Category: Behavior

While some cats and dogs take to each other right way, it will usually take a few weeks to a few months for a cat to get used to a dog. Of course, the personalities of both pets have a large impact on how long it will take. Remember, you’re not necessarily looking for the pets to become BFFs. If your cat is happy to ignore your dog while being in the same room, that could be considered a success.

Tips For Springing A Dog On Your Cat 

If your cat hasn’t had a dog around in a while—or at all—there are some things to keep in mind when bringing a dog into the house:

• Make sure you cat has a safe space. One way to accomplish this is to put a small pet door on a room that your cat can fit through but the dog cannot.
• Make sure the dog does not have access to your cat’s litter box. Not only do some dogs eat from the litter box, but if they startle the cat when he’s is using the box, he may become afraid to use it.
• Also, don’t allow the dog to have access to the cat’s food bowl. Cats do not usually appreciate sharing. Place the bowl up on a high surface and give the cat easy access via a cat tree or strategically placed furniture. 

Proper Introductions 

You can’t just bring a dog into the house and leave him alone with the cat. Instead, slow introductions are recommended.

1. Make sure that both pets are ready to be introduced. This entails your dog being well-trained with the “sit” and “stay” commands and your kitty being fully litter box trained and not nervous in his new environment. Additionally, you should set up an isolation room for your kitty where your dog is not allowed to enter.
2. Feed your dog and your cat on opposite sides of the door. They will begin to associate each other’s smell with something exciting – eating! If your dog begins pawing or barking at the door, give a firm “No!” command and move the bowls farther away from the door. You can slowly move the bowls closer to the door each day until both pets are eating calmly. From there, you can expose them to each others’ scents more strongly by rubbing them with a towel and then placing the towel next to the opposite pet’s food bowl.
3. Create train your cat by having him spend short periods of time in his crate each day. You can lure him in with a treat trail. This is an important step to complete before moving on to step.
4. Put your cat in his crate and your dog on his leash. Bring your dog into the room the cat crate is in and have him practice commands with you for about 5 minutes. If he ignores your commands because he is too interested in the kitty, give him a firm “No!”, walk him outside of the room, practice some commands, and then try entering the room again. Slowly increase the amount of time spent in the room together.
5. Next, put your pup on his leash and have him do a down-stay in the far side of the room while you have a helper open the cat’s crate. If your cat won’t come out of the crate, leave the room with your dog until your cat comes out of the crate and then attempt to re-enter with your dog. It is crucial to keep your dog in a down-stay so he doesn’t intimidate your cat. Gradually increase the amount of time spent in the room together.
6. When your cat and leashed dog can be relaxed in the same room, drop your dog’s leash. 

If the introductions aren’t going well, if the dog seems aggressive, or if the cat seems particularly nervous, seek the advice of a professional trainer. The sooner you do this, the better so as to prevent bad behavior from becoming a habit.

Happily, most cats and dogs will learn to get along just fine and many do become friends and playmates. 

Some lists include cinnamon as a home remedy that will keep dogs from digging—but it won’t work for most dogs. While cinnamon is a smell many dogs do not like, the aversion may not be strong enough to prevent them from digging. Note: If you’d like to try using cinnamon as a deterrent, do not use the essential oil version as it can be poisonous to dogs.

Tips to Prevent Digging

While cinnamon probably won’t bring great results, there are many other things you can try to keep dogs from digging. Dogs dig because it’s fun, to try to escape, to keep cool, or because they are hunting. If you can figure out why your dog is digging, you’ll have a leg up in searching for a solution. Here are a few things to try:

• Don’t leave your dog alone outside for long periods.
• Make sure your pet gets plenty of exercise.
• Provide plenty of toys to keep your dog entertained.
• Ensure your dog has proper shelter from the sun.
• If you notice signs of burrowing pests in your yard, such as gophers, call a humane exterminator to have them safely removed.
• If your dog is digging near your fence, it’s likely he is trying to escape. Secure the area around the fence by adding chicken wire or halfway burying rocks around the perimeter until you find a way to curb the digging.

Still Want to Try Cinnamon? 

If you search online, you will find information from pet owners who recommend cinnamon as a dog deterrent. Even if it would deter your dog, it might be difficult to sprinkle enough cinnamon in your yard to be effective. Also, while some of the online advice includes promoting the use of essential oils, it’s worth saying again that doing so is hazardous to your dog.  

You can stop your dogs from fighting by eliminating the stressors that lead to the aggressions, by better managing the dogs’ environment, or by getting professional help from a qualified animal behaviorist. Whether or not you know what starts squabbles between your dogs, it’s important to find a way to stop them. Even if no serious injuries have occurred (yet), fighting between dogs can leave one or both dogs feeling stressed and afraid. The good news is the behavior can usually be brought under control—but in the meantime, avoid injury to your pets by closely monitoring them and keeping them physically separated while you work on a safe re-introduction protocol with the help of a professional dog trainer.

Steps to Preventing Fights Between Your Dogs 

Sometimes, two dogs just don’t like each other, but sometimes there is a more concrete reason for dogs fighting such as:

• Maintaining a hierarchy
• Redirected aggression
• Friendly play escalates
• Protecting food or other possessions 

If you can pinpoint the cause, you can remove the stimulus. For example, some dogs are food aggressive. In this case, you can simply feed the dogs in separate rooms.

While you’ll find all kinds of advice about how to stop fighting, the best course of action is to involve a professional right from the start. This will give you the best chance of success, and you won’t have to wade through the information online to separate the good from the bad.

An animal trainer or behaviorist with a proven track record of success in fixing dog aggression will give you solid advice and work with you to develop a plan that will help you protect your dogs and enjoy peace of mind. 

You can stop a dog from eating poop by finding the reason your pup is doing this – it could be a medical or environmental issue. The good news is that this behavior can be curbed in most dogs. Whether through treating the feces in a way that makes it unappealing or identifying and correcting the medical problem or environmental trigger, it is possible to find a solution to this disgusting habit.

Why Dogs Eat Poop 

To humans, the idea of eating feces is disgusting, but dogs are much less picky about what goes in their mouths. Your purebred pooch or adorable mutt’s ancestors were scavengers that were willing to eat just about anything to survive—including feces. Some dogs eat only their own poop while others eat the poop of others dogs. The former, while gross, isn’t dangerous. The latter, however, can pose a health risk to your dog if parasites or bacteria are present in the feces.

Reasons dogs eat feces include: 

Medical Issues

• Parasites
• Insufficient Diets
• Diabetes
• Cushing’s
• Certain Drugs 

Environmental Issues

• Isolation
• Anxiety
• Confinement 

Whatever the cause, you just want to the behavior to stop. Some of things you can try include:

• Visit a vet to rule out medical issues.
• Supplement your dog’s diet with appropriate vitamins.
• Work on training, especially commands like “leave it!”
• Clean up after your dog immediately.
• Apply products that make the feces taste bad to dogs. (Options are available that can be added to the food or directly to the feces.) 

Note that in puppies this behavior is quite common and will usually correct itself as the dog grows. If it continues into adulthood, you’ll need to intervene.

If your dog eats poop, don’t panic and think it’s time to rehome your pet. This is an issue that, when properly addressed, can be corrected. 

There are many medications, such as Alprazolam or Clomicalm, that you can give your dog for separation anxiety, but you should always consult a vet fist. Mild separation anxiety can often be treated without drugs, but more severe cases typically require medication for the best results. This may include either over-the-counter products or prescription medications. When you ask your vet what medication can I give my dog for separation anxiety, you’ll have several options, and it may be a bit of trial and error to find what works best for your pet.

Common Medications to Treat Separation Anxiety in Dogs 

Dealing with a pet with separation anxiety is difficult, but the good news is that there are treatment options to calm your dog and give you peace of mind. Many pet owners would prefer a solution that didn’t include drugs, and that is possible in some cases. There are plenty of natural remedies out there if you are interested in testing those options before jumping to medication. If alternative solutions are ineffective, medications may be necessary. There are several prescription drugs approved for the treatment of anxiety in dogs. These include:

• Alprazolam
• Amitriptyline
• Buspirone
• Clomicalm
• Dexmedetomidine
• Diazepam
• Fluoxetine
• Lorazepam
• Paroxetine
• Sertraline

In addition to the medications above, over-the-counter anxiety drugs are another option. While these do not require a prescription, you should always talk with your vet before giving your dog any type of drug—especially if he has health issues.

Each of the drugs your vet may prescribe works in different ways. Which will work best for your pup depends on the severity of the anxiety, the age of your dog, and what other medications he may be taking.

If your dog is suffering from separation anxiety, it won’t go away on its own. Talk to your vet today to discuss possible solutions that will give your dog the relief he needs. 

Feeding your dog exclusively human food every day must be done with caution in order to ensure your pet is getting all of the nutrients he needs. As for feeding human food as snacks every day, this also must be done carefully to avoid overfeeding and to be sure you don’t include human foods that are harmful to your pet.

A Human Food Diet 

A trend over the last several years is to feed dogs a diet made up entirely of human food. The diet will typically consist of grains, meats, and vegetables. A trend over the last several years is to feed dogs a diet made up entirely of human food. The diet will typically consist of grains, meats, and vegetables. While this may be a healthy option, it must be approached carefully.

If you’ve decided that this diet is what you want for your pet, do your rehome_research carefully to find recipes that will provide all the nutrition your dog needs.

It can be difficult to find reliable sources, and much of the information you’ll find in books and online sources is conflicting. That’s why it’s always best to run your human-food diet plans by your vet before you get started.

Human Foods That Are Dangerous To Pets 

What dog doesn’t love a piece of chicken or a bit of your hamburger? While there is nothing wrong with the occasional snack, moderation is key. Also, if you’re going to give your dog table food, it’s important to know which foods are safe for your pet and which are not.

Examples of foods that are dangerous to dogs include:

• Grapes
• Raisins
• Chocolate
• Avocado
• Citrus
• Onions
• Garlic
• Xylitol (an artificial sweetener)
• Yeast dough 

When given properly, human food can be fine for your pet—and your pet will surely be happy with the change! 

In most cases, and with the right treatment, an aggressive dog can be cured—or at least the behavior can be brought under control.

Dealing with Aggression  

Determining the reason for the aggressive behavior is the first step. Two of the most common reasons include:

Pain 

If the aggression started all of a sudden, there is a good chance it’s due to pain or an illness. Schedule a thorough vet exam to determine if there is a medical cause for the behavior. In most cases, once the medical condition has been dealt with, the aggression will cease.

Fear 

When dogs become afraid, they may run or they may stand their ground and fight. Of course, some fear is healthy, but when your dog becomes aggressive every time someone visits your home or he encounters other animals at the vet’s office or park, you’ll need to take action. Hire a reputable trainer or animal behaviorist to work with your dog. It may take some time, but it’s likely that your pet’s fears can be brought under control.

Other reasons for aggressive behavior in dogs include:

• Resource Guarding: Your dog becomes aggressive when anyone approaches while he is eating or playing with a favorite toy.
• Leash Aggression: If the only time your dog is aggressive is when the leash goes on, it’s likely because he feels a sense of frustration with being restrained. 

Whatever the cause for your dog’s aggression, with the right help from a talented animal behaviorist, the behavior can be brought under control. Do not, however, ignore aggression. Instead, get help at the first sign.

As you work on figuring out a cause for the aggression and finding a resolution, it’s important to keep your dog away from anything that triggers his aggression and to keep him away from children, other people, and other pets in order to ensure your dog doesn’t cause harm.

An Important Note

There is no such thing as a dog breed that is more aggressive than another. Pitbulls and Dobermans are not more likely to display aggressive behavior than Chihuahuas or Labs. In the right circumstances, any dog can become aggressive. 

Dogs jump up because it’s a natural instinct and a form of greeting when they are excited to see you or another person. While the behavior isn’t a reflection of the dog being bad, it is still something you’ll want to be able to control—especially if the dog is bigger. Even if you appreciate this form of greeting, others may not, and it could even lead to injury if the dog jumps on a child or an elderly person.

How To Teach Your Dog Not To Jump 

Since jumping is an instinct rather than a misbehavior, punishing your dog isn’t necessarily the right approach. Instead, you just want to teach your dog that jumping isn’t the best way to get the attention he wants. 

Over time, he’ll figure out that jumping up is a good way to be ignored and that sitting quietly is a great way to get treats and attention. 

In order for this to be effective, make sure that everyone in your household is treating your dog the same way. Once your dog behaves properly for the family, have people he doesn’t know come over to be sure the training is translating to visitors as well as people he knows.

When teaching any type of behavior to your dog, it’s helpful to have the basic commands, such as sit and stay, mastered. If you’re having trouble teaching these behaviors on your own, consider investing in some classes with a reputable trainer in your area.