Question:
I have a one-year-old Pit Bull who I found as a stray about 4 months ago. I would like him to be more social but he’s scared of people. He’s also scared of houses and won’t go anywhere near a doorstep or even my garage. I want to be able to take my dog anywhere like the beach, a friend’s house, or just a drive in the car. Is there anything I can do?
Answer:
Your little friend may have been through a rough time before you found him. It sounds like he wasn't socialized and used to being in a house. I would also guess he wasn't introduced to lots of people and other pets. The secret would be NOT to push the issue if he balks when you introduce him to something. He may act out, biting in fear if he gets really scared.
Take your time with him and introduce him slowly to the things you want him to do. Once he trusts you, take him towards the house and coax him with a good reward. Give him a treat whenever he gets brave and comes closer to the door. It will take patience and time, but if he trusts you, he will try to please you. Once he does these things, always reward him right away. Do not give him the reward if he won't do what you asked him. Over weeks, he may come around and realize these houses or cars won't hurt him. If he's with you for confidence, that will help. Don't push too hard, just use time and patience. Some dogs take ages to come around, but with love and rewards and patience, he may become more adjusted to strange things. Good luck.
Question:
My mixed breed dog has always been fairly high energy. She is about 8 years old and is a Pit Bull and maybe Shepherd / Greyhound mix, about 55-60 lbs and very stocky. Since last month she has stopped wanting to play with her dog friend in his yard. Is this a sign of age or a sign that I should take her to the vet? Nothing else about her has changed.
Answer:
It's hard to try and guess why your dog no longer likes to play with her friend. Has he accidentally hurt her while playing recently? If not, it could be the heat as well. Many dogs tend not to be as active or playful when the weather gets hot in the summer. Have you noticed any stiffness when she gets up in the morning, even for just a few steps? It could be a slight touch of arthritis in her joints, causing her to be more careful with play, in case it hurts her a bit when she is active. Unfortunately, they can't speak to us, but it's our job to be aware of any changes and behavioural habits, as that's our clue to help up figure out what may be wrong. Good luck.
Question:
My son has an 8 month old white Boxer. His skin is turning pink and is really noticeable on his legs and torso. He’s not sick and is active. Any idea what this could be causing this?
Answer:
A dog with short hair like a Boxer is susceptible to sunburn. Even a small amount can make skin appear more pink than usual and it will show through the white hairs very easily. This could also be happening when your dog is running around and exercising as his body temperature will rise causing the skin to flush. The skin on many dogs will also darken as the dog becomes an adult.
Any of these scenarios may trigger what you see in the colour of your Boxer's skin. Even if the dog isn't exposed to a lot of sun, be careful when outdoors with the nose and face, as they are very prone to quickly getting burned. You can even use sunscreen, but keep it away from the dog's eyes. Thanks for writing.
Question:
I have a 5 year old Bichon Shitzu. Lately when sleeping at night, if we leave our window open with the blind down, she pants and shakes and paces all night. She is just terrified and I don’t know why or how to help her. It’s starting to worry me as it can’t be good for her health. Do you have any advice?
Answer:
From your description, it sounds like your dog is either afraid of the blinds, which may move in the breeze and make a noise she doesn't like, or she is hearing some street noise which worries her. Even with the blinds down, the breeze can slip through along with smells and noise and give her cause her to worry about it. The blinds could even make shadows and "scary movements" that you wouldn't have picked up on, but she did.
I have seen dogs behave this way, panting and pacing, shaking and eyes wild with worry, over an approaching thunderstorm etc. Something is causing her to worry and not sleep, whether or not it's real. Has she ever slept in a crate? You could try confining her, where a crate can become her "den" or a safe hiding spot. You could also try putting her in a different room or even in bed with you, without too much fussing, or she'll suspect that something is up. If all else seems to fail and her behaviour continues, as a last resort, your veterinarian may be able to give her a calming medication to perhaps try only at bedtime, when she is so worked up over her imagined fears. Good luck and thanks for writing.
Question:
Is it safe to use spices or herbs in making homemade dog food?
Answer:
Certain spices can indeed be harmful to your four legged friend. It's best not to use spices in homemade dog foods, but you can use different meats, or broths to vary the flavour slightly. Instead of water in a recipe, use chicken or beef broth. Try liver, chicken and beef chunks in recipes to add texture and taste variations in your dog's meals. They can safely eat many vegetables and some fruits as well. Check out some of the dog food recipes posted on DogandCollar.com that you can bake at home for your beloved friend.
Question:
I have a 1.5 year old Silky Terrier, who will be spayed in July. She was given to me about eight months ago and I have housetrained her.
This dog is a problem. Every time I am about to walk her, she will urinate on the floor while I attach the leash. The other day I was on the computer and she came to me for affection; as I was rubbing her head, she just urinated on my feet. I am home, and she is walked three times a day. It is as if she holds on to some water to urinate on me if she is not getting enough attention. The dog is hyper and jumps at anything that moves. I do not want to give her up but I cannot afford training. Can you help me?
Answer:
Being a terrier breeder/trainer for many years, I can attest to the fact that terriers are one of the hardest groups of dogs to train. They are very smart and will push you to your limit.
Your Silky Terrier is definitely showing her true colours. I am not sure whether your dog is actually peeing when you try to leash or pat her. It could be due to her being submissive, or as you’re suggesting, she is just trying to show who is the boss. However, she does sound like she could use some decent training.
Since you can't afford a professional trainer, perhaps you could check out a book called Jack Russells for Dummies in your local bookshop or library. I know she isn't a Jack Russell Terrier, but they are the "kings" and "queens" of pushy terriers, and your Silky Terrier can do nothing that any self-respecting Jack Russell Terrier isn't capable of. It may help you overcome some of her issues, making her a more complacent dog to live with. Good luck.
Question:
I have a 14-month-old German Shepherd the chases shadows and scratches and tears the carpet. I have tried everything. He only does this when I and not paying attention to him and studying. How do I get him to stop?
Answer:
It does sound like your Shepherd is seeking attention from you. When you are going to be too busy to pay him attention, try giving him a new chew toy, or tying him to your side via a leash while you sit and study. At least if he scratches the carpet during that time, you are very handy for correcting him. You will have to immediately stop him, if he starts misbehaving, but you will have to try and find something that will stop him right away. If the situation gets desperate, try crating him, but only during the times when he normally would scratch and chase the shadows. Good luck with him.
Question:
My dog is a 9 year old German Shepherd / Husky / Collie cross and continues to escape from the yard. We are trying to build up the fence to keep her in, but in the meantime, my dad and I were wondering what type of training should be used to discipline her when she comes home after getting out. I said that you can’t punish her because it's too late after the fact, and she’ll just associate the punishment with coming home. He says that she needs to be disciplined and that she’s smart enough to remember what she did even hours later. So I’m wondering, can you discipline a dog when they come home after escaping?
Answer:
The Husky part is making her "want to run" and the Shepherd part, is giving her the brains to figure out how to break free. You are correct when you say you shouldn't punish her for "coming home" as that is what you want her to do. But, I'm not sure where or how she is escaping the fence. How tall is the fence? Is she digging out from the bottom? Jumping/climbing over the top? Any methods teaching her how NOT to escape, will depend on how she is doing it. Please let me know and I will try and give you some ideas which may help.
Question:
My Bassett Hound Betsy, who will be 7 in February, has started wreaking havoc in our house over the past month. We used to be able to leave her in the house and she wouldn't do anything. Now, she is getting into the garbage and tearing tissues and toilet paper rolls to shreds. I'm not sure what has caused this attitude change. She's always been stubborn and I always say she's like a teenager, and if she doesn't want to do something she gives me a whatever mom type of look, but she has never been destructive. We did switch her to a holistic food, that she doesn't like. Could she be rebelling or just bored?
I'm going to buy her some toys to see if she will play with them instead. She never really liked toys, but lately she gets one every now and then and play with. I'm just wondering if it could be the food itself? Any advice would be greatly appreciated, she's our baby and don't want to have to start crating her when we aren't home.
Answer:
I can't help but wonder if something has changed in her routine, as well as with her diet. Often a minor change can cause a behavioural upset. Dogs like their routine and if things don't go on schedule, they will act out in ways that a small child would, just to get attention. Have you moved? Have you changed your work schedule? Is there a new person living with you, or somebody has left the home? Just wondering, as often something like this will trigger a destructive pattern in a dog.
It could also be the diet as she may be hungry after eating and looks for other means of edible items (the garbage, etc.).
Holistic foods are becoming a thing of modern times, but many don't contain the same amount of meat ingredients or fillers that conventional, good quality kibble does. The result may be hungry dogs. I have recently taken care of a couple of boarding dogs whose owners had switched to a holistic food. A few of these owners had to return to the more filling meat-based kibble, as their dogs were too hungry and needed double the amount of food to feel satisfied. Try switching back to your dog's old food and see if, given a bit of time, and a correction for doing wrong, your dog starts to become more happy. Toys or a good bone for chewing can't hurt either to keep her busy when you are away. Try a tough, hollow toy that you can fill with kibbles, cookies or peanut butter. It will keep her busy when you can't be there to supervise her actions. Good luck and thanks for writing.
Question:
We adopted a one-year-old Australian Cattle dog mix named Sierra one month ago. She has adapted to our family very well and gets along great with our other dog that we also adopted, a Springer Spaniel / Poodle mix. We have a fenced in back yard but the dogs are crated when we aren't home.
Our problem is that Sierra loves to chew anything and everything small. We give them raw hides, nylabones, pigs ears and other things for chewing. They both love them and will chew them until they are gone, except for the nylabones. Sierra will chew on pencils, bowls, cups and she even chewed a hole in our bedroom carpet over night. We caught her the other day chewing the carpet in the hallway. We stopped her and gave her something else to chew. My question is how do we get her to stop chewing things she isn't supposed to? Also is there anything else out there that might keep her busy but also keep her attention longer than Rawhide and pigs ears?
Answer:
First, try giving her a rawhide which is rolled very tightly (not the ones with the knots on the end). You can get giant ones that look like rings, or donuts, or even long cigar shaped ones. They are not the compressed "bits and pieces" but it's like a sheet of rawhide, rolled tightly into a very hard chew.
You are right to correct her right away when you catch her chewing. Scold her very sternly then replace the wrong thing to chew with the right one. You can also find her favourite "wrong" things to chew and spray them with a bad tasting spray you can buy from the veterinarian. This spray, or sometimes a cream, is used to put around wounds or on dressings after surgery and it tastes awful. The spray shouldn't harm furniture like carpets or wooden table legs, and I have used it myself on occasion. The only trouble is that you'll have to repeat the spray every few hours, as it will dry up, but if she does taste it, she WON'T like it. This spray has saved my belongings more than once. I was a Jack Russell Terrier breeder for over 20 years and many a puppy has tasted the spray... but they only tried it once. Good luck for now.
Question:
I am married with a 4 month old baby and am looking for a new dog. Somebody is always home and we have two acres for a dog to exercise. We want a pet for safety and companionship to keep in the house with us. We are looking for a dog that is young (3 months - 2 years), male, short-haired for minimal shedding, small to medium sized, intelligent and can be both a guard dog and family pet. Do you have any suggestions of a suitable dog breed?
Answer:
Many breeds can fit the description you are looking for, but I can suggest a few that have been known to suit families with small children and yet be wary of strangers and watchful of their property. I will list a few below, but please read the next paragraph first.
I tell families with small children that it doesn't matter which breed you choose, there will still be individuals within that breed that don't follow the general rule. Always be careful and never allow small children to be rough with a dog or pester them for too long, as even the most patient breed can snap if irritated too much. It's a two way street (dog and child) and they should both have their own "time out" when play or pinching gets a bit too much. You should also get a young dog, so that he or she is used to being around your new son from the beginning. I would suggest nothing over about 4 months of age in your case. Here are some breeds that may suit your needs:
- Standard Schnauzer — This breed generally makes a good watchdog and won't shed, but needs regular grooming.
- Australian Shepherd or Brittany Spaniel — These dog breeds can shed some, but are usually watchful and good with kids. They are busy as well, so they can play more as your child grows and can accommodate this energy. These are working dogs, so they need extra things to do to prevent boredom.
- Labrador Retrievers or Golden Retrievers — Retriever breeds are usually easy going, popular, family-oriented breeds. However, they are a bit larger and do shed.
- Portuguese Water Dog — This dog breed is a bit larger, but make very good natured pets and are full of play.
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel — This breed is smaller, but quite sturdy and stocky in build. They are very child-friendly and can be watchful of any strangers coming to the house.
I hope these ideas help, but you should try to find a dog breed book, where you can look up temperaments, sizes and coat needs etc. Good luck with your search.
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