Q: How do I keep my male Chihuahua from marking my grandaughter's toys that she leaves on the floor? -- Kathy P.

Andrea Arden, CPDT at Andrea Arden Dog Training in New York City, writes: If your dog is marking in the home then he isn't housetrained, by definition. This means he needs you to help him by managing his time to prevent the practice of this behavior. Here's what you can do:

• Just like with a puppy, keep him on leash when you are there to supervise and be sure he is occupied with engaging chew toys (some of my favs are Busy Buddy Twist n-Treats, Gimborn White Sterilized Bones, and Bob-A-Lots). You can hold the leash, step on the end, or tether him to a stable object.


• When you can't watch him, let him rest in a crate or an exercise pen. In either case, he is not wandering about marking.
  

These management tools need not be used forever. The goal is full freedom in the home with no accidents. But, just like we gradually give kids more freedom as they show the ability to handle it, so should we with our canine companions.

Don't make the mistake of assuming that because your dog is an adult he should know better. He is letting you know he needs your assistance in this area of his life manners skills. The kindest thing you can do for him is to set him up for success by not giving him opportunities to practice unwanted marking.

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Q: How can I socialize my 2-year-old Lab mix, a spayed female, who got social experience as a puppy and went to training, but still doesn't like other dogs -- mainly ones she has never met?
-- Lindsey C.

Mychelle Blake, CDBC, pet trainer and CEO of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, writes: ‎

Remedial socialization is all about going at your dog's pace. Keep in mind that dogs, just like people, may be discriminating in who they choose to be friends with. Here's what you can try:

• Observe your dog for signs of tension: a stiff body, lip licking, yawning, averting her eyes and head, scratching. Alone, these behaviors can indicate mild stress, or the need to lick food from her lips, or that she is tired, or have
  an itch! But when seen in clusters it usually indicates stress and tension.


• Find calm, amiable dogs and introduce your girl to them one at a time in a neutral environment (i.e. not in either dog's home or yard) to reduce the chances of territorial issues.


• Keep the dogs on loose leashes. They should be very loose so they don't inhibit body-language communication.


• Walk the dogs together, starting at a manageable distance and gradually coming closer. [Watch a video demonstration.] This way, they're moving past lots of interesting smells and sights, which usually helps to decrease any tension between the dogs.

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Angela Mitchell is editor-in-chief of Guinea Pig Today and writes for CavyMadness. She volunteers with Metropolitan Guinea Pig Rescue, which rescues and fosters cavies in Virginia, Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia and Southern Pennsylvania; and supports the ROUS Foundation for Capybara Veterinary Medicine. She travels to pet conferences, expos and other events around the country as a guinea pig advocate. She lives in Northern Virginia with her guinea pigs Papua and Phoenix and cats Toast and Navy.

March is Adopt-Rescued-Guinea Pig Month! After all, guinea pigs, a.k.a. cavies, end up in shelters and with rescue groups just like dogs and cats.

Here are 10 reasons to give a rescued guinea pig a chance:

1. You'll know what you're getting. At rescue groups and shelters, volunteers learn their guinea pigs' personalities and can tell you a bit about them. Cavies might be small, but they have big personalities. You'll find guinea pigs can be shy or outgoing, just like dogs and cats.
   
   
2. Adopted guinea pigs come in all shapes and sizes. Long hair, short hair, bushy hair and even no hair at all! There are many different breeds of guinea pigs to be found at your local shelter or rescue group.
   
   
3. The shelter or rescue group can help you learn to care for your new cavy. When you adopt a guinea pig, you're adopting a community of support as well. Volunteers can show you how to do routine grooming such as nail or hair trimming.
   
   
4. Your current guinea pig can find a friend. Guinea pigs are social animals and are happiest in pairs or small groups. If you currently have one guinea pig, a rescue group or shelter can help you find a compatible friend for him or her.
   
   
5. You can get a vet referral. Volunteers at rescue groups and shelters can help you find a qualified exotic-animal veterinarian who treats guinea pigs. General dog and cat vets don't always see guinea pigs, and your new pets will need a check-up now and again.
   
   
6. Rescued pigs of all ages need homes. Guinea pigs can live up to eight years, but a rescued guinea pig might already be a few years old. Can you give a senior pet a comfy retirement home?
   
   
7. You might be able to foster-to-adopt. Even if the pig you foster isn't a good fit for your household, you might find fostering is a better option for your family. Volunteers are always needed to give temporary homes to guinea pigs who need loving families.
   
   
8. Some rescued guinea pigs have already been spayed or neutered. You won't have to deal with finding a qualified veterinarian for the procedure -- and you won't have any unexpected babies!
   
   
9. You can get guinea pigs who are already bonded. Sometimes pregnant guinea pigs are left at shelters, and that means there are pups who need homes as well. Bonded siblings make an instant pair if you're looking to adopt more than one.
   
   
10. Adopting guinea pigs makes room for more guinea pigs to be rescued. Shelters are already crowded, so you're giving a chance to other guinea pigs waiting in line for their forever homes.
    

After the jump: Can't adopt, but want to help homeless guinea pigs? Find out how.

Q: Any suggestions for introducing a new dog to my house? We have a male Bulldog and a female Mastiff, we will be bringing home a new female Bulldog this weekend. They are all around 5 years old and all spayed or neutered. All rescues, too. We want it to go as smoothly as possible. -- Sue R.

Mychelle Blake, CDBC, pet trainer and CEO of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, writes: ‎

Here's what you can do:

• Have the dogs meet outside in a neutral space, such as the sidewalk or street in front of your home, or a nearby park.


• Walk them near each other, side by side, with no frontal meetings (where their eyes are directly looking at each other), and then give lots of praise and rewards if they are calm. Try to remember to keep your leashes loose and tension-free.


• If all goes well, then go back to your home and have them enter together on leash.


• Make sure that you monitor the situation for the first few days and keep the new dog separate from the others when you leave the house.


• Make sure that all the dogs get equal attention, and monitor them during feedings and playtime with toys to make sure there's no guarding behavior.

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Working in the veterinary industry, I know the importance of taking my pet to an AAHA-accredited veterinary practice -- whether he is exhibiting symptoms or if it is simply time for a preventive care checkup.

Unfortunately, due to the current state of the economy, many pet parents are trying to save a few bucks by searching the Internet when their pets seem to be feeling under the weather. Saving time and money by searching the Internet first seems like a good idea, right? I asked Dale Paley, DVM.

The Internet has had a huge impact on society. How has it impacted the veterinary industry in particular?
Dr. Paley: The Internet has, in many ways, complicated everyday veterinary practice. There are so many sites about pet health care that have poorly researched and even erroneous information; veterinarians often have to spend a lot of time correcting misconceptions.

Many clients use Google to diagnose their pets before visiting their veterinarian. In some cases, the pet parent begins treatment using over-the-counter medications or supplements that may complicate the problem rather than help. This "home therapy" may allow disease to become so advanced that the final outcome for the pet may be jeopardized.

What are some common issues only a veterinarian can diagnose?
As with humans, many pet health conditions require a thorough history, physical exam, and diagnostic workup to accurately diagnose. Specifically:

1. Eye problems: Many eye problems can present with a red eye. A veterinarian will need to measure eye pressures, stain the cornea, and perform a thorough eye exam to differentiate conditions such as uveitis, glaucoma, or a corneal ulcer.

2. Respiratory problems: A pet who is coughing could have anything from heart disease to bronchitis to lung worm, just to name a few.

3. Cancer: Many lumps and bumps present similarly and may be benign growths or significant cancer lesions.

4. Heart problems: Two common symptoms of heart disease, coughing and fainting, can also be present with other problems, like respiratory and neurological conditions. A visit to a veterinarian is necessary for an accurate diagnosis.

5. Toxicities: A pet can get into a human's medication, causing vomiting, seizures, kidney failure, and more. This type of incident should always be reported to your veterinarian.

Q: How do we stop our 2-year-old adopted Vizsla-Collie-Lab mix from dragging out the blankets and tearing them apart? We have had her for three months and she is just a sweetheart otherwise! -- Judith W.

Andrea Arden, CPDT at Andrea Arden Dog Training in New York City, writes: I had a Dobie who was obsessed with chewing and sucking on her blankets. I worked on helping her refocus her attention to food-stuffed chew toys instead. But it did take some extra-inventive stuffing techniques. Just putting dry kibble in them wasn't enough to distract her from her blankets.

I would suggest you become equally creative.

After the jump: Find out what you can offer your dog that will be more fun to chew than your blankets.

Meet Beast and Queen, two dogs recently unchained by volunteers for the North Carolina-based Coalition to Unchain Dogs. We met Beast and Queen the same way we've met most of the 1,300 dogs we've unchained since 2007: Their human, Christina, heard about us from a friend of hers who also received a fence. She contacted us because she wanted them to have a fence where they could be together and be safe. But, as a single mother of five children, she couldn't afford a fence for them.

As with each dog we've unchained, our first step in helping Beast and Queen was taking them to the vet to be vaccinated and spayed/neutered, a requirement for receiving a Coalition fence.

Once their vet appointments were complete, a team of Coalition volunteers arrived on a very chilly Sunday morning, and in just under two hours of work, Beast and Queen had a fenced-in yard that has forever changed their lives, as well as the lives of Christina and her children. See the video from their big day above.

Coalition to Unchain Dogs' founder, Amanda Arrington, and Casey Arrington built their first fence in March 2007, just the two of them. It took three weekends to complete that fence for Flex and Brownie, but they quickly realized the feeling of watching the dogs run and play for the first time was addictive. And they were right! Since then, the Coalition has grown to five chapters in Durham, Raleigh, Orange County, and Charlotte, N.C., and Atlanta, GA, each with dozens of volunteers who participate in fence builds each weekend.

After the jump: The secret to the Coalition's success.

Q: Many years ago our family adopted a beautiful cat we named Tom. My mother fed Tom only tuna and he began to develop a reddish coat. Unfortunately, the cat soon died. Now, 67 years later, I still feel bad about this and wonder if a diet of only tuna was harmful. What do you think? -- E.M., Clearwater, FL

A: "Cats do not do well on a diet of solely tuna, or any one human food source," says Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, chief medical officer for Banfield Pet Hospital in Portland, OR.

Giving your cat a bit of tuna as an occasional treat is one thing. However, as an exclusive diet, tuna lacks significant amounts of vitamin E, potentially leading to a dangerous vitamin E deficiency.

Felines fed too much tuna can develop other nutrient deficiencies, too, because most de-boned fish lacks calcium, sodium, iron, copper and several other vitamins. Mercury, frequently present in tuna, also presents a potential danger.

Bringing a new bunny home is fun and exciting, but it's important to realize that this time can be quite intimidating for a rabbit. In order to keep stress to a minimum, prepare by gathering necessary items, arranging a living space and rabbit-proofing the house. Here are a few key steps to help you prepare for your new friend:

1. Gather the necessities
Before bringing a rabbit home, purchase all necessary items and have everything set up in time for your rabbit's arrival. The first shopping trip is not inexpensive, but once you have the basics, only items such as litter, hay and food need to be purchased regularly.

The New-Bunny Shopping List:

• Puppy exercise pen or dog crate (If you do purchase a rabbit cage, make sure it is roomy and has a flat bottom.)
• A cat litter box or large plastic bin
• Sturdy ceramic bowls for food and water
• Toys, which can be as simple as a cardboard roll or phone book or as complex as a bird toy or cat tunnel
• Rabbit-safe litter (Go for a recycled-paper product such as Yesterday's News or Carefresh.)
• Rabbit pellets (Look for a Timothy hay-based pellet for adult rabbits.)
• Cat nail clippers
• Green, leafy vegetables
• Timothy or other quality grass hays

Of the above items, Timothy hay is the most important. A rabbit's diet should be composed of approximately 70% grass hays to ensure sufficient fiber intake. Hay is important not just for proper digestion, but for dental health too, as chewing on the stalks wears down their continuously growing teeth and even has social and psychological benefits. Because hay is so essential for rabbit health, make extra efforts to ensure the hay you purchase is fresh, dust-free and high quality.

Mary Lempert is the founder of The Rabbit Advocate, where this post originally appeared. She has served as a rabbit behavior and rehabilitation consultant for the House Rabbit Society, House Rabbit Network and the MSPCA in Massachusetts and, most recently, for the Almost Home Humane Society in Lafayette, IN. She lives in West Lafayette, IN, with her rabbits Graysie and Willoughby and any number of foster bunnies.

Rabbits are remarkably affectionate, interactive, and intelligent (check out 10 Reasons Rescue Rabbits Rule). But they are by no means low-maintenance pets. Rabbits can live 12 years or more, so they are long-term, though thoroughly rewarding, commitments. Before you adopt a rabbit for Adopt-A-Rescued Rabbit Month, here are a few things to consider:

Do you have the indoor space for a dog crate or exercise pen? Are you rabbit-proofed? You'll need to hide or cover electrical wires, telephone cords and poisonous plants in at least one room of the house.

Do you have enough time for a rabbit? Rabbits don't require long walks, but they should be let out of their cage for at least an hour a day. Playtime doesn't have to mean dedicated rabbit-watching; it can be incorporated with your everyday activities: Bunnies love lounging on the couch while you read and are happy zooming around your feet as you cook dinner.