From Frustrated to Fabulous!

Training your dog can be frustrating.  Maybe you have a puppy and you are frustrated with house training. It seems like every time you take that puppy outside, he chases leaves, and the second you bring him indoors, he poops on the carpet.  Or maybe you have a young dog who pulls on leash from the second you hook it on, dragging you out the door and down the block. Or perhaps you have a middle-aged dog who just won't stop barking in the yard, or an elderly dog who has to be coaxed to do anything at all.  I hear you.  All of these scenarios are frustrating and yet I see them all as opportunities.  Opportunities to switch it up, try something different, look at the problem from a different point of view with, potentially, a less-frustrating outcome.

In classes, I feel like I am always telling people not to "marry" themselves to any one training tool.  While you may love your dog's behavior when you walk him on a head halter now, that doesn't mean that this will necessarily be the magic tool for pleasant walks for the rest of the dog's life.  Conversely, if you need to use a choke chain or a pinch collar to gain control, that's okay too. It's likely you won't have to use it forever either.  Pet owners need to be flexible and open to trying to new things.  Throwing up your hands and declaring that your dog will "never walk nicely on a leash" doesn't help anything, least of all your relationship with your dog. Instead, try something new. If you have been using a front hook harness, why not try a Thunderleash or a head halter instead?

And for that barking dog.  Why is your dog barking?  If this is nuisance barking, that's one thing.  But maybe there is something there.  First you have to identify WHY your dog is barking, then apply a consequence.  Yelling at the dog isn't going to work.  Now, you are barking too! Instead, find out why the dog is barking and respond accordingly. Nuisance barking?  Redirect and if that doesn't work a time out.  Barking at the neighbors, squirrels, trucks going by?  Acknowledge their vigilance, ask for the quiet, and then redirect.  If barking persists, it's time out time.

Oftentimes, when you look at the situation from your dog's point of view, the solution becomes much more obvious.  We all need to let go of preconceived notions of how dogs *should* behave and think about how the dog in front of us *does* behave.  Reward the good stuff, stop emphasizing all the bad stuff, and take a new approach to find the solution that works for you and your dog.

As always, if you need help strategizing, I am here for you.

Ozzie and Desi hard at work for a cookie they don't usually get!

Why Would a Dog Eat Rocks?

Unfortunately, I have met more than one dog who ate rocks.  I've also met dogs that eat socks and underwear, Lego's, and an entire pack of highlighter pens!  Why in the world would a dog purposefully eat something that is so obviously (to us) inedible?

The technical term for this behavior is Pica.  There is no one cause for the behavior and often there seems to be little reason a dog (or cat) exhibits the behavior. Meaning, it isn't because you were always taking rocks out of your puppy's mouth, so now he swallows them instead of relinquishing them to you. For some dogs and cats, however, there is a medical reason behind their behavior.  Taking your pet to the vet's office for a complete exam is the best place to start. Once you have ruled out nutritional deficiencies and medical conditions like diabetes, for example, then it is time to explore the problem as behavioral in origin. Oftentimes, this behavior is about boredom or anxiety so treating that is the place to start. First and foremost, however, you must try to control your pet's access to whatever it is that they ingest inappropriately. So, if it's rocks in your yard, get rid of the rocks. If it's socks on the floor, get those socks picked up and put away where the dog can't reach them.  Lego's should be played with on a table out of reach as should those highlighter pens, for example.

So what do you do if the rocks and other inedible objects your dog loves are the ones he finds on your daily walks?  You can try to teach the "leave it" and "drop it" commands and trade for yummy edible treats, but for many dogs that isn't enough.  They will just quickly swallow the rock and then go for the treat you are offering.  For dogs like this, muzzle training is a must.  Having your dog learn to wear a humane, basket-style muzzle means you can walk him safely and without that overwhelming anxiety on your part.  You can redirect him from rocks to the treats you have in your hand, knowing full well that he won't be able to pick up the rock and swallow it. Obviously, you still want to avoid walking in areas where rocks are evident! Over time, you may be able to discontinue using the muzzle, but for many owners it just provides a level of insurance that their dog won't return to the potentially deadly behavior.

If your dog is ingesting inedible objects inside your home, it's time to think about boundaries and boredom busters.  The dog should be confined to an x-pen or crate anytime they can't be watched.  If doing that creates anxiety, then muzzle train your dog indoors as well.  Boredom busters like the addition of interactive toys, feeders on a timer, etc.  are helpful in redirecting a bored dog.  Adding in real bones may help as well if your dog was seeking out rocks in order to find something hard to chew on. Conversely, if your dog loves socks and underwear, you will need to explore soft-style toy options that are too large to be swallowed and tough enough not to be torn apart and then swallowed.

With cats, Pica often manifests as a cat that eats fabric or sucks on fabric until holes are created.  Cats may also ingest threads or string.  Obviously, muzzling a cat isn't a feasible solution. Instead, the cat's access in your home must be limited to areas where they can't ingest fabric, even if that means confinement to one very small area.  Better to outfit that small area with toys, climbing apparatus, etc. to mentally engage your cat than to give him free rein knowing he might ingest something potentially fatal.

If you think your pet has swallowed something inedible, watch them closely.  If they try to eat or drink and end up vomiting, exhibit discomfort, lethargy, or inappetence, then they may have a blockage caused by that foreign object. While a small rock or gravel might pass somewhat easily through their digestive tract, a large stone will not. And if you know your dog has consumed several objects or something like a sock, or you find holes in a blanket that your cat sleeps on, a trip to the vet is a must before that potential blockage becomes an even bigger issue. Pica is definitely one of those situations where prevention is the biggest piece of the cure.  Don't give your pet the opportunity to manifest the behavior.  Do give them other, more appropriate options.

As always, if you are having trouble with Pica in your pet, please don't hesitate to reach out to me for further assistance in getting back on track.

Like most puppies, Freddie liked to pick up leaves on our walks, 

but was easily redirected to treats instead.

Distractions & Procrastination

I love the holidays and I love my holiday decorations.  What I don't love is taking them all down in January.  This isn't about being sad that the holidays are over or that my college kids have returned to school. No, it's much more basic than that.  I truly hate taking everything down, putting it all away, hauling the boxes back into the garage, and then cleaning house afterward.  Blech.  No fun at all.

And then I remember my faithful assistants.  My two collies.  They are there every step of the way, often underfoot, ready to help if a box needs sniffing, if I drop an ornament on the floor, or more importantly if I need just a bit more dog hair stuck in the box sealing tape.  With all of this help, it might take me a week to get everything put away.  I don't really care though.  To have them underfoot is a gift.  I can't imagine my world without dogs in it.  And these two make me laugh.  Best helpers ever.

Do you have canine or feline assistants as well?

New Year's Resolutions

I have never been the person to make New Year's resolutions.  It always seemed like too much pressure.  What if I don't get any of those things done? What if I mess them up royally?  What if half way through the year, I change my mind?  You see where I am going with this, I am sure.  I prefer to set short term goals for myself that are reasonable and attainable. And more importantly, changeable!

When it comes to setting goals for my pets, that's a bit easier.  I always strive to make sure their diets are healthy, their coats well-groomed, and most importantly, their minds and bodies exercised daily.  I love trying new interactive toys for my two collies.  Trying new toys means they get a new brain-buster and I get the added benefit of learning whether said toys might be good to recommend to clients.  I call that a win-win!

Their favorite interactive toy of 2018 was the Bob-a-Lot from Starmark.  Their least favorite was the Pickle Pocket, also from Starmark.  They loved to chase the bobble toy around with their long noses and Ozzie, in particular, liked trying to adjust the treat dispensing door on his own.  The pickle was problematic for two reasons, I think. First, the material it is made out of is sort of sticky, so it stuck to their collie ruffs.  Second, their long noses didn't seem to work well at digging those treats out of the zig-zaggy pockets. I discovered, however, that the pickle toy was great for Freddie, the Goldendoodle puppy who stayed with us for a week. Not only did it not get stuck in his fluff, his face was just perfect for smooshing into the pocket to retrieve the treats.  So, while the pickle wasn't a hit with the collies, it certainly was a hit with a puppy.

When choosing interactive toys for your pets, I think their age is really the least important factor So, while some of the companies selling the toys label them based on pet age, better to look at the difficulty level when choosing a toy.  For example, I met a puppy this week who was already working on Level 4 toys making him an over-achiever for sure!  The puppy level toys were too easy for him and he was bored in 3 seconds or less. Yet Desi, my older collie, loves the puppy level toys and will happily push and pull on them for the rewards.

Bottom line, don't neglect your pet's mental exercise.  When the weather is really cruddy, a few interactive toys during the day can help wear your pets out and save you from tromping around in the rain or snow.  Let me know if your pets have a favorite interactive toy as well.

The favorite! The Bob-a-Lot from Starmark

The Pickle Pocket from Starmark was not a hit!

Tricks! They Are Not Just For Kids!

All kidding aside, training your companion animals to do tricks is not a waste of time. On the contrary, trick training is fun, reinforcing, and often better received than more standard forms of behavior training.  Particularly for young animals, the variety and challenge of trick training can be quite appealing.  However, even for senior pets, trick training can present just the right level of brain challenge to keep their minds active and engaged.  And, yes, I did say companion animals as trick training is fun for dogs AND cats.

So why trick training?  People tend to be more relaxed when teaching tricks, and thus their pets are less anxious as well.  When I observe people teaching a trick to their animal, I notice more smiling, laughing, and rewards for the animal who is trying to figure out just what it is that you want them to do.  Teaching something new can be frustrating, but frequent short sessions not only help your pet understand what you want, it provides them with mental stimulation through out the day.

Recently, I helped a young client teach her dog a couple of basic tricks at the end of our session.  The dog was tired, but he was focused, so a good time to work on something different and fun.  When her mother saw what we were doing, she commented on how learning tricks wasn't important to them.  At this point, I had to explain to her why trick training is so amazing and how it will help them get what they want; a well-behaved, family dog.  Given that actions speak louder than words, I demonstrated what I meant.  I called the dog over.  Had the dog bow and shake my hand, then sent him into his crate for a treat and his nap.  He did this all without argument which is not how this usually goes. He is usually reluctant to crate when they are home, wanting to be with them all the time which is exhausting for him and for them.  To see him readily and happily enter his crate and settle in for a nap after executing two new tricks he had just learned, was quite satisfying all the way around.

So, whether you are teaching your cat to wave or your dog to say his prayers, remember that you are doing something so much bigger and more important.  You are spending time with your pets, having fun,, and teaching them that learning new behaviors isn't boring and it definitely isn't a waste of time.

What tricks do your pets know?

Ozzie doing a bow for the camera as requested!

Is My Dog Senile?

Shadow was the border collie mix that got me through graduate school before we moved to southern California, where we visited the beach daily, perfected my dog cookie recipe, and rescued a kitten.  She was there through thick and thin.  By the time I was pregnant with me daughter, she was getting a bit odd.  She would frantically run into a room and then stand there staring at the wall.  She couldn't seem to get comfortable on her bed.  She paced the house at odd hours.  She would go outside to go potty and then panic when I approached her to coax her back indoors.  She bit me more than once; she didn't seem to know who I was, then would recall who I was later and be glued to my side. By the time Jessica was born, Shadow was no longer herself.  Although her body functioned quite well for an almost 16 year old dog, her mind was fractured.  She suffered from Canine Cognitive Disorder (CCD), the dog version of Alzheimer's Disease.

We know so much more about CCD now than we did back then.  At that time, there was only one drug available, still in the testing phase, by Pfizer. I was able to get Shadow into the trial study where she ended up being the oldest surviving dog. Anipryl, the drug from Pfizer, gave Shadow (and us!) some relief from her symptoms for about 9 months.  After that, the drug didn't seem to be effective any longer and her quality of life, and ours, was suffering.

In a study conducted by the U.C. Davis Behavior Clinic, researchers found that 28% of dogs aged 11-12 years and 68% of dogs 15-16 years old, showed one or more signs of impaired cognition. The more signs that are seen, or an increase in the frequency of those signs indicates a more serious problem.  And there isn't really a progression in signs or an order in which they occur. Some dogs may experience all of the signs while others only experience a couple. There is an acronym, DISHA, which many veterinarians use to try to determine which signs an elderly pet patient is experiencing. D is for disorientation; I is for (altered) interactions with family or other pets, S is for sleep/wake cycle changes, H is for house soiling, and A is for activity level changes.

Now if a client tells me that they are seeing the first signs of aging in their pets, I tell them that it doesn't have to be a painful, downhill progression any more. After I recommend a full exam and blood work with their vet to rule out any medical issues, I then suggest things they can do to improve their aging pet's quality of life. First, is to make sure they are still getting enough mental and physical exercise.  Achy joints still need to move and aging brains still need challenges.  The walks may be shorter, but they still need to sniff and relieve themselves appropriately.  Likewise, puzzle toys, slow feeder bowls, and snuffle mats can be used to keep those elderly brains engaged.  A change in diet can make a big difference as senior diets are antioxidant-rich, easily digestible, and have adjusted calories for pets who aren't getting as much exercise. If your pet is having trouble sleeping at night, you can try melatonin.  If they are stiff, try glucosamine with chondroitin.  If they seem a bit disoriented and lacking joy for the things that really used to please them, consider a supplement called cholodin.  They even have cholodin with glucosamine and chondroitin added in to deal with arthritic changes at the same time.  Once those paths have been exhausted, you can talk to your vet about Anipryl, the same drug that Shadow tested all those years ago.

We can't stop our pets from aging, but we can make them more comfortable mentally and physically as they age.  In the infamous words of George Burns, "You can't help getting older, but you don't have to get old."

An aging Shadow, and a much younger me.

The Importance of Schedules & Routines

I've had two calls and three emails this week about how to keep a dog away from a Christmas tree.  One person was convinced there must be something that she could spray on her tree to repel her dog and cat.  This really got me to thinking about how the holidays must stress our pets out.

Our pets all like their regular routines.  They know when they are supposed to be fed, when it is time to go for a walk, and when their owners are leaving for work or supposed to be home.  During the holidays, our routines become more chaotic and this causes stress for our pets.  Don't get me wrong. I know that the holidays are a stressful time for people too.  However, we understand the holiday parties, festive food, and fragile decorations while our pets do not.  They are curious and excited about that tree brought in the house.  Why can't they urinate on it? Or climb it? And those bright boxes with ribbon.  The paper is just asking to be shredded and torn.  And did you really just hang a sparkly, glittery ball on that tree?! Plus, holiday food looks and smells amazing to us, so you can imagine how enticing it is for our pets.  No wonder everyone is stressed out!

If you have a Christmas tree and your puppy or dog is taking too much interest in it, block it off.  Either make that room off limits with a gate or put an exercise pen around the tree to block your dog from approaching it, or the gifts underneath.  If you have the time to work with your dog, put him on leash and take some treats with you.  Sit near the tree and reward your dog for staying a safe distance away from the tree,decorations,and gifts.  Reward your dog for NOT looking at them.  This doesn't mean you can just let your dog go in there unsupervised. It means that when you are with them, you can help them to understand that NOT touching those things will earn them rewards.

If you are hosting a holiday party, prepare your dogs in advance.  Make sure they are wearing their collars and the tags are current, just in case the door is left open and they bolt.  If your dog hates new people or large groups, put him away in another room with something fun to do.  If he's crate trained, crate him with a yummy bone to chew on.  Turn on a fan or use a white noise machine to block out the party noise for him.  If your dog loves a good party, you may still want to crate him when there is food at his level. Or maybe you want to keep him on leash with you so you can reward not surfing the counter and tables, not jumping up on people, and not begging.

Most importantly, keep to your usual routine and schedule as much as you possibly can.  Feed your pets at their regular meal times, don't neglect their exercise, both physical and mental, and don't forget their down time with you.  Those walks are good for you both, rain or shine, and snuggling with you on the couch at the end of the day is comforting and anxiety reducing for you both.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Desi is the master of ignoring the tree and decorations in favor of small snacks!