifetime.

 Dine and dash - If you establish set mealtimes 
and lead your pup to the pad right after each meal, 
he will likely learn to relieve himself on schedule 
as well. Keep tabs on when your dog does his 
business during training and use that timing 
to get your dog accustomed to going outside or 
using the training pads.

 Relaxation room - Dogs like their own den, and 
a proper-sized crate for your dog is all the space 
it needs for downtime. Have your puppy sleep 
in the crate at night and when you are not home 
during the training period. If the crate concept is 
introduced early, most dogs learn to love having 
their “own personal space” and will voluntarily 
visit their crate into adulthood.

 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 conscious training 
pads. Eco-Care Training Pads by 
Simple Solution are made from 85% 
recycled material, saving landfills 
from over 400 tons of waste every 
year. They also provide maximum absorption by 
holding two times more liquid than other leading 
brands. They are designed with odor neutralizers to 
help 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. I’m really not 
trying to sell you on this particular product, but 
they seem to offer more desirable features than 
some of the pad brands, including the fact that they 
are eco-friendly. Take the time to shop around for 
what works best for you and your pet.

 Training assistance - Many pet owners find it 
helpful to include some sort of basic behavioral 
training concurrent with puppy house training 
at home, to promote a stronger sense of structure 
and communication with the dog. I have personally 
had very positive pet training experiences at The 
Pasadena Humane Society. They offer 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.

 Whatever technique you choose to apply in 
training your puppy, for the best results it is very 
important to be consistent in your routine. Also, 
when it comes to the 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 in lieu of snacks or treats. 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. Have fun in the process and remember, a 
healthy, well- trained & well-loved dog is a happy 
dog!


PET OF THE WEEK: SABRINA: ANIMAL ID #A4891107


This is one puppy you definitely want to meet! 
This is Sabrina (A4891107), a kissy 9-month-old 
white-with-black female Jack Russell Terrier mix 
puppy who was picked up as a stray in La Puente 
on October 26th and brought to the Baldwin 
Park Animal Care Center. Weighing 11.5 lbs, 
Sabrina savors affection, and reciprocates 
human attention with kisses and wiggles. Like 
all puppies, she will benefit from basic leash 
and obedience training to help her grow into a 
model canine citizen. Sabrina will thrive in a 
household eager to train and socialize a pup, and 
is ready and waiting for you! To watch a video of 
adorable little Sabrina, please visit the following 
link:https://youtu.be/vWdPpxAeJkU 

 To meet Sabrina in person, please see her at 
the Baldwin Park Shelter, located at 4275 N. 
Elton, Baldwin Park, CA 91706 (Phone: 626-
962-3577). She is currently available now. For 
any inquiries about Sabrina, please reference her 
animal ID number: AA4891107. 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 Sabrina 
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/.


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