Pets Information
Google
 

Does Your Dog Miss You Too Much?


Your dog seems to be driving you up the wall lately, exhibiting serious behavior problems -- and no amount of verbal correction seems to work. She chews the furniture, gnaws on shoes, turns over the trash cans, howls and barks when you're not around, or even seems really depressed when you come home.

There could be many reasons for behavior problems such as these, but chances are that your dog just misses you too much, and is showing she's bored and lonely. This is especially true if you only have one dog in the house and she's home alone while you work.

One solution to the problem is to try to keep your dog entertained while you are gone. Get a bone or a Kong chew toy, so she'll have a challenge for when you're not around. Another tactic is to turn on the radio so she'll hear human voices. Puppies respond especially well to this; it seems to reassure them much like an actual human presence. Also, if you can lend her a worn shirt, try leaving this in your dog's bed so that your smell remains even when you aren't there.

Discourage Destructive Behavior

In cases of destructive behavior problems, it pays to correct your dog immediately when you catch her chewing your furniture or taking out her frustrations on your belongings. Be vigilant at first -- instant feedback is much easier for your dog to understand than corrections a minute or two later. When you catch her, rush to your dog's side, grab her by the back of her neck and give her a firm "No!"

This should let her know she's done wrong, but if you catch your dog doing it again, some owners may want to roll up 10 to 20 sheets of newspaper and give her a mild whack on the thigh. This won't hurt her, but the sound will seem threatening and loud.

I used to come home to the remains of a stack of mail, ripped to shreds by my dog. I knew that she'd probably done it hours ago, so to reinforce the memory of the negative behavior, I grabbed some of the mail, put it near her mouth and uttered a firm "No!" She shredded the mail a few more times, but each time I reinforced with "No!" and she soon got the message, to our mutual happiness.

Help Your Pup Feel "Up"

Are you playing with and talking to your dog when you come home? Doing so can make a great difference to her feelings. Just like us, dogs want to be acknowledged and fussed over when we're around. Dogs being such social animals, it doesn't work if we merely feed and walk them and ignore them the rest of the time. If we can't spend some quality time with our pets, we might as well not have them at all.

If you can afford it and your dog is alone, give serious thought to getting another. This worked well for me -- after my second dog came into the picture, my first turned into an angel, and has stayed that way ever since -- which is to say, I have a happier dog!

If a second dog just isn't an option for you, you could also spend a little more time bonding with your dog by enrolling both of you in an obedience class. This way, you'll learn more control and teamwork involving your four-footed friend. You may even find your dog more relaxed and better behaved, as the training puts you in a dominant light and takes the pressure off her to lead the household "pack". Plus, your dog gets a chance to meet other dogs. You'll soon notice how eager she is for the next class!

About the Author

Blake Kritzberg is proprietor of Poodle-oo: Fashion for Toy Dogs. Stop by for toy dog couture and home decor, free toy dog postcards and the Toy Dog Blog. http://www.poodle-oo.com/

Learn more about pet insurance:http://www.poodle-oo.com/pet-insurance.htm


MORE RESOURCES:

Wildlife officials euthanize woman's pet deer
MSNBC - 6 hours ago
By TONY BURBECK / NewsChannel 36 E-mail Tony: TBurbeck@WCNC.com GASTON COUNTY, NC -- A Gaston County family's pet deer has been euthanized by North Carolina ...


De-Icer Bad for Pets
MSNBC - 4 hours ago
But if used improperly, it can be harmful to pets and the ground. BILLINGS - De-icer is a common product used to clear snow and ice from sidewalks and ...


Keep up with pet's preventive care despite tough economy
Newsday, NY - 18 hours ago
One area you don't want to cut back on is the basic preventive care for your pets. How dire your economic situation is will help determine where you should ...


Kalamazoo Gazette - MLive.com

Advice for Pet Owners
Washington Post, United States - Jan 7, 2009
Financial setbacks often effect the companions we love most -- pets. But animal expert Arden Moore can give advice on how to provide your pet with ...
Pet Scoop: Max is the most again as top cat, dog name Memphis Commercial Appeal
Veterinary Pet Insurance Reveals Top 10 Dog and Cat Names of 2008 PR Newswire (press release)
How to keep Tabby (and Fido) from getting tubby Lynchburg News and Advance
KBTX - AOL News Newsbloggers
all 13 news articles


Friday Flyer

City Connection: Don't forget to include pets in disaster planning
Friday Flyer, CA - 4 hours ago
The committee, through the work of long-standing member Mayor Mary Craton, now has prepared a plan for pets in the event of a disaster. ...
Letter: Canyon Lake comes through Friday Flyer
all 2 news articles


Loyal pet follows ambulance carrying owner
Whittier Daily News, CA - 4 hours ago
In what could have been a scene right out of the Disney classic "Homeward Bound" - the tale of three pets' cross-country trek to find their owners - a dog ...


Forrest City Times-Herald

Bad economy leaves more pets homeless
The Coloradoan, CO - 14 hours ago
"If people were looking to abandon or give their pets away, you wouldn't see that kind of reclaim rate; you'd see the opposite,'' Rentola said. ...
Humane Society offers free food to pet owners Pottstown Mercury
Humane Society to Distribute Free Food for Pets WFMZ-TV Online
Pets abandoned during tough economic times WNDU-TV
Reading Eagle - News-Leader.com
all 11 news articles


Examiner.com

Do pet-limit laws make sense?
Examiner.com - 13 hours ago
by Kate Woodviolet, LA Pet Rescue Examiner Many people are surprised to learn there’sa legal limit to the number of dogs and cats you can have in Los ...
1000 days in a cage - watch this touching video Examiner.com
all 2 news articles


Pet-Friendly Hotels Reach Niche Market During Tough Economic Times
PR Newswire (press release), NY - 4 hours ago
8 /PRNewswire/ -- For the millions of pet owners, who prefer to travel with their pets, the hassle of finding places that will accept them is over. ...


Adverse drug reactions in pets
DVM 360, KS - 11 hours ago
The US Food and Drug Administration releases an updated list of how drugs affect pets. How many times have you had a client ask, "Are there any side effects ...

Pets - Google News

Français Español 日本語 [أربيك] Italiano Deutsch 汉语 漢語 Nederlands 한국어 PortРусско
Ελληνικά Swedish Indo Romanian Polish Norwegian Hindi Finnish Danish Czech Croatian Bulgarian English - Original language website translator

home | site map
Directory Seo Supreme
© 2006