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Ask Dog Lady

Thursday Apr 16, 2020

This article is from the April 9, 2020 issue of South End News.


Ask Dog Lady

Dear Dog Lady,
If it is true that dog pee kills trees, how can we educate our neighbors, who continually let their doggies pee on neighborhood trees, to use other options —like fire hydrants, lamp posts, the curb and the street?

—Carol

Dear Carol,
Wince. Yes, it's true the uric acid in dog pee can have a harmful impact on trees. However, dog pee doesn't kill a tree suddenly but cumulatively over years. If a dog happens to sprinkle once or twice, the animal is not killing our beloved carbon absorbers—neighborhood trees—but maybe contributing to the slaughter.
So what can we dog keepers do to insure trees stay healthy? Well, we can do exactly as Carol suggests and guide our dogs to other places to relieve themselves. She presents an excellent list, starting with fire hydrants and lamp posts which are all over city neighborhoods.
Yes, it's hard to legislate where a dog lifts its leg. However, if you keep in mind your responsibility in preserving the world's treasures, perhaps you will be keener to take control instead of letting your dog go wherever it wants. Future generations will thank you.


Dear Dog Lady,
I read your column all the time and want to tell you about the game my dearly departed six-pound black poodle CoCo invented: When I was stretched out on the couch watching TV, CoCo (a female), ran into the bedrooms, bath, wherever and hid her dog cookie. She would come back and bark at me until I got up, found it and gave it back. The cookie might be behind the bathroom door, behind the leg of the bed, anywhere. She did this for years and it dawned on me one night as I hauled myself off the couch that she was the one who was supposed to fetch. Have you heard of dogs and/or cats inventing games for their owners to play?
—Anne

Dear Anne,
A dog's life is a giant game from beginning to end—from the first pounce on a ball, to a tug on a glove, to a "sit" for a treat.
You describe a wonderful game invented by CoCo. Why did your dog do this? Well, dogs love to bury stuff in the house. Hiding the cookie satisfied this primal need. Also, you weren't paying her mind while you lolled on the couch. Your dog wanted your attention and she worked it well. You rose to the bait every time—a fine game.
Poodles are considered the Einsteins of the dog world. The breed is highly regarded for its intelligence. CoCo was smart about pushing your buttons. You describe her wily ways so well.


Dear Dog Lady,
A letter-writer complained that she and her husband had "battled" their Pekingese puppy to go potty outside. The term "battled", as well as "cannot trust her" indicates to me that these folks think pets come with "batteries included".
Dogs respond to motivation, not to battle. Positive reinforcement brings faster results than punishing an animal with quarantine. Dogs are worth the time.
—Stephanie

Dear Stephanie,
Thank you for this attitude adjustment. We dog keepers must always remember we don't "battle" our dogs because, really, they do not deliberately try to make things hard for us. They are working with us; not against us. We should never imagine our pets holding down the fort in the enemy camp.

Write: askdoglady@gmail.com