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Pet behavior
My
dog always gets into the garbage can and eats trash. What should
I do?
Garbage can cause serious health problems for your dog such as,
pancreatitis or foreign bodies. If possible consider a can with
a locking lid or placing the can in an area that is not accessible
to your dog. Basic obedience training is always helpful.
My dog always begs for food at the table.
What should I do?
Table scraps are not healthy for your dog. Your dog should be in
another room or outside while you are eating meals. This may also
be a good time to feed your dog his meal. Ideally your dog will
lay quietly with you while you are eating. This takes a lot of work
and training to accomplish. Again obedience training is helpful.
My dog chases cars. How can I stop him
from doing this?
Your dog should always be confined in a safe environment or on a
leash. Chasing cars can be a deadly bad habit. There is really no
effective training method to deter this behavior. Having been hit
by a car once will not teach your dog not to chase cars in the future.
Your best option is prevention of the behavior with good obedience
training, confinement and a leash.
My dog is so excitable and even unruly.
How can I control him?
Strongly consider enrolling your dog in a good obedience class.
This will help you teach your dog some basic commands and acceptable
behaviors. Regular exercise is also helpful. If your dog has not
been spayed/neutered this can also be helpful.
My cat is very overactive, especially
at night. What can I do to stop this?
Cats are nocturnal by nature and so there's not really too much
you can do about this nighttime activity. Playtime and exercise
during the day might be helpful.
My pet is urinating in the house. What
can I do about this?
The first step is to determine if this problem is behavioral or
medical. A complete physical examination by your veterinarian, including
blood work and a urinalysis, is necessary. Many medical conditions
can cause inappropriate urination such as a bladder infections or
diabetes. Behavioral problems can also causing inappropriate urination
and specific recommendations and certain medications can help control
or resolve this behavior.
How can I stop my puppy from jumping
on people? Behavior such as jumping on people is
best dealt with through puppy socialization and obedience training.
You and your dog will benefit from this training his whole life.
How do I stop my kitten from scratching?
Scratching is a natural behavior for cats. The trick is to encourage
your kitten to scratch in an appropriate place. There are commercially
available scratching posts for cats of varying textures and materials.
Catnip and treats are useful to reward your cat for scratching on
the posts. Startling your cat with a squirt gun will discourage
her from scratching on inappropriate surfaces.
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How can I teach my puppy to urinate and defecate outside?
Housebreaking begins when your first bring your new puppy home. You
should take your puppy outside to a designated area right after she
wakes up, immediately after meals, every few hours in between, and
before bedtime. Using a verbal command such as "go potty"
is very helpful in training. If your puppy does go potty be sure to
reward her. Crate training is an ideal tool to use for housebreaking.
The crate is your puppy's own place: it's bed or den, a place to hide
special toys, and a refuge in times or stress. It uses the pup's natural
instinct to keep its bed clean. The crate is not to be used for punishment
or discipline. The WVC library has very helpful books and handouts
on housebreaking and training your new pup.
What is the best way to reprimand or punish
my pet?
Speak to your dog in a firm tone of voice but do not yell. Hitting
and kicking (any form of physical reprimand) is not appropriate. In
order to be effective, the correction must occur immediately after
the undesirable behavior. Your dog won't understand why it is being
punished hours after chewing your shoe or urinating in the house.
Correct your pet with a firm "No" and then give it a command
such as "Sit". Lavish praise for the desired behavior and
any form of positive reinforcement is often far more effective than
punishment. Obedience school is very helpful with training and eliminating
unwanted behaviors.
Should I declaw my kitten or are there any other options?
A declaw is a surgical procedure that amputates the last bone, including
the claw, on each toe. Declawing your cat leaves her without the ability
to defend herself, so we strongly recommend that all declawed cats
become indoor only cats. The surgery is quite painful and we recommend
2 days of hospitalization after surgery and pain management. Typically
there are no adverse long-term effects of declawing. There are other
options to declawing. One option is to perform a tendonectomy. A tendonectomy
involves cutting the tendon on the bottom of each toe. This prevents
the cat from extending the claws and scratching. Trimming the nails
every month to prevent overgrowth and ingrown nails is still required.
Arthritis has been mentioned as one possible long-term complication
of a tendonectomy but this has not been proven to date. Another option
is "soft paws". These are little plastic nail covers that
you apply to your cat's claws. The claws still must be trimmed regularly
and the "soft paws" reapplied every month or so. This is
a nice option because it doesn't require surgery and is non-painful.
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