Given Name : Amber
Registered Name : Soft Cilium Neocomrade
Breed : Shih Tzu
Sex : Female
Color : Gold and White
Sire : PH CH TZUVILLA’S Sunnyside Teddy (CAN) Read the rest of this entry →
by Margaret Muns, D.V.M.
The following is paraphrased from a lecture by Dr. Victoria Voith a prominent behavioral specialist. (1995 Michigan Veterinary Conference, Lansing, MI Jan. 26-29, 1995).
About 1/3 of dogs presented to behavioral specialists are presented because of separation anxiety. The signs an animal may show when separated from the owner include vocalization, destruction of property, elimination, loss of appetite, excessive grooming, more intense greetings, hyperactivity, and depression. These signs can be extremely time and location specific.
The typical history of separation anxiety is that the problem occurs as the owner leaves or shortly afterwards. The key to diagnosis is that the behavior only occurs during the absence of the owner. This doesn’t necessarily mean physical absence. All it can take is some kind of denial of access to the owner. A closed door may be all it takes. The difference between separation anxiety and a housebreaking problem is that with housebreaking problems, the dog will eliminate even when it has access to the owner.
Puppy Nipping and Chewing: How to Stop the Biting That Hurts
Love that new puppy, but don’t love what she is doing to your sofa, sneakers, or fingers? Then it’s time to intervene. While nipping and chewing are natural behaviors that occur when a puppy is between two and six moths of age, they can be stopped!
“Puppies will teethe, just like human infants,” says Cindy Sherman, PhD, teacher of puppy training classes in Ithaca, New York. “Chewing and nipping is investigative behavior. It is how they learn about their world…and it is completely normal.” But it is important, stresses Sherman, to direct the puppy to chewing appropriate items.
Look for specially designed pet toys. Rubber toys that have an opening for food, such as Kong®, can keep a puppy happily occupied for a long time.
Beware of items that may hide a choking danger. Don’t offer your pup anything with a squeaker that can be ripped our and swallowed.
Is Your Dog Digging a Hole to China?
Ed note: I’ve had dogs that have dug holes (and thoroughly enjoyed it!). Sometimes to just dig, possibly eating the dirt in the process, and others have taken a treasure, like a beef bone and found the best spot to bury it. Generally, I don’t think dogs will obsessively dig unless they’re after a critter underneath the ground or possibly just suffering from boredom. If you just can’t seem to stop your dirt diggers, here are a few suggestions (taken from the WWW) on ways to end the backyard “path to China”.
The Whole Hole. There are dogs that dig one hole and just keep re-digging it and there are those that dig many holes. If there is more than one hole, fill them with the same dirt, packing it down tightly with a shovel, but do not put dirt in his favorite. Fill it with water and keep filling it at every opportunity. Most dogs do not like that and get discouraged. They do not like getting their feet wet.
by Dr. Eurell
(From WRO Newsletter, As Reprinted in the CRC Newsletter)
Considering adding another dog to your home? Adding a new puppy or dog to a household where dogs and cats already reside takes time and effort to be successful. Jo Ann Eurell, DVM University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, Urbana Illinois, has a special interest in animal behavior and she offers a few suggestions to make the transition a safe and smooth one.
First, assess your household’s current pet status before you add another animal to the mix. If you have an aggressive dog, the nature of the aggression must be identified and managed. Consider the physical condition of your current animals. For example, an older arthritic dog may be less tolerant of a puppy’s boisterous behavior.
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