ferent ages. When we were little, we
got puppy food. It's a lot like human
food. (Just like little kids who need to
eat vegetables to grow big and strong,
puppies must eat their vitamins to be-
come healthy adults.)
But Ted and I aren't puppies any-
more. I am 4 and Ted is 7. In dog
years, that's adulthood. So we eat the
adult dry food, which doesn't give us
as much protein, but keeps our teeth
and gums strong and healthy.
Keeping our teeth clean is just as
much of a priority as it is for humans.
If we eat too much soft food without
chomping on chew toys, our gums
start to rot. Chew toys help to keep
our teeth clean and our gums tough.
And not only are the girl dogs
turned off by "dog breath" — even with
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

irl dogs are not
attracted to "dog
breath," even
with studs.

G

worse, much worse.
Think about all of the times -youltirr.k
Ve
ridden in your parents' car and you saw a
dead dog or cat on the side of the road. Or
maybe you read about animals having to
be put to sleep because they got rabies.
Those animals were probably someone's
pet that got loose or didn't have the right
shots.
See what I mean?
OK, then, let's get down to business.
You, as owners, need to keep us, as pets,
on leashes whenever we are out of the
house and not in a secured environment
like a fenced-in yard. That means even in
the car.
There is nothing scarier for us, as pets,
to be driving with you and be in an acci-
dent. If we don't become a multi-pound
projectile from the back seat, there is a
chance that we could get loose on the road
in the confusion. That could be deadly.
It might even be safer to get a carry-
ing crate or a harness seat belt for just
those trips.

Did you know that it is against the law
in some areas to let animals run around
without leashes? Some cities and towns
(probably the one you live in) have ordi-;
nances that require you to have us on a
leash outside.
Keeping us safe from sickness and pet
viruses is very important to us. Do you re-
member the times that your mom or dad
would take you to the doctor before school
started to get the right vaccine shots? It is
the same thing.
If we don't have the right shots we can
get really, really sick and die.
So, you have to make sure that you re-
member to get us to the doctor for those
shots. And it's easy. All you have to do is
get us to the veterinarian's office and the
doctor will know which ones we need.
I, personally, just want you to be able to
enjoy my feline friends for a long, long time.
... And remember, we aren't too fond of
skunks
Happy New Year, Sprite ❑

Dogs Need
Love, Too

CALEB AND TED SKLAR

SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

H

i! rm Caleb and I'm a miniature
poodle. I have a brother, Ted, a
toy poodle, who is older but
smaller than I.
We were asked to write this article
about what dogs want and need because
we are members of one of the smarter
breeds of canines. We know a few things
about being dogs.
There are really three things dogs
want: love, food and exercise.
First, food. Although we love table
scraps, Mom (Jill) says we should eat dry
adult dog food because it's good for us.
You see, dog food is made for dogs of dif-

studs like us — but the plaque build-
up can rot our teeth and make our
mouths hurt.
We get our teeth brushed whenev-
er Mom can catch us. I hate it when
she does, but my pearly whites stay
pearly. So I guess it's worth the fuss,
if you know what I mean.
Exercise is probably just as impor-
tant as the food we eat because it
keeps us healthy. I swim in the sum-
mer, chase leaves in the fall and catch
snowballs in the winter. Ted and I love
to scare squirrels in the backyard and
go for long walks — the longer the bet-
ter.
The reason we exercise so much is
because I have a heart condition and
Ted is fat. He needs the
Left: Ted, Jill most exercise because he
and Caleb
eats like a small horse.
Sklar take
Just
look at his figure!
long walks
When we adopted him
together.
this summer from an an-
imal rescue league, he
was real skinny because he was wan-
dering the streets. But he hasn't stopped
eating since then.
Finally, love. We need love just like you
do. If you yell at us or hit us, we shrink
back from your touch and hide from you.
If you ignore us, we mope. Sometimes,
dogs who are treated badly from birth be-
come mean and attack humans.
That is not to say that dogs do not de-
serve discipline when they do something
bad. We look to you for direction. Instead
of screaming and yelling, take us to obe-
dience school or buy a book on the sub-
ject.
We need more than correct discipline;
we need loving strokes and attention. We
need you to play with us and spend time
with us. We need you to love us as much
as we love you.
Love, Caleb and Ted ❑

0,

a)

Lu

Lu
UJ

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