LULU
A 6-year-old Shih Tzu with a face any truly devoted dog lover will fall head-over-heels for, Lulu’s story is unfortunately more tragic than tender. Rescued from a kill shelter on New Year’s Eve, what better way to give this homely (but heartful) pure-bred a new start than a spot in a loving home? A true sweetie with all the lovable attributes of her breed; 100PlusAbandonedDogs.org. STEVIE A charismatic country gentleman caught roaming The Redlands, Stevie and his playful nature would make an ideal sweet treat for Valentine’s Day that’s guaranteed not to ruin your waistline. A natural explorer who thinks he’s going to love living in the big city, Stevie would be an ideal bar dog for long evenings spent enjoying our city’s grandeur; Paws4You.org
ARIEL
A dog’s dog who’s comfortable with everyone, Ariel’s infinite trainability and doggone delightful disposition would make her a true treat for anyone’s abode. Just as good exploring the outdoors as she is curled on the couch with her future forever family, Ariel would make a great addition for people who have a lone pup at home with no one to play with during the workday; Paws4You.org.
STEVIE
A charismatic country gentleman caught roaming The Redlands, Stevie and his playful nature would make an ideal sweet treat for Valentine’s Day that’s guaranteed not to ruin your waistline. A natural explorer who thinks he’s going to love living in the big city, Stevie would be an ideal bar dog for long evenings spent enjoying our city’s grandeur; Paws4You.org.
RESPONSIBLE OWNERS
I watched out the picture window of my home as a neighbor strolled down the street with her dog. Staring down at her cell phone, her dog was on an extendable flexi-lead meandering from side to side as she slowly continued. Her dog wandered into my yard and proceeded to urinate on my mailbox. Without looking up once, my neighbor continued along allowing her dog to lead the way. I shook my head and said out loud to my dogs “Do some people just not get it?!” If you’re new to dog ownership or have somehow managed to miss the code of conduct, here’s a quick breakdown for you. First, never allow your dog to urinate or defecate on someone else’s property. This seems pretty common sense, but I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve witnesses someone allowing their dog to relieve themselves on a city trash can, the corner of a building or in a neighbor’s yard. This rule is pretty simple: If the area is not a designated dog-potty and it does not belong to you, do not permit your dog to potty there. It’s just rude! A responsible dog owner does not allow their dog to potty wherever it wants. Secondly, keep your dog on leash, always, unless you have 100% reliable off-leash control of your animal or are in a designated fenced-in dog-play area. Just because your dog is friendly doesn’t give you the right to infringe on other people’s space or comfort level.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR › Dee Hoult, CDBC, CPDT, is the CEO of Applause Your Paws, South Florida’s largest privately owned pet dogtraining company, and Miami’s leading user-rated dog-training company on Yelp.com.
