sI have a three-year-old toy dog. She is wonderful except that she is completely obsessed with licking all the time! She licks arms, face, mouth, other dogs, furniture, herself, etc. She is a very anxious and fearful dog and I wonder if the licking may be a result of that. Is there anything that we can do to help control this?
The problem here is coming from anxiety to the point of self-destruction. First, a total check up to see there are no areas of pain. Then you need to help her relax. Acupressure, massage... I am not joking . Then, swimming if possible. Anxiety in dogs is usually caused by a lack of exercise or release of energy. She needs to be properly exercised. You should also take a look at how you have been reacting to the licking. Have you been rewarding her for being a ‘sweet’ dog? Have you been condoning the behaviour in any way? Is this her call to you for attention?
My dog is obsessed with cats, squirrels, birds, lizards, anything alive that moves. Is this normal? She spends more time in the garden stalking her prey rather than with us. What am I doing wrong?
Prey drive is a natural instinct because dogs are hunters. The danger in prey drive comes from two things. One, the prey itself can be harmful, such as snakes. And two, chasing a squirrel or cat into a street where they can be hit by a car is not safe. What you need to do is find ways to challenge that instinctual desire, so it becomes more ‘play’ and less ‘hunt’. Try this — come to the garden with the dog’s leash on and practice activities in the yard with food or toys before the dog sees a squirrel. Two things you need to teach before this — sit and stay. When your dog knows those commands and responds to them, you can reward her with food or a toy. Do this for at least a month. You can then ask her to chase the squirrel on command. Remember that since the dog has already developed prey drive, you have to work with it. Once the dog is at the tree, don’t call her back because she will ignore you and she must not be allowed to do that. This is the perfect time to bring out a favourite food. Don’t show it to her. Hide it in your hand so you can wave the scent in front of her nose. Once the dog is attracted to your scent and her attention is away from the squirrel, put the leash on and give the treat. Then walk away from the tree, make sure you’re at least 10 feet away before you ask the dog to sit, and wait until she completely relaxes there before you bring her into the house. This is the process to teach her that she has an on and off switch to prey drive, created by you and controlled by you. Keep at it till she responds. Don’t worry or feel bad when she goes towards the squirrel again or makes a mistake. It doesn’t mean she didn’t learn the lesson — she’s still learning — and this is one instinct from Mother Nature that is very difficult to overpower. Be patient and remember to always maintain your calm-assertive energy through the process.
My vet has asked me to bring my cat’s urine sample. How can I do this?
If you have a litter tray for the cat, layer a piece of tinfoil over the litter and after your cat has urinated, decant the urine into a very clean container that can be sealed.
The problem here is coming from anxiety to the point of self-destruction. First, a total check up to see there are no areas of pain. Then you need to help her relax. Acupressure, massage... I am not joking . Then, swimming if possible. Anxiety in dogs is usually caused by a lack of exercise or release of energy. She needs to be properly exercised. You should also take a look at how you have been reacting to the licking. Have you been rewarding her for being a ‘sweet’ dog? Have you been condoning the behaviour in any way? Is this her call to you for attention?
My dog is obsessed with cats, squirrels, birds, lizards, anything alive that moves. Is this normal? She spends more time in the garden stalking her prey rather than with us. What am I doing wrong?
Prey drive is a natural instinct because dogs are hunters. The danger in prey drive comes from two things. One, the prey itself can be harmful, such as snakes. And two, chasing a squirrel or cat into a street where they can be hit by a car is not safe. What you need to do is find ways to challenge that instinctual desire, so it becomes more ‘play’ and less ‘hunt’. Try this — come to the garden with the dog’s leash on and practice activities in the yard with food or toys before the dog sees a squirrel. Two things you need to teach before this — sit and stay. When your dog knows those commands and responds to them, you can reward her with food or a toy. Do this for at least a month. You can then ask her to chase the squirrel on command. Remember that since the dog has already developed prey drive, you have to work with it. Once the dog is at the tree, don’t call her back because she will ignore you and she must not be allowed to do that. This is the perfect time to bring out a favourite food. Don’t show it to her. Hide it in your hand so you can wave the scent in front of her nose. Once the dog is attracted to your scent and her attention is away from the squirrel, put the leash on and give the treat. Then walk away from the tree, make sure you’re at least 10 feet away before you ask the dog to sit, and wait until she completely relaxes there before you bring her into the house. This is the process to teach her that she has an on and off switch to prey drive, created by you and controlled by you. Keep at it till she responds. Don’t worry or feel bad when she goes towards the squirrel again or makes a mistake. It doesn’t mean she didn’t learn the lesson — she’s still learning — and this is one instinct from Mother Nature that is very difficult to overpower. Be patient and remember to always maintain your calm-assertive energy through the process.
My vet has asked me to bring my cat’s urine sample. How can I do this?
If you have a litter tray for the cat, layer a piece of tinfoil over the litter and after your cat has urinated, decant the urine into a very clean container that can be sealed.
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