Inside PBS Blog

Nice video, I just got a new puppy and was hoping to get some tips on training. After looking at the amount of time and patients required I think I pass and will get a professional to do it.

My dog was housebroken well since he was a puppy. Now at 12 he seems to be developing an incontinence problem and is is impossible to allow him free access around the house any more. I feel terrible. What can I do for him?

I'm a cat magnet. Always have been. Never met one I could say "no" to. Why do so many cats choose to befriend me and frequently learn to do doggie things like fetch for me?

What should you do when your dog, on leash, is approached by another dog who is off leash, in order to avoid encouraging stress or aggression?

I have a female, 18 month old Lab that is becoming more aggressive as she matures. What is a good technique that I can use to begin to reverse her tendency to charge at dogs and people walking towards us. I feel that her aggression has grown out of fear / insecurity, but I am no longer totally sure of that assessment.

How does one go about becoming an Animal Behavior Expert?

I have 12 cats and since my oldest alpha cat passed away almost 2 years, I have 2 cats that are spraying. I have tried everything out there that are suppose to help with the spraying and Nothing has worked. Any suggestions?

I just adopted a cat and I had a question about her claws. She seems to be preoccupied with licking between the toes of one of her back paws and also bites on one of the middle claws like she's going to pull it out. There's no inflammation and she shows no signs of having problems walking or running.

I was also wondering what flea treatments work best for cats. I put a drop of frontline on her skin between her shoulder blades but she still scratches. Are flea collars better?

I have a 11-year-old tortoise shell kitty with a completely antisocial disposition... attacks visitors and cat-sitters... but she loves me. Sometimes little too much. She's on top of me the moment I sit down. I'm 99% sure it's separation anxiety.

I've been giving her Amitryptalene, which seems to be helping, but she's still a freak. And she grooms obsessively and constantly -- her butt is totally bald. (eek!). Nothing's changed in my life for years -- no new pets, new furniture, new anything of importance really. Any ideas on how I can help chill her out? (My friends are kind of scared of her.)

Hi,

I have an indoor cat. I adore her and want her to have a good, interesting and fulfilling life, as much as an indoor cat can have. But therein lies the problem. I feel terrible that she is inside all day with nothing to do. After I get home at night, I spend time petting her and going through our little ritual of feeding. I try to play and get her moving, but she is not really interested anymore.

I also let her outside in the front porch area for a few minutes each day, but always supervise her since there are dogs around. I feel terrible that she cannot spend all day or night outside. To combat loneliness, I tried adopting another cat, but that did not go so well. They fought incessantly, to the point where the other cat had to go to a friend.

Is there anything else I can do to supplement her day? In adopting her many years ago I feel responsible for her happiness. Any suggestions would be really helpful.

Thanks!

Julia

I have two 6 month old female cats (litter mates from a shelter). They are generally well behaved aside from the odd sofa scratch and frenzied toilet paper attack however one of them is very restless during the night and it's driving me and my boyfriend crazy. Around 3 a.m. she will perform what I call 'the rounds' where she will meow plaintively while perform the most noisy and irritating things she can think of (trying to open the kitchen cupboards, chewing on the lamp shade, scratching the couch and pulling at the mini blinds).

I have tried to 'cat proof' these items and have had a bit of success but I'm concerned as to the reason behind it - is she lonely? hungry, desperate to escape (they are indoor cats)?

I have resorted to getting up and feeding her but I know I'm building a rod for my own back with that one!!

I have a 6-year-old female Tuxedo cat Gloria. I've had her for the past three years and we live in an apartment in NY. She's never been outdoors or exposed to other cats.

Recently, I "inherited" another female cat from a friend. Duck is a 16-year-old, very energetic and perky Calico/Tortie cat.

The idea was to keep them from each other for the first few weeks. Duck's litter box and food were kept in my bedroom while I kept Gloria's litter and food the same place it always has been--in the office.

It has been almost two months. They roam the apartment freely, but as soon as they get within a feet of each other, the hissing begins.

I usually sleep with Gloria on the bed with me. But since Duck has her stuff in my bedroom, Gloria has refused to even go in the room. She's more reserved and quiet.

I need help/advice. How do I get these two darlings to get along? I understand they're both very set in their ways, but I would love for both of them to curl up in bed with me. And I'd like to eventually have both their litter and food in one room. Is it ok to have them share a litter box too?

Thanks!

My cat Molly puts her paw into the water bowl while she's drinking--why does she do that?

My parents have a very large young neutered cat who has to be kept out of the bedrooms or he will pee on the bed, in suitcases, in laundry baskets, etc. Sometimes he pees on the floor in other rooms, too.

He has been checked by the vet and has no physical issue. There is a clean litter box available at all times, and he is an indoor/outdoor cat.

There are two other neutered male cats in the household. One is very old and docile and the other is young and submissive. Is this peeing meant as a signal to them?

The cat in question is very bonded to my father, who is also a full-time caregiver to my grandmother. Could the cat be protesting a lack of attention?

Sadly my kitty honeybear passed away in September of 2008 and she is survived by her two sister kitties of the same litter Bubba & Speedy Marie. They are elderly cats and nearly 18 now.
I am wondering if Speedy's sudden positioning of herself as top bed cat *the place Honeybear used to occupy* and taking on many of the behaviors that honeybear was known for.. yet she never did before.... is a type of mourning for her sister or if she is merely sensitive to my loss... and if they even notice her not being there.

i guess i wonder if house cats mourn.?

thank you.

suzanne.

Our cat has been chewing off her belly and hind leg fur now for more than a year. Angel is a tiger cat who is about 8 years old and are not sure why it started when it did. We had been in our house for 2 years before she started and as far as I can remember, nothing changed in our habits. She is overweight and wonder if it has something to do with that, like a thyroid problem. We are going to take her to our new vet because our old vet said it is nothing to worry about after he looked at it. There is no blood but some of the areas (around her ni99les, it wouldn't let me type the word) look chaffed. It just seems like obsessive grooming because she does it while we are around her. Or maybe it is allergies. Can allergies develop later in life?

Any thoughts?

I have a large table next to my dog house and my dog would always go out on the table to look around or lay down and lounge. All of a sudden you cannot get him out on the table? He shows no signs of injury, cuts scraps or pain. He will not go out on the table any more. I have gone out on the table and I have place all kinds of treats and toys on the table. He will not go on the table. He is 7 years old and a solid 95 pound bull terrier mix.

I have a ten month old male mixed hound that is a wonderful pet other than he tends to bark when i leave our condo. I've gotten complaints from 'neighbors' and hope this will subside over time. In the meantime, someone recommended a bark collar but I'm not totally comfortable with that. What are your thoughts about the collar and/or do you have other suggestions? I have tried training him by leaving for short times, then rewarding him for being quiet, increasing the time slowly, but it has not worked!

Thank you,

Charles

Hi,
I have a very well trained and happy puppy who will do a lot on command. How do I get her into tv, print, etc.? Where do I begin? She loves the camera, will allow you to dress her up, put shoes, sunglasses, winter coats on her, etc. I think it would be fun. Please let me know.
Thanks
New Jersey

What can I say to people who really want to meet my (admittedly cute) dog when we are out on training walks and it's not the right time to "Say Hi"? These are the same people who tell me, "It's OK for your little dog to jump on me. I love dogs." :) Thanks for hosting these questions and I'm looking forward to the Nature special!

My 8 month old yellow male (neutered) Lab has a taste for our other Lab's feces. No matter what we do (remonstrating, giving anti-feces pills to our other Lab, sprinkling other Lab's food with msg), he goes for the feces. It's disgusting to us, but he doesn't seem to be sick over it. He's been doing this for about three months now and I'm not sure it'll ever stop. Any suggestions?

I've never seen anyone ask, or answer, this question.

When I take my dog on a walk two of my cats follow....or at least follow in a cat like way. I will walk the dog along the path and the cats skittle from bush to tree to rock in a commando-like fashion, one takes cover while the other one dashes to the next tree. I've had two separate groups of cats do this, each group lived with me several years apart so it's not a "learned" behavior. It was/is with two different dogs.
It's also a regular behavior, in each case the cats do/did it with each walk.

Thanks.

My dog is now 6 years old. She was great with other dogs, but has grown to be more fearful of them. Many trainers have written her off because of her age, saying this can't be reversed. I would love to have my playful puppy back. I hate that we can't go on walks or hang out with others who have dogs because I'm afraid of how Sadie will behave. Is it too late for her? If not, what can I start doing now to reverse this behavior. Thanks so much!

I have a cat that is toilet trained, and she goes #1 totally normal, sitting on the seat, but about a year after she was trained, she started going #2 in a very strange way. She crawls into the bowl - butt up in the air, and lets gravity work - most of the time it falls in between her legs, and into the bowl, but occasionally a piece will land on the seat.

I have asked another behaviorist about this a couple of years ago and he said he had never heard of it and had no clue. My concern is her putting her feet in the toilet bowl itself - I don't want her to get sick. Is there any way to get her to start going #2 the "normal" way again? And, should I be concerned over the fact that she is putting her feet in the toilet bowl to go #2? I don't mind having to occasionally flick a piece back in the bowl, and we clean the toilet about every other week, but it would be nice to be able to get her to start going the regular way again.

Thanks in advance for your help
Jen

My f. poochon (Punkin) arrived first in a new house I'm living in. She is 11 now. Then a year later we brought in a pug, about 4. Her name is Moo Shu or just "Moosh". Punkin seemed OK for several weeks but then started to attack...not just a bite, but a fight to kill. We had to pry her mouth of Moosh's throat to save her life!. This aggression is continuing. The only time they can be together is on a walk, when they walk side by side as if nothing ever happened.

I have an electric collar on Punkin and jolt her when she starts to attack. It stops the attack itself but not the inclination. Moosh is now equally aggressive toward Punkin after those previous attacks. She will not submit to Punkin.

We have a third dog (all are rescues), a male terripoo, age about 5, who is fine with the two females.

Any ideas for stopping the aggression?

In the past year I have gotten four dogs - all rescues that I couldn't say no to adopting. The oldest is 12, and she has the hardest time getting along with the other 2 females, one a four yr old shepard chow mix, and a 2 yr old Great Dane St Bernard mix. The 2 yr old and 4 yrd old occasionally get into as well. They all have plenty of food, toys and chewies - I free feed with bowls of water and food around the house which always have fresh water and food. There are plenty of chewies but they always seem to want the one the other dog is chewing, even if I have just given them each a new one. They all get individually attention, walks and alone time and plenty of running and playing at the dog park and in a large fenced yard and at camp. Is it just getting them all together in a new environment in a short span of time? They actually do very well most of the day but it seems once or twice a day there is a spat. Like siblings.

There was a period in my dogs life when he was very tuned into me. Caleb would start running to the door waging his tail, and my family would say "Tom is on his way home". Within 3 minutes or so, I would drive in. I worked on a farm, so the time of my return would vary. My truck was no louder than any others out there, and he would react when I was at least two miles away. Is this common? Was my dog psychic, or did he just have real good hearing?

I have a question. I have had my adult cat for nearly 5 years. (He is almost 7 years old). At the beginning of this year, I got a 6 month-old male kitten. I got him to give my first cat companionship and did a lot of research to find out what type of cat would most likely be least threatening (male kitten). As soon as the kitten arrive, my cat began to get skin problems. The vet has tested for fungal infection, but I haven't yet received any results. There continue to be more and more patches of skin missing and red then crusted over (scabbed) skin patches. I first thought he was getting scratched from rough-housing with the kitten, but the vet thought it could be a fungal infection (the kitten has nothing, though). Could this be something stress-related from having to adjust to the kitten coming into his territory?
-Concerned Mom

I have two shih tzu, Marshmallow & Loki. They're both female, similar size and same age. Marshmallow has assumed the dominate role but she's very insecure. She gets to do everything first. However, sometime she goes crazy. Every so often she would get aggressive with Loki. But Loki doen't seem to be affected. She just pretend like nothing is happening and ignore Marshmallow's bullying. I'm wondering if Loki is actually the alpha dog. In any case, Loki has been sleep barking lately. Which is cute but odd. I don't want Loki to be traumatized nor do I want to physically handled Marshmallow when she acts out. What's the best way to handle this situation.

When my older dog, who helped raise my younger dog, passed away, it took me two years to replace him (my heart was broken). Before he died, my younger dog, Sofia, was happy, loved other dogs and happily played and met any dog without incident.

Even before I adopted another rescue dog, she became aggressive to other dogs, including elderly dogs, any dogs! It has made walking her a nightmare.

What can I do to teach her that I don't need THAT much protection? She is now 7. She has been Boss Dog with the new dog for almost two years now (and is a very benevolent dominant dog, she's very good with him).

My 4 year old GSD has developed a deep fear and reaction to the sound of gunshots. (My neighbor target practices) She shakes, wines, paces and refuses even her favorite treats. I have tried "ignoring" her fear and get her to go for a walk, I have tried some of her training commands such as sit, leave it, down, etc...she seems deaf to my words.
This can not be healthy for her. She does not respond fearfully to thunder, loud noise or firecrackers...only the sound of gun fire. Please give some suggestions for a way I can help her.

Hi! I have a 2 year old dog who is potty trained, but pees in the house when I'm away! He has potty pads & knows what they're for (I want to make sure he CAN go if I'm at work and he needs to), but he just pees on certain things (like the box I have glass that needs to be recycled in). I take him out frequently and on runs or hikes as well! He never does this when I'm home so I can "catch him in the act" and I really don't want to have to keep him in a crate for hours when I'm at work!

Is there anything I can do?

I adopted a beautiful 2 year old flat coated retriever 6 months ago. She is fine when I put my hands in her food bowl but becomes growly when another dog approaches. I'm worried as my son has a new boxer puppy that is curious and playful. Of course I would never feed them in close proximity but still would like to know if there is anything I can do to alleviate this behavior.
thank you so very much!

I own 2 dogs, both were my foster dogs that I adopted. The first I got Oct 3, the second Oct 12. I had not had any real problems with the second dog until recently. He has been peeing and pooping in the house, sometimes after you let him out. We do have a third foster dog right now. Do you think this could be due to him? I am getting very frustrated and would welcome any suggestions. I have tried belly banding him, tethering him to me in the house so he can't sneak off, rewarding him after going outside. I just don't know what to do. I know our rescue dogs go through a lot, losing their families, coming from mills, etc. Do you think it might be too much for him to handle? Thank you for any advice

i have 2 kitties that are survivors of Hurricane Katrina. they are almost 4 years old. they were 6 months old when they were found swimming in the flood waters. they are brother & sister named Elvis & Priscilla. Elvis has this crazy obsession with paper napkins or paper towels. he is always trying to get one & if he can, he will eat it. both kitties are also into eating/licking plastic grocery bags. i have gotten really good at hiding all of these things & also not bringing them into the house. i'm just wondering if anyone else is having the same problem & if there is a way to get them to stop. or is there an underlying factor - do they need more fiber??? luckily nothing has happened with either kitty's health & they are very lively & active buddies. i'd appreciate any input. >'o'<

My question is, my dog is house broken but he has a problem with wanting to mark INSIDE the home. I have never been able to stop this since he apparently does it when we are not home. Now when we leave we have to leave him in the kitchen area and he will still mark/tinkle by the stove! IS there anything to be done or just accept that I have to keep a lot of areas blocked off and limit him to only one room when I am not home? (When I work 12hr days I have a sitter who takes him with her for 8 hours of that day so he is not alone ALL day!)
I am not the kind of person who doesn't mind that smell. I am extremely neat and as a matter of fact had to take the carpet out of one room and replace it with flooring because he had peed so much in that room (where his dog bed is, always on the edge of the dog bed). It is disgusting and I want to make sure I try everything before I throw in the towel, because I do not want to live in a stinky house. Last week he even marked the couch right where my husband had taken a nap earlier!
Please help, I don't have TV or cable so I will not be able to get help through TV. I look forward to the answers!
Thanks.

I adopted a 1 year old neutered male Maltese. Most of the time he's very sweet, but when he gets very excited (like to go out or when one of us leaves the house), he goes to nip (major ouch). How can we curb this behavior?

My dog will chew on anything metal. He almost seems to go out of his way to find it too. Is there something lacking in his diet? What would cause this. He gets into staples, chew on zippers, etc, etc.

Hello Sarah, I wanted to know if you believe there is a difference between "treats" and "food" in the mind of the dog?

"Food" seems like a "1st order psychological necessity" for survival, like air, water. The terminal behavior for predation / hunting pulsion is "food".

"Treats", seem more like edible candy or chocolate cake. Even tho "food" can be used as "treats", "treats" seem to be more of a "social interaction". Like a ball or tug toy (5th order necessity), is "artificial", not necessary for survival, but can be psychologically elevated to a "2nd order necessity" through frustration, like cigarettes, sex, or gambling, or other vices / addictions.

Also I question that a dog can predate / dispatch, without eating object as "food", but I question if this is really a "1st order necessity"? Is this really "social play" a "4th order necessity", if the dog "chases" the prey object, may even kill it and leave it on the ground. Is this or is this not "hunting" even tho the dog does not use the prey item as "food".

I am considering that if we withhold food for 24 hours and "cover the necessity" on a contingency of behavior, then we are using "food" in training as a 1st order necessity.

If we are feeding the dog by hand throughout day for behavior, it is "treats".

This distinction seems like a "fine line", but can make a considerable difference in the technique chosen to train with.

What is your insight?

Thank you
(one of your silent admirers from the California seminars)

Tom De luca III
Pawlite Companion Dog Training Services
California

When my dad died two and a half years ago, I took in his dog, Jimmy, who my dad had adopted three years earlier from a shelter. (Jimmy had been mistreated by his previous owner.) I brought Jimmy back home and upon first sight, Jimmy and my boyfriend didn't get along. He is the only person who Jimmy reacts to this way. He is excited when he meets new people and wants to play with them. He has never growled at anyone other than my boyfriend. At the same time, Jimmy is incredibly attached to me and he prefers my company over anyone else's. When my boyfriend comes over, Jimmy runs in a panic alternatively growling and cowering, shivering and pacing. Jimmy recently reached out and nipped at my boyfriend when he tried to let him outside when I was out of town. This has caused tremendous stress between us. But I can't even imagine giving up Jimmy. I talked with a worker at the SPCA who told me that because Jimmy has shown aggressive behavior and because he's a pit mix, they wouldn't take him in for adoption. She told me that they would have him euthanized if they were to take him. I can't even fathom having him put down. He's a perfectly sweet healthy dog in every other way. While I have suggested that we work together with a trainer, my boyfriend does not believe that Jimmy can change this behavior. He feels that Jimmy was traumatized by someone and has been damaged beyond repair. Do you believe this is true? Have you been able to turn these kinds of dog/person conflicts around?

Loved the show. Are there any shelters in the Los Angeles or Ventura areas of California that use the "purple, Orange, Green" method of catagorizing dog types?

I used to have a miniature dachshund, who was a devoted couch potato just like me. She always was content to just lie there and keep me company, only leaving to go outside through her doggy door. When I had to leave, she was sorry to see me go, and happy upon my return, but did not have separation anxiety. Anyway, she died at age 14 (on Christmas day; what a present!!!), and since, I've inherited 3 cats (once 4, but one broke his back and had to be euthanized (on New Year's Day--what is it with pets and holidays?), which I promised my dying mother I'd take care of. They're now 14 (litter mates), and when they go, I'd like to get another mini dachshund. Does anyone know of another breed that's like me, a couch potato, who might fit, in case I can't find a dachshund? Thanks.

My dog Duncan is a 2 yr. old Golden-Aussie mix. He's very sweet and outgoing, and just the most loving dog you can imagine. I grew up with Goldens and he fits the personality to the letter. One behaviour though, is interesting and something I've not observed in any dog before - he nibbles gently with his front teeth vs. licking to give me kisses. He will lick other peoples' faces, but rarely licks me, preferring to nibble the top or sides of my head. Its clearly affection, but what on earth does this stem from? (We are what you would define as Soul mates!)

We have this cat since it was 5 weeks old (told it was at least 6 weeks old when we got it). He will be 2 years old at the end of March. He likes to bite, especially me. If I walk by, he will start biting my foot/ankle and then grab my leg and hang on. He also bites my hand and forearm. If I have a toy to play with him and and make it go up and down, he ignores the toy and attacks my hand. On the occasions when he sleeps with me, he will suddenly bite my face while I'm asleep. He does this to my husband but on a limited basis. Any suggestions on what to do to stop/limit this? Thanks.

We have a 22 month old Malamute. She has pretty much pulled out all the landscaping in the yard as well as chewed on our kitchen table and chairs. In Oct. we brought home a second year old Samoyed- Husky mix from the kennel where he was left (he was there from July until Oct) in the hopes he would keep her company. She continues to have jealousy issues, growling at him when he comes around when I am there. She tries not to let him get close to me. Is there anything we can do to make her less jealous?

About the Dogology types, can you talk about how a new dog person can move through the different types? I feel like I'm changing between all the types because I'm learning so much. Somedays I feel like a SoulMate, when everything is going smoothly and sometimes I feel like an Expert when things _aren't_! Thanks!

I consider myself a highly analytical person. I've always enjoyed and done well at academic pursuits. I would describe myself as very cerebral -- always in my head. My parent describes me as very serious. Given that, I expected to be rated as a Thinker. Instead, I came up almost completely as a Feeler (pretty evenly spread amongst those three types.) How do you explain this difference? How can I use this information - knowing that I am fairly intellectual but apparently mostly emotional with my dogs?

I find the description of the nine personality types of dog owners fascinating. How much do you think they transfer to cat owners and, in your experience, how do cats respond relationally to the different types of owners? I also wonder if the common complaint that "cats are aloof" comes from a certain personality type of person. Thank you!

I thoroughly enjoyed watching Why We Love Cats and Dogs. It was a great show! In the show you mention the 9 personality you discuss in your book Dogology. Other than being a good read (which it is!) how do you imagine people will use the information offered in Dogology? How is knowing our personality type helpful? What was your main purpose in writing this book?

Hi,

I'm a dog trainer and I am having a problem motivating/communicating with one of my clients.

She is a lovely woman who sent her pup to me for Boarding & Training. The dog has been back in the home for approx 4 months and the owners have successfully untrained this pup in just about every aspect of her life except housebreaking. Everytime I ask the female owner how things are going she says, " I love her she's perfect". (The husband works alot and is pretty much out of the picture training-wise).

This pup who had previously been trained to sit for attention and to NOT jump up on people has been leaping into her owner's lap from 8 or 9 feet away, which the owner said was "adorable". However, now the pup is launching into her owner's head when she's seated or laying down, leaping onto and standing on counters and tables. All of which doesn't seem to actually bother the owner until/unless she is actually hurt by something the pup does. To the owner, everything this pup does is adorable, funny or isn't she the greatest!

However, pup is now with me for "refresher" training for a week because the owner's friends have commented on the dog's behavior in negative way. And I think the owner has been embarrassed by that. But, without the owner's partipation, the dog is going to revert to her same bad behavior.

So here's the question, what Dogology type do you think this woman is (I'm thinking soulmate)? And what do you think the best approach would be to instill in her the need to set some boundaries and limits for this dog? I'm afraid I'm going to return her puppy to her with instructions (again) for maintaining the pup's behavior and they will be ignored (again). Oh, this same owner has equated discipline with being harsh and unloving in conversation with me previously.

I'm hoping that both you and your Dogology types can help me access this woman in order to motivate her to participate in this young pup's training. Thank you.

Hello Ms. wilson, my question is; Am I crazy for feeling i like my dogs more than i do people?. Perhaps it is a little exagerating to put it that way but, i have very few friends with whom i feel very comfortable and i can spend a fair amount of time and very rarely will choose them over my dogs. Overall i find people way too complicated, i always feel that interacting with them it's like a game of chezz, with my two dogs i don't have to play any role i just am myself, anticipated thanks for your time.
Sicerely,
Irma G.

I don't understand why my cat pees on my shoulder or in my lap when she sits next to me. She's only 5 years old and happy- healthy. There is another cat in the house but all is well there. This same cat doesn't use her litter box. I have two litter boxes. Still won't use either one.
Frustrated.

I love animals but I have a bone to pick with people who own lots of animals and do not take care of them. A few years ago, I moved into a beautiful lakefront community and the guy who moved in across the street bought a beagle for his young daughter. He took it inside for a few minutes every day and then put it outside to howl all day long and night. Why own animals unless you want to treat them like companions? I don't get it!

I have to admit, growing up I liked cats a lot more than dogs. Cats are cuter to me and dogs used to scare me (I had a few run ins with some unfriendly ones). The problem is that we discovered that my asthma was triggered by cat allergies. Now we have a little dog, a papillon. He is a small and cute. In fact, some people think he looks a little like a cat. So I have the best of both worlds for me.