Advice on Pets, Life, Love

Dear Dog Lady,

I read your column every time I see it, even though I do not own a dog. I am a cat person, no offense. However, an answer you gave about dog this morning hit home. I adopted a cat from the animal shelter a year ago.

I live alone so we meshed pretty well except she does not like to be picked up. When she wants attention, she will come within arm's length and lets me scratch her around her head or down her back. If I pick her up she is rigid. This really bothered me until I read in your column about the dog adopted from a puppy-mill who feared being picked up and held.

I am patient. If I pick my cat up, and she stiffens up and cries, I just put her down. I wonder what happened in her past. I just had to tell you that your dog column helped me with my cat.

Margaret

Dear Margaret,

Thank you for the lovely grace note. Hearing from a "cat person" makes Dog Lady feel as if she's done her job for all creatures great and small. Our companion animals need our tolerance, our kindness, our responsibility and our patient attention.

Dear Dog Lady,

Recently, I heard you on the radio talking to a man who called in to discuss his dog's food aggression. The dog growled if touched on its rear quarters while eating. You thought this was a serious enough problem to suggest the man consult a dog behavior specialist.

Not to be a dummy, but why does he have to bother the dog while it's eating? I understand such actions would be bad if the dog was eating and growled at everyone who walked by, or if a dog snapped at children who walked by. But why should the dog tolerate being touched while eating? I recall the dog was a Border collie mix.

My family took in an abandoned Border collie mix when I was a child and she was a fabulous dog. She was very easy to train and became a great farm dog. She was great with people of every age and did not bite, snap or growl - except when she ate. Then, we had to leave her alone.

Apparently, she had some difficulty about food in her first foster home. She only wanted to be fed outside and she watched the windows to make sure no one was looking. We let her eat in peace. It wouldn't occur to me to mess with a dog that's eating.

Colleen

Dear Colleen,

You bring up a good point. Dogs should be allowed to munch in quiet. If they growl because a human disturbs them while they chow down, well, just don't ruffle their fur in the midst of a meal. That's good wisdom-up to a point.

The man who called in said he had gotten his Border collie-mix as a 10-week-old pup. The aggression developed as the dog aged. This pattern is troublesome, which is why it is a good idea to consult a veterinarian or a behaviorist before the dog becomes too much older. Something about the dog's health or environment could be causing the behavioral eruption.

Dear Dog Lady,

I would like to get a dog and could use some help choosing one. I am a 66 year old single woman, recently retired. I have a fenced yard. No kids or other pets (well, two parakeets). The dog would be alone for a couple hours maybe three days a week. I would like a dog for companionship and security and I wouldn't mind a dog who barked at strangers.

I have previously had two dogs: a shepherd-greyhound mix I had for 14 years and a collie-husky mix. I like big hairy dogs but think those days are over. I would like a dog that is less active (a couch potato lap dog) and needs less grooming. I am up for Frisbee in the yard and walks around the block. I would rather the dog not have a smushed-in face.

Can you give me any suggestions? I do want a dog but I haven't met the right one yet. I have been to a few shelters and will get a shelter or rescue dog.

Doris

Dear Doris,

From your description of previous pets, Dog Lady opines you're not afraid of keeping a dog's dog-big hairy huskies, shepherd-mixes. And, really, every dog has its inner lap dog. You can always find a cur to snuggle.

You are making a great start by looking at rescue and shelter dogs. It's an excellent idea to give a cast-off creature a fresh start. Terrier-mixes are adorable, very dogged, compact-sized and apt to be scary smart.

You can do all the research in the world; you can decide what works for you and what doesn't. Ultimately, the only thing that matters is your gut reaction to a hairy mug and the hairy mug's reaction to you. Cheers to you for going about the dog search in such a sane, deliberate manner.

To ask a question, write askdoglady@gmail.com