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Issue Date: June 6, 2004
Curb bad behavior
Our animal expert wrangles some of your most urgent concerns.
By Steve Dale
Between my syndicated newspaper column, TV appearances and radio shows, I receive more than 100 questions a week about pets. These are the ones I'm asked most often:
How do I get my dog to stop digging in the yard, jumping the fence and barking at people who pass by?
A yard is not a babysitter. After a few patrols around to sniff where the squirrels have been, life in a yard becomes boring. It's perfectly natural for dogs to pass time by digging or barking. A dog that's able to jump the fence can be a neighborhood nuisance or get hit by a car. And dogs are sometimes stolen from yards. Still, tethering dogs in yards should be illegal. It's inhumane: Some dogs choke themselves, and tethered dogs ultimately develop behavior issues.
Try stuffing nice-smelling goodies inside Kong toys (hard rubber toys that hold treats) to keep Fido occupied outside. Designate a place where he can dig by burying the treat-filled toys, so he won't rearrange your garden.
Why does my cat urinate outside the litter box?
There could be any number of reasons. If you're willing to investigate the cause, you can solve the problem.
First, have your vet check for a urinary tract infection.
Figure out if your cat is marking (leaving vertical streams on walls) or voiding (on flat surfaces, such as the carpet). If your cat is marking, get him or her neutered or spayed. (Even then, altered cats may mark when territory seems threatened.)
Because some cats like to have a choice, my rule is 1.5 boxes per cat in a multi-cat household. So, if you have two cats, try three boxes.
Like a beach bully, some cats will stake claim to a box. Kitty also might avoid the box when other pets are rude, such as when a dog constantly barks at the cat using the box.
Cats like privacy, but the litter box shouldn't be too difficult to reach. One family positioned the box in a back corner crawl space of the basement. Their arthritic 18-year-old cat could barely make it down the stairs; it was easier to piddle on the bathroom rug.
Scoop daily, and change the litter every 10 to 14 days.
Consider litter preferences. In general, cats prefer unscented litters.
Some cats don't mind a cover on their litter box. Others feel constrained.
Many litter boxes are too small for overweight cats. Lots of cats begin to hit their target when they have a larger one to aim at. Try using a plastic storage container like the kind you buy to store sweaters under a bed.
My dog is aggressive. What can I do?
If there's been a sudden change in your dog's disposition, it might be due to a medical problem, so see your vet.
Otherwise, it's unlikely your dog is truly aggressive; she's probably afraid. You can start at home with all adults telling your pooch "sit" before she is fed, petted or played with. That will help her understand she is not the decision maker and must follow others.
Using a halter collar might help. At first glance it resembles a muzzle, because part of the apparatus fits around the dog's snout like a horse halter. It helps you direct the dog and may ultimately calm her. Still, no single piece of equipment will be a miracle cure. If your dog threatens anyone, professional hands-on training is mandatory.
My cat scratches at the sofa. Do I need to have him declawed?
No! Declawing removes part of the digit and should be called amputation. It's not as simple as clipping the nails, which should be kept short with nail clippers (your vet can demonstrate).
Offer alternative scratching areas, such as a scratching post, and encourage scratching by playing with your cat near it and getting him to touch his paws there. Meanwhile, line your sofa with Sticky Paws (lightweight double-stick tape appropriate for fabrics, available at pet stores). Cats need to scratch, but most of them can be trained to do it in the right places.
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Keep kitty off counters
Squirting him with water or hollering "No!" can work as long as you're on patrol. When you're about to go out, try affixing double-stick tape on plastic place mats and arranging them on counters and tabletops. Cats hate anything sticky on their paws.
Contributing Editor Steve Dale hosts the WGN Radio show "Pet Central" and the syndicated "Animal Planet Radio," and writes the syndicated column "My Pet World."
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