House Training Issues  

The very first thing to do is cease the discipline when you first arrive home. He will associate the discipline with your walking in the door, not with what his activity of the past two hours. Instead, greet him in a normal manner.

Here’s why: If he has learned that when you come home you are going to discipline him, he will be even more stressed while waiting for this ominous thing to happen. He will be more likely to work out the stress by increased barking or destructive activity while waiting for your angry arrival.

The best approach to is to look for ways to lessen your dog’s separation anxiety.

Here are some positive ways to help reduce the stress.

1. Studies show that dogs tend to be less anxious if they are confined to a particular area when left alone, rather than having the run of the house. This can be in their crate, if they have been properly crate-trained, or in a particular room behind a puppy gate. (Avoid shutting them behind a door however, as this is too isolated. The beauty of a crate or a puppy gate is that it confines without isolating.)

2. Accustom your dog to being confined in his special place for varying periods of time when you are at home, as well as when you must be away.

Then, being in that special area becomes a normal part of life, instead of being associated only with being left alone.

3. Be sure to leave low television or soft music playing while you are gone--the same kind of sounds that he hears when you are home.

4. When leaving and returning, do not be overly emotional. Be matter of fact.

5. Very important: Use a specific hand signal and goodbye phrase every time you leave the house. I recommend holding up one finger, and looking directly at the dog as you say, in a serious tone, “Watch the house.” This routine becomes a comfort, because he soon realizes that when you say it, you are leaving, but you will return as you always have in the past. Familiar routines increase a dog’s comfort level in all aspects of their life with us.

6. Last but definitely not least: Be sure your dog is getting sufficient exercise and family interaction so that when you are gone, he or she will be content to sleep.

One precaution about crating: An adult dog should not be kenneled in a crate for more than eight hours, and then only when absolutely necessary.  (Puppies much shorter periods, depending on age.) If necessary, employ a pet sitter to come and provide a walk.  

Best wishes!

Answer: Some of the truly premium pet foods include cranberries in their formula, specifically to promote urinary tract health. One such company, Solid Gold, even makes a cranberry powder supplement for pets for that purpose.

When I say “truly premium,” I’m referring to holistic-type formulas such as Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance, Canidae, Solid Gold and others. They are not found on grocery store shelves and some are not carried by the large discount pet supply stores. Generally they can be found or special-ordered at smaller, locally owned pet-supply stores.

Such brands contain no meat by-products (what kind of meat and what part?), no chemicals and no artificial coloring. They offer formulas using meats like fish, lamb, duck and venison, with rice, oats or potatoes as the carbohydrate. These are less likely to cause allergies or digestive disturbances in sensitive dogs than the more commonly used ingredients. (The most common problem-causing foods include beef, pork, soybean, corn, and wheat.)

Cranberries, blueberries, or carrots and the like are included in the formulas of several of these premium brands.

You might want to search the internet on the subject of “dogs, cranberries” for some interesting input from other dog owners, and also research “Solid Gold” pet food. And of course, discuss it with your veterinarian.

To deter digging out, you can always reinforce the inside bottom of the fence-line with concrete-filled trenches, heavy landscape pavers, or perhaps an Invisible Fence electronic beam.

Another option is to build her a roomy run inside your yard. But locate it near the house, please, so she is not isolated from her family pack (you). A dog run should have some sun, some shade (always), plus shelter from the elements available all day long. It should be located so she can see you and the family in the house through the windows or a door, if possible.

That may solve the security issue, but it does not solve the problem of her desire to get out of the yard.

Most dogs that repeatedly try to escape are those which are left alone too much.

They are not trying to get away, but to GET TO something—to find their family, or another dog, or some other living companions. Dogs are not designed by nature to be alone, and they do not handle it well.

If your dog has been condemned to living in the yard because of bad manners when she is in the house, please consider obedience training, so that she can learn to be well-mannered. You can also bring her in the house on-leash, under your supervision, of course, so she can learn to behave well inside.

Regular leash walks, interaction with the family, and fun activities are also part of the formula for a happy, well-behaved dog.

If she cannot be brought inside, you may want to consider a second dog as a companion. Opposite sex, of a similar size and temperament, both spayed or neutered, is generally a good mix.

Best wishes!

Q My German Shepherd, Gretchen, is very smart. I have already taught her to roll over both ways. Can you give any advice on how to teach her to speak on command? Any advice would be appreciated. Sincerely, L.G.

Dear L.G. Here's how I teach dogs to bark on command:
Use a hand signal and verbal command together (either Speak or Tell Me, whichever you prefer).
If your dog is used to working for treats, use them as a reward, initially, and then drop to random treats but always give praise. If she is not used to working for treats, just use your praise and enthusiastic reaction as reward.
Put the dog in a SIT; look directly into her eyes and add some excitement to your voice as you say her name, GRETCHEN! Then give the verbal command and the hand signal together.
My hand signal is to open and close my hand repeatedly to imitate someone's jaws opening and closing.
After I give the verbal command, I actually "bark" at the dog while continuing to give the hand signal. The goal is to raise the level of excitement between us until the dog finally barks, and then instantly gets a treat and/or verbal praise (Good speak!)
This method requires the human to be a little silly by barking to get the dog to bark! After she learns it, of course, no need to be silly any more. You only have to give the command and the signal. Before long, you should be able to use either the hand signal or the word alone, and the dog will understand what it means.
HOWEVER, if you teach the dog to bark, you also need to teach, "Now, QUIET."
This you can do by gently holding the muzzle closed when you give the QUIET command, and then very calmly, very softly praising, "Good quiet," when she has stopped.

Previous Questions:

Q What dog shampoo do you recommend? I’m going on a trip with a friend and we will be taking my female Doberman with us. The friend is not used to dogs, so I want to be sure the dog is clean and pleasant to be around. Any suggestions? Signed. L.O.

Dear L. O.: I recommend any good oatmeal-based shampoo, as that would be good for the skin. Just pick one that you know is good quality, preferably a natural formula, and that smells nice.
You DO want to be sure to use PET shampoo, not people shampoo, as a dog’s ph balance is different than ours. They need a shampoo ph-balanced for dogs.
Don’t forget to brush her teeth with poultry-flavored doggie toothpaste. (Not the kind we use, because it has things in it that are bad for dogs if the swallow it.) The poultry-flavored doggie kind is available at most pet stores, and dogs love it.
If you’re worried about doggie odor, you can also get "doggie wipes" at the pet supply store, for wiping ears, feet or anywhere else.
For your information, most odor problems are caused either by unhealthy mouth, dirty ears, ear infections, or anal glands that need expressing.
Stress, pain or fear can also cause a dog to have an involuntary anal gland secretion (that skunky, musky smell).

Q How can I stop my cat from scratching on the furniture? She won’t use her scratching post. Thanks,
 M. M.

Dear M.M.
Scratching is hard to stop or even reduce, because it is an inborn feline behavior, just like self-grooming, or burying waste.
Perhaps you do not have the right kind of scratching post. What kind is the right kind? You can find out by observation:
Does your cat prefer to scratch on carpets, drapes, wood, or some other surface? If she likes to scratch on carpets, a carpet-covered post would be a good choice. But if she prefers couches and other nubby surfaces, a post covered in sisal or some other rope-like material might be best.
Is the scratching done vertically, with paws stretched out above her head, or does she prefer horizontal surfaces?
A cat that climbs and scratches on drapes would probably prefer a post tall enough for a long stretch.
However, one that likes the horizontal motion of scratching might be more likely to use a cat gym with horizontal scratching areas. Or even something as simple as a rough cedar 4 x 4 strung through concrete blocks.
Some owners get creative and build their own scratching posts and kitty activity centers. Whether you buy or build one, it must be stable enough not to topple when your cat uses it. And should be made with untreated wood, not the treated kind which contains arsenic.
Place the post next to an area your cat likes to scratch. It can gradually be moved to a location of your choice as your cat gets in the habit of using it. If your cat scratches in several locations, provide a post near each of these.
Best wishes!

Q. Why does my cat come and sit right on the pages of the book I am trying to read or the papers I am working on? Is there anything I can do to stop her? Signed I. M.

Dear I. M:
 Many cats will get in the line of vision of anything they see their human staring at. (They don’t understand reading, so they think you’re staring.)

In cat body language, staring means there’s something really interesting there. (Cats stare at their prey before pouncing, and at something they want badly.)

Here is what Jeanette Craighead George, author of How to Talk to Your Animals, says about it:

“Unbeknownst to many, people are talking to their cat when they read or write. By staring at a book or letter for a long time, we are announcing to the cat that we have something very interesting lined up. To a cat’s way of thinking, we are inviting it to come and sit upon this fascinating ‘place’ within its rightful environment. The cat obliges and sits down, only to be confused when it is picked up and dropped to the floor.”

Ms. George suggests distracting the cat from “your” fascinating place by putting a number of empty paper bags on the floor. Since most cats love to explore the paper “caves,” you may get some time to focus.