Indoor or Outdoor Cats

Did you know the average lifespan of an outdoor cat is less than 3 years? Compare this to the average lifespan of 12 to 15 years for an indoor cat. Here are some of the most common hazards faced by outdoor cats. · Cruelty- Not all people love cats. Cats have been known to be injured by angry neighbors who dislike cats digging in their gardens or hunting birds. · Unfriendly dogs - Dogs can inflict life-threatening injuries especially to cats who have learned to trust dogs. · Other cats - If your cat gets into a territorial fight with another cat and is bitten, it could result in the spread of disease or a painful abscess, with the need for veterinary care. Always check your cat for painful lumps and bumps. · Predators such as coyotes and raccoons - In many areas, wild animals are potential predators. · Diseases - Contact with wild animals and other cats can result in the transmission of life-threatening diseases such as feline leukemia or feline immunodeficiency virus. · Parasites - The risk of infestations with fleas, ticks, intestinal worms, and other parasites increases in outdoor cats. · Poisons - Although you may have "cat-proofed" your outdoor area, others may not have, and your cat could be exposed to toxic substances such as antifreeze or pesticides. · Vehicles - An outside cat darting across the street can be an unfortunate victim of a moving vehicle, and cats that are hit by cars rarely survive. · Harsh weather: Weather conditions can change abruptly, and your cat could experience frostbite in the winter or dehydration, burning of paw pads, and/or skin cancer in the summer. · Getting lost: Your cat could be shut into a building, stolen, taken to an animal shelter, or adopted by others. Here are some things you can do to make the indoors more exciting to your feline companions: 1. Activity Centers - Cat trees and play furniture provide tall places for climbing and observation, and scratching posts and toys for stimulation. Available in a range of colors, styles, and options to fit your décor, and the needs of your cat. Remember to rearrange the activity centers periodically in order to keep your cat’s interest. 2. Treats - To keep her alert, break up your cat's routine. Stash delicious treats around your home to encourage your cat to use his senses to seek and find the treat. Provide an occasional catnip treat, for some energetic fun and excitement. 3. Window Perches - Install a window perch to afford your cat a warm place to nap in the sun, and a "birds-eye" view of the outdoors. 4. Toys - Find toys that appeal to your specific cat, and remember to rotate them on a weekly basis to prevent boredom. Simple things like cardboard boxes, paper bags, and rolls of paper can provide many distractions. 5. Companions - Some cats will do much better with another pet in the house. Another cat or a dog can provide companionship, interactive play, and many exercise activities. 6. Vertical access – Cats love to climb and relax in high places. Having things to climb in that provide access to tall perches or shelving can keep your cats happy and relaxed. Cats are great at escaping stress. When the nieces or nephews, grandchildren, or friend’s dogs, or in-laws come to visit, this can be pretty stressful for cats that are used to living a quiet, non-chaotic life with very few visitors. Having places to hide and high places to rest allow cats to escape stress that some visitors may bring. Finally, some ways to make the outdoors safer for your cat: 1. Identification - In preparation for any outdoor activity, make sure your cat has a harness or breakaway collar with identification. Microchipping is extremely important in case the collar falls off. 2. Preventive health measures - If your cat will be outside, be sure he or she is fully vaccinated, and spayed or neutered. Talk to your veterinarian about an appropriate worming schedule. 3. Runs and pens - Commercial mesh cat runs set up quickly and protect your cat, allowing her to enjoy fresh air, watch birds, and bask in the warm sunshine. Sections can be connected giving her more space to roam. 4. Fences - Because cats are great leapers, erecting a fence tall enough to keep your pet in, and others out, can be challenging. Wire mesh, hung at a 45 degree angle along the top of the fence, can effectively limit escapes. 5. Doors - Installing a cat door connected to a screened-in porch, fenced yard, or a run frees your cat to enjoy the outdoors as he desires, and provides a quick escape from predators. 6. Leashes - Because most cats won't walk on a leash naturally, you must teach them. For your first walks, try starting in the late evening or early in the morning in a quiet area. Your cat is much more likely to venture out when there's no one else around. Most cats take a few days to adjust to the idea of leash walking. Because cats don't like to feel restricted, use a lightweight nylon leash that's about four to five feet long, or a retractable lead which will help eliminate tugging, pulling and straining, and enable your cat to roam up to 16 feet. For cats, it is best to use a harness instead of a collar. 7. Environmental safety - Attach a bell to your cat's harness collar to prevent her from killing songbirds or small mammals and to alert people that she is around. 8. Timing - If you do allow your cat outside unconfined, do so when you are home and can supervise; preferably during the daytime and periods of low traffic to reduce the hazards he will be exposed to. Pet Behavior Solutions www.petbehaviorsolutions.com 480-200-2011

Dominance and Dogs – Myths and Facts

Written by: Sam Kabbel, CPDT-KA and Terri Hardison, PhD

There is so much misunderstanding with regard to dominance and dogs. Unfortunately, so many people in the dog training and behavior industry use inappropriate data, faulty science, and myths that have been around for a long time when referring to dominance. We have addressed six common myths with dominance in dog training and dog behavior.

Myth #1: Dominance refers to the way a high-ranking wolf or dog maintains control over its subordinates.

The truth behind the myth: It is perhaps ironic that a term that has come to mean so much pertaining to dog originated in the 1930s with respect to birds. Chickens, the subjects of the first study of social dominance have a strict (or linear) hierarchy where the highest ranking chicken, the ‘alpha’ has the most access to seed, and can peck all of the other chickens without fear of retaliation. The second highest-ranking chicken, the ‘beta’, has access to the second highest amount of seed, and can peck any other chicken besides the alpha without fear of retaliation. It is from this behavior that the term ‘pecking order’ comes. Dominance can be defined, then, as: the ability to maintain or control access to resources. In the case of chickens, the resource is primarily seed.

Of course, the usage of the term dominance as it pertains to domestic dogs stems not from its observation in chickens, but in dogs’ ancestors, wolves. Wolves, like chickens, also have a social hierarchy. However, unlike chickens, who live with an “all chickens for themselves” mentality, wolves live and work cooperatively. They must live and function as a group. Working together, they can hunt prey that is larger than they are, maintain “safety in numbers” and work together to raise pups. This behavior necessitates a social hierarchy for the purpose of keeping things in order to maintain group harmony. If all wolves in a pack were vying for the same resources (the best or most food, the best sleeping locations, and mating rights), the resulting fights would place all the wolves in the pack in jeopardy. Unlike chickens, for whom aggression (pecking) and dominance are completely linked, social dominance in a pack is not about behaving aggressively—instead, it is about avoiding aggression. To summarize, dominance is not a means of controlling subordinates. It is about controlling access to resources, and its primary purpose is to avoid aggression and maintain group order.

Myth #2: Dominance is established by means of aggression.

The truth behind the myth: It is important to note that dominance and aggression are not at all synonymous. The displays of dominance and submission are an elaborate way for both wolves and dogs to avoid aggression. Although there are certainly times when a more dominant wolf or dog will behave aggressively to maintain control of a resource, most often there will be an understanding of the ‘rules’ that state that the more dominant wolf or dog has the right to the resource in question. In fact, dominance is not even as much determined by the behavior of the dominant dog as it is about the subordinates. That is, by accepting the leadership and control of resources of the dominant dog, the subordinates grant that dog the right to those resources. In fact, those who study wolves have found that Alpha-wolves who maintain their control with excessive aggression do not maintain alpha stats for long. Instead, the lower ranking wolves typically kill or banish such a leader.

Myth #3: Dogs view their canine and human family members as pack-mates just like wolves.

The truth behind the myth: Although the evidence demonstrates that dogs evolved primarily from wolves, dogs differ from wolves in several important ways. First, because domestic dogs live with humans, who usually provide for their every need (and then some!), the need to live and work together as a group does not exist as it does in their wolf ancestors. Thus, the need for a relatively strict social hierarchy is not present. Instead, dogs have what can be referred to as a more fluid hierarchy. Wolves maintain a fairly consistent ranking, and the most dominant, or “alpha” wolf controls access to virtually all of the important resources. The ranking of domestic dogs within a family, however, varies depending on the importance of each individual resource to each individual dog. One dog in a family, for example, might expect to control all of the toys in the household. Another might expect the best resting areas or access to the owner. If you have more than one dog, spend some time carefully observing their behavior. Most often, you will notice that different resources are important to different dogs, and each will be dominant over the resources they care most about. Misunderstandings about the fluid nature of domestic dogs’ social dominance hierarchy can lead to the idea that one dog is the ‘alpha’ or highest ranking dog. This can lead to problems among pet dogs that don’t typically occur in a wolf pack. While there are certainly families in which one dog is dominant over most of the resources (usually because the other dog or dogs do not care about those resources), most often, dogs share the dominance. Problems between family dogs arise when two dogs both find the same resource important.

This notion of social dominance is also important when considering the oft-given advice that insists that humans must be viewed as “alpha” over pet dogs in the family. It is important for pet owners to maintain control over certain resources the dog views as valuable. Unfortunately, many of the methods suggested to help owners obtain “alpha” status are not based on a true understanding of canine behavior. By understanding the origins of the dominance concept and how it relates to the domestic dog, pet owners will be better equipped to judge the validity of behavior and training suggestions they encounter.

Myth #4: Dominant behaviors in domestic dogs arise because the dogs do not respect the owners’ “alpha” status.

The truth behind the myth: Many behaviors common to domestic dogs have been attributed to expressions of dominance. Does your dog push through doorways ahead of you? Does he bark or paw at you for attention? Does your dog pull on a leash so he is always ahead of you on a walk? Does he insist on being fed before your family sits down for dinner? Will your dog protest if you try to move him from a favored resting place? Will he growl if you try to take a prized possession (like a rawhide bone) away from him? Many sources of behavior and training information suggest that these behaviors clearly indicate that the dog is behaving ‘dominantly’ and is therefore trying to take over the ‘alpha position’ of the household. These sources suggest that ineffective leadership has led the dog to try to assert his own leadership over his family members, and that the way to resolve these issues is to ensure that the owner regains the respect and leadership afforded to the alpha wolf.

As we stated earlier, however, this is a gross oversimplification of the dominance concept. This oversimplification can lead owners to attempt ineffective or even harmful methods of trying to “show their dog who is boss.” In fact, each of the examples given above is demonstrative of a dominant behavior: in each example, the dog is behaving in such a way as to gain control over resources (e.g., space or freedom, attention, food, etc.). However, simply because a dog behaves in this manner does not necessarily imply that he is trying to assert his ‘alpha’ status. Instead, he has probably learned that the behaviors he is exhibiting have earned him resources in the past! If pawing at you for attention gets the dog your attention, then clearly that behavior works! If growling at a person who tries to move a dog against his wishes gets that person to back away, then growling is a behavior that works. In each of these examples, however, the dominant action is not about controlling the owner—it is about controlling the resources that are important to the dog. This leads to an important point: Dominance is not an innate factor of your dog’s personality. It is about his behavior. Personality traits may dictate how persistent the dog is about obtaining those resources. While certainly some dogs will exhibit more dominant behaviors than others, they frequently repeat these behaviors simply because they’ve worked for them in some capacity.

By understanding that dominance is not established by maintaining control over another individual but about controlling the resources important to that individual, dog owners will be able to teach their dogs appropriate ways to earn the things that are valuable to them. When evaluating suggestions for dealing with problem behaviors, particularly when those suggestions are based on a notion of dominance, pet owners should ask themselves if the suggested remedy is about controlling the dog or controlling the dog’s resources.

Myth #5: Playing “Tug-of-War” games causes dogs to be competitive and teaches them to be dominant.

The truth behind the myth: The rationale behind this myth states that if dogs are allowed to play competitive tug-of-war games with their owners, they will learn that they can compete for dominant status with those owners. This notion is based on the idea that dog’s ancestors, wolves, tug and compete for resources and that the wolf who wins these competitions is more dominant than the loser. In fact, this belief is somewhat misleading. Some variations of this myth suggest Tug-of-War games are ok as long as the humans initiate and finish the game, and that the object being tugged ends up in the position of the human.

In reading the earlier in this article, you have probably recognized that because they involve a prized resource (the tug toy!) tug-of-war games are, in fact, related to dominance. However, playing tug does not necessarily lead to a dog believing that he is dominant over people! Instead, tug is a wonderful way to teach a dog many types of boundaries. Tug can be used to teach dogs to drop an item on command, offer behaviors to receive goodies, and to wait to take an item until told. Each of these lessons can help dogs recognize that their owners are in control over the resources in question. This sounds a lot like helping the dogs recognize the owner’s dominance, doesn’t it?! By recognizing and utilizing the true nature of dominance, owners can use a fun game to teach boundaries and respect to their four-legged companions.

Myth #6: In order to assert your dominance over your dog, you must always eat before him.

The truth behind the myth: The idea behind this myth is that in wolves, the alpha wolf eats before all others, and the least dominant wolf eats last. By showing your pet dog that you eat first, he purportedly will learn that you hold a higher status than he does. Again, this is an oversimplification of wolf behavior. In fact, ethologists (i.e., people who study animal behavior) have observed that the “alpha eats first” rule is not always the case. Instead, the hungriest wolves eat first with rank determining their priority of order as to who gets the richest areas on the carcass. Necessity and drive determines who gets to the carcass first, not respect. Further, recall that by domesticating the dog, humans have removed the need for pack cooperation. Instead, today’s pet dogs don’t usually have to hunt and kill their own food. It comes right to them, in a bowl! Thus, making parallels between wolf and dog behavior in this case can be misleading. It is important to note, however, that a dog’s food is in fact a prized resource. By maintaining control over that resource, therefore, humans attain a degree of status, whether or not the human eats before the dog. Pet owners can teach their dogs that in order to get their dinner; they must offer a desired behavior.

The science of dog behavior is multi-faceted and very complex. Mistakes are made when trying to simplify things by creating these one-size-fits-all guiding principles. There are so many misconceptions with regard to dog training and dog behavior. The problem is that these misconceptions lead to ineffective and often inappropriate training methods as well as a completely inaccurate framework for resolving problems. It is critical that pet owners receive expert professional help for training and behavior problems. A look at true dog behavior can dispel these myths and provide a proper framework when working with our beloved canine companions.

The Truth about Leadership in Dog Training

By: Sam Kabbel, CPDT-KA, President

Pet Behavior Solutions

www.petbehaviorsolutions.com

Leadership in dog training is a very confusing subject and yet it is so incredibly important. Unfortunately, many people think of leadership as a pejorative. They associate leadership with force, superiority, and domination, as if leadership is about being tough instead of being loving. Leadership is about dominance, but let’s look more closely at what dominance actually means. Dominance is defined as the ability to control or regulate access to resources. The parent that controls a teenager’s access to the car is in charge of that resource and therefore acting as a leader. The parent determines if, when, where, and how the teenager is able to use the car and establishes the rules that must be followed in order to have access. With dogs, it is about a human’s ability to control EVERYTHING the dog wants. This includes access to food, toys, bones, furniture, outside, bed, favored locations, human interaction, as well as when and under what circumstances he may obtain these things. It sounds simple enough, but there is much more to this concept.

Dominance is determined by the behavior of the subordinates, not by the behavior of the one who thinks he is dominant! It is about voluntary compliance or deference to the leader. When we look at a group of dogs, it is easy to pick out the dog who has more clout. He is treated like a rock star or a dignitary by the other dogs. Other dogs defer, appease, and seek affiliation with the dominant dog. It is also easy to pick out the dog who is a bully. He is the one running around threatening and bossing the other dogs causing them to avoid him altogether. Dominant dogs tend to be confident, have an authoritative attitude, and provide appropriate social consequences. Bully dogs tend to be insecure. They have an authoritarian attitude, are socially incompetent, frustrated, and/or angry.

Unfortunately, people often think the more aggressive dog is the leader. Leadership must be achieved through respect not fear. True leaders don’t concern themselves with micromanagement. They don’t run around trying to control everything and everyone. True leader-type dogs can be slightly aloof at times and do not seek approval from other dogs. Leaders can be great caregivers to their subordinates. They are generally quite concerned and protective of those with which they have a bond...just like a parent. Good leaders provide consistency, are predictable in their behavior, caring, and protective. A good leader actually leads others. He doesn’t just bark orders and punish bad behavior.

It is said that in order to be a leader you must be first in everything – first to eat, first to go out the door, etc. But leadership is about control, not the priority of order. It doesn’t matter who gets it first, it matters that the leader controls when the dog gets it and what the dog must do in order to get it. For example, you don’t have to go out the door first. You just need your dog to wait for your "okay" to go out the door. It is really about permission.

So what does this mean with regard to training your dog? You should not allow your dog to have access to anything he wants whenever he wants. With this age of convenience and “latch key” dogs, we have dogs that are free fed, have a dog door, have all the toys they could ever want, and live as a human with full access to furniture, etc. They don’t have to do anything to get EVERYTHING. Humans have surrendered their leadership role in exchange for convenience. There needs to be a balance. Families must create some boundaries and some behavioral rules for dogs to follow. It is so critical that dogs have a defined role in the family with the humans having more control than the dog. If you are going to allow your dog access to the furniture, consider teaching him following rule: “If my butt is on it, yours is not, unless I invite you.” Even if your dog has free access to a dog door, you can still require your dog to wait for your permission to go out the front door when going for a walk. There are many “control” games you can play with your dog. For example, your dog should learn to comply with a trained sit or down before the ball or toy is thrown for a game of fetch. You can also teach your dog a "stay" or "stop" command that means freeze/stop everything. These types of games stimulate a dog’s brain, teach impulse control, build confidence, encourage good manners, and reinforce the human's leadership role.

Leadership needs to be practiced by everyone in the family including children. The leader is not just the person with the deepest, loudest voice or the most clout. When humans lead by controlling resources, it works for everyone! Even a child can require a sit before giving a treat, or before throwing a toy.

Leadership involves voluntary compliance so don’t make your dog comply. Instead, teach him what happens if he doesn’t comply...he doesn’t get whatever he wants. For example, if he doesn’t sit when you tell him to sit, he can’t come up on the furniture, or he can’t go through the door, or the toy won’t be thrown, etc. Basically, you are manipulating his behavior. He needs to experience the disappointment of what happens if he doesn’t comply. This concept flies in the face of traditional training where you must make your dog comply with a command.

With traditional training, if you ask your dog to sit and he doesn’t, it is followed by pushing down on his rump to make him sit. But in doing this your dog didn’t really comply. You just forced him into compliance. Another inappropriate technique is to "nag" your dog by repeating the command as many times as is necessary until your dog finally complies. But in doing this he doesn’t ever learn what happens if he doesn’t comply with your command. Disappointment is a huge motivator! Dogs need to learn what happens if they do comply and what happens if they don’t.

Dominance is about a relationship between individual animals that is established by the outcome of conflict in order to determine who has priority access to resources such as food, preferred resting spots, toys, etc. This relationship is established over a period of time such that one individual consistently defers to the other. This means that owners must be consistent in their training. It is about establishing a sustainable relationship where the roles are clearly determined and consistently maintained. Unfortunately, most owners are diligent about training at first and then it quickly falls by the wayside. It is as if dogs are learning commands as tricks to demonstrate for friends. Controlling your dog’s resources and ensuring your dog’s compliance with commands must be a part of your daily routine with your dog. This must be incorporated into your relationship.

It is time to rethink the entire concept of leadership in dog training. Leadership is not just about providing consequences for bad behavior. Too often families employ punitive techniques such as correcting a dog by pinning, rolling, poking, and/or smacking, etc. These are often ineffective and inappropriate techniques that cause fear and confusion which degrades the trust bond your dog has with you. Leadership is about proactively controlling access to resources so your dog has to look to you for guidance. It is time to utilize the power of disappointment as a primary form of punishment. The time has come to abandon the traditional despotic notion of leadership and dominance. You can be a good leader for your dog and still have a gentle, rewarding, nurturing relationship with him.

Age Appropriate Training for Dogs

By: Sam Kabbel, CPDT-KA, Pet Behavior Solutions http://www.petbehaviorsolutions.com/

Dogs, like children, go through stages in their development. Training needs change as they mature and as they move in and out of these developmental stages. Often, training is one size fits all – dogs must learn sit, down, stay, heel, and come. While those are the most common and useful commands, dogs need to learn so much more than that and those needs change based on their age.

Puppies age 8 weeks to 5 months - Puppies in this age group need to learn bite inhibition, gentling exercises for handling, housetraining, appropriate play, how to handle frustration, etc. Puppies have the attention span of a gnat at this age! They shouldn’t be expected to be perfectly precise in their commands nor should they be expected to do behaviors for a long period of time. Generally at this age, they should know sit and down on command but compliance will be inconsistent. They will stay until they forget what they were doing, walk on a loose leash until they hear, see, or smell something exciting, and come when it is fun for them.

Juveniles age 5 months to 1 year – Older puppies need to learn impulse control, how to turn their play on and off immediately, how to handle and negotiate disappointment, how to problem solve and/or manipulate complex situations, etc.. At this age, they should not be puppy biting anymore. They have a little more attention span and impulse control at this age. Often juvenile puppies get into more trouble because they are bigger, more curious, and less fearful. They should learn the house rules of what is not allowed – like getting on furniture, getting up on counters/tables, etc. At this age, they should know how to sit and down on command as well as what happens if they don’t comply (i.e., disappointing consequences - don’t sit when I ask, the door won’t open or the leash is put away, etc.) They should be able to stay for longer periods of time, but they still lose track of the exercise after a while. They are far more independent at this age so the come command can become a real challenge. You should keep in mind that this is their “teenage years” and they think most things don’t apply to them unless it was their idea. They are testing and pushing for as much control as they can have over their lives and consistency in training is critical.

Adult dogs age 1 to 3 years – Dogs in this age group are becoming emotionally and socially mature. They can understand complex situations as a result of fully developed doggy impulse control and a longer attention span. They can connect cause and effect well. It is critical to remember that dogs don’t have a moral sense about them. They know safe vs. dangerous and what works vs. what doesn’t work. They may still test and push boundaries depending on their breed and personality. At this age, it is important to maintain consistency with your rules and provide feedback for their behavior. Adult dogs should know sit and down well – just for the command – not just for treats. They should reliably stay and come provided you have trained them to this level. Walking on a leash should be a pleasure at this age if you have taken the time to train loose leash walking.

Older dogs 5+ years – By this age, dogs should be finished making their mark on the world. All the training that you put in should be maintained in their long-term cognitive memory as well as their kinesthetic or muscle memory. At this age, dogs still need enrichment and still need to think and solve problems. Training is even more critical at this age to keep dogs young, active, and as healthy as possible. Try to incorporate their training into situations they may not expect like when playing with toys, before going for a walk, etc. You should also ensure that their training isn’t sequenced as is common for dogs of this age. (e.g., You ask your dog for a sit and they show you their entire resume of sit, shake hands, sit up, down, roll over, etc.) If this is the case, clean up their command response by asking for a behavior and giving them a reward only if they give you the proper response. (e.g., You ask for a sit and they give you a sit into a down into a roll over – no reward. You ask for a down and they give you a sit – no reward.) These exercises are so important to their mental health and are fun for you and your dog.

5 Biggest Mistakes People Make With Their Cats

By: Sam Kabbel, CPDT-KA, President, Pet Behavior Solutions http://www.petbehaviorsolutions.com/

1. Placing the litter box, food, and water in the same location. We wouldn’t want the bathroom to be incorporated into the kitchen and neither do our cats. Cats are fastidious animals and generally prefer to eliminate far from where they eat and drink. If they must be located in the same room, be sure they are on opposite sides of the room.

2. Having multiple boxes lined up next to each other when there are multiple cats. Cats prefer to have a couple options for eliminating especially when there is more than one cat in the household. Most cats are private when they go to the bathroom. They are also quite vulnerable to ambushes (playful or not) while they are busy in the litter box. When boxes are all lined up like urinals in a public restroom, they aren’t able to be private or feel safe. It is better to have boxes in different locations within the same room or different rooms altogether.

3. Introducing a new cat into the household too quickly. Cats need time to acclimate to another cat. Very few cats readily accept a new cat without some adjustment. It is best to keep the new cat in a spare room with all the necessary kitty amenities for a day or two. Then wedge the door open about 2 inches with a rubber door stop to encourage limited interaction. Once the cats are interested in each other without acting as if they will fight, then they can have brief time together as long as they are supervised. Once they can be peaceful with each other where no one is a bully and no one is traumatized, they can be allowed together unsupervised. This whole process can take from a few days to a few months.

4. Not cleaning the litter box often enough. This sounds so obvious, but it is the most common thing we see that contributes to litter box problems. When using scoopable litter, the boxes should be scooped daily or twice daily depending on the number of cats in your household. Again, cats are fastidious animals and want a clean area in which to eliminate. Be sure to keep the box itself clean as well since used litter sticks to the bottom and sides of the box. The box retains odors even when the litter is scooped. The box should be cleaned periodically before adding additional litter.

5. Not giving your cat vertical access. Cats like to climb high, hide in “hidey” holes, play fort behind things, jump out from under things, etc. Cats should have a cat tree or cat condo to provide for those needs. If you do not provide appropriate places for your cats to climb and hide, they will create their own. This may include your curtains, piano, counters, shelves of knick knacks, etc. The more outlets cats have, the easier it will be to retain your precious belongings!

5 Biggest Mistakes People Make With Their Dogs

By Sam Kabbel, CPDT-KA, Pet Behavior Solutions (http://www.petbehaviorsolutions.com/)

1. Not training your dog. Dogs need training and boundaries in order to be polite and well-behaved. Be clear on how you want your dog to behave and the household rules. Think of these common training issues: jumping up to greet people, getting on furniture, stealing food from counters, unruly when walking on a leash, not coming when called, bolting out doors, etc. These are common problems that can be addressed with training and behavior modification. You don’t have to be frustrated with your dog!

2. Giving your dog too much freedom. A dog’s freedom should be proportionate to his behavior. Common issues that can arise when a dog has too much freedom include eliminating indoors, marking, chewing, stealing, digging, etc. If your dog is doing these things when you aren’t around to consequence or train him, he has too much freedom. While confinement or restriction alone won’t alleviate these issues entirely, it will make the treatment program work much more quickly and effectively.

3. Not understanding your dog’s personality and preferences. Dogs, like people, have preferences. Not all dogs like other dogs, or children, or strangers. Some dogs are environmentally focused by breed and instinct and will therefore be limited in the attention or command compliance they give you while they are engaged in their interests. Training may be limited by their breed, personalities, preferences, experiences, etc.

4. Not giving your dog adequate exercise or outlets for enrichment. Dogs were not intended to live a sedentary life in the confines of our homes. Like us, they can get cabin fever and become restless when they haven’t had an outlet or exercise. Restlessness usually manifests itself in nuisance behavior problems such as digging, chewing, barking, pestering, and other unruly behaviors. Dogs need to get exercise as well as negotiate things and problem solve. In other words, they need to think as well as work out. Adequate enrichment and exercise decreases or eliminates many behavior problems.

5. Giving your dog everything he wants at will. In our crazy, hectic lives, we generally try to do things to make dog ownership easier on our schedules. We have tons of toys available, give them dog doors, and have food available for them at all times. While this makes it much easier for us and convenient for our dogs, it isn’t the best situation. Dogs should learn to do something to get something as a part of their training. They should learn to do what we ask in exchange for a desired resource. Dogs that never have to ask for anything can be difficult to train. While they can learn to sit for treats, if the training isn’t incorporated into their routine, it will have little impact. Dogs should learn to sit or down in order to get access to or freedom from things. They should learn to sit and down for dinner, doors to open, access to certain furniture if allowed, access to certain rooms, etc. If your dog is asked to sit before being allowed outside and he doesn’t sit, then the door doesn’t open which is a consequence for not complying. Dogs that have all of their resources freely available at all times don’t need to do something to get something and therefore will likely not be as well trained.

If you avoid these common mistakes it will lead to a much more balanced relationship between you and your dog!

Help! I think my Dog has separation anxiety!!

Written by: Sam Kabbel, CPDT-KA, President, Pet Behavior Solutions

Newly adopted pets may be more prone to adjustment issues in their new home. Often times newly adopted dogs attach quickly to their humans as their source of security while they are negotiating the environment and learning the routine. With most dogs, they adjust quite readily but in some cases, they can become anxious and inconsolable when their owners leave. This article is designed to help you identify whether or not your dog may have separation anxiety. It will give you some general guidelines to help your dog adjust and tolerate being separated from you.

What is Separation Anxiety?

Separation anxiety describes dogs that are overly attached or dependent on family members. They become extremely anxious and show distress behaviors of vocalization, destruction, house-soiling, or inactivity when separated from the owners. Most dogs with separation anxiety try to remain close to their owners and become increasingly anxious the greater the separation. They may follow the owners from room to room and begin to display signs of anxiety as soon as the owners prepare to leave. Some of these dogs crave a great deal of physical contact and attention from their owners and can be demanding. During departures or separations they may begin to salivate or pant profusely, vocalize, eliminate, refuse to eat, become destructive, or become quiet and withdrawn. Most often these behaviors occur within about 30 minutes of the owner’s departure. While typically the behavior occurs each and every time the owner leaves, it can only happen on selected departures, such as work-day departures, or when the owner leaves again after coming home from work.

Many dogs enjoy chewing and engage in the behavior when they have nothing better to keep them occupied. House-soiling may be due to medical problems, leaving the dog alone for longer than he can control his bladder, or inadequate house-training. Vocalization may be due to territorial intrusion by strangers or other animals and can be a rewarded behavior if the dog receives any form of attention when he vocalizes or rewarded by the stimulus leaving. Some dogs will attempt to escape or become extremely anxious when confined, so that destructiveness or house-soiling when a dog is locked up in a crate, basement, or laundry room, may be due to confinement or barrier anxiety and associated attempts at escape. In addition, noise phobias such as a thunderstorm that passes through during the owner’s absence, may lead to marked destructiveness, house-soiling, salivation, and vocalization.

What can I do immediately to prevent damage?

This is an extremely difficult question. The goal of treatment is to reduce your dog's level of anxiety by training him to feel comfortable in your absence. This can be a long intensive process. Yet, most owners will need to deal with the damage or vocalization immediately. During initial retraining it may be best to hire a dog sitter, take the dog to work, find a friend to care for the dog for the day, board the dog for the day, or arrange to take some time off from work to retrain the dog. Crate training or dog proofing techniques may work especially for those dogs that already have an area where they are used to being confined. Crates should be used with caution however with dogs that have separation anxiety and/or also have barrier frustrations because they can severely injure themselves attempting to get out of a crate.

What should be done prior to departures?

Before any lengthy departure, provide a vigorous session of play and exercise. This not only helps to reduce some of the dog’s energy and tire him out, but also provides a period of attention. A brief training session can also be a productive way to further interact and “work” with your dog. For the final 15-30 minutes prior to departure, the dog should be ignored. The key is to avoid as many of the departure signals as possible, so that the dog’s anxiety doesn’t heighten, even before the owner leaves. Brushing teeth, changing into work clothes, or collecting keys, purse, or briefcase are all routines that might be able to be performed out of sight of the dog. As you depart, the dog should be kept busy and occupied, and preferably out of sight, so that there is little or no anxiety. Giving favored treats and food for departure times (and taking them away when you are at home) can help keep the dog distracted and perhaps “enjoying himself” while you leave. Dogs that are highly stimulated by food may become so intensively occupied in a peanut butter or dog food stuffed dog toy, a new chew bone, or some frozen dog treats, that they may not even notice you leave. Be certain that the distraction devices last as long as possible so that the dog continues to occupy his time until you are “long gone”. Frozen treats placed in the dog’s food bowl, toys that are tightly stuffed with goodies, toys that are designed to require manipulation and work to obtain the food reward, toys that can maintain lengthy chewing, and timed feeders that open throughout the day are a few suggestions. Naturally, food will not be effective for dogs that will not eat when the owner is preparing to leave. If you have multiple dogs, you should take caution about competitive situations with food and treats.

What should I do when I come home?

At homecomings, ignore your dog until he calms and settles down. Take this time to get changed, check your e-mail or read your mail. When he has calmed from his initial reaction, then you may calmly greet him. Exuberant greetings or any type of punishment for misbehavior will only serve to heighten the dog’s anxiety surrounding homecomings.

None of this is helping, what should I do?

Sometimes, a dog’s anxiety is so severe that none of these things work. If this is the case, you should contact Pet Behavior Solutions or another behavior expert, or your veterinarian. You will likely need a systematic protocol to desensitize your dog to departures and separation from you. These protocols will contain exercises designed to teach your dog to relax and accept longer periods of separation from you. These protocols should be specifically designed for your family, environment, routine, and your dog. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions at all. I can be reached at sam@petbehaviorsolutions.com or at 602-324-8948.