Special to the Aroostook Republican
What a wild weekend last weekend was. We had Pictures with Santa Paws and our lobby was full of pets just waiting to see Santa. It was a wonderful turnout. We drew the tickets for the doll house, and the winner was Melinda Morrison. Congratulations! Our ticket sales on the doll house were a little over $200, so this was a wonderful fundraiser for the shelter. Just a reminder that we have two beautiful baskets, one dog and one cat, at the shelter that we are raffling off, so buy your tickets now.
Are you a dog owner? Have you heard of “Nothing in Life is Free?” This is a training tool that requires no additional time and anyone can do it. It’s simple — just requires your dog or puppy to “sit” or “down” before you feed them, pet them or give them any attention. If your puppy or dog does not do this, ignore them for five minutes and try it again. This simple training technique will establish you as a strong leader, no dominant “down” required, no bullying, tugging, screaming, pulling or intimidation.
I have used this technique with my own dogs and it is so easy even children in your family can do it. The dog will look to you for direction. It is very important to establish yourself as a good leader and not let the dog become the leader of your household. Dogs don’t want to be pack leader and are usually more than happy to be a follower if they have a consistent leader, but a dog who is allowed to lead may become difficult to handle and even dangerous.
So you are getting all ready for your Christmas guests to arrive, but your furniture is covered with hair and does not smell as fresh as you would like it to. Here are some quick tips to help you get the job done.
De-hair the chairs:
• Don’t even bother with a lint roller, they just won’t do the job. Instead put on a pair of rubber gloves and run your hands over the furniture. If your upholstery is water-safe, spritz the gloves a bit for better pick-up;
• Run the vacuum cleaner with upholstery attachment over cushions, top to bottom, left to right and behind and under, and don’t forget to get between the cushions. You can also shake out crumbs onto the floor and vacuum them off the floor;
• For spot cleaning — for water-safe fabrics quirt a bit of mild dishwashing liquid into a cup of water, shake to make suds and dip a clean cloth into the suds. Dab the stain until gone, rinse the cloth and blot out the soap. For non-water-safe fabric go with a solvent-based remover, like a dry cleaning solvent or a spot remover;
• Make things easier on yourself next time by spraying your fabrics with static eliminating spray — try Scotch Fur Fighter with disposable sheets that remove embedded hair, or cover the arms and seats with washable throws. Hide an absorbent microfiber cloth nearby to soak up spills before they turn into stains; and
• One of my favorite tips is to slip a dryer sheet under cushion covers for added freshness.
If you are looking for a friend for life, please visit the Central Aroostook Humane Society. We are open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday. Or give us a call at 764-3441.
Please have your pets spayed or neutered.
