Humane Society Silicon Valley teaches pets holiday manners

Pet etiquette

Humane Society Silicon Valley can help dogs be merry and bright around visitors this holiday season. In the Holiday Manners intensive class, dog owners can learn how to keep their pets from jumping on visitors, bolting out the front door or grabbing things off the holiday table.

The class meets on two Sundays, Dec. 14 and 21, 11-11:50 a.m., outdoors in the Humane Society’s dog training yard, 901 Ames Ave. It will emphasize the important holiday behaviors of “Leave it,” “Drop it” and “Come” when called.

For more information, visit https://bit.ly/4rueKIB.

Beyond the holidays, the Humane Society is offering Beginning Manners For Dogs, a six-week class that starts on Dec. 13 at 3:30 p.m. with a mandatory online orientation for humans only.

In addition to talking about how dogs learn and addressing common behavior challenges, the orientation will cover the training methods and equipment needed for upcoming sessions, as well as the class protocols for the rest of the course.

For more information, visit https://bit.ly/4axnTK2.

Cat declawing ban

A bill banning cat declawing in California will take effect on Jan. 1, 2026. AB 867 was authored by state Assemblymember Alex Lee, whose District 24 includes Milpitas.

Declawing involves amputating cats’ toe bones or severing the tendon controlling their paws, a harmful practice that can lead to debilitating health effects. AB 867 prohibits the declawing of a cat unless a veterinarian performs the procedure for a medically necessary purpose that benefits the cat’s health.

California joins a growing number of states to outlaw this practice. In 2019 New York became the first state in the U.S. to enact a ban. Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Massachusetts followed suit.