Expert Advice from Aaron Hill, Owner of Pets in the City

PETS IN THE CITY
Proprieter: Aaron Hill
310-709-8695
[email protected]
www.petsinthecity.com
Summer/Fall 2011
Newsletter for clients and their fuzzy friends!
As many of you know, Aaron is now training pups as well. If you need training services, let us know! He has also has been getting
magazine and online placement as a dog expert, which we will include in the next newsletter (most of them are related to
summer!). Some of his house-training tips for a local Florida magazine are included below. Enjoy!
Expert Advice from Aaron Hill, Owner of Pets in the City
When it comes to
housebreaking your pet,
the most important step
is being consistent. And
if you lead a busy life, or
move around frequently,
that step can be a bit of a
challenge.
Certified animal trainer
and pet expert, Aaron Hill, owner of Pets in the City
offers advice on how you can housebreak your pup
painlessly.
What is the best way to house train a pup if you work?
Keep your pet on an eating and drinking schedule.
Keep your pet on a strict bathroom schedule.
Diffferentiate between potty breaks and walks.
Use positive reinforcement/reward going to the
bathroom outside with treats, scratches, playtime, etc.
Never punish for accidents inside.
If you travel often?
Again, schedule is key. Try to hire walker/sitter to
maintain schedule you have established.
If you move often?
Quickly create a familiar environment in your new
place with favorite beds, toys.
Keep the same schedule you had in your previous
home.
Immediately establish an acceptable place for potty
breaks and reinforce when done properly.
Wee-wee pads can be used for VERY young pups or older
dogs with incontinece issues or health problems, but
longterm use creates the impression for your pet that it’s ok
to go to the bathroom inside. These should be phased out as
quickly as possible if you are using them with a young dog.
Nature’s Miracle, etc, are great for accidents - although you
may not see or smell an accident anymore, a dog’s nose can
still pick up the scent and can trigger/cue the animal to go
again in the same spot.
Pets in the City Steps to Pup Potty Training
Be aware - It’s important to recognize your pet’s existing
bathroom tendencies. For example, most dogs will need to
relieve themselves after waking up from the night and within 20
minutes of eating and drinking. The younger the pup, the more
urgent the need to go to the bathroom will typically be. It’s a
great idea to keep a record of your pet’s potty habits and keep
him on a schedule! This, more than any tip I can give, will eliminate
accidents.
Show them the way - It is paramount to train you pet where you
want them to go. When you take your pet out to go potty, walk
directly to the same area that your pet has used before and be
as “boring” as possible. Let your dog sniff all around while you
ignore them. When your pup does go outside, now is the time
to shower him with as much attention and affection as you can!
The key with potty training is all in the reinforcement of desired
behavior. Treats, praise, scratches, toys, play, whatever your dog
loves most, let him know that going to bathroom outside is his
ticket to happiness.
Try and repeat - If your pup does not go to the bathroom outside,
take him back in and put him in a crate or tether him to you with
a leash so that you can monitor him indoors. After 30 minutes,
repeat the process of taking them outdoors to the designated
potty spot and try again.
Products:
Using a clicker or other training device to mark good
behavior is a fast and easy way to get house training
on the right track.
Aaron Hill is a certified professional animal trainer and the owner of Pets in
the City (www.petsinthecity.com) a premiere Dog Walking / Pet-sitter service
in Los Angeles, servicing hundreds of animals. He is certified in pet first-aid
and CPR and is a member of Pet-Sitters International.
Polite Pet Interaction 101:
How NOTto Greet a Dog
DON’T:
Lean over
and stick
your hand in
his face
Farm Animals Awareness Week:
September 18 - 24
Having grown up on a farm, this group is of particular
interest to me because of its work in fighting animal abuse
and opening people’s eyes about where food really comes
from.
Farm Sanctuary, started by activist Gene Baur, has taken
in 10,000 animals, all of which have been rescued from
inhumane factory farms. The group also backs legislation
to protect animal rights. As animal lovers, it’s great to have
someone looking out for these wonderful creatures!!
FarmSanctuary.org
Petals for Pets
We just thought these flower arrangements were funny
(and quite random)! From FlowersandFancies.com, 20%
of the proceeds from the Petals for Pets program benefit
the Baltimore Humane Society.
Did you know?
Over 3.5 million homeless
Americans have dogs.
A lot of homeless sanctuaries
(shelters, motels, halfway
houses) do not allow the
less fortunate to bring their
canine companions with
them. Pets of the Homeless,
a non-profit organization,
provides help for these
people in their communities
across
North
America
and Canada. Pets of the
Homeless sets up collection
sites at local businesses, and
the donations are donated
to local, participating food
banks and soup kitchens.
Grants are also available for
veternerarians. To see how
you can help, visit www.
petsofthehomeless.org.
PET PROFILES
Chloe
Meet some of Aaron’s fabulous clients!
Parents: Julian and Jillian - who are just married!! Congrats to the happy couple!
How did you find Chloe? Where is she from?
Chloe came from the Gentle Giants rescue in Norco, CA. She was 1 year old when she
was adopted.
Chloe’s disposition is one of the sweetest we know. Does she have any funny habits
that would surprise people?
Chloe likes to push herself between peoples’ legs when they’re standing up, facing
opposite them, to get pet on the back and have a lookout behind her. She also gives some
violent nudges in the elbow to elicit petting... watch out if you’re holding hot coffee
or red wine! Her big head is hard to hold up all day, so she loves to rest her chin on horizontal surfaces whenever practical. She
seemingly has no nerve endings in her tail, and thumps it into just about anything like a whip when she’s happy. Her favorite
thing is to stroll grassy lawns and read her “pee mails” with her long snout. Like many Great Danes, Chloe will sit with her hind
legs on furniture like a human, keeping her front paws on the floor. Also like many Great Danes, Chloe will lean into you as you
pet her, eventually knocking you over if you let her.
Funny Chloe fact:
Chloe has incredibly expressive and multi-positional ears that continue to form new shapes, wrinkles and angles we’ve never
seen before, even now after having her for 7 years! She’s an ear-artist.
HOGAN
Parent: Hogan’s very dedicated Mom is Tracy
My two nephews, ages 11 and 13, were researching various rescue organizations and
we visited shelters and pet stores in the area. I had been looking for my first dog for a
few months and I was determined to find my new best friend. After several unsuccessful
attempts to rescue a dog, I decided that I wanted to find a golden retriever. This all
changed once I laid my eyes on a golden doodle, a cross between a golden retriever and
a poodle. I was in love with the idea of having the looks and characteristics of a golden
retriever combined with the smarts of a poodle. It seemed like an ideal combination in
a dog…. and it is.
The stars were aligned and I found a breeder in Alabama. What I did not realize was
that getting to this part of Alabama was an all-day event, but I did not care. There are no
direct flights to Robertsdale, Alabama so I flew to Dallas, spent the night at the Dallas
airport, flew to Pensacola the following morning, rented a car, and drove an hour to pick
up my new puppy in this southern town in the middle of nowhere.
What are Hogan’s favorite activities?
Aside from his weekly adventures with Aaron and other Pets in the City clients, Hogan’s all time favorite activity is to play
“chuck-it.” His chuck-it experience is always enhanced when he can play with his girlfriend, Sadie, another golden doodle
and Pets in the City client. For those who may not be familiar with this activity, the chuck-it is a ball launcher that comes with
specific tennis like balls that are orange and blue. Hogan is obsessed with these particular balls and will not retrieve regular
tennis balls if the orange and blue ball is in sight. He has boundless energy and is always ready to run back and forth retrieving
the balls, sometimes catching them after one bounce, and returning the ball to me to start all over again. He runs up and down
the grassy strip with his tail wagging from side to side the entire time!
You had a birthday party for him this year, correct? Did he enjoy it?!?!
It was Hogan’s 2nd birthday and since we have met so many wonderful new dog friends and fellow dog owners, we thought it
was a great opportunity to celebrate. It was on a Saturday afternoon, and there were wine and snacks for the adults, and lots of
water and treats for the dogs. Most importantly, I had a cake (for the humans) decorated like an orange and blue chuck-it ball
in honor of Hogan’s favorite activity. The dogs played chuck-it for a few hours and all went home with bags of treats!!
PET PROFILES
SUNNY
Continued
Parent: Suzi, who has an adorable 3-year-old child named Audrey
How did you find Sunny?
Sunny (Sunshine) was adopted from a family in Orange County who did not want
her anymore; I found her on Petfinder.com in 2006 when she was 3 years old, her name
was originally “Sunset” which I thought was a bit of a downer. I must say, she is just the
sweetest little thing!
Any funny Sunny stories you would like to share?
Sunny has developed the strange habit of sleeping in a closet; there have been several
occasions where I go from closet to closet to find where she is.
How does your young daughter Audrey get along with Sunny?
Audrey (3) and Sunny are co-dependent. Audrey loves Sunny so much but is not always as gentle as she should be; Sunny
is fiercely protective of Audrey and sometimes will not even leave the house for a walk unless Audrey comes along.
The Best in the West
I’m sure you have your own go-to spots for grooming and
purchasing items for your huggable furry kids, but here are
some of our picks for best places in West LA:
Healthy Spot: Anesthesia-free teeth cleaning! Beau and certainly
Bronco needed some serious teeth cleaning, and we are so pleased
with how they turned out - sparkly and their breath smells good!
They also smell great from their grooming.
To Wag For: It is so hard to find cute, sturdy harnesses for our hounds
- as some might say, they have odd chest shapes! The owner here
assisted us leash by leash until we found the perfect fit. They also
have lots of treats ground level - so be careful or you will be buying
treats you didn’t mean to, like we did!
Pet Affair: The owners and staff are super friendly, efficient,
try to always fit you in and your pup smells great after
being groomed here.
Good ol’ PetCo: For a “chain” store, they are fairly
accommodating and have a large supply of toys, treats and
food.
Centinela Feed: Has a pretty wide variety of very healthy
food and treats. This is where we get our wet food for our
hounds, who most of the time eat better than we do.
Dream Boat Bed
by PoochPlanet
We bought this bed
and it’s soft, cozy and
environmentally friendly:
PoochPlanet
DreamBoat
bed. The ultra-plush interior
is velvety soft and the side
walls wrap around him like
loving arms.
—Cecilia ($30, poochplanet.
com)
Q & A Session
Pressing pup questions answered by some of our favorite experts!
Chewing the wrong things
Q: My puppy, Sally, is chewing everything in sight. How can I get her to chew on the right thing (her chew toys) and not the
wrong things (the table leg, my fingers)?
A: Chewing is normal for a puppy. Puppies chew when they’re teething, especially at four months of age, and again at around seven
months when the back molars come in. Puppies also chew to explore their worlds and because it’s fun. This may help you understand why they do it, but probably doesn’t make you feel much better as you’re staring at what’s left of your table!
To teach Sally better chewing habits, buy chew deterrent spray and use it on items you want her to avoid.Then teach her the cue,
“Leave it,” using the following steps.
- Have treats in both hands. Hide your left hand behind your back.
- Hold your right hand right in front of Sally’s nose, and show her the treat in that hand.
- In a friendly voice, say “Leave it” and quickly make a fist to cover the treat. Do not pull your hand away. Sally needs to think
the treat is within reach. She will likely sniff, lick, or paw your hand, trying to get the treat. Just be quietly patient.
The second Sally moves away from your hand, praise her. Then, bring your left hand out from behind your back and reward her
with a treat from that hand. Practice until she no longer tries to get the treat out of your hand. Then, switch hands. Put your right
hand behind your back and tempt her with a treat in your left hand. With consistent practice, when you say “Leave it,” Sally will
move away from whatever she’s headed towards. very useful for a growing puppy!
When she chews on you, cry “Ouch” and sound like you’re really hurt. Turn away and completely ignore her for a count of ten. Then
turn back around and immediately give her one of her toys, and praise her for chewing on that. Always praise her for chewing on
what you want. You may have to repeat this many times, but it will help teach her that humans are fragile and not for chewing!
-Tioti Anderson
Kitty Korner!
Feeding Older Cats (from ASPCA)
Cats begin to show visible age-related changes at about seven to twelve years of age. There are metabolic,
immunologic and body composition changes, too. Some of these are unavoidable. Others can be managed with diet.
Start your cat on a senior diet at about seven years of age.
The main objectives in the feeding an older cat should be to maintain health and optimum body weight,
slow or prevent the development of chronic disease, and minimize or improve clinical signs of diseases that
may already be present.
As a cat ages, health issues may arise, including:
Deterioration of skin and coat, loss of muscle mass, more frequent intestinal problems, arthritis, dental
problems, decreased ability to fight off infection.
Older cats have been shown to progressively put on body fat in spite of consuming fewer calories. This
change in body composition is inevitable and may be aggravated by either reduced energy expenditure
or a change in metabolic rate. Either way, it is important to feed a diet with a lower caloric density to avoid
weight gain.
Talk to your vet about increasing your senior cat’s vitamin E intake. Antibody response decreases as cats
age. Increasing the intake of vitamin E in cats older than seven years of age can increase their antibody
levels back to those seen in younger cats!
Antioxidants such as vitamin E and beta-carotene help eliminate free radical particles that can damage
body tissues and cause signs of aging. Senior diets for cats should contain higher levels of these antioxidant
compounds. Antioxidants can also increase the effectiveness of the immune system in senior cats.
Routine care for geriatric pets should involve a consistent daily routine and periodic veterinary examinations
to assess the presence or progress of chronic disease. Stressful situations and abrupt changes in daily
routines should be avoided. If a drastic change must be made to an older pet’s routine, try to minimize
stress and to realize the change in a gradual manner.
Pets in the City
Travel & Leisure Section
Outrageous Hotel Perks for Pets
Massages, happy hours, and monogrammed towels—for pets. It’s just another dog day at these fine hotels.
Gunny, a devoted Peninsula
Beverly Hills guest, often
visits the posh hotel, and the
staff joyously greets him as
he strides along the lobby’s
marble floor. Retiring to
his room, Gunny finds a
specially monogrammed
towel beside his bed and
sits down to a grilled New
York sirloin and scrambled
eggs with aged Tillamook cheddar on bone china. And
when he needs styling, the hotel’s Rolls Royce shuttles
him to the salon.
All pretty normal for a 5-star hotel—except Gunny is a
golden retriever. “Like their owners, pets should have a
chance to get away from their normal routine,” said the
hotel’s head concierge, James Little.
It’s not uncommon for a hotel to be pet-friendly these
days. “America is more pet obsessed than ever,” said
Andrea Arden, pet expert for the Today Show. “We see
them as part as part of the family.” But some luxury
properties go to such extremes to cater to pets that the
line between man and man’s best friend is a bit, well,
fuzzy.
Pet bathrobes, pet massages, and pet treadmills are
becoming practically de rigueur at five-star hotels these
days. Vermont’s Spa at Topnotch, for example, has doggy
Reiki. Hotels are also competing for Fido’s affection with
food. The Mandarin Oriental, Miami offers grilled beef
tenderloin, while Los Cabos’ Las Ventanas al Paraíso
features made-to-order dishes for pets with special
dietary needs.
The list of extras doesn’t stop with food, especially for
chains like Loews, which has taken pet pleasing to new
heights. When the surf’s up at Loews Coronado Bay
Resort, in California, pups can join Su’ruff Camp, where
poodles and bulldogs alike can take a shot at catching
a wave. And if you’ve dreamed of your pup becoming
the next Britney Spears, the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel in
Nashville offers voice-coaching lessons and the chance
to cut a CD.
So what gives? Aren’t we recovering from a recession?
“With the economy in bad shape, people cut back on
their own luxuries, but not on their pets,” explains Arden.
“For many, indulging their pet is more rewarding than
indulging themselves.”
But some of these programs are focused on giving back
as well. The Hotel Indigo Atlanta-Midtown donated $1
from each signature drink ordered during its “Canine
Cocktail Hours” this spring to help a local dog park.
The hotel even invited the Atlanta Humane Society to
bring four-legged friends to the event to encourage
adoptions.
Some of these pets may even become hotel guests.
“There’s nothing like when you’ve had a bad day and
you come home to your dog smiling and beaming
unconditional love,” says Peninsula Beverly Hills
concierge James Little. “Why shouldn’t you have that
when you’re in a hotel?”
Newsletter design: Tamara L. Pompey
Via Travel & Leisure Magazine