HELOISE Special toy helped puppy adjust to new family

Dear Heloise: When bringing my new beagle puppy, Booker, home from Kentucky, I took along a soft bear toy. It was a favorite sleeping toy of my daughter's beagle, Abbie.
The woman I bought Booker from held the bear for a few minutes to add her scent. On the drive home, when Booker began to cry, I held him with the bear. He pushed his nose into the bear, picking up his former owner's familiar scent, and snuggled in for a nap. By the time we got home, he was also familiar with his new companion Abbie's scent.
He is now almost 9 months old, and the bear continues to be his favorite sleeping toy. Mary Burmeister, Askov, Minn.
That's the way to do it! My little mini-schnauzer, Cabbie, has a favorite toy -- a stuffed mini-schnauzer that's about a third of her size -- and she takes it everywhere with her.
Another good hint for a new puppy is to ask the breeder to put a cloth or toy in with the litter of pups before bringing your puppy home. Also, a ticking clock wrapped in a soft cloth sounds like the mother's heartbeat, which is soothing and comforting to a puppy. It works nearly every time. Heloise
Dear Readers: Margie Kruemer of Toms River, N.J., sent a photo of her little granddaughter, Torrie, at the age of 6 weeks sleeping on top of her dog, Hailey. Margie says that Hailey is a 5-year-old Rottweiler and is as calm and pleasant as can be (and so is Torrie).
Visit my Web site, www.Helois-e.com, to see beautiful little Torrie with her favorite pal. Send your favorite, unusual pet photo to: Heloise/Pet Photo, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279. Heloise
Dear Heloise: After noticing my cat scratching her ears and shaking her head, I took a look. To my surprise, both ears looked terrible. It looked like there was fluid under the skin from the bottoms of the ears to the tips.
I immediately took her to the vet, and upon examination, he discovered that she had a very bad case of ear mites. Her constant scratching had caused tiny blood vessels to open, and Chelsea's ears were so bad that she needed surgery.
It was an expensive lesson and certainly painful for her. Now, I constantly check her ears and keep them clean. If I see her scratch even once, I put medication in her ears to prevent ear mites from making her ears their home again. Katy, Via E-mail
Dear Heloise: If you have multiple pets in your home, keep a calendar with the dates of their checkups and shots. It's hard to remember when a booster shot is due or when the next visit is for which pet.
I also have little stickers that I put on the calendar when it's time to give my two dogs their monthly pills. I write their names on the stickers. It certainly is easy enough to keep track of important dates and medications. Joyce B., San Antonio
XSend a great hint to: Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000, Fax: (210) HELOISE or E-mail: Heloise@Heloise.com.
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