Blog

Ask Dog Lady

Thursday Mar 8, 2018

Advice on Pets, Life, Love

Dear Dog Lady,

I have a Jack Russell terrier named Petey that's almost five-years-old. He likes to be gated in a room when we leave the house for work. Every day, when I tell him to go to his space, he turns and smells his crotch. Can you tell me why he does this?

Dave

Dear Dave,

Because he can. You might also ask your veterinarian when you see her (or him).

Dog Lady hopes you have done the humane, responsible thing and gotten Petey neutered so his crotch is not explosive territory. All male dog house pets should be fixed; all female dogs should be spayed. There is no question about this. Just do it. Your dog will thank you.


Dear Dog Lady,

My dachshund Yoda is one-year-old and we got her two weeks ago. Her old family already had a big dog, a Chihuahua and two other dachshunds when they got her as a puppy. They tried to encourage all the dogs to like her but it didn't work out so they had to keep her away from the others. For a year, they kept Yoda in a dog pen for most of the day with only the Chihuahua as occasional company. My mom felt bad about this and we took her in. I now love her so much. The only problem is that she barks at every male who comes close to her. When she first met my stepdad she barked at him and at my uncle too. She doesn't bark at females. I feel sad for my stepdad. Do you know why she does this?

Rosie

Dear Rosie,

Yoda was in a very sad state for a year of her life. You don't know if men in the old household scared her or were mean to her.

The best you can do is have your stepdad and uncle offer a treats to Yoda. Any man should put a treat in the palm of his hand and just hold out the hand for the dog to smell and, eventually, feel safe enough to take the yummy. With men treating the dog carefully time and again, Yoda should begin eating out of the palms of their hands.


Dear Dog Lady,

We lost our beloved Cairn terrier to lymphoma. She was with us for 12 years before developing and succumbing to this disease.

After much mourning, we are ready to adopt another dog and have been looking at breed rescue sites for Cairns and West Highland white terriers. These sites report that many of the adoptable dogs are rescued from breeding kennels and may have issues arising from that past.

My questions: What are the dogs subjected to in these places that affects them so much?

Do these dogs have difficulty adjusting to a new environment?

Mark

Dear Mark,

Basically, rescued puppies from a so-called puppy mill or breeding kennel have no childhood. They have not been weaned properly so they lack social skills and good habits. Dog Lady receives many letters from people who wonder why their dogs eat feces or dirty their crates. This bad behavior starts often during the early weeks of life when a pup has not been properly trained by its birth mother.

The good news? A new environment can be a boon for these foundlings. Their problems can be overcome with training, loving attention, and responsible care.

Write askdoglady@gmail.com.