Behavior related problems are the leading cause of pets losing homes or in the worst case scenario losing their lives. Many of these problems can be avoided with some simple behavior modification. This blog will offer basic advice and answer readers' questions about your pet's "issues" - we all have one or two of those.
Dr. Craig's Animal Behavior Blog
Winter Olympics for your Dog
Does your
dog have the winter blues? Is he/she jealous of the attention paid to
the winter Olympics. Teach your dog some new fun games that can be
played inside.
Fetch - An Old Favorite
Some
dogs have a natural inclination to retrieve, but other dogs, even those
in the sporting group, may initially have no interest or merely run off
with the object. Teaching a dog a solid retrieve takes three to for
weeks, longer for a competition quality retrieve. First choose an
object that is easy for your dog to hold. While balls make great toys,
they are not a good choice for teaching the retrieve. I use a training
dumbbell, but other choices are stuffed toys or the hard Nylabones.
This is a trained retrieve, so the first step is teaching the dog to
hold the object. Begin by having the dog sit in from of you and holding
the object in front of the dog’s nose. If the dog looks at or touches
the object, reward. I recommend using a clicker for fast timing of the
rewards. Increase the difficulty over several days until the dog is
grasping the dumbbell in his/her mouth. If your dog will not grasp the
dumbbell, try putting a little peanut butter on the dumbbell.
The
next step is holding the dumbbell. This is the most difficult step of
the process. For a dog with an excellent stay, you may get a hold of
the dumbbell by coupling it with stay. For a dog without a stay, begin
by stroking the dog under his/her chin for a few seconds. Reward and
take the dumbbell. Gradually increase the time to thirty seconds. Then
give the dog the dumbbell and take one step back, encouraging the dog
to carry the dumbbell towards you. Have a big party when he/she arrives
with the dumbbell.
Now
that your dog is carrying the dumbbell it is time to teach the actual
retrieve. Hold the toy or dumbbell in front of the dog. When he/she
grabs it, step back several steps. Reward your dog’s arrival with the
toy. Place the toy at a short distance for him/her to get it. The final
step is teaching your dog to go after a thrown toy or dumbbell. For a
trained retrieve the dog should remain at your side and only leave for
the item at your command. For fun it makes no difference.
Find the Toy
This
is a variation of fetch. Start with your dog at a stay or with a
assistant holding your pet. Place the toy within sight and send the dog
to get it. Work up to the toy being hidden throughout the house.
Fancy Games with Fetch
The
directed retrieve is when the dog is directed to retrieve one item
within a set of items. In competitive obedience, it is done with
gloves. Any object can be used in play. Start with two identical items
in opposite corners of the room. Align the dog with one item, and send
him/her to get it. Repeat with the other article. The dog should follow
the line of your arm towards the article. Most hunting dogs do this
naturally. For the non hunting dog, this game can be started by placing
a small morsel of food on the correct article for instant reward. Keep
your dog on a leash so he can’t cruise to every article, searching for
the food.
Dogs
can be taught to identify named articles and retrieve them. Start with
an item the dog likes. Send him/her for that item, naming it clearly
during the cue. For example, “Bring the ball.” Gradually add other
items of lesser value around the named toy. Change to a different toy
and repeat the process. Now for the moment of truth, have both items
out. Make the desired item closer and easier to retrieve so the dog has
success.
Teaching Sit
Sit is one of the easiest exercises to teach your dog. Start with a hungry dog. Use small, tasty treats. With your fingers closed around the treat, slowly lift your hand. Most dogs will follow the motion and sit. Open your hand, and reward your dog. After your dog will offer sit rapidly and easily from the hand signal, add the voice cue.
Crate Training Your Dog or Puppy
For your dog’s safety, I recommend that all dogs be crate trained. This will allow you to safely travel with your dog and will also make your dog more relaxed if he/she needs to be kenneled or hospitalized. Many dogs will practically self crate train, but for some the crate produces anxiety and hysteria.
Crate training should be started by feeding your dog or puppy in the crate. Put the food in the crate and leave the door open, allowing the dog to leave at will. Once your dog is eating comfortably in the crate start to shut the door for a few minutes at a time. At first try to keep the time that the crate is shut short enough that your dog does not become agitated because you want to release the dog when he/she is calm and happy. If your dog is barking or whining, the instant he/she becomes quiet release him/her and practice with shorter times and more interesting food. A Kong filled with frozen canned dog food, peanut butter, or Cheez Whiz will occupy many dogs. The chewing also is pacifying and relaxing.
Gradually increase the time your dog is in the crate. Try to make sure that every time you place the dog in the crate that you are not gone for an entire work day. For dogs with separation anxiety this will cause an association between the crate and the feared separation, making the crate a place of danger instead of safety. When using a crate to house train your puppy, keep the crate in the bedroom so the puppy is not isolated.
Choosing a Collar For Your Dog
At Baker House Animal Hospital, we recommend all dogs have a flat collar for their tags and identification. For walking a wide variety of safe and humane choices are available. For a small or polite dog a flat collar is ample as long as your pet’s head is not more narrow than his neck. For dogs with large necks and small heads, a martingale collar is recommended. This collar is sometimes sold as a greyhound collar. It has a limited slip to prevent you from pulling it over your dog’s head if he suddenly backs up. It is not a correction collar and should only be adjusted tight enough to prevent your dog from slipping the collar.
For a boisterous of strong dog, you have several options that will make your walk more fun and enjoyable for both you and the dog. The Easy Walk Harness from Premier is a simple, no pull harness. The leash fastens in the front rather than on the back. This arrangement prevents pulling. Most dogs tolerate this harness well, and no training is necessary to accustom the dog to his new gear. At Baker House, we are happy to show you how to fit this harness.
A second option is a Gentle Leader or other brand of head halter. A head halter provides excellent humane control of your dog, but you must gradually accustom your dog to wearing it, and it must be fitted correctly. The strap behind the ears should be snug while the nose strap should be adjusted so the dog can pant but not pull it off. Never jerk on a Gentle Leader, and it should not be used with a flexi-leash. For videos of the Gentle Leader in action check out this site from the inventor of the Gentle Leader.
Is it Marking or Inappropriate Elimination?
Cats can both urinate outside of the box and spray or mark. These two problems need to be treated differently. Spaying is always a behavioral problem while inappropriate urination can be either a behavioral or a medical problem.
Signs Your Cat is Marking
- The urine is on a vertical surface, such as walls or bookcases.
- Your cat is an unneutered male.
- You’ve seen your cat spray.
- Free roaming cats are visible to your indoor cat.
If your cat is marking spay or neuter him/her immediately. While most marking is done by male cats, some females will mark. Eliminating the sexual hormones may completely eliminate the problem. If the problem continues behavioral modification will be necessary. Start by making sure no free roaming, outdoor cats are within visual range.
This can be accomplished with blinds, drapes, or motion detector sprinkler system to keep them away from the house. Cover all the marked areas with heavy plastic or aluminum foil. Use of the pheromone product Feliway may decrease the behavior. Some cats are significantly helped by being placed on buspirone.
Help My Cat's Using the Rug
Help My Cat’s Using the Rug.
If your cat stops using the litter box, the first step is to eliminate a possible medical condition before addressing it as a behavior problem. Sudden changes in litter box habits could be a sign of diabetes, idiopathic cystitis, urinary crystals, bladder stones, or renal disease. If your male is straining and producing little or no urine, it is a medical emergency.
To help the veterinarian diagnose a medical condition, please either collect urine or bring you cat to the office with a full bladder. To collect urine with a cat, first empty and clean the litter box. The litter box can then be left empty or filled with Nosorb, special litter crystals that do not absorb urine. The Nosorb crystals must be placed in an empty litter box, not on top of your cat’s ordinary litter. Confine the cat with the litter box in a small room with no absorbent surfaces. Please bring the urine into the office in a clean jar.
After any medical issues have been resolved, the behavioral side of the problem can be addressed. Make the litter box as inviting as possible. For most cats, this means a large litter box with low sides in an accessible area. If your cat is using only one inappropriate area, consider putting a litter box over that location. Try different kinds of litter until you find one that suits your cat’s fancy. Most cats prefer unscented and dust free litter. Some cats will show a preference for play sand, pelleted pine, or pelleted paper litter.
After making the litter box cat friendly, the next step is to make the inappropriate areas as unattractive as possible. Cover the areas with heavy plastic or aluminum foil. If possible block the cat from the entire area by shutting the door or placing furniture over the location. Place food and water dishes in the locations. Cats prefer to not have to urinate or defecate near their food.
After making all the appropriate litter boxes changes if your cat still has inappropriate elimination problems, it may be necessary to add behavior medications to his/her regime. These medications are used to relieve anxiety and to reduce any possible residual pain in the bladder from previous health conditions. A complete blood panel should be performed before starting on these medications.
Your Indoor Cat
With a few simple steps, your cat can have a happy and fulfilling life as a totally indoor cat. Indoor cats need appropriate access to clean litter areas and mental and physical enrichment.
The Baker House Vets recommend one litter box for every cat in the household plus a spare. If you have a particularly large house, you might want to have a few more. The litter boxes should not be lined up in a single room or banished to a far corner of the basement. Instead, they should be in easily accessible locations but not in excessively high traffic areas. Downstairs a corner of the kitchen or laundry room usually works well. While upstairs, a bathroom or a corridor is usually appropriate. Remember to keep the doors open to allow the cats to enter. If the dog bothers the litter, try using a baby gate or a cat door.
Most cats prefer open style litter boxes with unscented litter. However every cat is an individual, your cat might prefer a closed box or perfumed litter. All cats prefer a clean litter box. We recommend that the box be scooped at least once a day and completely cleaned weekly.
Tomorrow I will provide tips to help if your cat has chosen your favorite rug for his/her new litter box.
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