Advice on Pets, Life, Love

Dear Dog Lady,

We just got a puppy I have spent the week working from home and taking care of her. I've been toilet training etc. I need to go back to work next week. Is it okay to leave her at home by herself and get my husband to come home at lunchtime to let her out to play? I can possibly get my friend to come over more than once a day to check on her.

I want to enroll her in doggy daycare but she needs her shots first and that's a few weeks away. I've read a lot of different opinions about leaving dogs at home by themselves. Eventually when she is older and fixed we will be leaving her in our fenced backyard while we are out. What is your opinion on the matter? She is 10 weeks old next week.

Sarah

Dear Sarah,

You don't mention a crate. Do you have one to contain her when you are not home? The crate - politically correct term for "cage" - is a vital to train your puppy because the contraption immediately establishes boundaries. Also, your pup does not want to soil her space. Presumably, she will "hold it" when she's inside her den.

People who don't know the joys and benefits of a crate think the cages are cruel. Dog Lady felt this way the first time around. She was never wholly satisfied her puppy liked his crate as much as dog cognoscenti claimed he did. However, the second time around, when she got rescue dog Dexter, she thoroughly gets it. Dexter is three-years-old and has been used to being caged all his life. He goes right inside his crate for sleeping and time outs.

When you get a crate for your new love bug, read up about crate training. It's just fine to leave your new scamp alone provided you provide her with regular walks and potty breaks. Work out the schedule with your husband and friends. Pay for a dog walker if you have to. Every penny you invest in your new puppy's health and welfare will come back to you.

Even when you have a fenced-in yard for her, it will still be a good idea to give your dog regular outings away from the enclosure. Please keep in mind that well-trained dogs never want to mess their home turf.


Dear Dog Lady,

Although I do not have a dog yet, I read your column find it useful and interesting.

I have been thinking about getting a puppy for a while now, but cannot make up my mind because of one issue: We have an adult cat. The cat is eight-years old. Although he is not aggressive, I do not know how he will react to a new pet. Since I would like to have peace in my house and before I make a commitment to another animal, I ask for advice.

Please let me know what I can expect from having an adult cat and a puppy at the same household. How should I introduce them to each other? How to prevent/minimize aggressive behavior from one pet toward another?

Anna

Dear Anna,

Here's the basic wisdom about dogs and cats living together: Better to put an old cat and a young dog together than an old dog and a young cat. A puppy will be much more malleable and trainable around your senior feline who knows all the tricks for eluding the canine interloper. There's a good chance they will get along well after a period of adjustment - provided you don't push it. The puppy will have no reason to believe the cat is anyone but his foster mother; the cat, of course, will have a different opinion. Still, as long as you give them space and time, there's every reason to believe they will get along just fine.


Dear Dog Lady,

I have a five-year-old mini female dachshund named Maddie. Whenever I cook or use the stove, she gets extremely agitated. She will run upstairs, hide and shiver, or she wants to go out and refuses to come back come in. She didn't start doing this until she was about two-years-old, but it has progressively gotten worse. Sometimes I just stand by the stove and it won't even be on, but she still runs away. She can tell when I put the stove on by the timer, because of the beeping sound it makes and the fan on the microwave is the absolute worst. We don't know what to do to help her anxiety.

Roberta

Dear Roberta,

Our dogs are among the most sentient creatures on earth. Maddie reacts to the ticking of the timer, the buzz of the fan on the microwave, the low drone of the stove. Do you have an induction cooktop? This sends out electromagnetic waves. Perhaps she's overly sensitive.

Coax her to be calm with a soupcon of treats. And, when you cook, perhaps you should put her in another room to reduce her stress.


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