Albuquerque Journal Articles
Maybe you’ve heard of dogs dominating people. In reality it’s actually quite rare. Man’s and woman’s best friends are genetically programmed to be deferential to us, earning pretty much everything they need from their human leaders.
Defensive aggression is common, causing some scared dogs to snarl and snap when they feel threatened.
Dog fights in the home cause real distress for pet parents. Fear, anxiety, pain, and crowding within the group can be important factors. The most common cause of brawls and bloodshed is resource competition.
Whether your dog has stomach upset, joint pain, or aggression we need to find out why. Vomiting, limping, or biting have to stop but if we’re in it for the long haul we’d better address the organ system that’s responsible.
Should a dog who bites people, or any creature for that matter, be considered dangerous? Maybe not. Are there no bad dogs, only bad dog owners? These are not simple problems. Stay with me on this. I’ll break it down into bite-sized pieces (no pun intended) so you can make the right decisions.
Kindness and patience with house training are essential to clean living with any dog. Getting there might also mean treating medical problems like bladder trouble. If little Kiki is still whizzing willy nilly, there may be a behavior disorder, that isn’t a training issue, that needs attention.
What to do if the pee continues
Shouldn’t applying a dog’s behavioral instincts to her house training yield pristine results? Sadly, we humans and our pets are imperfect. If Kiki somehow lets loose on the rug again, fuhgeddaboudit.
Teaching a dog “where to do its business”
Teaching Kiki the Chihuahua where you want her to go will be simple if you, her grand poohbah, shoulder your share of the repetitive training.
Question:
I have a 3-year-old Chihuahua named Kiki who I seem to be unable to potty train. I have repeatedly tried the most commonly suggested technique of sticking the dog’s nose in it, scolding her and putting her outside. Yet she still does not understand and has daily accidents in the house. At her age is it a lost cause?
Isolation is a growing problem among us Americans. The younger generations, our future, face the worst of it. Social media hasn’t helped. Kindness and empathy from anyone, including pets, can make a difference.