Pals For Life

10/13/2026

Gigi, Rusty, Rocco and Sebastian loved their visit to Spring Mill Pointe yesterday. What a glorious day!

10/12/2026

Please welcome our newest Pals For Life team member - Pippa!

Pippa is the Cavalier/Bishon mix of current volunteer Jennifer Donahue. Congratulations to you both!

10/09/2026

Millie, Sebastian, Calvin and Sunny D had a wonderful time visiting the students at Penn State Great Valley.

10/09/2026

10/08/2026

George has decided to be a lap dog on his Corporate Wellness Visit to SAP.

10/07/2026

I Don’t Want To – The Puppy Tantrum
By Captain B

When I was just a wee thing, (I am a big boy now, 5 ½ months old) when I didn’t want to do something I made it very clear. Pick me up when I wanted to stay on the ground, I would wriggle until you put me down. Didn’t want the vet to give me a shot? More wriggling with a touch of screaming. But my most effective was the double large dose of wriggling and screaming when Mom tried to trim my nails. No way I was putting up with that. I didn’t care that Mom cried AND yelled at me. When Captain wasn’t happy, nobody was going to be happy.

Those actions are what are known as a puppy tantrum but can happen at any age. You even could say they are very similar to human temper tantrums. If a puppy is frustrated, overstimulated, tired, or not getting what they want, they will find a way to act out in order to achieve their goal of doing what THEY want. Some symptoms you might see are whining, barking, growling, refusing commands, jumping, biting, or destructive behavior. And if they have established a pattern of winning as a puppy, it will only get worse as an adult.

How should you react to the tantrum? First and foremost, stay calm. Yelling at us is only going to reinforce the tantrum. Even young puppies can sense your emotions and when you are yelling, we are winning.

Ignore the Behavior. If we see that you are responding to the tantrum and doing what we want, we will definitely do it again.

Teach us a “settle” or “relax” or Mom’s favorite “take a break” command. This helps to redirect our energy and reinforce self-control. Believe it or not most puppy don’t have any self-control. You can also give us a “time out” in a quiet location or in our crate, but do not use the crate as punishment. That means do not push, shove or aggressively put us in there.

Identify and observe what precedes a tantrum. Is it a situation, a toy or a person? Think about what is happening and why, in order to properly address it. If a specific object or situation triggers the tantrum, temporarily remove it to reduce frustration.

Finally, gently holding us until you feel our body relax, can sometimes help us regain composure. Then give us a good dog and put us down.

As I have gotten older and wiser, I realize that these puppy tantrums are not getting mewhat I want the majority of the time. But if I am a good boy, that brings me treats and cuddles. I can definitely work with that.

10/06/2026

Please welcome our newest Pals For Life team member - Rusty!

Rusty is a Lop mix rabbit and his proud human is Nick Huges. Welcome aboard Nick and Rusty!

10/05/2026

Sebastian and Sunny D the bearded dragon wowed the students at Villanova University.