Protecting Your Pet: Perfect Pet

WSVN--Dog owner: "Sit."

Dog owner: "Stay."

So you have a new puppy and he or she won't listen to a word you say...

Puppy owner Lauren Brenner: "She's really really bad. She's the devil."

In fact the animal is bossing you around the house.

Lauren Brenner: "She bites everything. She barks at everything."

Any of this sound familiar?

Puppy owner Harriette Brotman: "Well Cally wasn't so obedient when we first got him"

Nip it in the bud early. Enroll your puppy in "head start" - this class is taught at PETsMART in Aventura.

Nadine Litterman from PETsMART: "It's for puppies 6 months and younger. They have to be 10 weeks old to join and have their first set of shots."

Actually these classes are really more for us than them. It teaches us how to make them follow our commands. Basic things like sit and stay.

Nadine Litterman: "We're going to teach them to it using a hand signal, rather than using a verbal command."

It's important for animals to obey our commands - it can save their lives.

Nadine Litterman: "You need to be in control of your animal at all times - if it starts to run across the street it must listen to your command to stay."

You can also work on behavior problems.

Nadine Litterman: "If you're having problems we can pretty much fix the problems."

Like biting, barking, and jumping on people or furniture. Plus potty, crate training and more.

Nadine Litterman: "Gotta hold her tight, bring the treat over her head."

Within 8 weeks your pooch can go to the head of the class.

Puppy owner Candy Casino: "She's learned how to sit. She's learned how to lay down."

Candy Casino: "Stay (Emmy sits). Lay down (she lays down). Good girl!"

It's graduation day for this "Motley Crew."

Nadine Litterman: "Congratulations."

Owners: "Aw. Thank you"

Contact: mmitzel@wsvn.com