House Breaking Tip from Pet Partner: Northwest International Pet Rescue

December's Pet Partner, Northwest International Pet Rescue, provided some great tips on potty training a dog in your new home.  

They say any dog, even a fully housetrained adult dog, may have house-soiling accidents when they first moves into your home. Assume your new dog is not house trained, and work from there. Virtually every dog will have an accident in the house.  The more consistent you are in following basic house training procedures, the faster your dog will learn acceptable behavior. House training calls for vigilance, patience, plenty of commitment & above all, consistency.


Here are Basic House Training Procedures: 

1. Establish a routine in feeding, potty breaks, bed time, etc 
2. Take your dog frequently to their designated bathroom spot 
3. Reward your dog with praise immediately after they eliminates in the designated spot
4. Pick up water dish 2-hrs before bedtime 
5. Supervise - eliminate opportunity, keep an eye on your dog wherever he is until fully trusted. Tether your dog to you or piece of furniture in the room. Watch for signs - barking, scratching, squatting, restlessness, sniffing, circling. When seen grab the leash & take him out - Remember to reward! 
6. Expect Accidents - CATCH HIM IN THE ACT!!! (don't punish afterwards-it's too late now - don't yell or show frustration). Interrupt with a firm, firm, deep, growl 'potty outside'. Immediately take him to the potty spot & praise for potting outside. Clean soiled area thoroughly with KIDS 'N' PETS so they will not re-soil the area. 

For more great information and to see the animals available visit Northwest International Pet Rescue. 

Pet Partner, Allen County SPCA provides Cat Housetraining Tips

November’s Pet Partner of the Month is Allen County SPCA, located in Allen County, Indiana.  Allen County SPCA has many cats available for adoption so they know a thing or two about house training.  They were kind enough to share their house training tips with our readers.

Litter Box Training

Allen County, explains that adoptable cats are usually litter trained, as their mothers’ tend to teach them at an early age where to use the bathroom.  Usually if you keep a cat isolated in an area where they have easy access to an appropriate litter box, instinct does the rest; they are very clean animals! 

If a cat stops using their litter box check with a veterinarian to rule out a possible medical issue.  If there are no medical issues, it’s also important to keep in mind that cats do not like drastic changes in their environment, such as a new baby, another pet, or moving.  The changes can make them upset causing the cat to not use their litter box. 

Proper House Behavior

Allen County also pointed out that some cats need to be trained on how to behave in a house.  There are many ways to stop your cat from scratching, climbing, knocking things over or getting on the counter.  First, Allen County suggests trimming nails often.  Also providing enough scratching posts and interactive toys can keep the cat busy and out of trouble. Cat owners find a gentle squirt of water to be very unsettling to the cat and may deter unwanted behavior when caught in the act.  Cats learn from positive reinforcement and redirection. For example; if the cat is scratching the couch you nicely direct the cat's attention to it's scratching post or toy instead.

The best tip Allen County SPCA provided for house training is to be active in your cats' life.

If you have any questions for Allen County SPCA feel free to contact them at Info@acspca.org or visit their website: www.acspca.org 

Georgia Canine Rescue and Rehabilitation, Inc - Pet Partner

Georgia Canine Rescue and Rehabilitation, Inc is KIDS 'N' PETS' featured Pet Partner for September. We conducted a brief interview with Jessica from GCRR to get potty training tips and learn more about their pet adoption program!

What have you used KIDS ‘N’ PETS for?

We have used KIDS ‘N’ PETS in our welcome packs for new adopters. Also we have used it around the shelter especially in our meet and greet room to get the couch smelling and looking like new.

What is the most popular canine adopted at GCRR?

We adopt out a lot of different types of dogs from our shelter, so it is really hard to pin point what is the most popular dog is.

Before adopting a pet what do you think is the most important thing to consider?

The most important thing to consider is your lifestyle, then researching different breeds to find what dog will best fit into your lifestyle. Then talk to the organization you are adopting from about the individual dog to make sure they do in fact fit. Try to adopt a dog that matches your lifestyle, not the one that looks the best.

Any suggestion on things that need to be purchased right before or after the adoption?

It might be best for the adopter to wait until after the adoption to purchase items other than a quality food. However after the adoption make sure that you have a plan for making the dog feel at home and Safe. Some dogs do fine loose in a new environment but others really need an appropriately sized kennel to help them adjust to their new environment. And of course you need to be able to walk your dog so the essentials like a leash and collar help, but I know in our goodie bags we have tones of vouchers and coupons to help our adopters save money while spoiling there new addition to the family.

If you are interested in adopting a dog from Georgia Canine Rescue and Rehabilitation feel free to contact them at Pittieprotector@yahoo.com, they are located in Cochran, GA .

et Partner of the Month - Morning Starr Animal Sanctuary

Morning Starr Animal Sanctuary is KIDS 'N' PETS' featured Pet Partner for May. We normally conduct brief interviews with our partners to gain a better understanding of their organization and have them provide pet training tips ranging from what type of pet to adopt to how to remove urine odors. After talking with Morning Starr we learned about two great programs they are working on and thought it would be great to feature programs in a blog post instead!
KIDS 'N' PETS spoke with Fran Freedman, President & Co-Founder of Morning Starr Animal Sanctuary about the programs they have available to pet owners in need.
The Food Assistance Program has helped people all over the USA in need of pet food. They just sent 30 LBS of ferret food to a retired Veteran who is on a fixed income and faced a decision between paying bills or feeding his ferrets. He lives in Washington State and Morning Starr Animal Sanctuary is located in Arizona! Fran says "We sent the ferret food right to his door. It was easy to just order the needed food online and have it sent right to peoples' doors." They also gave 60 LBS of cat food and 50 LBS of dog food to a local rescue in need. In these tough economic times they are working hard to answer the call of temporary help with food for any kind of animal. Fran explains "Some people just need a little help and we want to be there".
The SNAP program helps to assist with the spaying or neutering of dogs and cats in the Northern Arizona area. From December 2010 to today they have assisted with 88 spays and neuters. They pay an amount towards the spay or neuter to make it more affordable. If the pet owner is a senior then they tend to pay even more or most times cover almost all of the cost. They know most seniors are on a fixed income but are adopting animals as companions in their later years.
These are two great programs Morning Starr Animal Sanctuary is working on to help pet owners in need. If you would like to learn more, visit their website www.morningstarr.org or contact Fran at fran@morningstarr.org or by phone at 928-821-2420.

Talking with Shelter Hearts

Shelter HEARTs is March's KIDS 'N' PETS featured Pet Partner. We conducted a brief interview with Melodye from Shelter HEARTs.
What have you used KIDS ‘N’ PETS for in the past?
We have used it on carpet squares that we can use in the kennels for animals to sleep on.

What is the most popular adopted pet at Shelter HEARTs?
We have a few breeds that are very popular-labs and heelers. Kittens are also a popular pet.

Before adopting a pet what do you think is the most important thing to consider?
Consider how that animal is going to fit into your family and your home. If it is a puppy consider all the items on their level that they can chew on. If you adopt an older dog consider getting them a bed or blanket to cushion older bones and joints.

Any great tricks on housetraining a pet?
If you are looking for more information visit Shelter HEARTs' website or email Shelterhearts@yahoo.com

An Interview with Animal Rescue Center of Bay County

Animal Rescue Center of Bay Country, located in Bay County, FL, is February's featured Pet Partner. We conducted a brief interview with Stacey at ARC, who was excited to be working with KIDS 'N' PETS! Here is a little bit more insight from ARC.

What have you used KIDS ‘N’ PETS for?
My very first foster dog was so sick when he came to us, that he was ill all over the brand new rug. After cleaning it up, there was a huge stain that I was sure was going to be there forever. We went in search of different products and found Kids 'N' Pets. It worked so well, you couldn't tell anything had ever happened. Since then, I swear by Kids 'N' Pets.

What is the most popular adopted pet at ARC?

ARC adopts out both cats and dogs. The most popular dog breed is Labrador Retrievers and mixes thereof...especially yellow Labs! Labs have wonderful personalities, so it's not hard to see why. With cats, the breed that seems to be the most popular is the Siamese (and Siamese mixes). Siamese cats tend be very talkative and are a hoot to have around.

Before adopting a pet what do you think is the most important thing to consider?

Time and energy. Bringing a new pet into your home means making adjustments, and you should really take a step back to make sure you have the time and energy to dedicate to a new pet. The most common thing I hear when people are giving up their animals is, "We just don't have time any more". Adopting a dog means making sure someone is there to let them out, play with them and give them the attention and love they deserve. And cats deserve no less (though tend to be less demanding than dogs).

Any one good tip on potty training a pet?

For dogs, it's make a schedule. House training is another common reason why pets are given up, and it's really easy if you go by a schedule. Take note of when your dog has to use the bathroom. Pretty soon, you'll see a trend. For some it's every couple of hours during the day, for others it can be longer. Once you figure out how often they need to go, make sure that you take them out. One other tip for dogs: when you take them out, take them out a leash to a specific area and wait there until they go to the bathroom. Once they're done, make sure you take some time to play with them, or let them have some fun sniffing outside. You don't want them to start thinking that once they go to bathroom, they have to go back inside and be bored.

For cats, it's pretty simple. Keep the litter box clean. You don't want to use a dirty toilet, and neither do they. You should also have one more litter box than you do cats.

If you are looking for more information visit ARC's website or visit their Facebook Page

A SMART Rescue Answers a Few Questions

A SMART Rescue, located in Spring, TX, is this month's featured Pet Partner. We conducted a brief interview with Cindy Giacona, the Fundraising & Publicity Chairman, who was excited to be working with KIDS 'N' PETS! Here is a little bit more insight from A SMART Rescue.

What have you used KIDS ‘N’ PETS for in the past?
We used the carpet cleaning product to remove urine stains and odors and it worked great!

What is the most popular adopted pet at SMART?
Small dogs and kittens.

Before adopting a pet what do you think is the most important thing to consider?
The family atmosphere and then to research the type of animal you have in mind to make sure that the particular dog or cat is a match for your home environment. For example: if you live in an apartment and don't have a lot of space or time to exercise a dog; a lab is probably a bad choice. They have a lot of energy and require a lot of exercise.

Do you have any good house training tips?
For cats; to keep them off furniture, counters or away from doors to keep them from running outside, keep a spray water bottle or empty coke can with a couple of coins in it handy. When the cat is doing something you want to stop you can spray it with water or shake the can; they don't like the noise. It doesn't take very long before they associate the activity with getting wet or hearing the irritating sound and they will go on about their business.

If you are looking for more information visit A SMART Rescue's website or visit their Facebook Page

ARRF (Animal Rescue Resource Foundation) Interview

ARRF is this month's featured Pet Partner. We conducted a brief interview with their President Bernice who was excited to be working with KIDS 'N' PETS! Here is a little bit more insight from ARRF.

What have you used KIDS ‘N’ PETS for in the past?
Cleaning up “accidents” from our wonderful foster pets.

What is the most popular adopted pet at ARRF?
Usually our smaller dogs – Chihuahua mixes or Terrier mixes

Before adopting a pet what do you think is the most important thing to consider?
Decide on the size, coat length(is grooming in your budget) and definitely if you have time to bring a new animal into your home – who will take care of it! Is your fence secure?

Any tips additional tips for people who are looking to adopt but also have kids?
Unless adopter knows for sure dog has been exposed to children, we suggest the child be present when the pet is adopted. We also think that parents of very young children should wait until the child has a clear understanding that pets hurt if tugged or pulled or sat on and might bite or nip if they are hurt. Taking a new pet to a positive reinforcement class is extremely important – whether there are children or not in the family, it will help everyone do the right thing for the new member of the family. Adopting a puppy is a good idea, but make sure the parent(s) is not gone more than a few hours a day – as puppies, like little children, need supervision and help with their housetraining, and that takes someone home every few hours until the puppy is old enough to wait to be let out to finish their business.

If you are looking for more information visit AARRF's website