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GREENSBORO -- Honey went for the pineapple.

Thing is, the old girl's teeth aren't what they used to be. She swallowed the whole chunk and the 5-pound poodle was laid up on her side.

Honey's owner, Maria Jandrasits, tried unsuccessfully to dislodge the fruit.

But Jandrasits' neighbor, Leslie Miller, knew exactly what to do.

Miller, who teaches Pet First Aid for the American Red Cross, draped Honey across her forearm, with the poodle's head pointed downward. She then tapped the dog between the shoulder blades with her knuckles.

When that didn't work, she turned Honey around, located the end of her rib cage, and pressed until Honey coughed up the pineapple. The 11-year-old poodle soon acted as if nothing had happened.

Miller now encourages Jandrasits to learn first aid.

The Red Cross will offer four Pet First Aid classes in the coming months for dog and cat owners.

The first one will be held Saturday. Pet owners and caretakers will learn symptoms and care for common ailments and emergencies, instructions for creating a pet first aid kit and health tips.

Miller recommends the course for anyone who owns or cares for pets. She learned it after her border collie choked on a root. The older dog loved to dig, and Miller thought she'd better learn how to help in case it happened again.

When the dog later choked on a pill, Miller used the technique she learned.

Miller says that knowing what to do in such a situation instills confidence.

"It makes me feel good to know what to do," she says.

Contact Tina Firesheets at 373-3498 or tina.firesheets@news-record.com