Videos
Bringing out the best in a cat or dog is a hands-on task. Seeing it in a video is often better than reading it. My goal with these videos is to make behavior management easier to understand and implement.
It would seem logical to correct or punish a destructive cat but these apparently nefarious acts are actually part of the normal feline behavioral repertoire. Feliscratch is a synthetic analogue of the scratching pheromone that cats feel compelled to spread around their territories. Applying liquid Feliscratch, where you want your cat to scratch, will communicate in cat-speak that you actually want scratching and this is where you want it. Making it easy for a kitty to succeed is good pet-parenting and better for the spirit than angst and frustration.
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Teach her that good things come from the man in her life Some dogs are genetically programmed with low-status personalities. They can lose the heebie jeebies if a man ignores them as he drops a few small bits of tasty food. After he repeats this dozens of times he can reach down with a tender morsel-while completely ignoring the bunny at his feet. When she’s relaxed eating from his hand he can steal a glance at his little cupcake. Only when his new admirer confidently gazes up at him should he try slowly crouching next to her. I hope you…
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This is the story of Sherman, a well-loved cat with long-standing defensive-aggression in veterinary clinics. It was so bad that his people quit taking him for routine wellness exams. As a result his kidney failure wasn’t diagnosed until its advanced stage. It wasn’t that Sherman’s people didn’t feel that medical care was important; he just hated going. During one veterinary visit, the staff had taken Sherman to the treatment room for his vaccination booster. His folks heard their boy cry out. The next time routine care was needed, after a lot of pushing, shoving, coaxing, and cajoling to get Sherman…
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Hey-it’s a holiday. Let the good times roll! Maybe not for everybody. Some pets get badly unsettled and engage in unhealthy and dangerous behaviors because they’re nervous or scared. The racket from people they hardly know, moving around in their house can be a major fear trigger. Anybody coming near a stressed dog can cause her to raise her lips, growl, and maybe lunge and snap. They can be quick as a snake. For overwhelmed dogs it’s all about fear and a sense of overwhelm. It might seem natural to manage potentially dangerous behaviors with a stern reprimand or even…
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Dogs who freak-out during storms, fireworks, and airborne events like the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta have true phobias. There’s nothing logical about these fears. Just like humans with unfounded anxieties, these pets need special consideration. Hiding, trembling, and nervous panting indicate serious misery. Kindness is called for in big doses. These poor dogs are in survival mode, worried that their heads might explode. To make a serious difference for your dog you’ll need to be proactive. Watch the weather forecast so you can let her out to relieve herself before the aerial assault. A comfortable face covering, called a Thunder Cap,…
Watch nowSharing your life with a great dog is a lot like any important relationship. Social skills matter. Behavioral research understands this. Puppies do better in life if they stay with their mothers and litter mates until the age of 5-7 weeks. Picking the right breed is important too but remember that everybody is a unique individual; puppies aren’t appliances that roll off an assembly line. You’ll want to pay attention to the variation in temperament within each litter. I recommend first choosing the racy appearance of your shiny new dog. Then close the book on that breed and carefully sort…
Watch nowOur dogs are special to us. None of us wants there to be any problem. They need to stay well and enjoy a great long life with us. If you learn to examine your own dog at home and you’ll be able to uncover concerns early so they can be checked out by your veterinarian. You’ll also find what’s working just fine. You can feel good about that. It’s easy and we’ll make it fun. Chewy treats like jerky are great reinforcers for good behavior. Start at the front end and work your way back. Use a light to check…
Watch nowThis is the story of a cat I named Faith. She was important not just because we loved her but because she taught some important lessons. A box was pushed into the arms of Martha, our front office manager. Inside was a shorthaired brown tabby cat with a mangled and bleeding lower jaw. When Martha finally looked up, the woman was gone. Martha and our early assistant knew what to do. They took charge. When I arrived ten minutes later, our first patient was already getting generous doses of I.V. fluids, warmth from the hot water circulating blanket that my…
Watch nowPets who eat nonfood items can pay a big price for their curiosity. Swallowed linear foreign material, like yarn, ribbon, or dental floss, can saw holes in the intestinal wall leading to septic peritonitis. We can protect these little guys by cat–proofing the house. Keep an eye out for innocent but potentially harmful household items. The story of my own cat Tony really makes this point. Just a week before we made this video we found some fuzzy junk in his mouth. The next day he ate less food. I knew right away that we had a problem. I was…
Watch nowPets who age gracefully bring comfort to their doting pet parents. But not all of them do well in their golden years. Some get dementia that their families mistake for normal aging. Alzheimer’s disease is pretty common in older people. The symptoms of dementia and the unhealthy brain changes seen in some older dogs are similar. In dogs it’s called cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS). Like nearly all physical and behavioral problems we can make a bigger difference with early diagnosis and treatment. This helpful video shows examples of different older dogs with mild, moderate, and severe signs of cognitive dysfunction.…
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