Columnists :: Dog Lady
Dog Lady and liver vs. Cesar Millan and bellsMonday Nov 30, 2009 Dear Dog Lady,
We have an absolutely beautiful rescue dog. Her name is Allie. The only habit we can’t seem to break her of is her jumping up on you whenever you walk in the door. Actually, it doesn’t matter who it is, Allie is totally out of control jumping. I know she is excited when people come in but I just can’t break her of that habit. What should we do?
Di
Dear Di, being the hostess with the mostest means keeping your dog off the guests. You are responsible for ensuring Allie doesn’t maul the company so you must stop her before she has a chance to leap. Don’t just stand by helpless to control your dog but actively prevent such behavior by keeping Allie on a leash indoors when visitors arrive. Also, teach your dog the "sit and stay" command. This is basic training for dogs. The simple command can be so useful in many situations. Make sure you learn this and repeat again and again with Allie because working together positively forms a bond with your pet.
Dear Dog Lady,
A friend and I went to a major dog show taped for TV. We both have dogs-my friend has a German shepherd and I have a terrier mix-so we thought we would get a giant canine charge at the show, which we did because we saw hundreds of beautiful dogs. But we left there feeling a little depressed and deflated. I couldn’t help but imagine that show dogs are not happy dogs. What do you think?
John
Dear John, show dogs don’t know any better. They are happy because parading in the ring is their lot in life and, as always, the animals want to please their humans. Dogs are the most adaptable creatures on earth.
Dog Lady has also attended dog shows and felt the same conflicting emotions-delight with all the dogs, but sadness at seeing them cooped up in crates (cages), or standing awkwardly on a grooming table while being fussed over by a human, or having their privates manhandled by a judge. But that’s not the whole picture. Many owners and handlers feel sincere affection for their animals. Dog shows celebrate dogs, even if that celebration does not reflect the way you choose to celebrate your own dog.
To see "best in show" dogs, go to this year’s Bay Colony Dog Show, held in Providence at the Rhode Island Convention Center. Go to www.baycolonydogshow.com to learn all the details.
Dear Dog Lady,
We just got a one-year-old Cavapoo (Cavalier King Charles spaniel-poodle mix) who was previously shuffled between two homes/owners due to the primary owner’s unexpected surgery right after getting him and her eventual business travel needs. The owner did the right thing and found a new home for this adorable little guy. He is not completely housebroken and we are managing to stay one step ahead of pees and poops by taking him out a lot. He had one accident yesterday peeing in the kitchen right in front of me.
Can you recommend a training book so we can work on this and figure out how he is supposed to tell us he needs to go? He is crated while we are at work and that can last up to seven hours. He is doing OK with that. I heard about a "bell" system. Any thoughts on that?
Jeanne
Dear Jeanne, a great book about minding pees and cues is "Housetraining For Dummies" by Susan McCullough (available at PetSmart and widely). But you probably don’t need to buy anything other than a tub of freeze-dried liver chunks. Dog Lady is a boring shill about the addictive power of these liver bits. The morsels (cut a chunk into chinks) could train your darling to fly you to the moon on gossamer wings. Use these to reward the Cavapoo whenever he does business outside. Praise him lavishly and pop a tiny morsel of desiccated liver into his mouth.
Any chance you could hire a walker to come in and take him out during the day? For a very young dog with a small bladder seven hours is a long time to keep on holding on. If he is not messing at all in his crate, you should give him a big hug because he’s three-quarters of the way to pee graduation already.
Supposedly there are Cesar Millan militants who train their dogs to ring bells to go outside. These sorts of potty tricks do not come quickly. It usually takes years to learn your dog’s special signs. Don’t expect instant mind-meld. For now, be a vigilant guardian and take the Cavapoo outside at least four times a day.
Visit www.askdoglady.com to ask a question or make a comment. Follow @askdoglady on Twitter. Listen to Dog Lady every Wednesday from 1 to 3 p.m. on 980WCAP, streaming at www.980wcap.com.
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