From time to time I get the opportunity to answer questions on dog issues. Here are some of those questions & answers;

My 7 month old Cav King Chas is acting strange…?

Question

The past few weeks, she has been testing me more and more, and I bring her to work where I work in customer service, which she’s been coming to since she was 7 weeks old, but now she is barking at customers, and jumping on children and also running out the door. Last night she even ran away from home for 20 minutes. She is being strange to me, unloving and distant. Is she mad, or stressed? I’m so confused. Before this occurred, she was normal, listened to me graduated training school and all. help!

Answer

The most important thing to realize is she is not testing you. She is behaving exactly as you would expect a 7 month old CKC who is not being given any rules or boundaries to behave. What is happening is she is now realizing that she has no pack leader and so she is starting to take on that role. I would imagine that things will get worse unless you take control and teach her what is acceptable and what is not.
I would suggest you go to the Cesar Milan web site and buy the DVD on how to become pack leader. Or if you prefer, on my blog there is a link to a very reasonably priced on-line training course, which should also help you,
Good luck.

Correct Answer

The most important thing to realize is she is not testing you. If she were it would mean that she was capable of strategic thought. I can assure you that dogs are not capable of strategy, they behave instinctively. Humans however, are capable of strategic thinking. Ok that last sentence, I accept is optimistic, but that’s me.

You say she ran away for 20 minutes, is she mad. The answer is of course “yes”, if she were sane she would have never come back.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate her on graduating from school and I hope that one day you too will graduate.

6 month old American Bulldog question….?

Question
When we took him to the vet a few months ago he had worms, so we had him some medicine and if took all that now last night when he was going to the bath room it looked like he pooped out a long white zagzig string..could he had worms again?? Could we just get him some deworm medicine from walmart instead of taking him to the vet???

Answer
If he were my dog, I would take him to the vet.

Correct Answer
You on the other hand, I would take to a psychiatrist.

Flying jerks bite my dogs?

Question
ok, so my problem is, the flies are attracted to my dogs for some reason, and other people say that flies bite their dogs ears, but not only are they chewing up the ears, they are biting their bodies and sucking their blood, ive read that putting a tbs of Apple Cider Vinegar in their food every night would make them undesirable to the flies after 2 weeks, but its been two weeks and so far no progress, i was wondering if there was another way besides putting all kinds of lotions, oils, or jellies on the dogs that would help, please and thank you

Answer
Go and see your vet who will know the best way to deal with the particular type of insects in your area.

Correct Answer
Off the top of my head I can think of three things,

1. Go and see your vet who will know the best way to deal with the particular type of insects in your area.
2. Place your dog within an impenetrable barrier to flies such as a Kevlar suit.
3. Enjoy the fact that there are no flies on you.

Sun+my chihuahua=?

Question
is it normal for a chihuahua to lay in the sun? I mea she has really dark skin in all but I don’t know what to do, I mean she will
stay till she pants or just stay there and then she growls or bites me if I try to get her out of the sun! is this normal? is this bad?

Answer

It is normal for dogs to like the sun, but they can get burned if they are out for too long and like humans they can get skin cancer.
It is also normal to growl and bite you if she believes that you have no right to tell her what to do. You need to change that by making yourself the pack leader (in her eyes).
I recommend a training course on my blog which should help.

Correct Answer

It is normal for dogs to like the sun, but they can get burned if they are out for too long and like humans they can get skin cancer.
It is also normal for her to growl and bite you if you try to get her out. You should however consider yourself lucky. I have a friend whose husband tried to get her to stop sunbathing and she used a baseball bat on him. Furthermore she is a faster runner than a Chihuahua.

Perfect dog?

Question
For my sister? She is in college and we just bought her a house so, I want to know what is a good, small dog, that’ll live for a long time, dosnt stink nor shead, and has a good health.

For me? My dog is a medium size dog (Half bordercollie half chow). She is 16 years old. I love that dog. She is close to the end of her time line so I need another dog. I would like a German Shepard but my parents wont let me get one because Im fixing to head to college. So I need a small or medium size dog, that has good health, thats pertective, I dont care if it sheads, has a good health history and is easy to train and dosnt stink.

Answer
Go to your local rescue home. They will be able to match you to the perfect dog.

Correct Answer

1. Doesn’t stink
2. Doesn’t shed
3. Has good health

I have loaded your requirements into my Acme computerized dog matcher and the computer says —- Pluto.

My Puppy will not poop?

Question
I adopted an orphaned pup (4 wks old). I can not get him to poop. I have had him 24 hours. I have tried the cotton ball on the anus, stimulating the anus with a themometer. Taking him outside, sitting him on a puppy pad. I am at a loss. I have never had one not poop, usually it is the other problem. Help

Answer
It might be because he hasn’t eaten for a while, but I would have him checked over by a vet anyway.
I hope that this helps and all goes well.

Correct Answer
He might be shy so he is probably doing it while you are not looking. I would look under your bed. If I were your dog, that where I would do it.

Golden retriever?

Question
k so my parents said i cud get a golden retriever. iv read dat they need to be with a person a lot. i go to school and come back at 2:30, my parents come back at 6, and my bro comes back at 3:30. im wonderin if it is OK to leave it alone between the hours of 9:00AM-2:30PM

Answer
If you are considering getting a puppy then the answer is definitely no. 3 hours max.
If you are considering a rescue dog, then tell the rescue centre your hours and I’m sure that they will be able to give you some good advice.
Hope this helps.

Correct Answer
My advice to you is simple. Do not get a dog but stay at school for the whole day. Use the money you have saved for a dog to get yourself some additional tutoring. Good grief you need it!

Are dog clothes good or bad?

Question
i love dog clothes on small dogs but some people hate dog clothes! if your a person like that who hates dog clothes think about this my aunt has a poodle and if theres even the slightest chill in the air he shakes because he is cold so when he has to go outside to use the bathroom or just for exersize we have him a doggy jacket and some dogs dont hate the clothes.realy its just like putting clothes on a baby human and thats not mean
so do you think its mean to put clothes on dogs or do you think its just cute?

Answer
I have a rain coat for my dog which extends under his belly as he has very short legs and likes to walk in long grass and another with a fleece lining for when it is cold, but he only wears them when it is raining or very cold.
That said, dogs are not baby humans and I think that they look daft in dog clothes. It is also noticeable that when dogs are treated as humans they almost always have behavior issues.

Correct Answer

I think that it is outrageous that dogs are allowed to walk naked in the street, showing off their private parts. Dress them up like baby children and take them out for walks in strollers. That’s the real way to treat a dog.

I think my pit bull is allergic to flea bites… how can i tell?

Question
He’s scratching himself until he bleeds, and i all ready have him on a flea preventative… what do i do?

Answer
If he is on flea medication then it shouldn’t be fleas. Take him to see a vet who will be able to give you an appropriate remedy.

Correct Answer

You need to take him off the flea preventative, remove it from the box, apply to your dog and then take an IQ test.

Tosa’s and Boerboels ?

Question
Well, im having some horrible luck finding a Neapolitan Mastiff under $2000 that’s pet quality and there are no breed specific rescues remotely close to my area.. So, I’ve decided to find another breed sadly…

Now im looking at Tosa Inu’s and Boerboels..

Im looking at Boerboel prices, and they fluctuate from $800 to $3000. I saw Tosa’s being price ranged from $1000 to over $10,000 because aren’t fully recognized by the U.S.

Me and my mom lead a kind of active lifestyle. I would be able to excercise the dog 4 times a day for atleast an 1 and 30 minutes since i live in an a large apartment. I would also be able to take the dog to my uncle’s house and let him play in the private, fenced in, backyard with my cousins and the other 2 dogs they have ( teacup bichon and Beagle ).

Would that be ok for these two breeds ?

Answer
The fact that you have to ask a question like this leads me to think that perhaps you would be wise to consider some other breeds. Boerboel for example, means “farmers dog” and you could therefore quite rightly draw the conclusion that a farm is an appropriate place for such a dog and not an apartment. In fact an apartment is absolutely the wrong place to keep either a Tosa or a Boerboel. Furthermore these breeds should only be considered by people who are highly experienced with fighting breeds.
On a more positive note, I think that the best breed to get if you are going to take it to your uncle’s house would be a Beagle. They are fantastic dogs, make great pets, will mix well with other dogs and are far more suitable for your living environment than Tosas or Boerboels.

Correct Answer

I think that it always causes problems when people ne matter how experienced they are buy a dog with a larger brain than their own. I would suggest that a very small Yorkie would just about scrape in to the appropriate dog for you category.

How do I teach a male 9 1/2 mth. old Toy Rat Terrier the word no?

Question
We just got him last week. He was as good as gold the first week, now he’s gotten comfortable with us and is very curious and into everything. What’s the proper way to teach him the word no. Everything I read about the breed says if you are too forceful with them, they can become stubborn and hard to manage.

Answer
1 - Although you may hear/read otherwise the MOST important thing is “never hit your dog”. He will only learn to do what ever you don’t want and then duck. Honestly there is never any situation where smacking a dog can help. Even more important - NEVER hit your dogs nose. It is your dogs primary sense. It will only teach him to get out of your way which is self defeating.
2 - Unfortunately dogs can’t speak English, so he will never understand the word no. You have to speak to your dog in a language he understands.
3 - The way to stop him doing things is to distract him. Use a sound which is short I use “HEY” with my dog. He will interpret it as a bark which he will understand. Only ever use that sound to discipline him so he will very quickly associate your bark with your displeasure.
4 - Occasionally he may become so fixated on something that HEY will not work. So give him a very quick tap/pinch on the shoulder with your thumb and forefinger. The object is just to snap him out of his train of thought, not to knock him over or hurt him. With such a small dog you will only need a very light touch. It emulates a bite. It is natural behavior between dogs and it works.
5 - He should be getting at least 2 walks a day of not less than 20 minutes. It will help prevent boredom.
6 - Make sure that he has some toys. One of my dogs will even stop eating if he hears his squeaky toy, so I use that sometimes to distract him.
7 - I would also consider a course of training. I recommend one and there is a link on my blog to it. This will help the bonding between you and also help set you as the pack leader.
Good luck.

Correct Answer
I have been trying to teach my son that for the last 15 years and he still hasn’t learned it, so what chance do you stand with a dog.

How do you get rid of dog pee scent on carpet?

Question
Yuck…….it’s nasty! Anyone got some suggestions ’cause I DEFINITLY need one….thanks!

Answer
Hi
I use an amazing product called Eliminator by Neways. It is actually mouthwash but I put it in a spray bottle and spray it on the carpet and let it dry naturally. It removes the smell straight away. It is not particularly expensive and has many other uses as well.

Correct answer
Disguise it using a stronger smelling liquid. I use cats pee. Works every time.