Hundreds of times over the years I’ve heard pet owners express the mistaken belief that all members of a certain breed of dog or cat would look and act identically. Certainly choosing a member of a particular breed adds to the predictability of some characteristics, yet we must remember that they are not clones. Several times [...]
The shake can is a wonderfully simple yet useful tool for dog training. Let me say at the outset that a shake can is a tool for getting a dog’s attention, it is not a weapon. I am adamantly against the concept of spanking, hitting, smacking or otherwise administering blows to a pet. Doing so [...]
Puppies fight. It’s just the nature of puppies. Much like human brothers and sisters. My late Uncle Sam used to say that no puppies fight worse than Beagle pups. My experience with Sam and Blossum bore out his 97 years of experience. When they were young we lived in Oxford, MS. We rented a house [...]
Crate training is the term commonly used to describe the process of placing dogs in a carrying device (such as an airline carrier ) or housing device for the purpose of housetraining. The principle is quite simple. Domesticated animals still rely heavily on their instincts, despite their domestication and separation from their wild state. Watch [...]
At one time I was on my way to becoming a “crazy cat lady.” Except that I wasn’t a lady, and my cats were not cooperating with the process. I had several cats, all named after favorite fishing baits: Sally, for “Snagless Sally;” Jig, for the classic fishing jig; Buzzy for “buzzbait.” It seems that [...]
Submissive urination is a common problem in shy, non-assertive dogs. It is characterized by a dog who squats and urinates when approached or scolded. Some dogs will lie on their sides or backs and will actually urinate on themselves. Doing so indicates to you. or other dogs, that he or she intends no aggression. Exposing [...]
Many pet owners complain that their dogs will not “let” them handle their feet for combing, nail trimming or even examination. It is a problem most common in smaller breeds of dogs as well as large-breed individuals who are high-strung. It may be a learned trait, but I suspect that there is an inherited, genetic [...]
Isn’t it great when your new puppy comes home and everyone is enjoying him? Great, yes, until housetraining begins and the constant trips outside, the accidents in the carpet, the puddles you step in and the frustration that occurs when you take the new baby outside to “go” and all he does is play. That [...]
I often hear absorbent pads called “puppy training pads“. I’m not fond of the “training” part of this terminology unless you want your pet to “go” indoors for a lifetime. When you train your new puppy to urinate and defecate inside the house it can be confusing for him to know the difference between using [...]
I got a response to the post, Is This Scratching Abnormal?, from Amy Rohde, reader and contributor to MyPetsDoctor.com and author of The Katrina Diary. Amy says, “Excellent article! I tried to see how often I scratched, poked, itched, and fussed with myself in an hour, and was totally shocked. Now, I’m leaving my poor dog [...]
Kenneth M. Martin, DVM Veterinary Behavior Consultations, LLC www.veterinarybehavior.com Scratching is a normal and innate behavior of the domestic house cat. Approximately 60 percent of house cats will scratch furniture without the presence of any underlying behavioral problem (Morgan & Houpt, 1990). The potential problem of scratching should be considered before obtaining a cat. [...]
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