Weekly article archive
The following questions and answers have appeared in my weekly column in the Albuquerque Journal since July, 1996. Each week a new one is added. You'll find information on the physical and behavioral maladies of dogs and cats and a few other species too. I invite you to use the search feature to find the specific answer that you and your pet need.
Kindness and patience with house training are essential to clean living with any dog. Getting there might also mean treating medical problems like bladder trouble. If little Kiki is still whizzing willy nilly, there may be a behavior disorder, that isn’t a training issue, that needs attention.
Some puppies are quick learners; others struggle to get clear on the concept. Those little brains have a lot of growth and maturing ahead of them. Some get their wiring in line earlier than others. The reason you can be confident that your youngster will catch on, at some point, is the instinct they all carry not to foul their living area.
A house-trained dog who still fouls your floors What to do if the pee continues Cleaning up after a wild youngster indoors is so frustrating! How much patience is enough?…
What to do if the pee continues
Shouldn’t applying a dog’s behavioral instincts to her house training yield pristine results? Sadly, we humans and our pets are imperfect. If Kiki somehow lets loose on the rug again, fuhgeddaboudit.
Teaching a dog “where to do its business”
Teaching Kiki the Chihuahua where you want her to go will be simple if you, her grand poohbah, shoulder your share of the repetitive training.
Housetraining can feel like such a challenge that many people just give up and mop up. You can get so completely flummoxed and frustrated that you lose their patience. You can teach your spiffy new puppy – in just one day – where to find the dog bathroom.
Question:
I have a 3-year-old Chihuahua named Kiki who I seem to be unable to potty train. I have repeatedly tried the most commonly suggested technique of sticking the dog’s nose in it, scolding her and putting her outside. Yet she still does not understand and has daily accidents in the house. At her age is it a lost cause?
Podcast House training can feel like such a challenge that many people just give up and mop up. You can turn this around. While your shiny new puppy learns where…
Isolation is a growing problem among us Americans. The younger generations, our future, face the worst of it. Social media hasn’t helped. Kindness and empathy from anyone, including pets, can make a difference.