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Cat pee on the floor, cat pee on the bed, cat pee on the door – could make you lose your head. The most common feline behavior problem often has simple solutions.
Cats are so sweet and cuddly. But they can damage you with their sharp teeth and claws. Don’t get angry – get cat smart.
The doorbell rings and your dog attacks the door. Then it’s WWE action as you struggle to get the door open without a takedown of your unsuspecting visitor. Or maybe you have a dog who watches from a distance, with her ears back and her tail low, as you invite your guest inside. All seems well while everybody is sitting but then they stand and head for the door and it’s game on. Small dogs in particular can become instant ankle biters. Beyond dangerous, reactive behaviors like these are emotionally draining. You too can get hurt just by trying to control the mayhem. Having friends over just isn’t fun the way it was before you adopted you-know-who. Dogs are certainly territorial creatures. They’re supposed to alert their leaders of an approaching alien. But growling, lunging, and snapping are not acceptable. An appropriate canine response looks more like the bouncer who…
Fufu’s sharp teeth and nails had scratched and scraped his people enough times that they were reluctant to handle the little guy. It was painful for them. They needed the step-by-step of getting their wild child under control but first we had to set him up for success. Treatment of behavior disorders can be a mixed bag. With the tough cases the best science sometimes brings only moderate improvement. Young Fufu’s jumping, mouthing, and nipping was a serious problem but he had a shot at making a real turnaround; he was still a kid and his people were committed. Melissa and Jeremy grasped the concept of bringing out the best in their young hellion. There are sayings we all hear from well-meaning people, you know, folks who are quick to share their version of canine behavior wisdom. A few of these sayings are actually spot-on. Here’s one of my faves,…
You’ve done your best but somebody in your house ate a poinsettia or a chocolate Santa. And what about New Year’s Eve fireworks? Share with your friends. Together we’ll survive the New Year.
Fufu, the assertive and overconfident baby dog, arrived woefully unprepared for life in his new home. He was just 7 weeks old when he confused his new pet parents, Melissa and Jeremy, with 4 legged fuzzy playmates. He started nipping and rough-housing and treating them like his buds on day one. Showing a lack of proper respect for his leaders was a serious mistake on his part but, gee, he just didn’t know any better. A bit more home-schooling in the fine art of social graces with humans would have made a difference. In an ideal world Fufu would have stayed with his mother and littermates until he was 12-14 weeks old. But, like too many canine toddlers, this little guy’s early social education ended too soon. This was not a fatal mistake but with misinformed pet parents he might have been punished instead of getting the coaching he needed…
Facebook Live Do your pets crack under holiday pressure? You can ask me anything or just listen in during my Facebook Live event, called “Pet Angst: Naughty or Nice?” at 6 PM on Wednesday, December 19. Go to Facebook.com/drjeffnichol. Invite your friends. Together we’ll reach peace on earth. Taking a puppy into your life is a little like adopting a toddler. They’re fun and smiley a lot of the time but then they nip and mouth your hands and chew up your stuff. I know these things; I’ve raised children and dogs. You have to take action. You’re the boss. Let there be no doubt – you are the big banana, the head honcho, the top dog. I get it. So what do you do? Fufu (ah, yes, that is his real name) was just 7 weeks old when he made his grand entry into the home of Melissa and…
You’re invited to my Facebook Live event called Holiday Worries for Jangled Pets. I’ll share valuable methods for keeping pets peaceful and avoiding hazards on Wednesday, December 19 at 6 PM MDT. You’ll have lots of time to ask me questions. Go to facebook.com/drjeffnichol JP would scratch and bite his person anytime she tried to pick him up. During one of his earlier lives he’d been thrown out the window of a moving car. And he got badly injured. JP didn’t trust anybody after that. My job was to help him get past his fear of human hands.
Jack was a 2 year old female dog, a Heinz 57. This kid was as sweet as they come, adapting pretty well to her second family except for one really annoying problem. When her folks walked in the door she displayed her feelings by rolling onto her side, raising one rear leg, and draining her bladder. It happened because a dreaded involuntary stab of panic that triggered her neurologic system to go into free-fall. It’s easy to make the wrong move. No one intentionally tries to worsen their dog’s behavior but applying the wrong treatment usually results in bigger problems. Jack could only improve if she was set-up for success by people who modeled canine leadership.