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My Dog Does Not Want To Go Outside

Monday, June 22nd, 2009

Thanks for visiting again! Let me know if there is anything you would like to see me cover by visiting the Ask Spike page.

Today, we are examining some issues with a 15 month old, 100+lb. male lab that spends his days outside, and he sleeps inside at night with his sister. Recently, when it is work time for his humans, he has gotten very aggressive with them, growling and showing his teeth. They have to drag him outside with a leash before they leave for work. With a dog of that size, he is going to figure out that he is stronger than he has been letting on, and they will not be able to get him outside at all.

Photo Courtesy of Emilee Fuss Photography

You gotta love those retrievers! They are the “happy-go-lucky” dogs of the canine world, and that is probably why they have been the most popular dog in the United States for many years. Having spent the last seven years with Tax, a yellow lab, I just do not get that they maintain that #1 position year after year. Tax is a PWD (Pretty Weird Dog).

Most black labs stay in “puppyhood” until they are about three years of age. With dogs that mature so quickly physically, it is important to begin training a retriever as soon as possible. The things they do as small pups of 20 to 30 pounds, just are not as cute when the are 80 pounds plus with that same puppy mentality! At fifteen months, this lab is very much still a puppy.

If your dog has been routinely going outside without issue and now exhibits aggressiveness at the thought of going outside, I think that something has occurred outside that he does not like. Take a moment to explore the outside world that he experiences. During the summer, it is hot. During the winter, it is cold. There are numerous insects and other pests to bother him, not to mention thunderstorms, hail, snow, and wind. On days without those things to distract him, it is a very lonely and boring place. Unfortunately, a lot of humans believe that a dog’s place is in the yard, and they leave him out there 24/7. At least this pup is out only during the day.

I know this family feels that there is no other option than the outside when they are away, but FORCING him into the yard can lead to some serious behavioral problems. His boredom may lead him to destroy the yard, dig his way out, or worse. Please note, I am NOT suggesting that they leave a fifteen month old retriever alone and unsupervised in their home. This is for the same reason they should not be left alone in the yard. Bored retrievers can cause a lot of problems and damage.

When I was still a pup, Mom put me in my crate when she could not be at home with me to be supervised. At fifteen months with proper potty training, accidents in the house should not be a problem, as they should be able to hold it for about ten hours. If you do keep your dog inside while you are away, the first thing you need to do when you get home is let him outside to “get busy.” I stayed in my crate while Mom was at work. I LOVED it, because in the summer, I was nice and cool, and in the winter, I was nice and warm. Mom placed my crate so that I could watch TV when she was away. Tax and I are big fans of Animal Planet and cartoons. Once Mom got home, we ran around the house. If there was something Mom did not want us to do, she was right there to supervise, correcting us, if necessary. As we got older, we earned Mom’s trust and did not always have to go to our crate when Mom was away. Our crates can be accessed anytime, since they are our rooms. In my crate, I keep my stuffed pig, a purple hippo, and a green alligator. Although I have a very large crate now, I had to earn it.

Until you can trust your dog to be unsupervised, I hope that you will leave your dog in a crate or a safe, enclosed room in your house. Your ultimate goal is to say goodbye at the door every morning and have your dog meet you every afternoon, like me. Being left alone inside can also be boring to your pup, so I suggest getting him a few things to alleviate that boredom. Smart toys like a Planet Dog Orbee Tuff Strawberry or a Crazy Pet Bumble Ball are a good choice to keep him occupied. To break up the monotony of toys, you may also want to invest in some long-lasting treats and chews like bully sticks. Bully sticks last for hours, days, or weeks depending on the size of the dog and the length of the stick you buy.

To sum up, there is no reason to keep trying to force a dog into the yard, when you can confine and entertain him for hours in the comfort of the home. His resistance actions are his way of telling you that he is uncomfortable and unwilling to go in the yard. Right now, he trusts you to take care of him. The best thing you can do is to listen to his communication about his time in the yard. If you continue to force him, you risk betraying the trust that your dog has bestowed in you. In many of my articles, I say that the dog is the most social animal on the face of the earth. We are more sociable than humans, and we do not like to spend time alone. In my house, when the TV is on, it is like someone is home talking to us.

Tags: Aggressive, cold, damage, digging, hail, heat, insects, Labrador retriever, outside, pests, popular, puppyhood, social, summer, thunderstorms, winter
Posted in AGGRESSION, BEHAVIOR, PUPPY | 1 Comment »

Remove The Couch From The “Potty Spots”

Monday, June 8th, 2009

It looks as though I was not completely clear when sharing my guide to potty training, creating a page solely for potty training articles, and mentioning in behavior article after behavior article after behavior article that YOU CANNOT TRAIN WHAT YOU CANNOT CONTROL. Recently, I was asked about a 5 1/2 month old female Old English Sheepdog mix puppy that is “mostly trained to go outside when she needs to ‘go,’” but if the urge strikes while she’s inside, she chooses to use the house’s couches as a potty spot. Needless to say, her parents are NOT happy with the locations she chooses as a potty spot inside the house, and they want to break this habit as soon as possible.

I didn't know it was a couch either

The first thing I notice is that this dog is still a puppy, and her parents should still be establishing the house rules. Remember in my guide to potty training, I noted that when a dog is training, they should NOT be left unsupervised roaming the house. You cannot do anything about your dog’s behavior unless you catch him or her in the act. There is no way this family stands there watching as their dog “gets busy” on the couch!

My first recommendation is to get out that six foot non-retractable leash and get this dog under control. Remember my number one rule for potty training? So you do not have to go back to that article again, here is a reminder: “If you cannot physically keep your eyes on a dog in the house, they need to be in a crate or other confined area.” If you catch your dog in the act of soiling, give a great big, serious “NO,” grab the leash (remember, it is already attached to their collar) and take her outside. If you punish a dog after the fact, the punishment is useless, so there is no point in rubbing their nose in it.

I also recommend that until your dog is FULLY potty trained, do not allow her on the furniture at all. To accomplish this, you must use the leash, and remove her from the furniture. Remember, being on the furniture is a privilege at the whim of the alpha in the home, and that is a privilege that she has lost for now. The command word to use is OFF, which you can adapt from this article about jumping. As the alpha, you need to ensure that your commands sound like commands and not like requests!

When I was MUCH younger and Mom sat on the couch, and I would have to SIT on the floor in front of her. At that point, I had no choice, because I had not yet learned how to control myself in the house. As we sat, Mom had her foot on my leash, so she was in control of everything I did. Back then, there was no room for mistakes!

One thing that was not mentioned in the Ask Spike submission was whether she had attended any obedience training classes. If you have not attended class with her, you need to enroll ASAP. Remember, you need to seek a reputable trainer, asking some of your “dog friends” for their recommendations. Next, watch their dogs’ behavior to judge how well this trainer has trained. If they have a bunch of unruly mutts, thank them for their time and move on!

Tags: confined area, crate, furniture, jumping, Leash, OFF command, potty training, PUPPY, reputable trainer, you cannot train what you cannot control
Posted in BEHAVIOR, PUPPY | No Comments »

10 Month Old Rescue Dog Has Some Barking And Socialization Issues

Friday, May 29th, 2009

This is Morgan, May 2009's addition to my pack.

Tootsy is a 10 month old rat terrier, rescued in October of last year. She is very smart, but seems to have a ’short circuit’ in her brain, and it seems like she is obsessive compulsive. She is not food motivated at all, and efforts to get her to perform basic obedience training commands have failed. Her family is not even concerned with teaching her any commands, other than SIT and STAY. They are only concerned about commands that are essential to her safety. Socially, she is underdeveloped, especially with people other than her family in their home, no matter how many times they have been to the home before. She will bark at them and back away, but she does not seem to be aggressive. She is not like any other dog her family has experienced with her behavior. She is sweet and very loving to them, and they have all experienced seizures, being dangerously underweight, mitral valve problems, and more. They just want her to respond to the commands that will help to keep her safe. She does recognize her name, and she COMES when called.

This puppy has had a very rough start in life, but that does not excuse her inappropriate behavior. Many puppy parents complain that they cannot get their dog to perform a certain desired action. When Mom and I hear this, the first question we ask is, “What is your control device?” If you are a new visitor, this is also known as a leash, a six-foot, non-retractable leash. When you are training your dog, put one on her. Allow her to pull the leash around behind her. When the leash is in attached to her collar, YOU can control her behavior. Without the leash, you are at her mercy! Remember, you cannot train what you cannot control.

Since the efforts made at home have not been successful, you should enroll yourself and your dog in a group obedience training class as soon as possible. This class will help teach you and your dog the basic obedience commands you desire her to learn, as well as help to develop her lack of social skills.

When you have people come to your house, your dog barks. This is not new. Barking is how we communicate, both to you and to each other. My sister, Molly the Beagle,barks when people visit us. Mom lets her bark for a while, but when she has “gotten the message,” she tells Molly to be QUIET! Now, a simple QUIET command works, but when Molly first joined my pack, she would just keep barking. Once visitors were seated or otherwise attempting to engage Mom in conversation, she would spray Molly with water from a squirt bottle. If Molly did not stop barking, Mom would cover her crate with a blanket, as if she were a bird. If she continued to bark while covered up, Mom would take a pot and a metal spoon and create several loud banging sounds with them right outside her crate. She would not even have to say anything, and Mom only had to do that twice that I recall.

Your dog is barking to either welcome visitors or to scare them off. The reason behind the barking does not matter, because it is not her place to welcome or scare people off. This decision belongs to you.

As far as Tootsy is concerned, my advice is to sign up for a basic obedience training class. When working on the training “homework,” put a leash on her, so that YOU are in control of her behavior. I certainly want to thank you for rescuing and keeping a dog with so many health issues.

Tags: Aggressive, barking, coming when called, inappropriate behavior, Leash, obessive compulsive, rat terrier, rescue, Sit, Stay, TRAINING
Posted in BEHAVIOR, PUPPY, TRAINING | No Comments »

Declare War On F-L-E-A-S

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

In our house, Tax, Molly, and I are not allowed to use dirty words. Most of the dirty words are four letter words, and we do not even dare speak the dirtiest four letter word of them all, but Mom said that I could spell it here: F-L-E-A. In fact, F-L-E-A is such a dirty word, Mom changed it to “friends.” So, sometimes if I start scratching too much while we watch TV or lounge around the house, Mom will say, “Come over here and let me see if you have any friends.”

Since it is spring and the F-L-E-A-S are coming back after staying in hiding for the winter, let us discuss the popular methods of control. Today, control has become very sophisticated compared to a time when it was merely a bar of soap, dip, spray or a shampoo. Once you got the dog washed and dried, you would follow it up with a spray or a powder. That is all so OLD FASHIONED!

The first big innovation to come along after all the years of the old fashioned stuff is a product made by the Bayer drug company, called Advantage. Bayer claims that Advantage will begin killing fleas within one hour of application. They further claim that within twelve hours your dog will be free of all of his “friends.” After application, Advantage will prevent fleas for up to four weeks. It is recommended that you apply it on a monthly schedule, and my suggestion would be to do it on the same schedule as your heartworm preventative. If you use this product regularly, it is said to inhibit larvae growth in your dog’s bedding area. Bayer has a very useful “How To Apply” page, and it is also available for our feline paw-pals. Advantage is sold in different amounts, based on the weight of the dog.

Not long after Advantage came on the scene, they were met with some competition from Merial with a product called Frontline. Frontline markets itself claiming to be the #1 product recommended by veterinarians. I cannot confirm their claim, but who am I to argue? I CAN say from personal experience that Mom has used Frontline on me, and it did indeed kill off all my “friends.” Like Advantage, Frontline is used monthly, dispensed on the neck and down through the shoulders, and is available for cats. This product is available in two different types: Frontline Top Spot, a product that kills chewing lice, adult fleas and ticks at all stages; and Frontline Plus with S-methoprene, a product kills adult fleas, flea eggs and flea larvae. Also like its competition, Frontline is available without a prescription from a veterinarian, and it is sold based on the weight of your dog.

There are many places to purchase Frontline and Advantage, however you should be careful about purchasing counterfeit Frontline. The sneaky thing is that the packaging may look legitimate, so you have to do a little work. A counterfeit pack can be identified by

The lot numbers on the box not matching the numbers on the individual applicators
It not being in the required child resistant packaging
None of the required instruction sheets are included in the packaging
The individual applicators not being marked with the maker’s name (Merial)
The writing on the package not being in English

For either Frontline or Advantage, if you have a puppy that currently weighs 20 pounds, but will weigh 100 pounds full grown, I recommend that you not purchase a full 6 month supply. When the medication is due the second or third month, I promise that your dog will weigh more than 20 pounds, and you will be very angry when the product does not seem to work for your no longer 20 pound dog. That weight thing is VERY important!

Another product that has been introduced is called Advantix, and it is also made by the Bayer Company. Advantix was originally only for dogs, but they have recently added a product for cats. The Advantix product also inhibits bites from mosquitoes and ticks, as well as controlling fleas. That can be a big help in combating diseases like West Nile or Lyme Disease. Like Frontline, there is also a counterfeit Advantix out there. To ensure what you buy if your product is legitimate, the language should not be anything but English, and it should bear the manufacturer’s name, Bayer.

While researching these control methods, we came across Capstar, a pill that will kill existing adult fleas, however Capstar is not a prevention tool, so it should be used in conjunction with a preventative type of flea control. This looks like a great product for shelters or rescues, since they often take in animals that are covered in fleas and ticks, and they are likely to only use it for one or two treatments. According to the manufacturer, one Capstar rids you of “friends” in about thirty minutes. For the deserving shelters and rescues, this might be a good item to donate.

There is a product out there that claims to kill fleas, ticks, ear mites, sarcoptic mange, and prevent heartworm. This product is called Revolution, and it is available only by prescription. Revolution kills fleas in the development and adult stages, and it contains a heartworm preventative called Ivermectin. Ivermectin is used to prevent heartworms, but it is important to note that it does not kill existing heartworms. You should not give your dog anything containing Ivermectin until your vet approves it, because your dog will need to be given a heartworm free status. If the test is negative, the vet may prescribe Revolution for your dog, and it comes in a pill. For the felines, Revolution also treats roundworms and hookworms.

There is a prescription-only pill product that controls fleas in the development stage, but they do not have any effect on existing fleas, Sentinel. It also works to control heartworms, roundworms and hookworms. While it works in a style similar to Sentinel, Program is available without a prescription.

Flea control has come a long way since the days of soaps, dips, and sprays. In addition to the methods listed above, there are products sold in mega pet stores, grocery stores and large discount stores. The problem with these is that they contain chemicals that are not good for your pet. Plus, by the time you purchase enough of any of these products, you could have paid for the good stuff.

When fighting the F-L-E-A-S, it is important to remember that they can eventually develop an immunity to the product you choose. After many years of using Frontline effectively, it seemed to stop working. In other words, I had the dreaded “friends” again. Mom switched me over to Advantix for a while, and that took care of them.

When shopping for the right solution, it is important to examine the possible side effects of each flea control remedy. That may be something Mom and I cover in the future, but let’s face it, this post has gone on pretty long as is.

If you are not a fan of “friends,” I would get him on the good stuff ASAP.

Tags: Advantage, Advantix, Capstar, dip, Flea control, fleas, friends, Frontline, Heartworm, hookworms, mange, powder, Program, Revolution, roundworms, Sentinel, soap, spray, ticks
Posted in HEALTH, PUPPY | 6 Comments »

Is Your Dog a “Beggar”?

Friday, February 27th, 2009

Buster Begs First, I want to remind everyone that some things that are so cute when you have a puppy, are not so cute when they are grown! Begging is one of those behaviors.

You know how cute it seems when a puppy begs for attention, food, or other goodies from their human? Keep in mind how not cute that will be when they are no longer fuzzy little fur balls. Like when they are 100 pound adults, begging for that Big Mac you barely have time to woof down before working from home for the next couple hours so that you still meet your deadline at work tomorrow when you just walk in the door after a grueling 12 or 14 hour day at the office. (Not that yours truly would have ever done that )