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Last in a series Right away, after Atticus and Tandy were separated in different parts of the house, everybody relaxed and exhaled. There had been plenty of smack downs but, so far, no perforated pets. Sylvia and Jason were committed to doing whatever was necessary; I was cautiously optimistic. Tandy’s anxiety disorder needed research – based behavior modification. Her brain’s neurochemical imbalances also required treatment. I started her on an antianxiety medication called Reconcile, the canine-approved chewable fluoxetine. Her folks reported her much calmer about 4 weeks later. She was no longer spooked by little noises. Rather than her head-on-a-swivel during leash walks, she was sniffing and investigating while happily tail wagging. She was now ready to learn. Competition between Tandy and Atticus had to end. Never, for the rest of their lives, could they be together in the same room with food of any kind. Until they were consistently…
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When well-meaning dog lovers approach or reach for your dog, does she tremble, growl, or lunge? Early puppy socialization means exposing them to gentle people and pets. It’s a great way of preventing fear-driven, defensive aggressive behavior later. Healthy behavior management should start as early as age 7 weeks.
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Last in a series Larry’s teeth and gums felt much better; modern medicine also lifted his oppressive anxiety. Curley gained confidence and was learning to relax – out from under the bed. They were still kept separated from Moe, while swapping halves of the house with him. Perching on floor-to-ceiling cat trees and venting their predatory proclivities on stalk and pounce toys had all of them feeling like real cats. Fulfilling lives for these former feline foes reduced their collective angst and diminished the risk of nuclear conflict. Keeping the peace, on the other hand. would be a lifelong challenge. For these gentlemen to ever safely comingle, they would also need alone time. Cats are social creatures, but only to a point. Richard was pretty handy. I advised him on building and installing hide boxes at various heights in different rooms. Much like their wild brethren, his and Karen’s kitties…
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Why do dogs follow commands like sit and stay if they don’t understand English? When we speak are dogs processing the words we are saying, or the tone we are using? Our dogs don’t miss anything, even though they don’t understand everything.
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Last in a series As Scott slowly recovered from distemper he began to eat on his own and even play. It was a huge relief; my best friend was going to be OK. To my parents, though, he was “a dog.” Actually, they were right. We love our pets like little people in furry suits, so shouldn’t they comport themselves like good children? Canine brains are hard-wired differently. Scott was genetically programmed to point and retrieve birds with mental focus, along with a generous helping of physical stamina. Confined to the kitchen, only allowed outside on-leash to prevent damage to the suburban landscaping, he was a fish out of water. Maybe I should have raised guppies instead. Not! I was clueless and, sadly, so were my parents. Scott’s house soiling and woodwork chewing were “bad behaviors.” I did my best. We tugged on chew toys together and played ball outside…
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Third in a series Problems with any organ system can impact the firing of the brain’s neurons. Oral pain is a frequent offender but arthritis, ear infections, itchy skin, and nausea are also common. Moe, the 2 year old feline interloper, passed his physical exam with flying colors. Curley’s was normal too. But Larry? His gums were suffering from nasty, long-standing infection. It even hurt when he laughed, poor guy. I told Karen and Richard how insidious dental disease can be while assuring them that Larry would be OK. When he felt better we expected him to behave better too. We got his procedure scheduled quickly. Keeping interior doors closed and rotating these little sneakers between rooms was difficult. I get it; my cats have never been rule followers either. But the longer Richard and Karen could keep Larry and Curley from having even visual contact with Moe, the more…
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During Luna’s first weeks she missed out on gentle social exposures, causing her to be afraid when approached by anyone. Well-meaning human attempts to make friends triggered defensive lunging and snapping. You can side-step fearful encounters for your puppy by providing the kid with choices. Let your puppy choose to interact when she is ready. And NO DOMINANCE moves. Dogs were not put on this earth to challenge us humans for global supremacy.
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A dog will believe that any response from its person is an earned reinforcer. That’s why reprimands and punishments fail. To stop digging the hole even deeper you’ll need to ignore everything you don’t want. But sometimes the nipping, mouthing, and body slamming continue anyway.
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Third in a series
It was with gravitas that I began young Scott’s feeding regimen. I knew I was up to the task.