Pet Services

February 14, 1997 began a harrowing day for our yellow Labrador Sunny.  Waking on her bed next to ours, she could not move and was in agonizing pain.  All of a sudden she dashed for the outdoors letting out a dreadful cry, she answered nature’s call and then collapsed on the ground. 

One of the first steps of dog behavior training is to teach your dog how to sit.  To most people, showing your dog how to sit could be a really hard task.  Let’s face it most dogs are just very stubborn.  Don’t let this worry you though you will be able to teach your dog how to sit down.
Because a lot of dogs are somewhat stubborn by nature, there is something that you should do before you can even attempt to teach your dog to sit.  You need to train your dog to answer/react to your voice.

We all know that ticks are responsible for the spread of several diseases. In recent times, the experts have been telling us that the number of ticks has been on the rise due to several reasons and hence there is an increasing chance of your dog being infected.

Since most of us don’t live in naturally bird-friendly environs, bird owners almost always turn to the cage for their bird’s home. They are readily available at most pet shops and they come in a variety of colors, styles, and sizes. While color is purely up to you and your curtains, selecting the correct size and type of cage is very important. A general rule is that adult birds should be able to fully stretch their wings and exercise them vigorously while on their perch without harming themselves on fixtures or the cage itself. Your bird’s head shouldn’t be in any danger of touching the top of the cage, nor should the tail be touching the bottom or the sides. Canaries and other non-climbing birds do fine in cages with vertical bars, but cockatiels, lovebirds and parakeets like to utilize horizontal bars for climbing.

Many apologies to A Dog’s Life for a mistake we made in their Meet the Merchants on The Old Road listing.  We stated that they provide “Full service gentle tough grooming for dogs....” and it should have said they provide “Full service gentle touch grooming for...

Even though cats can be very vain creatures, they can always use a little primping help from their favorite human.  Cats with extremely short coats, like Siamese, Burmese, Cornish and Devon Rex, can get along with few or no baths.  Even with these breeds, occasionally wiping the face with a damp cloth is a nice treat.  Think of it as giving your cat a facial.  Longhaired cats and other shorthairs with dense coats need to be bathed every one to three months to keep things clean.  Persians should to be bathed at least once a month.  Bathing, brushing/combing and clipping nails are the three most important ways you can help your cat stay well groomed.  The earlier you start this process, the more agreeable your cat will be to it her whole life.

As I sit at my desk thinking about writing this, I’m reminded of just why I started out on my journey to open a dog boutique.  It was because of my deep love for dogs.  The absolute joy they bring to me when I watch their behavior.  The innocence of a puppy when he/she hears something new or watches a leaf move on the ground for the first time.  How sweet it is to watch the reaction of that pup as he/she catches a glimpse of himself/herself in a mirror.  My heart fills with joy each time I’m reminded at just how special pets can be to us.

Although cats are fastidious groomers they still shed.  Short of shaving your cat, here are some great tips to prevent your home from becoming a giant fur ball and to help your kitty stay sleek and hairball free.

I just love the summer.  It’s a time when we can get out on our boat and enjoy the weather with our best friends.  Our four best friends just happen to have four legs and some funny names.  Sausage, Tutz, Spanish and Delilah are our four family dogs.  They go everywhere with us.  In the summer we love to take the dogs on the boat and enjoy the sun as much as possible.  Just as we need to protect our skin and hair from the sun, your family dogs also need protection. 

For more than a century, humans have trained dogs to give their all in staged fights.  Spectators bet on which animal will win, and although dogs are not technically fought to the death, many succumb to their injuries.  The cruelties continue behind the scenes as well, in the training and breeding of fighting dogs.  Here are just a few points taken from the ASPCA’s Dog Fighting FAQ:

The Santa Clarita Valley Chapter of Quail Unlimited has been awarded the National Habitat Award for the third consecutive year.

Well unlike dogs and cats, it’s difficult to tell if fish are fat.  They don’t normally exhibit obvious external signs of increased fat retention.  For this reason it’s all the more important to feed fish correctly with a complete diet, including vitamins.  You don’t want your fish to accumulate an unhealthy amount of fat, so it’s important for your fishes to receive the correct essential nutrients for maintenance, growth, health and reproduction.  

Dogs’ ears are anatomically different than human ears.  The human ear has just a single canal that is typically on the short side.  A dog’s ear has two compartments.  A deep canal that travels down then takes a sharp 45-degree turn that travels upwards.  The extra turn and the length of a dog’s ear makes visibility and treatment more difficult and predisposes the dog to ear infections that humans are not prone to.  The moist warmth of the dark, poorly ventilated inner ear of a dog is an ideal environment for many organisms to grow.

Residents and their canine friends are expected to have a new place to run and play in the coming years with the construction of the first off-leash dog park in the City of Santa Clarita.  The park will be part of the development of an adjoining 38 acres to the Santa Clarita Sports Complex that will bring the area to a total of 58 acres. 

For those debating the age old question of whether longhaired cats or dogs are more problematic and more prone to give you allergies compared to their shorthaired counter parts, there isn’t a simple answer.

Lady is a spayed female, possibly a Shar Pei/Chow mix, current on her shot and weighing about 60 pounds.  She is good with kids and other dogs.  The owner said she is housetrained, guaranteed. 

This is Misty, a young female white shepherd mix.  She was found living under a trailer full of trash, but is now very happy at a foster home with lots of other dogs.

Mystique is a female Akita 4 years of age and spayed.  She pretends to be the doorbell and barks when visitors arrive at the door.  Mystique loves going on walks on her leash.  She gets along well with cats, children and other dogs.  She will play fetch for a little while, but would rather run around in the backyard with children and play chase.