Advice on Pets, Life, Love
Dear Dog Lady,

Help! After having found a wonderful guy, we moved in together along with my standard poodle and his two Maltese. His boys had never been housebroken, ever. They also had never been socialized. We discussed hiring a pro to train us and the dogs.

When he moved here I made it clear I would not live in a house where dogs peed and marked at will—not to mention their incessant barking at all hours. I asked and asked and he never made the effort to find a trainer. So I found one. He paid up front and never followed through on any of the lessons.

Fast forward two years later. The dogs are now crated and not allowed to run free, but they still bark and, if I am not home, he doesn't watch them. I come home to find pee on furniture and wood floors that now have ugly permanent stains.

I love this man dearly, but I don't know how long I can actually endure this behavior from him. What is up? Why his reluctance to provide structure and rules for his dogs? He is absolutely nuts about dogs. What gives?

Desperate In Paradise

Dear Desperate In Paradise,

Is he really nuts about dogs? Or just nuts? If he truly loved and honored his dogs, he would have trained them when he first got them before you were part of the picture. He would have done this for his pets because a trained dog is a happier, healthier dog. A chaotic canine, peeing on everything and barking willy-nilly is not a contented creature. So, please, abandon your misconceptions about the guy's devotion to animals.

And maybe you've got to abandon your misconceptions about the guy's devotion to you. It seems as if he shirks responsibility to you and your home. This is harsh but Dog Lady would point him toward the door and tell him to come back when he's figured out how to care for you and his dogs.

Dear Dog Lady,

My nine-year-old shih tzu has been becoming increasingly sensitive to certain noises, such as buzzers or bells on TV and some instruments in music, or any sounds from a cell phone. When he hears the tick of a warming oven or the beeping of the turn-on buttons of appliances, he runs for the door and scratches and growls to go out of the house. This weird and annoying quirk began about a year ago and is getting progressively worse. Any ideas?

Joanne

Dear Joanne,

Ooh, the poor guy. At nine years, your shih tzu is becoming a senior member of the pack. As dogs become elders, things can change in their bodies and minds. You should first go to your veterinarian for an examination. Ask your vet to examine your dog's ears. Tell her (or him) what is happening, how your little guy is more sensitive to certain sounds. This could be a biological issue. On the other hand, if the vet believes the cause is behavioral, seek a referral to a dog behaviorist/trainer who could help you. Maybe some modification coaching would be good for both of you so you could become more aware of the sounds bothering your dog and your dog could become less bothered.

Write askdoglady@gmail.com.