Page 19 - Boca Club News - April '25

Boca Club News, Page 19
Essays on Life: The Changing of the Seasons

By Sonia E. Ravech. Sonia is a environment is almost colorless, grey, white and drab. attempt to lure female companions. The females can be seen
native of Massachusetts and a Everyone looks forward to the first signs of Spring when darting back and forth from ground to bush with slivers of
resident of Broken Sound for more the tree limbs start to bud, crocuses push up through the earth, straw between their beaks from which to fashion their nests,
than 30 years. She is the mother lawns emit a hint of green and the golden sun breaks through providing a safe and warm environment for their eggs and
of four, grandmother of seven and exposing a blue sky. The change of seasons is easily evident. eventual newborn hatchlings.
great-grandmother of four. She has But how does one distinguish the change in an environment Spring is the season of renewal, when nature reminds us of
been the facilitator of the Broken such as Florida where the grass and trees are always green, God’s miracles. Just as folks in Massachusetts are reassured
Sound Memoir Writers’ Workshop colorful flowers continually dot the landscape, and the sun each year that lawns will return to their lush green color, the
for the past seven years. and bright blue sky are taken for granted? I suggest we look leaves on the trees will burst open revealing their shading
Winters in my home State of Massachusetts are stark. to our feathered friends, the birds. canopies, flowers will bloom and the sun will spread its
The air is damp and cold. Limbs of the barren trees resemble The advent of Spring ushers in the mating season. The warmth and glow, so too are Floridians reminded that Spring
spiders’ legs reaching towards the overcast sky. The ground flocks appear larger, their activities more frenzied. The is the time for rebirth. The circle of life will continue.
is frozen and cracked. Lawns have turned to straw. The trills and chirps are louder and more frequent as the males
Pet Matters
Pet Matters

You and Your Pet: A Systematic Approach

to House Training a Puppy

By Dr. A. L. Krawitz, DVM, Calusa Veterinary Center, 4. If your pet does pass a stool or urine, then praise Without saying anything (or internally fuming), take
6900 Congress Avenue, Boca Raton, FL 33487. (561) them in an “over-the-top” way so they can see that you them out of the room, out of visual contact and then clean
999-3000 www.cvcboca.com are very happy with them and they did well. The idea is up the mess. Dogs can sense and even smell your emotions
Early successful house training of your puppy will to leave no doubt that it is good to do it in that area and so take them out of the room.
lead to a lifetime of happiness. Usually 3-6 weeks is on command. Remember to spray an odor eliminator spray (obtained
the time required to be successful, depending on the 5. Only give them a few minutes to go. If they do from the pet store) after cleaning, to deter them from going
individual pet’s personality. Be patient and persevere. not do it in that time period, go back inside and try again there again, as they can easily smell the spot and can be
Consistency, patience and persistence will be rewarded. later. (Watch them carefully when back inside to see if triggered to use that area again.
Dogs need to be clearly shown what you want. Even they want to go and, if necessary, go out again). If you The idea is to teach them that the only time they get
though we like to think of them as people they do not wait too long for them to go you are teaching them a bad attention is when they do it correctly. To dogs, negative
understand and rationalize in the same way as humans. habit and they will wait longer and longer each time. The attention is often enough to attract them to do it again, as
The best way is to train them by reward just like training idea is for them to do it on your command, and soon. it is often more intense than positive attention.
them to do tricks, and this is the basis of the method below. 6. If your pet successfully passes a bowel movement It is very simple, actually:
1. Designate a “bathroom area” in the front- or on command, then leave the stool there for a few days Use a designated spot, give the command, praise
backyard of your home. This is the spot where you go to a week if possible. This tells the animal instinctually profusely if successful; do not allow too long a time.
each and every time with your pet when taking them out that the designated area is the bathroom area. Once house If they make inside, no fuss, just clean up unless
to do their business. Once successfully house trained they trained clean up can be done immediately afterwards. caught in the act.
can then “go make” anywhere on their walks. 7. If your pet makes inside: Unless you catch them Early house training will ensure that instead of being
2. Take your pet to this area frequently during the in the act; do and say nothing! If caught in the act, shout a nuisance your life with your pet will be happy, easy,
day and in the evening. Have a routine for this. Take “No!,” pick your pet up, take to the designated area and enjoyable and fulfilling.
them out first thing on waking, then before eating, after give your command.
eating, last thing at night. Also a few other times during Even if you catch them a few seconds later after
the day, or when you see your pet sniffing around to go making, it is best to ignore it and say nothing, as even A Free Opportunity
to the bathroom or circling to look for a place. though you shout at them and they know they have
3. When you are at the designated bathroom area obviously done “something” wrong, they do not always For Animal Lovers ...
give your pet a command, such as “Do it!”, “Pee-pee!” know that it is because they messed in the house. This
or “Make!” This is to train your pet, just as you would sometimes can have the opposite effect of making them
when teaching them to sit or fetch. Do not use commands go in that area again due to the anxiety caused by the Now Feed 6 Shelter Dogs and Cats Every
that sound like other common words you would use, such scolding, or they can simply become scared of you or of Day at No Cost to You ... in Less Than a
as “Let’s go!” or “Go!”, or similar to their name, as this that area in the house. Minute ... with just a “Click”
will confuse them.
Want to feel really good about yourself? If, like
most of us, those TV announcements bring tears
to your eyes with photos of sad shelter dogs and
cats in small cages, hoping somehow to be brought
into loving homes – when you wish over and over
again that you could somehow bring joy into their
lives, here is an act of loving kindness that will
cost you absolutely nothing ... and take less than
HAPPY HOUR: MON - THURS, ALL DAY AT BAR ONLY a minute a day.
Visit the website: www.theanimalrescuesite.com
MON - FRI 3 - 6 PM Happy Hour and click on the words “Click here to feed a dog or
Mon. - Thurs. cat.” A “button” will appear on your screen, and all
FULL INDOOR At Bar Only All Day you have to do is click on it once. Each time a person

AND OUTDOOR Mon. - Fri. 3 - 6 pm clicks on that button, the website’s sponsors provide
bowls of food, free, to feed 6 dogs and cats.
(COVERED PATIO) LUNCH SPECIALS That’s all there is to it. In only seconds each day,
you can see to it that 6 animals are fed. The folks
BAR AND DINING EVERY DAY who run the website never bother you with tons of

starting at 11 promotional e-mails. You can, if you wish, click on
$
a link that sends a daily reminder to you. I did that;
the reminder is e-mailed, and that is it. No hard-sell
follow-ups. And if you realize how good it will make
you feel to be able to do at least something for these
poor, loving creatures who are there through no fault
of their own (some have been rescued from abusive
owners), imagine how even bowls of food will help
make the animals feel better.
Please take just seconds a day to lift 6 animals’
spirits ... and your own. Thanks.