Category: Behavior

The first step to calm an aggressive dog is understanding what triggers the aggression. It could be anything from pain to frustration or fear to redirected aggression. Just like some humans are more aggressive than others, the same is true for dogs—but one thing is true for all: No matter the size of the dog or the level of aggression, you must find effective ways to stop the behavior in order to protect your dog and the people and animals around him. While you work on finding a solution, keep your dog physically separated from any aggression triggers, other pets, children, and people until the issue can be addressed.

Reasons Dogs Are Aggressive 

In the wild, aggression is necessary for dogs’ survival. An aggressive dog isn’t bad, but that behavior does need to be modified. If you can figure out the reason for your dog’s aggression, you’ll be better able to find a resolution. Some of the reasons for dog aggression include:

• Protecting Himself or His Pack – Some dogs are extremely protective of the other animals and humans in their pack. While this is good in some circumstances, some dogs become aggressive if anyone even approaches their humans.
• Protecting His Den – Does your dog run along the fence line barking at passerby in a menacing way? Does the barking stop once the person is past your fence? That is your dog protecting his den. He’s not interested at all in the person—as long as that person moves along.
• Protecting His Food or Toys – Food aggression is common in dogs who didn’t get enough to eat at some point in their lives. A food-aggressive dog who is normally docile will turn into Cujo if anyone approaches him when he’s eating. This same type of possession aggression can also apply to favorite toys or beds.
• Redirected Aggression – If a dog can’t reach the target of his aggression, for example a strange dog being walked on a leash, he may turn on whatever dog or human he can reach. This type of aggression often comes as a shock as the dog may attack a dog he has lived with peacefully for years.
  Other reasons for redirected aggression include fear, predatory reasons, and sexual frustration. Another thing to keep in mind is that a normally docile dog who suddenly becomes aggressive could be in pain due to an undetected medical condition, so get your dog to the vet as soon as possible.

Once you figure out the reason for the aggression, you can begin to work with your vet or an animal behaviorist. It is important to note that if your dog displays low levels of aggression, like growling for example, correcting the behavior may lead to more aggressive behavior next time. This is because your dog realized he was punished for growling and could escalate to a more aggressive behavior in the future. Training can still be very helpful to work on mild aggression, but punishment may not be the solution.

Aggression is one of the top reasons pet owners rehome their dogs, but with the right intervention, you can put a stop to this behavior and keep your pet in your home. 

You can live with a cat if you are allergic, unless you have severe allergies. In fact, thousands of people with allergies do live with their feline friends. Some who only have mild symptoms just put up with the symptoms or treat them with over-the-counter medicine. Those with moderate symptoms often seek help from a doctor who may prescribe prescription medications.

Does A Cat Allergy Mean I’ll Be Allergic To All Cats? 

If you love cats and have allergies, you might be hoping you can find a cat to which you’re not allergic. So, is that possible? Not technically. Cat allergies are caused by pet dander and saliva, so if you’re allergic to cats, then you’re probably allergic to all cats.

But there is some good news.

Some breeds of cats produce less dander, which means they may only trigger very mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. While no cat is 100% hypoallergenic, the following breeds are among those that make a good choice for people with allergies.*

• Sphynx
• Cornish Rex
• Oriental
• Devon Rex
• Russian Blue
• Siberian
• Bengal 

If you suspect you have a cat allergy, confirm it with an allergist. It’s possible to mistake a cat allergy for other types of allergies since the symptoms are so similar. Whatever the results are, don’t panic. In many cases, it’s possible to continue living with your feline family member.

*If you’re allergic and are considering adopting one of the cats listed above, it’s important to spend time around them first. This will avoid having to rehome a pet if it turns out they give you a worse-than-expected reaction. 

You cannot leave money to an animal in your will, but you can set up a trust to ensure they are taken care of after your death. The reason you can’t leave them money is because they are considered property, and you can’t leave property to other property. The good news is that the trust option allows you to make plans for your pet in which you can specify exactly how they are to be cared for.

Basics Of A Pet Trust 

In order to set up a trust for your pet, you’ll need to:

• Specify a dollar amount to be set aside for their care
• Write specific instructions for their care
• Choose a caretaker who will take custody of the pets upon your death 

The Money

To figure out how much to leave in the trust, you’ll need to estimate how much their annual care costs and multiply by the number of years they are likely to live. It’s better to overestimate here as you can also specify where any leftover money goes upon the pets’ deaths.

The Instructions

When it comes to writing instructions, you’ll want to be specific to ensure your pets get the same type of care you’re giving him now. This should include what type of food they get, how far to go with medical interventions, types of play and exercise they should get, etc…

The Caretaker

The most important decision is your choice of caretaker. This is the person the pets will live with, and they will access the money in the trust for the pet’s care. Choose someone you know you can trust and depend on to be kind to your pets for the rest of their lives. 

While you can’t make your pets rich by leaving them your money, you can at least ensure they are cared for in the manner you’d like. 

You can stop your cat from running outside by keeping a jar of treats by the door to distract him when you open the door, but this won’t work with every cat. Finding the answer that works for your pet may take some trial and error, but distracting your cat just before you open the door is usually effective. If this doesn’t work, you may have to keep your cat contained in a part of the house where he doesn’t have access to the door while you’re coming or going.

Toys, Treats, and Tricks 

Indoor cats face a number of dangers when they spend time outside. In order to keep your cat safe, it’s important to keep him from running outside. Use these tips to see if you can curb your cat’s desire to dart out of the house:

• Use a Different Door: If your cat sits patiently by the front door waiting for his chance to bolt, trick him by using a different door.
• Toss a Treat: Keep a jar of treats or a few of his favorite toys by the entry. Before you open the door, toss him a treat to distract him.
• Spay or Neuter Your Cat: There are many reasons you should spay or neuter your pet, but one is that it will make him less likely to want to roam.
• Give Him (Safe) Outdoor Opportunities: Build an outdoor cat enclosure or leash train your cat and take him on regular walks if you have a secure outdoor area where you won’t encounter any dogs or wildlife. This way your pet will be able to enjoy the outdoors in a safe manner.
• Banish Boredom: Make sure you provide lots of toys, climbing opportunities, and playtime for your cat. A bored cat is more likely to want to run out the door.
• Contain your kitty when guests are over: House guests, no matter how well-meaning, are not likely to be as careful as you are when it comes to preventing your cat from running out the door. For that reason, it’s a good idea to keep your cat contained when you have company. 

There are many tips to keep your dog from escaping the yard including reinforcing the fence and not leaving the dog unsupervised for long periods. When your dog escapes the yard, it puts him in danger, and could put you in legal jeopardy for not keeping your pet under control. To prevent both possibilities, it’s important to do whatever it takes to keep your dog from escaping.

Why Dogs Escape And How To Prevent It 

Your dogs may try to escape for the following reasons:

• They are left alone in the yard for long periods of time.
• They are bored and have no playmates or toys.
• They have abundant energy and doesn’t have the opportunity to use it.
• They are visiting a neighbor’s dog or have found something fun to do outside the yard. 

Knowing the reasons dogs escape can help you work on ways to prevent it. Some things to try include:

• Ensure your dog gets plenty of exercise every single day.
• Spend time playing with your dog daily.
• Complete obedience school with your dog and spend time working on behaviors each day.
• Provide puzzle toys that require your dog to work for a treat.
• Consider a doggy day care or hiring a dog walker instead of leaving him alone in the yard for extended periods.
• Spay or neuter your pet to reduce their temptation to roam. 

Those are ways to make your dog less likely to want to escape, but it’s just as important to make it more difficult for him to escape by:

• Shoring up any weak spots in your fence.
• Burying wire or rocks along the fence line.

Note: Tethering your dog all day is NOT an acceptable way to stop escaping—and in some locations, tethering for more than a few hours a day is illegal.

Bring Your Dog Inside 

If your dog spends most of his time outside, make him an inside dog instead. If you worry about him making a mess, you could properly crate train him for the time you’re not home and then let him hang out with the family once you get home. 

Keep in mind that your dog isn’t “being bad” when he escapes. He may just be trying to escape boredom or loneliness—both of which you can help alleviate. 

Dogs rip up toilet paper because the feeling of holding something down and ripping it apart reminds them of attacking prey in the wild. Another probable reason dogs rip up toilet paper is because they think it’s fun. Either way, this destructive behavior not only costs you money, but it can be dangerous for your pet, so pet owners need to find a way to stop it.

Why Chewing Toilet Paper Is Dangerous

You might not think swallowing a little toilet paper would hurt your dog—and you’d be right. A little won’t hurt them, but larger amounts can cause serious intestinal blockages that require surgery and other treatment. Such blockages can be life threatening. 

Tips For Stopping The Behavior 

If your dog rips up toilet paper, you can solve the problem by preventing his access to toilet paper. Keeping the bathroom door shut is the simplest way to do that.

Aside from prevention, you also want to make sure that your dog follows basic commands like “leave it.” This is important not just to save your toilet paper, but to prevent all sorts of troubles for your pet. If he doesn’t obey those basic commands, attending an obedience training class would be a worthy investment.

Dogs Just Want To Have Fun 

If you Google “dogs destroying toilet paper,” you’ll find a treasure trove of funny videos of dogs ripping toilet paper to shreds as well as videos of pets being dog shamed for their actions. In the videos, it looks like the dogs are having a great time—at least until they get caught.

To minimize their trauma at not being allowed to rip your toilet paper apart, be sure to provide lots of toys in different shapes and sizes that your dogs can chew to their hearts’ content. To keep it interesting, add new toys into the mix on a regular basis. 

The best way to eliminate cat chewing is to ensure your pet isn’t bored and has no underlying medical condition, such as an issue with his gums. If it’s a kitten doing the chewing, you’ll be glad to know that most will grow out of their desire to chew by the time they reach maturity. Adult cats often chew out of boredom, so you may be able to curb the behavior by finding ways to engage your pet and keep him stimulated.

But I Really Liked That Sweater 

Did your cat chew something you really loved? You’re not the first pet owner to make such an (unwilling) sacrifice. Until you can figure out how to stop your cat from chewing, you’ll need to work on redirecting the chewing to appropriate items, such as toys or treats, in order to protect your stuff—and your pet.

Be aware of what your cat is chewing to ensure he doesn’t ingest anything harmful or suffer an electrical injury by chewing wires. This may include keeping dangerous items out of reach and protecting cords with rubber covers.

Changing the Behavior 

After ruling out a medical reason for the chewing, here are a few things you can try to get your cat to stop the behavior:

• More Interaction: Try spending more time with your cat doing activities like grooming him and playing together.
• New Toys: Alleviate boredom by providing interactive toys that make your cat work for a treat or to solve a puzzle.
• Calming Products: Chewing can be born from stress, so consider calming products like collars and diffusers.
• Professional Help: If the chewing is excessive, enlist the help of an animal behaviorist who can help to identify the underlying cause and work to stop the chewing. 

Cat chewing can be frustrating but with some work—and a little patience—the behavior can be minimized. In the meantime, keep your prized possessions out of reach. 

You can give your cat a variety of things to help with stress including catnip, calming collars, or pheromones, but you should talk to your vet before trying any of these. While you might think of your cat as pretty laid back, the truth is that it doesn’t take much for a cat to get stressed out. A change in schedules, the addition of a new pet, and any other upsets to the status quo can cause stress to your pet. Fortunately, there are effective ways to relieve stress in cats, and some don’t require medication.

Signs of a Stressed Out Cat 

There are several signs that your cat may be experiencing stress. These include:

• Aggression
• Urinating outside of the litter box
• Hiding (more than usual)
• Hair loss
• Loss of appetite (see last section) 

If you notice these signs or other unusual behavior, stress could be the cause. It’s always a good idea to rule out a medical cause, so make an appointment with your vet. You can also use that appointment to ask about giving your cat various over-the-counter medications to treat the stress. 

So What Will Help? 

There are many natural supplements for calming your cat that many pet owners have seen a lot of success with. These include:

• Catnip – Catnip has a euphoric effect on cats that tends to ease their stress.
• Pheromones – A product like Feliway will diffuse a calming solution into the air that mimics a cat’s feline facial pheromones. These pheromones help calm your cat and send a signal that the location is safe.
• Calming Collars – These collars contain pheromones and sometimes other soothing scents to help relax your kitty. 

Remember that you should always check with your vet before trying any of these natural remedies with your cat.

There are also other things you can do to help your stressed out cat that don’t require you to give your cat anything.

• Get A ThunderShirt – Yes, these shirts can be used for cats too!
• Interact More With Your Cat – If your cat enjoys human interaction, stress can come from boredom or loneliness, so spending more time playing, grooming, and cuddling your cat may help to reduce his stress.
• Upgrade His Space – Adding more scratching posts, a kitty condo, or a window seat can make your home more inviting for your cat, reducing stress. 

It Can Become Serious Quickly 

Stress in cats can be very serious. In the case of a serious trauma, such as the death of a companion or an injury, some cats become so stressed out that they stop eating. This should not be ignored. Unlike dogs and humans who can go several days without eating, cats’ bodies are not equipped to do so. After just a few days of fasting, liver problems can begin and the results, if not treated, can be fatal.

If your cat stops eating, make an appointment with your vet right away. Early intervention is a must in order to avoid potentially serious effects.

From mild anxiety to life-threatening stress, by talking to a professional, you’ll be able to find a solution that will help your cat to be happy and healthy. 

Excessive barking is barking that interferes with the peace or comfort of a person. That may seem vague, but the truth is the amount of barking that will prompt action varies by location, so there is no hard and fast rule about how much or how loud barking must be to be considered excessive. If you’ve noticed your dog barking a lot or if neighbors have complained, it’s time to take action to try to stop the excessive barking.

Curbing Excessive Dog Barking 

Dogs bark, so it’s not reasonable to expect them to stop barking entirely. Unfortunately, some people have neighbors who will call the landlord or summon animal control at the first sign of a “woof.” In that case, you’ll probably have to deal with your neighbor rather than the dog. If, however, you acknowledge the barking is a bit much, there are some things you can try to curb that excess barking:

• A Change of Scenery: If you normally crate your pet, try leaving him loose in a room. If you normally leave him outside, try leaving him inside.
• Exercise, Exercise, Exercise: A bored dog is often a barking dog. One way to alleviate boredom is to provide plenty of opportunities for exercise every day. This could be long walks, running off steam at the dog park, or spending a few hours at doggy daycare.
• Rule Out Anxiety: Anxiety is one very common reason for excessive barking, and it won’t get better on its own. In fact, if left untreated, it will likely get worse. If you think your dog is suffering from anxiety, see your vet or an animal behaviorist right away. 

 If you’ve received complaints, let the involved parties know that you are actively working on a solution. Excessive barking is a common reason people rehome their pets, but with the right help, most dogs’ excessive barking can be curbed. 

Reasons your cat won’t use the litter box include a possible medical condition, not wanting to share the box with another cat, stress, or because the box is dirty. If your cat has always been good about using the box and then suddenly stops, a trip to the veterinarian is in order. After ruling out medical issues, try adding additional boxes. Also, always make sure the boxes are kept clean. 

What to Do When Your Cat Stops Using the Litter Box

Cats don’t need to be walked and the litter box makes them pretty independent as far as using the bathroom, which is a real plus for pet owners who are away much of the day. Unfortunately, many cats will experience litter box issues at some point in their life. Understanding the reasons behind this behavior is key in order to stop it.

Medical Issues 

Some medical conditions that contribute to litter box avoidance include urinary tract infections, cystitis, and kidney stones. Make an appointment with your vet as soon as possible so if there is a medical concern, it can be identified and treated.

Dirty/Crowded Litter Box 

You can’t really blame a cat for not wanting to share a litter box with other felines. That’s why it’s a good idea to provide one box per cat plus one additional box. It’s best to have them in separate parts of the house. You should also scoop all litter boxes daily.

Stress

Possible stressors for your cat include not getting enough food, being bothered by other household pets, and lots of loud noise/fighting. As much as possible, reduce the things that may be causing stress to your cat. You can also try using stress-reducing collars and diffusers.

Additional Tips 

Cats are finicky, and sometimes it’s the smallest thing that puts them off of their litter box. Here are a few others things to try and some to avoid:

• In a new second litter box, try a different litter, as some cats may not like a certain scent or texture.
• If the box has a lid, remove it.
• Don’t stand by the box with a treat as cats don’t like to be bothered when going to the bathroom.
• Don’t yell at your cat and toss him in the litter box as this will create a negative association.
• Clean up messes thoroughly using a product with enzymes to neutralize pet odors. 

Litter box issues often have a resolution, but it may take some trial and error to figure out what works for your pet. If none of your tricks fix the issue, seek an animal behaviorist for personalized advice or check out this article about fixing litter box problems.