Pets

Stop your puppy from picking up a leaf-chewing habit. The habit may seem harmless, and ignoring it may seem like that lovely path of least resistance. But changing your pup's behavior may save his life.

Many plants are poisonous to pets. If your puppy learns to enjoy chewing on leaves, he will be at risk for chewing a leaf that might be toxic. Doing that might mean a veterinary emergency visit or worse.

If your puppy begins to grab a leaf, raise your voice, drop your tone and say, "Ah, ah, ah!" Praise your puppy for looking at you. Then squat down quickly and call your puppy to you for more loving or toss a toy for a reward.

Animal behavior experts Susan and Roland Tripp are the authors of "On Good Behavior." For more information, visit their Web site at AnimalBehavior.net.