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Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 4:51 pm Post subject:

we have a Jack Russell/Chihuahua mix that was a rescue whom we have now had for 1 year today. She seems to be very jealous of any attention my husband and I give each other, our children or other pets (3 cats). She barks, and will sometimes bite us if we are hugging each other or pick up one of the cats. Any suggestions?

Expert's Answers:

Hi Gwen~
This is not a quick fix type situation and unfortunately, it's one that will need to be tackled with consistency from everyone in the family for best success. I would suggest for starters, if you have not taken her through a basic obedience class that you seek a good one out or even better try to find a good certified pet dog trainer in your area that can help you with some one on one private lessons ideally in your home. This little girl needs some basics under her belt so you have a few tools in your toolbox to battle the jealous and resource guarding/protective behavior she is displaying with the other animals and when you and your husband are in contact. She needs to learn who pays the mortgage and buys the food and she is currently trying to convince you that the rulebook is being made by her. The rules need to be established very soon and consistently adhered to over time or she will continue to rule the roost a little more each day.
The hugging with your husband, she needs to ideally be redirected to do something else like sit or down so she can practice an alternative and more appropriate behavior when you are reaching out for someone. Additionally, I would encourage you to use your voice to give her a verbal correction and simply tell her to "knock it off" when she gets moody in that situation and tries to control your movement and connection with your husband. for example if she is snuggled on the sofa with you and doesn't like the hugging, she no longer has free access to the sofa and in a specific situation where she bites or gets growly with the hugging, she needs to be immediately removed from the sofa (and I personally would not give her any warning and I would simply shove her off and not allow her access back up in that moment until she earned her way back up. There are lots of parts to this process and unfortunately too many scenarios and possible "what ifs" to go through here. For sure she needs to some basic obedience as this will help her learn to respect you as her leader and give you the chance to learn how to better communicate with her as well. Find yourself a good trainer and start there teaching her to earn her keep and respect who really pays the bills in the house!
Good luck!
Leslie Burgard, CPDT
Dogs Think! Dog Training

Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 4:59 pm Post subject:

I have a 13 year old Persian cat. Every time she plays with a certain toy, which is a long ribbon-like toy, she gets it in her mouth, and cries. I thought maybe she was having dental problems at first, but its very soft and she is just holding it in her mouth meowing. Is this some sort of hunting behavior?

Expert's Answers:

Jackie W,

Yes, it may be the result of the predatory game -- crouch, stalk, pounce, bite --she is engaging in. But at 13 years of age, dental disease is a real possibility as well. That can be easily ruled out by a vet exam and afterwards, you will have peace of mind knowing she's just channeling her inner wild beast.

Jacque Schultz, MA CPDT-KA
ASPCA Community Initiatives

Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 5:01 pm Post subject:

I asked the vet the other day but would be interested in your advice - I recently adopted a 6 - 8 yr. old deaf scottish fold feline. The problem is that she HOWLS all the time - not just your average meow - we're talking LOUD! Been cleared thru our vet that it is NOT a medical issue...HELP!!!

Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 5:01 pm Post subject:

Why is my 1 yrs old cavalier king charles spaniel obsessed with chasing and attacking shadows/specks of light?

Expert's Answers:

Oh dear. Poor little dog. My parents had a cairn terrier who had the same issue and I believe she would have chased a flashlight beam to the point of sheer exhaustion. One of the veterinarians may chime in with new information, but the short answer is that I don't think we know why some dogs do this. Your ability to change the behavior will depend on how obsessed your particular dog is. In some cases, simply redirecting the dog to a favorite toy or treat (repeatedly and as needed) will start to diminish the behavior. In more extreme cases though and if the behavior is negatively impacting the dog's quality of life, you will probably need to speak with your veterinarian (or a veterinary behaviorist) about medication. Stereotypical behaviors like flank-sucking, tail-chasing and light-chasing often respond well to pharmaceutical solutions. If, on the other hand, the light chasing behavior isn't impacting your dog's quality of life, you may not need to do anything at all.

Thanks for writing!!

Good luck!!
Sarah Babcock
Chief of Education and Training
Richmond SPCA

Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 5:04 pm Post subject:

I just euthanized my cocker spaniel due to an unknown neurological disease. Looking back, I can see that she was a bit "different" when she was rescued in 2006, but I attributed that to poor socialization, possibly being a puppy mill mom. Two vets over four years failed to see that she had a progressive disease. How can an owner know when symptoms require a second opinion?

Expert's Answers:

Amy E,

I'm sorry to hear of your recent loss. Unfortunately, our beloved pets can't tap us on the shoulder and verbally tell us when something is wrong with them. We are left to reading body language, abnormal behaviors, changes in consistency of response to cues and physical changes to things like appetite and fecal output to try and decipher what is going on with them. Observe your animal carefully so you know what is normal for her and what is out of character. Notice something different, but not so extreme that you feel you need to see your vet? Then keep a log, so you can figure out when it first began and how it progressed.
Run your hands over every body part at least once a week to check for lumps, bumps, parasites etc, so you can bring them to your vet's attention when you need to bring your animal in for examination/treatment.

Since you know your animal best, if you feel there's something wrong and your vet can't find anything, ask for a referral to a specialist. Diagonsis is an art and some animals are very good at masking symptoms when they're not feeling well. A fresh set of eyes and skill set may be necessary to reveal what's really going on.

Jacque Schultz, MA CPDT-KA
ASPCA Community Initiatives

Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 5:05 pm Post subject:

i have a 2 month old pitbull bull mastiff, I'm having problems with him biting people and objects i mean i know hes a puppy and hes just playingbut the worst is when he has someting in his mouth and you try to take it out he growls and bites down really hard. is there something i can do to break him from biting like he does

Expert's Answers:

Congratulations on the new puppy!! Very exciting indeed. And good for you for recognizing that you might have some problems brewing. Your little puppy is going to be a BIG dog one day, so you definitely want to address these concerns early. I would strongly suggest that you find a reputable behaviorist in your area to get some help. Puppy biting (mouthing) is certainly normal as dogs go throuh a teething stage and puppies do need to learn not to bite hard (or at all) on human skin. It sounds like you might also be dealing with a bit of resource guarding though --- and that can become much more serious. A skilled behaviorist can help you evaluate the extent of the guarding and help you train some great management skills like "leave it", "drop it", and "trade". In the meantime, I would be sure that the dog doesn't get to "practice" these unwanted behaviors any more than necessary. For reasons that I don't understand, there seem to be a lot of people (and especially kids) who enjoy teasing/taunting dogs who are very obviously guarding their toys or bones. This is a recipe for disaster and not something you want anyone to do with your new puppy.

Good luck!!

Sarah Babcock
Chief of Education and Training
Richmond SPCA

Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 5:06 pm Post subject:

I have a cat that refuses to poop in the litter box... Just next to it.. She pees in the litter but will not poop in the box... I have watche dto make sure it isn't just a hanging over the edge thing and its not...she just stands next to it. ANy help???

Expert's Answers:

Thanks for writing. My reply will be similar to two previous posts, but only because your problem sounds similar as well. Wth litter box problems (i.e., cat won't use litter box consistently or at all), I usually suggest the use of two side-by-side boxes. I would make one box be your current box and have it look about the same as it does now (same litter, same size, same location, etc). You report that your cat is currently peeing in this box successfully, so leave it exactly the way it is for now. We certainly don't want your cat to get worried about changes to the box and stop peeing inside the box. Now, with your second box, you are going to try a variety of variations to determine what your cat likes best for pooping. The first thing I would be inclined to try is a bigger box. In my experience, box-too-small is the biggest problem when the cat uses the litter box for one thing (peeing), but not another (pooping). It may be that your cat needs to move around more during the pooping (as opposed to the peeing) process and the box you have now doesn't provide enough room. You could also try adding a cover/hood to the box or removing one that is already there. Some cats appear to want privacy (i.e., hood = good) and others appear to be slightly clastrophobic (i.e., hood = scary or bad). Personally, I would also experiment with the depth of the litter in the box. Most cat owners add litter until it "looks" about right to us, which means that the amount probably varies week to week --- but lots of cats are very finicky about how deep it is. I think that most cats like less litter and we humans tend to like more, possibly because it means we don't have to add litter as often. I have seen people fix this type of problem completely, simply by going from 4" of litter to 1" of litter or less (and of course, your cat might "vote" for something in between 1" and 4").

Good luck --- and keep us posted if you get a chance. I always like to hear what works and what doesn't.

Sarah Babcock
Chief of Education and Training
Richmond SPCA

Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 5:11 pm Post subject:

Hi, my 4 yr old Maine coon mix whom I adopted from a foster home at the age of 2 pees in the sink - bathroom sink. He uses the cat litter also for his #2. Can you tell me why?

Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 5:13 pm Post subject:

Thanks for taking the time. I just adopted a small 18 lb terrier? mix who is reportedly 1.5 years. I was able to spend lots of time with him the first 4 days at the home of a friend before the flight to my home. He has been here 2.5 days and has peed 5 times in my bedroom. Today I am making the bedroom off limits. He gets walked in... See More the morning, when I come home from lunch, and twice in the evening. Anything else I should do besides keeping my bedroom door closed? I also have another dog in the home - a 8 yo Austrialian shepard mix.

Expert's Answers:

Kierke~
Congrats on the new recruit! Good idea to make the bedroom off limits. I advise any new dog owner who has just brought any new dog into the house regardless of age to act like the dog is 8 weeks old and never trust what anyone has told you about housetraining skills. Assume your new dog knows nothing and take him out frequently when you are home and the dog is out and about with you. At least every 30 minutes for a quick pee, short term if not more frequently at 20 mins just to be safe. I would limit the dog's access to your house until he has earned it by proving the housetraining is good to go. Limit his movement around the house to the room you are in only. If you keep him with you for the first few months and he moves from room to room with you it will allow you to monitor him very close and not allow him to make mistakes. This is a big part of long term success. If he looks like he is about to squat or is sniffing excessively or out of the ordinary in an area, quickly take him outside and reward all good potty behavior outdoors. The more success he gains, the more access and freedom he can earn in your home. It's easier and more successful to limit access initially and let them earn movement from room to room than it is to take it away because they have made a lot of mistakes. Monitor when you feed him and I would also suggest monitoring water for the next few weeks just to up your odds for success long term. It's easier to know when he might have to pee if you put the bowl down and watched him drink at a specific time. If he sneaks off for a quick drink at random times in the beginning, it becomes very hard to know when he might have to go. You are still figuring out his schedule and he is still adjusting to the new place, rules, etc. Set him up for best success by not giving him too much freedom all at once. Dogs can get overwhelmed with "too much information" and then they can make mistakes. Simplify it for him and limit his access short term so he can eventually have all the freedom you want to give him!
Good luck!
Leslie Burgard, CPDT
Dogs Think! Dog Training

Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 5:14 pm Post subject:

Our young chihuahua (1.5 yrs) 'play' fights with our poodle and has since we got her at around 3 months of age. The poodle is 10 and most of the time doesn't want to play but the chi actually nips and is rough with him. She absolutely adores the poodle, you can tell, but I don't think realizes she sometimes hurts him. I've tried telling her NO over and over but not sure how to get her to understand playing/chasing versus the nipping.

Expert's Answers:

Thanks for writing. Since it appears that your poodle is not able or willing to tell the youngster when he does not want to play, you will probably need to intervene on his behalf. My suggestion would be to spend some time training the chihuahua on her own, teaching her some basic skills like "come" and leave it". A basic obedience class would likely include those two skills, so that might be an option. You might also consider finding the chihuahua another playmate or a doggy daycare that can safely look after small dogs (note that not all daycare facilities can; IMHO small dogs cannot safely be tossed into a play yard with large numbers of big dogs). Your chi is still very young and she probably does need to play with someone, so finding her an age-appropriate playmate might diminish the degree to which she is going to pester the poodle. And then, when the two dogs are together, I would have a two-part plan. If the chi bothers the poodle (and you are quite certain poodle does not welcome the attention), you say something like "leave him alone". If chi does, hooray and celebrate --- and possibly reward with a tasty food treat. If chi persists in nipping at the poodle though, you get up from wherever you are (i.e., don't ignore the behavior or just holler from where you are sitting), you say something like "too bad" and you immediately remove the chi from the area. You can implement the "time-out" in a crate, behind a baby gate, in a bathroom, or anywhere else that the puppy cannot interact with toys or poodles. The timeout doesn't need to last more than a few minutes or so --- and then you can give the chi another try. Note that you do not need to be angry or raise your voice at all for this to work. You just have to be sure that there is an unwanted consequence for failing to heed your "warning" each and every time. If you are consistent in repeating these steps ("leave him alone" warning followed either by reinforcement for doing so or by a "too bad" timeout consequence for not doing so), most dogs will catch on pretty quickly.

Good luck!!

Sarah Babcock
Chief of Education and Training
Richmond SPCA

Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 5:19 pm Post subject:

Our city had passed a law stating that breeders and pet stores selling over 15 intact cats or dogs peryear would be subject to a $50 fine per animal. However, our Petland has been in business for almost two years and has not paid a dime. How do you get the city to actually enforce the law it enacted?

Expert's Answers:

Taxpayers have a lot of power. Bring a copy of the ordinance with you to your next city council meeting. Ask the city if they are enforcing the law. If they tell you they are - ask for the stats--how much $ they've collected. You might have to file a Freedom of Information Act request to get this information but Freedom of Information Acts are very easy to fill out.

If they aren't enforcing it encourage them to do so---let's face it, in this economy they need all the fines they can get. Call your city councilmen and speak with them privately about the need for enforcement. If need be go to the newspapers regarding nonenforcement.

Just one or two citizens showing up at city council meetings week and speaking and folks making calls after week pressing the issue can have a huge impact and get them to enforce the ordinance.

Ledy VanKavage, Esq
Best Friends Animal Society

http://network.bestfriends.org

Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 5:34 pm Post subject:

In regard to the previous question about the city law regulating breeders- How can I check to see if my city has laws like that? If it doesn’t, is there anything that residents can do to try and change that?

Expert's Answers:

YOU can organize and change your city's ordinance if they don't have one that you like. Politics is not a spectator sport!

To find out if your city has a good ordinance regulating pet stores or any subject contact the city clerk. Sometimes you can look up the city code on their website.

If there isn't a good ordinance, do some research and find an ordinance that you'd like passed. Start attending city council meetings to observe. Find out who seems to have the most influence and approach them with your research and what you'd like to see done.

Mobilize-Get pet lovers to call their city council members asking them to pass an ordinance. Take out ads in the paper...or even put flyers in the newspapers with the city council members contact information. Get the media involved. Give our flyers at local events, veterinary offices, groomers, and in front of grocery store. Go on facebook and Craig's List and start a campaign. Call your local paper and write letters to the editor.

Be tenacious. Some great books you'll want to read are Get Political For Animals by Julie Lewin and Rules for Radicals by Saul Alinsky.

Remember you are the Animals' Voice. They are counting on your actions. You really can change the world!

Ledy VanKavage, Esq.
Best Friends Animal Society
http://network.bestfriends.org
www.bestfriends.org

Posted: Sat Mar 13, 2010 2:14 pm Post subject:

We just acquired a stray 6-month-old St. Bernard/Australian Shepherd mix. We put him in his crate (which is just big enough for him to stand, turn, and lie down in) every night and when we are away, but he continues to pee in his crate. We have taken away water 4 hours before bedtime but he eats and drinks a ton and pees a lot all day long (mostly ... See Moreoutside, getting better every day). We clean the crate with vinegar/water and we have cleaned it with an ezymatic cleaner called Equalizer, made for urine/feces/vomit. How can we get him to stop urinating in his crate?

Expert's Answers:

WendyL,

It could be you are expecting him to stay clean for too long. At 6 months of age, most dogs can stay dry for 6-7 hours, but that isn't the case for all dogs and your dog may be one of the exceptions. How long does the dog go between walks when he's not crated?
Or your dog may be anxious when left alone and thus produces more urine and can't keep his crate clean. How does your dog generally act when crated? Relaxed, a little fussy and first and then settles or does he continually fuss? If he continually fusses, crating may not be the right method for him. Confinement in a small room or exercise pen with papers on one side and bedding on the other may work for him. Or if you have a house with a yard, perhaps he's a dog that would benefit from a dog door.
One last possibility, if you have thick comfortable bedding in the crate, perhaps it wicks away the urine enough so he doesn't find it objectionable to urinate and lay in it. In that case, take out the bedding until he keeps the crate clean for at least 7 days. Then add something thin first and work your way up to thick and absorbent.

Check out the Virtual Pet Behaviorist for more step-by-step house-training problem protocols at www.aspcabehavior.org.

Jacque Schultz, MA CPDT-KA
ASPCA Community Outreach

Posted: Sat Mar 13, 2010 2:15 pm Post subject:

My dog continuously has outbreaks of bumps all over her skin. She is a little under 1 year old, and is a pit bull. We got frontline and only feed her certain food. What can be causing this?

Expert's Answers:

Hi Jennifer,

When you say bumps - do they look like little pink pimples? Do you sometimes see little circular areas of what looks like peeling skin? Any hair loss? Where are the bumps (chest/belly or all over)?

It kind of sounds like you are describing a superficial pyoderma - a bacterial skin infection. Many dogs will be able to clear these up with a course of antibiotics, but if they have an underlying cause (such as allergies) the infection might recur. Has she ever been on medication for this? Being a young pit bull (is she white by any chance?) other things that I would also consider are demodex (this can be a few round spots of hairloss or much more generalized) or a contact dermatitis, especially if it's on her chest... contact dermatitis is actually fairly uncommon in dogs but I have seen it, especially on deeper chested dogs on their belly and chest.

Dr. Stephanie Janeczko
Medical Director
Animal Care & Control of New York City

Posted: Sat Mar 13, 2010 2:21 pm Post subject:

Hey, we have 3 young female dogs - all mixes. For the most part they are all very good girls, but our Beagle / Jack Russell mix has some territory issues with the cats - If we're eating she feel's like she has to growl at any cat who comes close, if were sleeping and a cat jumps up on the bed she growls, but otherwise she could care less that they are around. She has never hurt them, all talk I guess. But we've tried everything to break the habit and she's relentless. Any suggestions?

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