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Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 12:03 pm Post subject: FurKeeps Expert Forum

Please join us March 8th- 14th for our exciting FurKeeps expert panel forum!!

To help pets stay in their adoptive homes and help new pet parents work through any potential issues they encounter, Petfinder has created a program called FurKeeps. We are dedicated to keeping these pets in their homes and will have a panel of experts available for YOUR questions March 8th- 14th!

We are so excited to welcome our experts:

Sarah Babcock - Chief of Education and Training, Richmond SPCA

Leslie Burgard - C.P.D.T. Dogs Think! Dog Training

Joanna Campbell - President, Minnesota Companion Rabbit Society

Dr. Grant Gugisberg - Parkview Cat Clinic and member of the AVMA, MVMA, Fellow of the AAFP and past member of the St. Croix Animal Shelter Animal Care Committee

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

Liz Marsden - C.P.D.T. Co-Founder of MissionDog.com

Jacque Schultz - Senior Director of Community Initiatives, ASPCA

Leigh Siegfried - C.P.D.T. Founder of Opportunity Barks Behavior & Training and Co-Founder of MissionDog.com

Pia Silvani - C.P.D.T. Director of Training and Behavior at St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center

Elise "Ledy" Van Kavage, Esq. - Senior Legislative Attorney, Best Friends Animal Society.

Debby Williams - Veterinary Services Manager, Erie County SPCA

Check out our FurKeeps Expert page for more about our Experts!

http://www.petfinder.com/promotions/furkeeps-ask-the-experts-bios

Please join us the week of March 8th with any questions regarding adopted pets. If you're not already registered, make sure to sign up for a Petfinder Message Board account here:

http://www.petfinder.com/forums/profile.php?mode=register

See you there!

Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 10:46 am Post subject:

I would like to kick off the start of our week long FurKeeps program by welcoming and thanking all of our Experts!!

We received the following question for our experts via email:

“Is it better to feed an adult cat wet or dry food? Our vet is really against dry food, but I hear different things from other friends' vets.”

Welcome FurKeeps Experts!!

Expert's Answers:

Posted Mon Mar 08, 2010 1:31 pm:

Many people rely on dry food because it is cheaper, easy to store and they can leave out all day for the cat to nibble on when hungry. It also helps with their teeth depending on the brand/kind of dry food.
Canned wet Food helps develops strong bones and muscles.
My vet has me give both but only 1/2 can of wet food. Canned food is more expensive than dry and my cats enjoys the benefits of both kinds. I would discuss this with your vet further and ask why they feel the way they do. Communication with your vet is very important.
It is also important that you always provide that bowl of fresh water for your cat as well.

Debby Williams
Veterinary Services Manager, Erie County SPCA

Hi there,

There's no right or wrong answer about whether you should feed canned or dry food (or both!) to your adult cat, and some people have very strong opinions either way. As Debby said, it is certainly wise to discuss this matter with your veterinarian as they may have specific reasons based on your kitty's health and medical conditions (if any) that he/she is making that specific recommendation.

Both canned and dry foods are nutritionally complete. The single biggest difference between the two is moisture content, with canned food obviously having a much higher moisture content. Many people certainly find dry kibble to be more convenient, and many vets feel that dry food is better for a cat's teeth. However, dry food is not a substitute for dental care and pretty much every cat -regardless of whether they have eaten canned food or dry food their entire lives - will need professional dental care at some point in their lives.

As for the benefits of canned food, many cats do seem to find it more palatable and this can be especially important if you have a cat with a finicky appetite. Canned food also has a much higher water content, and this can be of particular benefit for cats with kidney problems (helps keep them better hydrated) or lower urinary tract disease (helps produce more dilute urine that can alleviate or reduce the frequency of symptoms). However, we don't know enough about the causes of many illnesses in older cats to know if feeding a canned diet can prevent some common problems, like chronic kidney disease, from developing in the future. Finally, the higher water content may make it easier to put your kitty on a diet (if necessary) because most cans of cat food contain roughly the same number of calories as 1/4 - 1/3 cup of dry food... but in a larger volume of food so they may feel fuller at meal time.

So - not a straightforward answer either way. Some of the decision will come down to personal preference (you and your cat!) but certainly feeding decisions should be made in consultation with your veterinarian - he or she will be in the best position to advise you on the optimal diet for your cat based on his/her age, weight, lifestyle, and overall health. Regardless of what food you end up feeding, as Debby said your cat should always have access to plenty of fresh clean water!

Hope that helps,
Dr. Stephanie Janeczko

Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:21 am Post subject:

I have a cat that pees inappropriately. We just keep a towel on the floor at the back door because she was peeing on the rug that was there. She has gone the antibiotic route different ones several times, all the cats are on urinary tract formula of Hills Prescription Diet, I give them only distilled water, I have tried every kitty litter under the sun, I tried to get them to eat canned food (which they all hated) and she peed more frequently when I tried the canned food. I have tried almost every type of litterbox you can imagine, the most recent one has been the most successful, we made it out of a rubbermaid container that we cut a hole in the top of.

She just went on a hiatus and has only peed twice in the last two weeks. Usually it's daily, and sometimes twice a day. The ONLY change in the last two weeks is we bought Scoop Away litter with crystals. I can't think of any other change that has occurred.

I really think it is behavioral and not physical. We have tried to pick up the towel at the back door, but she will pee on the area rug that is right next to the litterbox if we do that. She has also peed on a cat tree that a coworker gave me. She absolutely HATES my other female cat and doesn't much care for the other two (male) cats that I have. She has been know to not only stalk them, but my dogs, too.

She also a problem scratcher (don't know if this is tied into the peeing). She has shredded a sofa and chair and will go after the carpet sometimes. I have purchased a bunch of scratching posts and cardboard scratchers and that seems to have helped a little.

She's not going anywhere. Nobody in their right mind would want a cat with an attitude who pees inappropriately. LOL. Besides, I am committed to her.

Expert's Answers:

The puzzle:
How long has the cat been urinating outside the box? How many litter boxes do you have for all your cats? Are they located in different places in your home ?How do the other cats treat her? Is she picked on by the other cats? Do the other cats bother her when she goes to use a litterbox there?
The cat that is picked on may be reacting to the stress of this by inappropriate urination.
Are you constantly bringing in foster kittens? This maybe affecting her outlook. Her enviroment is disrupted by noise and the family paying attention to the kittens.
Aversion maybe happening for various reasons but we need to observe how the cat is acting. Is the litterbox scooped everyday? She may stop using the actual box due to the odor or because she associates the box with something negative. It could be stress related.
Have you thoroughly cleaned the floor area by the box with a good cleaner to eliminate the smell? Have you tried Cat Attract which helps bring the cat to the box?
You stated that you switched litter to the crystals within the last 2 weeks and she has not been using it. She may not like this type of litter and is voiding somewhere else in your home.
On her medical check-ups, you stated she was fine so I assume no infection was found.
Depending on the length she has been doing this, she may have learned this as a behavior and you will have to retrain her if possible. Look at your cat as an individual and see how the environment in your home maybe affecting her.

Debby Williams
Veterinary Services Manager, Erie County SPCA

Posted Mon Mar 08, 2010 1:35 pm:

Wow Fostermom --- it sounds like you have tried all sorts of things and I commend you for that and I applaud you for being committed to this cat no matter what. I sincerely wish there were more folks like you. Having lived through this particular problem myself, I certainly understand the frustration of dealing with it. Good for you for having visited the veterinarian first though. I would guess that lots of inappropriate elimination problems in cats are in fact caused by urinary tract infections, which can be very dangerous (deadly) if not treated quickly. You mention that you have tried the antibiotic route twice, so I am assuming that there was an infection at one point or another. Yes? And I am also assuming that your veterinarian has now given the cat a clean bill of health while the problem persists? If not, I would absolutely head back to your veterinarian. Chronic urinary problems are not uncommon and emphatically need to be addressed before you have any hope of addressing this problem.

If, on the other hand, your cat has had a recent urinalysis and it has come back “clear”, here would be my suggestions. It sounds like your cat may have developed a “substrate preference” for fabric surfaces (towel/throw rug) over litter products, which, by the way, is fairly common. Can you pick up all throw rugs and towels for some period of time and move the cat tree for now, just so your kitty doesn’t continue to rehearse the unwanted behavior? You might need to separate this cat from the others for awhile if you are not 100% sure she is the only culprit. I would suggest adding an additional litter box, just so you can allow the cat to “vote” on what she “likes” in the way of litter box substrates. By all means, use the new Littermate litter box that seems to be working well so far --- and then get another box of some type. My suggestion would be to experiment with the depth of the litter (if you haven’t tried this already). In my experience, lots of cats like less litter and we humans tend to like more, which often creates a kind of “quick sand” experience for the cat. Put less litter in one box and more litter in the other and see which one the cat seems to use. It perhaps goes without saying (but I will say it anyway) that all litterboxes should be scooped daily at least, especially while you are trying to work through this kind of problem. Good luck --- and keep us posted.

Sarah Babcock
Chief of Education and Training
Richmond SPCA

P.S. You sure have a great-looking “family”.

Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 3:08 pm

Here are my thoughts on your kitty.

1. A urinalysis is critical. I am assuming a urinary diet was started due to crystals?? Most middle aged cats due not have a true "urinary tract infection" and thus the failure of antibiotics.

2. If it is normal a few things to consider.

a) Water is always a critical factor. Any canned food would be better than no canned food. We don't want the urine to sit in the bladder for long periods of time as it allows crystal to precipitate out and is a very irritating substance anyway.

b)Stress is a huge component for our cats. The U.S. cat population has many more behavioral issues than our european counterparts. Speculated to be the fact we are so aggressive about keeping out cats inside. The Ohio State has introduced the indoor cat initiative to deal will this issue. A portion of this involves "play therapy". In addition, you can add puzzle toys for her dry food.

Also consider Feliway, a synthetic facial pheromone that helps de-stress cats. It comes in a plug-in or spray(note the spray works excellent at sites you don't want her to scratch)

c) boxes are always location, location, location.
d) drug therapy - #1 is Prozac.(Cheap,safe, efficacious)

Hope this Helps!

"Dr. Grant" Gugisberg
Parkview Cat Clinic

Posted Mon Mar 08, 2010 2:29 pm:

Hi,

Thank you for the advice! I think I was typing so fast when I posted the original issue that I didn't explain a couple of things clearly.

The peeing has just stopped, other than two incidents, in the last two weeks after I started using the litter with crystals in it. I have had up to 4 litterboxes at one time, but the lay out of our home only allows litterboxes in certain areas (because if I place on in a carpeted area, she will pee on the carpet next to the litterbox), so 2 were next to each other in one room and 2 were next to each other in another room. In both places, the cats only used 1 litterbox and ignored the other. I left this set up for 2 months and they consistently only used one of the two litterboxes.

I don't want to pick up the towels and rugs because then she pees on the carpets. She has done that many times. I would rather she pee on something washable. I clean the floors and wash the towels/rugs with Nature's Miracle. I threw out the cat tree she peed on.

I don't foster cats or kittens. I foster puppies, but haven't had one in about 5-6 months now.

The other cats don't seem to bother her when she is using the litterbox. One litterbox is in the livingroom, so we can monitor that one. The other litterbox is in my closet and she is much less likely to use that one.

The litterboxes are scooped daily and changed completely once a month (we add litter as it gets low and use a scoopable litter). I have even tried using NON scoopable litter. She didn't like it and that was actually the period of time she was peeing 2 times a day on the towel.

This has been going on for 6-7 years now, we just didn't realize she was peeing inappropriately for the first year or so. We thought that one of the cats was just "missing" the litterbox occasionally. She has been cleared by the vet.

Thanks again. She is a pain in the neck, but she's my pain in the neck!

Posted Fri Mar 12, 2010 9:22 pm:

Good luck to you!! Your cat is very fortunate to have such a devoted guardian. I would definitely stick with the litter that has crystals if it is working for you --- and keep doing all the other things (scooping daily, etc) that you are doing so well. One more thought: Premier Pet Products has some clever new cat toys that might be a good thing to add to your environment in terms of enrichment. The one I am thinking about is called a Twist and Treat, it looks a bit like a flying saucer, and it dispenses kibble as the cat plays with it. If this particular kitty is also scratching up all sorts of things and harassing the other animals, she might benefit from that kind of an activity. I know mine both LOVE it.

Sarah Babcock
Chief of Education and Training
Richmond SPCA

Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 4:04 pm Post subject:

Hi, there. Our rescued 1/2 Great Pyr, 1/2 OES always loved small dogs . . . until. We were at the dog park one day, 20 or so dogs in the park, and a man came in with 2 five year old children, on the phone, with a cup of coffee, and a dressed Shih Tzu. Our dog laid down in front to greet it, tailwagging, biggest grin ever! The Shih Tzu not only ... See Morestarted barking, she attacked our dog's face (injuring her). The owner pinned our dog against the gate, backwards, lifted the Shih Tzu by THE LEASH, instead of moving out of our dogs way, and the ST was flailing, barking, and snapping in our dog's face!

Since that time (5 months ago - at age 10 months), Joey still likes small dogs, but if they start to yap or snap at her, she gets this horrifying grimace on her face, and flat out lays on the other dog! I KNOW she would never hurt the other dog, but the issue is, hard as we work, we can't get the behavior to stop. It's gotten to the point where we have had several incidences where idiot owners will kick or attack her, making the situation worse, and getting in our way from removing her from the situation.

So, any suggestions on how to stop this? It breaks my heart every day that someone who didn't know dogs has destroyed my loving puppy forever!

I should add, she ONLY does this with yappy & snappy small dogs. If they don't yap or snap, she plays with them or ignores them completely.

Expert's Answers:

Hi there~
It's unfortunate that your puppy had this type of association happen at a young age, but please don't despair! You can still work to make a more positive association with little "yappers or snappers"! My first question is whether or not you see this behavior only in the dog park or do you see it on the street or regardless of where she meets little dogs at this point?
First and foremost, even if you feel the responsibility lies with the other owners and their dogs creating this less than ideal association with your pup, it's now up to you to advocate for your dog and help make a new association. It's not your fault, just luck of the draw and unfortunate for you as a team. I would not take your puppy to the dog park short term so you are able to work on attention and getting her to look at you immediately when you call her name. This way, if a small dog comes into the park unexpectedly or she "finds" one you didn't know was there, you will feel confident in calling her away from the dog instantaneously before there is any incident that another owner can blame your dog for. This attention game will benefit you in so many ways, even beyond the dog park and dog interactions. That said, as soon as your dog looks at you when you call her name, reward her with her favorite tasty treat! We need to make a more positive association with little dogs for her at this point to somewhat undo what was done along the way with the little dogs in her past. The tasty morsels in conjunction with meeting little dogs will help. Get her attention first and then assess the situation. If the little one is barking or hysterical in the least, then I would recommend opting out to advocate for your dog. Put her on leash and have fun somewhere else for the day. If it's someone you can make friends with and try to train through this issue, then we can work on how best to do that with this person outside the dog park pen. Exercising her somewhere else besides the dog park will allow you to focus on the attention training she really needs before we throw in the harder distraction of the dog park itself.

I would also suggest if the dog park is your only option for exercise that you stay close to her at all times. If you have a recall (come) on her, call her often and reward her so she learns to check in frequently. If she goes to meet another dog, big or little, I would always move with her (good exercise for you too) on the initial greeting so I would be close to my dog if an intervention needs to happen. If people in your dog park routinely make a habit of handling one another's dogs, I would for sure be looking for another dog park. I encourage you to always advocate for your dog in that way so she feels safe that you "have her back" so to speak in any situation. I know it will be more labor intensive for you in the dog park that way, but ultimately, you will set her up for success and she will learn to check in with you for confirmation of her activity rather than making choices on her own. Have fun!
Leslie Burgard
Dogs Think! Dog Training

Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 4:10 pm Post subject:

Ok we have a lab that carries around her rawhide bones for days/weeks even. But my parents female lab chews em up in a few minutes. What causes the different behaviors? how do we stop the aggressive chewing? She is overweight, so not hungry lol. Live on a farm and goes everywhere in the car with my retired parents.

Expert's Answers

Hi Keren~
I wish there was a solid great answer for your question. The bottom line is every dog is different and some are serious chewers and some are hobby chewers! It sounds like your dog is more of a hobby chewer and your parents dog is really dedicated to the task! Smile

You can experiment with various types of bones, as you may find that some are more hearty and appropriate than others for their dog. Regular rawhide tends to go very fast with a dedicated chewer so some suggestions for your parent's dog would be to try some raw marrow bones first- initially, they will have marrow in them so offer them to her for short periods of time for a few days so her GI track can adjust to the high fat content initially. If she ate a whole one at her first sitting, you may see her get some diarrhea, nothing too terrible but best to introduce them gradually and let her get used to them. The bigger the better for a serious chewer. Once she gets the marrow from inside you can fill them and reuse again many times. I often mix up dry food and canned food and make it into a mash for my dogs and then fill the bones and freeze them. That way you can get her some mental stimulation while she "undresses" the bone and yet conserve calories by feeding her her meals out of the bone and making her work for the food instead. It's great mental activity for young ad older dogs and makes them very tired after all that hard work! If you are not comfortable with the raw bones (don't cook them, makes the bone brittle and can splinter- give them fresh and raw from the butcher), anyway, other choices are some of the more indestructible toys like Kongs and Busy Buddy toys from Premier. These toys are very hearty and are also interactive so your parent's dog will have to use her mind as well as her mouth to get through some of these toys. All of them can be stuffed to some degree and your imagination is the only thing that limits what you put into a well stuffed Kong! Leftovers never go bad in my house as they get stuffed into a Kong and more often than not frozen to make the challenge that much tougher for my dogs. Stuff them easily at first and then make it harder as she gets better at unstuffing! Smile

The other bones I like are the huge bronto bones- they are essentially cow femurs and are available in most feed stores and some better pet supply places. They look like a dinosaur bone really. Huge! If you hand her that outdoors on on a dog bed, it should take her awhile to make a dent in that. Of course, she should not eat the whole bone in one sitting. this would be a few days or a week of entertainment in my house, even with the power chewers sitting below my desk!
They are generally hickory smoked so they have a coating that comes off so avoid white carpets or nice dog beds until they lick/chew off all the good stuff! Keep trying new things, is my short version advice. the bigger the better with power chewers. If they cannot get their whole mouth on it to get a good chomp down on it that will help. The power comes from the back of the jaw so if she has to work at it at the front of her mouth rather than being able to get it entirely inside, that is better. Even if you stick with regular rawhide, look for big, industrial size ones- no smaller than 12" in length and ideally pressed rawhide or something with multiple fat layers of rawhide rolled into a retriever roll! If she consumes a lot, be sure to buy USA made rawhides as some of the other countries still use chemicals that are not ideal to consume in larger quantities!
Good luck!
Leslie Burgard
Dogs Think! Dog Training

Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 4:12 pm Post subject:

Hi Elizabeth. I have a Male 2 year old Doxi/Pug X, and just the last 4 months he has decided that my 4 cats are perfect for chasing. He has 2 other dogs to play with, gets plenty of exercise, and still chases my cats. What am I missing? I know Doxi's have high prey drives, but why the last 4 months only? HELP!!!

Expert's Answers:

Hi Shannon~
It's hard to say why you are suddenly seeing this chasing behavior when you never did before. I assume all the cats were residents before he got there? Be sure the exercise regime is regular and very exhausting for sure. Exercise can often solve a great many issues right off the bat! As for the chasing episodes, he needs to be redirected as soon as the behavior starts and ideally as soon as he starts to get aroused or whines or makes any indication that the chase is about to begin. The faster you can cut him off and redirect his behavior, the more successful you will be long term. Teach yourself to watch for him staring. As soon as he keys in to one of the cats and is staring in their direction, call his name or clap your hands. When he looks at you or turns around, praise and reward him. He needs to be taught that another behavior will be more successful for him at the same time you are not allowing him to practice the behavior you don't like (chasing). There is some inherent reward in the chase behavior so the more he does it the more well versed he will become. This can become very serious so the more consistent you are in redirection and correction of this behavior over the next few weeks will really be important. That said, I'm going to stick my neck on the line here and tell you I would correct him if he gets into chase mode at any point because you were not able to catch him in time to redirect him. If at any point, he takes off chasing, you need to be right after him, using your voice as a correction tool. I want him to be immediately aware he has made a bad choice in chasing the kitty because mom is very upset. When you catch him, without emotion put him into a room by himself or into his crate for a few minutes. You don't need to hold a long grudge against him but he needs to know that his chasing behavior has a serious consequence and not only will you not allow it, he will have some time alone if/when he partakes. If you have done any obedience work with him, use your recall (come, here, etc) to work on calling him off. You may want to review his recall if he has one in contexts easier than cat chasing at first so you can build a reinforcement history for coming when called. That way, you are likely to be more successful when he is otherwise distracted. This practice will help you outdoors as well with his daily recalls or off leash behavior. If you ever taught him a reliable "leave it" command, you can use that in this instance as well. Realistically, this takes lots of practice and again, he should be practicing lots of leaves its in other contexts to help him understand what is expected of him so he has the best chance for success with the cat situation. ALWAYS reward calm behavior in the presence of the cats. Anytime they walk in and he is calm, reward like crazy with tasty tiny treats. This will help him make a nice positive association with the presence of the cats as well as help him learn to look to you when the cats are around rather than making his own choices about how best to deal with the cats!
I tend to be a little harsh with cat chasing as I have seen it turn into serious predatory behavior very fast hence my suggestion for corrective measures in conjunction with the praise and reward for any good behavior that happens along the way!
Good luck!
Leslie Burgard
Dogs Think! Dog Training

Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 5:24 pm Post subject:

I am looking for a small dog for my parents due to their house restriction, any recommendations??

Expert's Answers:

Hi Deniece~
It's great that you are looking for a companion for your parents! It's all about temperament in any size dog so best to look for a shelter that looks at their incoming dog temperaments before adopting them back out. Small dogs typically spend lots of time on laps so you want to make sure whatever you pick loves to be held and snuggle in. Base your choice on what your parents really like to do. If they are more active people then let the shelter know that the dogs will need to ride in cars and go for hikes or walks, etc. If they prefer to stay inside and read or watch TV then for sure let the shelter know that you are looking for something with less energy overall. I would recommend maybe a young adult for them depending on their activity levels so they can avoid all the chaos of a young puppy. In general, you can find some really nice 3-5 years olds that need lots of love and attention and your parents could find a good companion as well. I'm all for mix breeds (but I'm biased, having a few sitting below my feet right now) so perhaps find out what kind of coat they like best, ideal size and energy level and start from there. You can also consider rescue organizations if you parents prefer a certain breed. Either way, I would ask them if the dog you are looking at has been temperament tested and what the results were. If the rescue or shelter does not do temperament evaluations, I would recommend looking into a private trainer that has some temperament experience and hiring them to come and look at any dog you have interest in before you sign off on a new adoption. I also encourage people to consider being a foster parent short term so your parents can lend a much needed hand to the rescue/shelter world while figuring out over time what attributes they like best in a dog companion while not being obligated right away to take the first one. At some point, they will likely find the perfect companion through fostering and they can adopt from there!
Good luck!
Leslie Burgard
Dogs Think! Dog Training

Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 5:26 pm Post subject:

Hi. I have a 3 year old puggle, which i rescued from a pound in November. She is a loving dog in the home and great with people. But the moment she sees an animal - squirrel, cat, dog, she gets protective and aggressive, starts barking and wants to go after them. How can help her?
thanks.
Steph

Expert's Answers:

Hi Steph~
Good for you adopting from rescue! Since you are still in the relationship building stages of your new relationship, I would suggest getting some professional training right away. The training will help you learn her triggers and subtle cues and she will learn to respect you and respond to you when you ask her for an alternative behavior. The key to success is not letting her practice the protective/aggressive hysteria at all. Easier said than done of course but a good dog trainer should be able to help you! The basics need to focus on getting her attention on you even when she is otherwise distracted. She needs to learn to instantly respond to look at you when you call her name and she needs a solid response under distraction to sit, down and wait. All easy behaviors to teach and very beneficial long term, but will for sure also give you some tools in your tool box to redirect her when she sees another animal, etc. Short term, use HIGH value food each and every time you leave the house- don't leave home without it! Take string cheese, a chunk of lunchmeat or beef jerky or whatever her very favorite treat is! Watch her closely and I tell my students to start to key in on "normal puggle" (sorry, I don't know her name) and the moment she switches to "something other than normal puggle". Every dog has body cues and each dog may be different from the next. your dog might start to pull on leash, or stand up straighter or move her curled tail faster or whatever. Teach yourself to notice the instant she "changes form" from normal to not normal. In that instant call her name and start to feed her little bits of her favorite high value treat. Keep in mind, her favorite treat may not be a strong enough lure in the great outdoors against those hard distractions. You may have to "up the ante" to lunchmeat, cheese or jerky to get her attention. If she is willing to eat tiny bites of treat as the other dog crosses the street or the cat goes in the house or until you can turn around to go the other way, that is a start. You are helping her make a new and more positive association with the otherwise hysteria inducing stimuli and simultaneously, because she is busy eating, you are not allowing her to practice barking and carrying on when on the leash. There are many steps to teaching her a new response, but this will help you get started. Please do consider contacting a positive reinforcement trainer in your area.
If she barks at things outside when she is indoors, we need to limit her access to those windows or doors short term until you can teach her a successful call off or response to her name when called so she comes away from the door or window as soon as she starts carrying on!
Not allowing her to practice is key for long term success though so look into a trainer that can give you some basic training tips and help you learn to redirect her when she gets upset and teach her a most positive association to those things that currently cause her to react!
Good luck!
Leslie Burgard
Dogs Think! Dog Training

Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 5:39 pm Post subject:

Hi Everyone,

I have had dogs all my life, but recently a special little rabbit at our local shelter has really caught my attention. He seems like a wonderfully sweet, special guy and unfortunately due to prior neglect he is almost completely blind.

I've been wondering what special considerations need to be taken into account when adopting a bunny like this? Is there anything that can help ease his transition into a new home? ( I know that familiar scents are very important for blind dogs, but didn't know if this is the same for rabbits?) Currently, he is housed by himself in the shelter - is it better to get him a companion?

Thanks in advance

Expert's Answers:

How great that you are considering this special guy! First, blind rabbits can live quite wonderful lives. The key to keeping him at ease will be to remember that he is a prey animal, rather than a predator as dogs are. They don't investigate unusual noises - they avoid them. All rabbits are averse to one degree or another to change - and a blind rabbit would be more so. One key to their comfort is to let them be familiar with their environment - don't rearrange the furniture regularly, etc. You'll be surprised how quickly they master the layout and start romping around in confidence. Because being able to safely retreat is a part of their feeling secure, a blind rabbit is more likely to be distressed when their regular traffic routes are disrupted.

Buns have good hearing so you can train him to specific voice commands and they will also rely on their sense of smell. You may find they are more likely to chew (investigate with their mouth), so bunny proofing will be important, too. I would definitely consider keeping familiar scents around for him. Most bunnies object to having their cages cleaned (going into a frenzy of rearranging after you've completed) so you may want to make an extra effort to make sure to not do a total overhaul on his cage - always leaving something that smells familiar to him. That could be a section of fleece fabric, a stuffed toy, a scrap of carpet, etc.

I've lived with a blind rabbit and he did very well. Because his blindness was due to age, he also eventually lost his hearing as well. Yet, he was a very happy little guy for quite some time after both of those occurred. There are a number of resources on the internet for owners of 'disabled' rabbits (although most common are mobility issues). A good place to start is: http://www.hopperhome.com/Disabled%20Rabbit.htm.

Getting him a friend is an excellent idea - but getting two single rabbits and bonding them is a daunting task even for experienced bunny bonders. I'd recommend bringing this boy home and getting him settled in before considering a companion for him. A companion will provide him comfort/safety, companionship, and be a sort of "guide bunny" for him. But, I'd recommend one at a time - especially since this would be your first bun. If you want to start researching what it takes to bond two bunnies into a pair, this is a good place to start: http://www.mn.companionrabbit.org/rabbit/care/behavior/bonding.html.

I'd suggest trying to find your nearest rabbit group to see if they can provide you additional support in adopting your first rabbit. They would also be able to help you find him a companion when you are ready. The easiest way to find a rabbit group is to go to: http://www.petfinder.com/awo/index.cgi?action=location and input your location. You'll get dog/cat groups as well, but hopefully there will be a rabbit group near you too. If not, there are a number of groups, like MCRS, where you can email or call and get personalized advice on your specific situation.

Good luck - sounds like he's a lucky bunny!

Joanna
MCRS President
www.MN.CompanionRabbit.org

Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:24 pm Post subject:

Looking to adopt a 4 year old boston and pug mix. She has been with her current owners for her whole life. Should we ease her into our family? We were wondering if a series of meets or if we just bring her home when we meet her the first time? What do you suggest?

Thanks so much!
Tiffany

Expert's Answers:

Hi Tiffany -- it's so great that you're taking the time to think things through and plan ahead before bringing a new dog home. She sounds adorable by the way. Did the family tell you why they need to re-home their dog? If you already know the dog well (if this is a friend or relative of yours) then you probably already know if the dog is at all sensitive to changes. If she has been well-socialized I can't imagine that a pug/Boston would think anything but "adventure!" when the prospect of going to a new place comes up.

If you don't know the dog well, I am assuming you have at least met her (not a long-distance adoption, is it?) Take her on a short walk or car ride and get out in a public place (store parking lot for instance). Look for an exuberant, happy and relaxed dog -- that mix of breeds would normally be very wiggly, crawling all over you for attention, open mouth with a doggy smile... these are all signs that this dog will probably be OK with a one-time transition. If the dog appears to be sensitive, worried, not moving around much and her mouth stays closed and ears folded back, those would be signs of sensitivity and she might respond better to a few short visits to your home -- since you have that luxury it would be nice! The best way would be for her current family member(s) to drop by your house and sit around chatting for an hour and then take her back with them. For the final "exchange" you could distract the dog with something wonderful while the family member slips away. For dogs with any separation issues, the ideal plan would be for the opposite to happen -- you go and pick up the dog at their house and bring her back again.

Remember too, most shelter dogs never get the chance to ease into a new home this way and they can still do just fine. Good luck!

Liz Marsden, CPDT
MissionDog.com

Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 2:49 am Post subject:

Hi. I have a 3 year old puggle, which i rescued from a pound in November. She is a loving dog in the home and great with people. But the moment she sees an animal - squirrel, cat, dog, she gets protective and aggressive, starts barking and wants to go after them. How can help her?
thanks.
Steph

Expert's Answers:

Hi Steph~
I answered your post yesterday (Monday) but I'm not sure you got the info back to you, seeing as your post showed up again as a second post! Please advise if you have not received my response that I sent yesterday!
Thanks~
Leslie Burgard
Dogs Think! Dog Training

Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 2:50 am Post subject:

We just got a 8wk old cocker spaniel, he chases our older dog around the house. She cant even come down stairs without him chasseing her back up the stairs. What can we do to make it comfortable for them to both live together in the house. I fill bad that she can’t even live in her own house!! We don't have alot of money for training. What can we do at home??

Expert's Answers:

Hi Maggie, First, you need to train your dog (at home is fine) to bond with you and see you as the leader of your household. This comes with training. Dogs will obviously bond to their own species unless you spend "alone" time with your pup. Therefore, you should take the new pup out alone, play with the pup alone and train the pup when the adult dog is not present. This will help build the bond. Once the puppy is better trained, you can train them together. I do not allow indoor play sessions. Play sessions are only done outdoors. When the dogs are inside, I expect them to be calm and quiet. If your pup won't leave the adult alone, then the pup probably has too much freedom and may need some crate time. Give them bones to chew on to keep them both occupied as well. Good luck!

Pia Silvani, CPDT, Director of Training and Behavior, St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center, Madison, NJ

Hey Maggie --- I completely agree with Pia about training the dogs separately and allowing the human-dog bond to get strong before allowing the dogs to spend ALL their time together. I will also tell you that baby gates have made my household work better on many occasions, simply because they allow me to manage who plays with who and when. You can put the puppy behind a baby gate when you want to give the older dog a break and vice versa when you want to do some puppy training. You can find a variety of baby gates at most of the big stores these days and they also are often seen at thrift shops, since people tend to dump them after their human babies get older. Dog people scoop them up though (at much cheaper prices) and keep them forever.

Good luck to you!!

Sarah Babcock
Chief of Education and Training
Richmond SPCA

Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 2:51 am Post subject:

I have a 3 1/2 yr male scottie and 3 yr old female scottie mix I live in NYC when I walk them the male has a bad habit of barking at most dogs we encounter on the street. Often the female will join in. I think it could be leash agression. What can I do to stop this behavior?

Expert's Answers:

Hi Gary,

Do your dogs have any doggie friends besides each other? Has your male ever been beaten up by another dog while on leash?

There are usually two sorts of reactive (barking and lunging, whining etc) leash behavior. One category is from dogs who are frustrated because they can't go over and meet other dogs while on leash. These dogs often do great at dog parks or go to doggie daycare and are fine. The other group of dogs are those who tend to get into fights with unknown dogs on and/or off leash.

Knowing the difference helps. I have found it much easier to work with the dogs who fight! The reason is that they are using barking to try to warn the other dog away anyway -- so teaching the barking dog to focus on you and letting him know that you will "keep him safe" is easier. The dog who barks out of excitement is harder to deal with because you have to come up with some reason he'd rather focus on you when all he wants is the other dog.

Does he have good response to his name in non-distracting situations indoors and out? If not, that's where you begin. Fit him with a head halter (Halti is the one I like the best but other trainers like Gentle Leader because it is more adustable). Get him used to wearing it indoors by following the instructions on the package. Get a treat pouch you can use when you are walking (you will need it). Use small, tasty, moist treats (such as tiny pencil-eraser-sized hot dog bits). Practice indoors when there are no distractions. Say his name once and when he looks at you, say "good!" and quickly hand him a treat. You can refine this so that he has to actually make and hold eye contact before you say "good" and hand the treat over. Hopefully he loves food as this will make your job easier.

When out on walks, try to start your practice by going somewhere different than usual -- the same old routes will tend to cause the same old reactions. Try going where there are few dogs at first so that you have an edge for your first practice sessions. You will probably have to figure out a way to take him for some short practice walks without your second dog so that he can learn that you have a new plan for him on walks! Practice the name-game and be very generous with the treats. If you see a dog approaching, briefly go the opposite way or go behind something to block your dog's line of vision so you can get his attention back on you til the other dog passes. Feed like crazy while the other dog is moving by and be sure to give yourself whatever distance you need to in order for your dog to stop thinking about the other dog -- 15-20 feet is typical to start out with.

With quick dogs like terriers I also have found that getting attention and then tossing the treats on the ground a few feet in the opposite direction from the other dog works really well. The "find it" game...

It can take awhile to get a great response -- don't give up -- and it all depends on your timing, your commitment to practice ("I forgot to bring treats on the walk again" won't cut it...) Smile

A session with a CPDT in your area would really really help get this going for you.

Best of luck!!

Liz Marsden
MissionDog.com

Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 2:52 am Post subject:

I have a 7 year old male dachshund who is fixed but he still marks in the house especially when we leave the house, not sure how to fix this problem.

Expert's Answers:

Amy,
I think the first place to look is where the marking is happening and why is it happening? In some cases, if a dog is marking in the home, it can be as a way to secure the space. In other cases, the dog may not be totally housebroken (which may sound more like your case).

If he is marking when you are and are not home. I'd look for ways to manage the marking in the meantime. If the dog can be crated when you leave, I would crate the dog. Conversely, when you are home with your doxie, I'd have him under 100% supervision or tethered to a leash that is on you or near you.

I'd recommend working with a Behavior Consultant to see if this is stress related on any level (my guess is yes). And a consultant can help you create a management program as well as practical ways to help alleviate stress, which would likely have him marking less too!

Good luck!
Leigh Siegfried
Missiondog.com
Opbarks.com

Leigh gave you some great advice and I agree with all of it. One more suggestion might be to look into buying a "belly band" for your little magic marker. These look something like a little cumberbund or fabric band that goes around the dog's mid-section, usually fastening with velcro. Some have a pocket into which you insert an absorbent pad, and they basically prevent further damage to your belongings while you work out the problem medically or behaviorally. For many small dogs (and yes --- lots of them are dachshunds), these belly bands serve as a great "management" tool for the short term or (in some cases) forever. Some male dogs will continue to mark while wearing the band --- but of course there won't be pee anywhere except in the absorbent pad. Many other male dogs simply won't mark when they are wearing their "indoor gear" and that may be easier than crating the dog daily if it looks like you will need to manage for a longer period of time.

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

Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 2:53 am Post subject:

Also, how do I keep my dog out of the cat litterboxes and food? He doesn't listen to me about not getting into that, so I've been keeping the cats in another room, but i don't want to do that for long.

Expert's Answers:

Your dog is attracted to those "tootsie rolls" because of the protein that is in cat food.
You can try changing to a covered litterbox or putting the litterpan in a place higher than the dog-like a large shelf it available.
You can try training your dog that the litterpan is not his by redirecting his attention to a favorite toy when he heads for the "candy dish". Praise your dog when he goes away from the box and rewarding him with a small meaty favorite treat might reinforce the training process.

Debby Williams
Veterinary Services Manager, Erie County SPCA

At the risk of becoming known as the "baby gate queen" (see previous post), I will add that baby gates solved this problem for me as well. This was admittedly more of a management solution than a training solution, but I will pass it along for what it's worth. I put my litter boxes in a cat-only room and hung a baby gate in the doorway to allow cats IN and keep dogs OUT. The trick for me was to hang the baby gate about 6 inches off the ground. The cats (one old and one young) could easily slip underneath, but the dogs could not. Problem solved.

Good luck to you!!

Sarah Babcock
Chief of Education and Training
Richmond SPCA

Sarah,

That is a great idea!!

Debby Williams
Veterinary Services Manager
Erie County SPCA

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