Pet Tips

Want to impress your friends? If you’ve recently adopted a shelter dog, make up a new breed name. Hey, if people can breed Labs with Poodles or Pugs with Beagles and sell them as $2,000 Labradoodles or Puggles, what’s to stop others from giving their mixed-breed dogs equally cutesy names. A couple recently brought their part Beagle, part Cocker in to meet me. I told them that it was surely a Bocker. Wait, maybe I said Beaker. Anyway, they were sold. They were delighted with their designer breed which only set them back the $70 adoption fee. And, other equally wonderful dogs awaiting adoption at PHS/SPCA include "Darcy,” the Collador (Collie/Lab mix), and a newly-arrived Piddle (pit bull, poodle mix). On second thought, I might re-think that last designer name. Anyway, if your dog is mostly a "bully” breed (Pit bull, Bull Terrier, Bulldog, Bull Mastiff…) and at least six months old, we have a special class: Training Bully Breeds. The first session meets Oct. 19 at 6 p.m. with five consecutive Thursday classes after that. The class is not for dogs with aggression issues, but intended to help Bully breeds gain a solid obedience foundation. Call 650/340-7022, ext. 306.