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Sophia Denaro

Advice for New Pet Owners


As many know, I have recently adopted a puppy named Aura. She is a three and a half-month-old Australian Shepherd who, because she is a baby and teething, will chew on everything she sees. I always dreamed of having a dog, but owning one is not as easy as I originally thought. Between midnight walks and running to the door so she doesn’t pee on the floor again, I have decided to ask some of my friends who have dogs for advice and tips. My friends gave me great tips in response to questions that I am sure I was not the only person wondering about. I thought by creating “Pet Spotlight,” I can not only learn about tips and tricks but also honor and “show off” the amazing and cute pets in our Holton Community. Each post will be celebrating four adorable and cute pets. To kick off the first post, the topic is advice to new pet owners.

The owners of the pet spotlight gave some insight and words of advice:

  1. From Addie Horowicz: “It’s not really advice, but you will miss your pet any time that you’re not with them. Sometimes I’ll be in Spanish class and just think, ‘wow, I really want to see my dog right now’.”

  2. Nyla Jones: “Don’t get too mad at your new pets if they don’t behave at first. Just show them lots of love and they will be good soon enough! With cats, be sure to put up baby gates (in my case, suitcases because Chowder literally crawled over the baby gates) in front of stairs and places that you wouldn’t want them to go. Cats are very curious and will get themselves into trouble! Pets are so rewarding and are great companions to have around. Good luck!”

  3. Portia Gharai: “Spend a lot of time with your dog and be active with them!”

  4. Hannah Sharp: “Start training earlier rather than later!”

Pet spotlight:

Meet Archie! He is a one-year-old Golden Retriever. Addie Horowicz, his owner, says his favorite activities are running on the beach and introducing himself to everyone in the room. This adorable dog, “won't say hi to you until he has a present to give you (usually shoes).” How cute!

Meet Chowder, Nyla Jones's four-year-old grayish-brown tabby cat. He is a very affectionate cat who likes to jump onto Nyla’s desk or bed when she is doing homework, lay on the books, and distract Nyla. He likes to drink the milk from Nyla’s cereal bowls after she is done with them. Besides his love of sleeping and eating, Chowder also likes to open the bathroom door while Nyla is in the bathroom. Nyla says, “it’s very scary because I never know how he gets in.”

Meet Harry! Harry is Portia Gharai’s adorable four-year-old Havanese. Harry likes to sleep, play fetch and chase after tennis balls! Fun Fact: Harry is actually named after a famous character in a book series...can you guess which one? Harry Potter!

Hannah Sharp’s adorable dog is a seven-year-old Shitzu-Maltese named Gloria. Gloria loves to chase dogs that are three times her size, but when they come near her she becomes a “scaredy-cat”.

Look for the next post, maybe your pet will be spotlighted. If you are interested in having your pet featured, have any questions or want to answer a question for the next post, email: Sophia.denaro.2022@holton-arms.edu. And, go follow @Aura_baby on Instagram for pictures of Aura!

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