Ask Ashley: Great Plains SPCA

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School just started back up for my two daughters and we decided to walk our new dog to the school with the girls this morning. However, we noticed that he was very afraid of all the children when they were trying to pet him. He normally loves children so we thought he would enjoy going to the school. What can I do to help him feel more comfortable? – Lindsey Villanueva

It sounds like he is not quite ready for school trips and may never be if it is too scary for him. I would recommend walking him to a park to socialize with new people. Start with appropriate and slow introductions and reward him when he engages with and is interested in meeting new people. I will encourage you to not walk him to the school if is too nervous around new people at parks or on normal walks, since going to a school with many new people might be too stressful and could even result in biting out of fear. – Ashley Flores, CPDT-KA

We adopted our cat, Eli, over the summer and he seems to be bored at home while the kids are at school. What can I do to keep Eli busy during the day while my kiddos are away? I work from home, but I am unable to give the cat a lot of attention during the day. – Justin Lewis Jr.

There are tons of Do-It-Yourself cat enrichment items that you can have the kids help make after school or on weekends! Search DIY cat enrichment online for hundreds of ideas on how to keep your kitty busy while the kids are out. You can make extremely cheap enrichment from common household items like toilet paper tubes, plastic easter eggs, pipe cleaners, tissue paper and cardboard. We do this at the shelter to keep our kitties’ brains fully stimulated. – Ashley Flores, CPDT-KA

I have a dog and she is very sweet most of the time, but she has a terrible habit of taking food off the counters in the kitchen? I am worried she might get up there and get something that might hurt her like a chocolate cake that I made for my nephew. I had to keep the cake in the fridge because I was worried about Missy getting to it. How can I train her to stop getting food off the counter? – Evelyn Richards

I would first recommend that you remove all food from the counters. These items can go back on the counter once the dog has learned to stop counter-surfing and taking items. You need to work on the command “leave it”. Start by putting a treat on the ground, covering it with your hand (or foot if you have a mouthy dog) and saying, “leave it”. Wait for your dog to stop trying to get to the treat. When she does, ask her to sit, then reward her with a different treat. She does not get the treat covered on the floor because that is acting as the chocolate cake or other item she should not have. Repeat this sequence until she sits and watches you when she hears you say, “leave it,” and does not try to get the covered treat. You will then transfer this “leave it” sequence to food items on the counter. Make sure she really knows the command before putting high-value items back on the counters, or you will have to start over. Good luck! – Ashley Flores, CPDT-KA

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Featured Pet: Pooh Bear

“Pooh Bear is the kind of dog you want by your side. Trust us! He is a staff favorite due to his loving nature, go-with-the-flow attitude and playful side. He may be ten years old, but he has a lot of life and love left to give! He enjoys spending time napping, tossing toys around and showing off his “sit”, “down” and “shake” commands. He is not a fan of sharing the spotlight with other animals and would rather have all your attention to himself. This deserving boy is ready for a home of his own. Contact adoptions@greatplainsspca.org to learn more!”

Email askashley@greatplainsspca.org for a chance to have your pet question answered here in KC Parent magazine.

Great Plains SPCA is an independent 501(c)(3) no-kill shelter serving approximately 6,000 animals annually in the Johnson County community. As Kansas City’s premium family shelter, we continue to support the seven municipalities with which we are contracted including Overland Park, Leawood, Lenexa, Shawnee, Lake Quivira, and Johnson County Parks and Recreation and unincorporated Johnson County.

Great Plains SPCA

5424 Antioch Drive Merriam, KS 66202

(913) 831-7722(SPCA)

https://www.greatplainsspca.org