Go Dog Training

How do you resolve separation anxiety with a 6 month old puppy? We've left her alone at the house a couple of times and she's torn up the area that we left her at. Thanks.

Thank you for getting back to me on my question. Our 6-month puppy is a Catahoula Leopard/German Shepherd mix and I've read that they don't like being left alone. We adopted her at 8 weeks old from a local animal shelter. After 1 week at home with us, she got sick with the Parvo disease and she was hospitalized for 7 days. Since she had Parvo, she was quarantined from the other dogs at the hospital. We visited her every night during her hospital stay. My husband works from home everyday. During her potty training days, my husband kept her at close promixity to him because he didn't trust her roaming around the house by herself. When my husband leaves the house, she would whine and pace around the house looking for him. Our pup follows him every where he goes in the house. He can't even go to the bathroom without her following him. We try to take her with us as much as we can but there are times where we have to leave her in the car and even in the car she gets destructive. We've left her in the car a couple of times with toys and bones to chew on but she chooses to chew on the seat belts instead. This pup is our second together and we don't remember going through this with our other dog so its frustrating for us sometimes especially for my husband. My husband feels that he made her this way because he kept her at close proximity when she was younger and he's at his wits trying to figure out to cure our pup of this. He refuses to put her in a crate because he doesn't like seeing dogs in a cage. She doesn't like being by herself outside and inside the house. Could our pup staying at the hospital at a young age play a part on her not wanting to be alone? Thank you for your help and suggestions.

Hi Kelley: Reading your post makes me want to ask a question about our 13-year-old female Dachshund. Every night, when my wife and I are in bed, she humps our legs. Not just once, but several times. She doesn't do it at any other time. Can you explain?

Hi! We have a 4-year-old Beagle/Basset Mix that we re-homed about 3 months ago. He seems to be adjusting well. But he does bark a lot! We have done some training with him and he no longer barks in the house unless he's really excited (fair enough!). But outside, when he gets on the scent of something or chases other dogs, he barks constantly. Our "QUIET" command with claps, wistles, or shaking a jar of pennies, does nothing. How can we curb such an instinctual habit? Also, another problem with the same dog just surfaced: food guarding. He was in a shelter for over a year and was an outside dog for the first 3 years of his life, and so we were not surprised by his food and water hoarding, but the food aggression is brand new. We are trying the Trade game where we make him give up something for something similar or the same while using "trade" as the trigger. But the problem is that he seems to know the difference between a dish or food bowl versus treats or toys for training. He's great w/ treats and the training sessions, but when we aren't using those to trade, he goes berserk! Thanks for taking the time to read and ponder all of this! I look forward to hearing your response(s)! Colleen

Dear Colleen, My thoughts on your BEAGEL/BASSET Mix are posted here. http://blogs.dogtime.com/go-dog-training/2009/03/barking-and-teaching-quiet

Hi Kelley, We have a teacup yorkie who is generally very well behaved. We have never had a dog in an apartment before and when he was small he got so cold going out for walks that we tried to potty train him in the house. Generally, he uses one of those special mats in the same place in the bathroom but occasionally he'll choose random other spots to urinate, particularly in doorways (not to mention scent marking randomly here and there). We normally ban him from bedrooms but if he sneaks in he almost always urinates on the beds. How can we get tough on him so that he understands ONLY to pee outside or on the special pads? Thanks for being there to field our questions.

I have two shih tzu brothers. They are one year old. One neutered, the other is not. Should I worry when I leave them home alone? Should I separated them? Is it possible that the one who is neutered be raped by the other one is not neutered?

Dear SHIH TZU BROTHERS, If you see your dogs humping... don't be alarmed! Humping is natural in play. It is not rape, dominance or incest. Read more>>>http://blogs.dogtime.com/go-dog-training/2009/03/doggie-style-the-humpy-hound If humping becomes an obsession, then you might want to teach your dog "OFF" or "LEAVE-IT" or you could TIME-OUT your dog for humping. http://blogs.dogtime.com/go-dog-training/2008/10/when-and-how-to-punish-your-dog FINAL NOTE: Don't be surprised if your neutered dog turns out to be the humper! When I am out at the park with an INTACT, MALE DOG, they are usually the ones that get jumped & humped. Rarely do they do the humping. My guess it that the NEUTERED dog is scent-triggered (by the smell of the intact males testosterone) into a pattern of behavior (humping).

If you haven't gotten your answer yet, STAY TUNED! In the meantime, check my blog for older postings that might help. http://blogs.dogtime.com/go-dog-training

Hi Kelly, I have a 14 year old toy poodle. I will be babysitting my daughters 6 month old miniature poodle. The young one picks on my older poodle constantly, so I have to pick him up to keep them separate. I am considering a muzzle to keep the puppy from harrassing and picking on my dog. What do you think?

Dear Poodle-Puppy-Problems, Do NOT use a muzzle. 1. You puppy can still annoy the older dog with a muzzle. 2. Your puppy needs to be able to use her mouth in play so that she learns HOW TO USE HER MOUTH. If you restrict this, you may have problems later. For now,keep the dogs separate when you are busy. Then teach your puppy to head your command "ENOUGH!' There is a previous post about this. The link is below. http://blogs.dogtime.com/go-dog-training/2009/02/training-by-the-letter-e

Hello ive jus got a puppy 8 weeks on saturday ive had it since wednesday. ive tried putting the puppy in his cage for half hour why im taking a shower but he cryes soo much i dont no what to do i go to college mondays 9 till 4 so he will be left alone all day in his cage. ive tried leaving the house and standing by the door for 15mins and he was still crying. i feel like i carnt have a life now because of the puppy. the puppy carnt go out his having his first injection saturday i carnt wait for when his older because then if i need to pop out somewhere he can come with me. but at the moment his not aloud out untill 13weeks. i really didnt think it would be that differcult looking after a puppy but it is i love him and dont want to get rid of him but i need help cause i carnt go anywhere ive even thought of gettin a dog sitter!!! could u please give me some advice thanks

Dear Kell, We where given a yellow lab mix. When we took him to get cheked by the vet , we where told that he was aprox 4 to 5 weeks old , now he is 7 weeks old. 4 day ago he starded chewing on his own lips with a little diahrrea is this normal? Thank you, Ruby Smith

Hi, Please let me know if we can train a 1 year old labrador. We didnt do that while he was a puppy. Sweta

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Kelly, I have a toy poo & a min schnauzer. The schnau lost his sight due to SARDS 1 1/2 yrs ago. How do I get them to stop crying & whining when starting out on a trip, especially to the vet? If the poo starts, then they're both crying. Sometimes the schnau really needs to stop & do a job, even though we took a pit stop before beginning the trip. Once the visit at the vet is over, they're perfect. They ride on a 24" pillow on the front seat of our Silverado. Any clues as to how to regain sanity when beginning a trip? Shirl

Dear DRIVING YOU CRAZY, Car whining can be excitement or nervousness. I would guess that your Schnauzer is having a mini-panic attack (fight/flight body systems cause lack of control over bowels). QUESTION: Do they ever go on car trips that are NOT to the vet? If not, there is your solution. Load everyone in the car, drive around the block and then go home and act as if nothing happened. Unload the dogs and go about your normal daily activity. Practice this 3-5x per week for a month. I bet it will get better. Don't expect major results until about week 3.

Dear House Of Boys, Well, I have 2 male, neutered dogs, and yes the "have words" over toys, bones, me and favorite sleeping locations. Since the fights are not escalating and since they squabble without causing damage, I let it be. My general rules are... 1) If you have it and growl to let the other dog know you don't want to share it, that is cool (verbalizing wants/needs is not a crime). 2) If you steal it (take something directly from another dog) that earns you a Time-out from me. 3) If you get growled at and respectfully walk away, you get praised by me (growler gets nothing -no punishment for voicing opinions in my house). 4) If you pick a fight/jump on a dog (even if they growled at you) we have training to do (don't punch someone who said something you didn't agree with). NOW, 2 FEMALE DOGS... those bitches can be a handful! I'd rather have 4 neutered boy dogs than 2 female dogs any day :)

Hi Kelley, I have recently adopted a 5mo puppy from a rescue/ hospice where she spent her days with 40 other dogs and never been crated or left alone. She is fine sleeping in her crate in my room over night but we have tried following your training tips to get her to be okay alone in my room and she barks non stop the entire time she is placed in there. do you have any tips on how to help her adjust to being alone? Thanks, Mauxie Mom

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QUESTION: I have heard about animal rescues/shelters specifically utilized to save the pets of people who need to go into drug treatment/rehab and/or spouse abuse shelters. There are quite a few cases where an abused person is afraid to leave for fear of retaliation against the pet. I live in NY/NJ area but am interested in learning about any/all in the US. Thanks so much for your assistance, Leigh Becker, RN

I have a 14 year old yorkie with a heart problem. She is taking medicine and doing great. The down side is the number of times she pees on the floor during the night and when I am not home. How would she feel being in a kennel during these times. She has never been in a crate, except at the groomers. Thank you for your advice. Craig Dallas Texas

I have a four month old yellow lab that i purchased from a breeder. her ears do not seem to lay flat to her head unless she is sleeping. is this normal.

Hi Kelly, We have a rescue dog - mostly border collie with a little Brittany spaniel thrown in. He is 3-4 years old and a bit timid. "Ted" is a one-man-dog, and will follow me anywhere. Outside, off the lead, he will stay within sight of me. If I change direction, he changes direction, etc. He is pretty good about coming, though could be better on command. After a run in the woods off the lead, sometimes he is willing to come right in the house to eat; other times he does not want to come inside, even when presented with his bowl of food. This creates some problems, as we cannot take a chance leaving him off the lead when we have places to go (like to work in the morning), as much as we would like to. Do you have any suggestions on how we might overcome this occasional reluctance to come inside? Thank you for your help!

we have one dog, and we've just got another one, she's got had her first injection, we've let them get to know eachother but i'm very scared now, because i'm not sure if the puppy is allowed to mix with other dogs yet, is this okay? thanks for your help,

I need advice. We removed the very old wood doghouse since my rescued dog(lab/collie/shepherd?) chewed it to bits. She is not destructive in the house at all. Bought her (and the toypoodle..best buds) a brand new Igloo type doghouse. They refuse to go in it! I've tried putting cozy blankets or rugs inside and Molly (the larger) drags them out, chews them into shreds and still won't go in the doghouse even when it rains. any ideas? Jackie

Hi Kelly, My friend hasa St. Bernard that is 1 yr. old. At this young age, she had her first liter. She went into labor when no one was with her. When we got home to check on her, she had one of the pups. "Lucky" was very weak and we discovered he has a leasion on his leg. We are bottle feeding him, but we are not sure how to treat and dress the wound. 1. Do you know what may have caused the leasion? 2. How should we dress the wound? Should we burp the pup? If so, how? Thanks.

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Always had dogs. Now am 70 yr old widower w/o companion. Last dog had 16 yrs.; w/o for 3. Is a 2 yr old mutt from Humane Society a difficult age to train? Recommend upper age limit!

Hi there I have a 7 year old miniature dachshund when we woke up this moring his rectum is swollen with a lump. What can this be? should I try getting giving him a laxative in case he ate something and its stuck? I am worried about him. Thanks.

I have a question about my portuguese water dog. This is the first of all my portuguese that do not want to get in the pool. Is it because he fell in one time. He is now 9mos. old and he should be in there swimming . What can I do? Help I'm drowning in tears.. Robin

I have a 27 day old american pit bull terrier whos mom stopped feeding him, do you have any advice how I can keep the little guy healthy?

My question is, I have 2 shih tzu. They are 16 months old. I wonder, can I give them something else to drink besides water?

I have recently rescued an 8-10 year old dauschund who was found outside. He has been through a lot before he found his way to us. He has a great personality however we have moved to a new house in the last three weeks. In the new house he seems to be pooping to make a statement. He will hold it untill a few minutes after I walk into the door. When I get up in the morning and let him and my older dog outside for morning potty, he goes outside and just looks at me. He will not go. He will go sometimes in the house a while later. He does not let me know when he has to go out so when I am there I keep trying to take him out from time to time. I do not known what to do. He is very stubborn and I do not want to punish him but we need to fix this problem

Hi Kelley! I have a problem with one of my three golden retrievers. They are all outdoor dogs. (my dad is allergic) Sophie is almost 11, while Chelsey and Napoleon are almost 5. Napoleon occasionally demonstrates aggression towards the other dogs. He will pick a fight and steel the other dogs food or toys. Once, Napoleon even gave our oldest dog, Sophie, a puncture wound. It was not very deep, but it still drew blood. I used to spray them with the hose when they fought, but that did not stop them, they acted as if nothing was being sprayed at them. Now I just walk away whenever they start to fight. Now their fights occur less often, but the fighting has still not completely stopped. I read some your other responses, and I like your well explained answers. In another post, you said to give a dog a time out when they steel, and that they need training if they pick a fight. What is a good and effective way to give him time-outs and train him? Sincerely, Cheerio

Dear KB HOUSTON, Thank you for you question. I responded in the following blog post: http://blogs.dogtime.com/go-dog-training/2009/07/grumpy-dogs Good luck. Please let me know how this works for your granddog.

Hi Kelley! I have a year old Norweign Elkhound/Siberian Husky Mix and since we moved into my boyfreinds home he has become very aggressive (he actually bit me). Also, when we are not home he destroys things like the couch. When I try to discipline him he growls at me. This is a new home with new people (boyfreind and his 2 yr old child) and another puppy (4 month old German Shepard Female who he adores). I know that can be a lot for him. I'm just afraid that he may bite the 2 yr old little girl. Do you think neutering him and crating him when we aren't home will work? Please advise.

Dear Debbie, Tell me more! Is the aggression during play? Is it around food, toys, beds, YOU? When he does this, what is the current training plan? Blissfully Busy, Kelley

Dear Yorkiepoo-Boogerie-Goo, Yup, the technical term I use is 'eye-booger.' If you have not already done so, please take your dog to the vet to be sure that the eye-goo is normal discharge and not an infection. In general, yellow or green is bad news! I wouldn't worry too much about the isolated incident, but in the FUTURE... Use a CLEAN, WET, COTTON BALL to wipe away goop. This reduces the chance of scratching or getting dirt or oil from the finger into the eye. And, AFTER (not during) every grooming session, go to the fridge and get Jake something fantastic... cheese, chicken, meatball. Don't be cheap -pay well for the insult (goop-scooping) NOT for how well he took it (he can get food even if he didn't hold still, etc...) Good Luck!

Hi kelly, why do i have to tell my dog to go for a wee and poo

My Pappy-Gizmo has gotten EXTREMELY BAD fleas.Is there ANYTHING i can give him that will comfort him besides a flea bath?He is 12inches long,an weighs 9lbs.

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