Parenting our Furry Babies...your best tips and tricks...

Parent Cafe
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<p>Many of us are pet lovers and have had years (decades) of experience. I thought we could share our best tips and advice for cats and dogs. Obviously, we can’t share medical advice that needs to come from a vet, but there are many things that “just parents” know about.</p>

<p>Last week I was dealing with fleas on my tiny Yorkie puppy and many of you wonderful folks came to my rescue (thank goodness that’s solved!)</p>

<p>This week I’m (still) dealing with potty training. Yorkies are known to be difficult. Since she’s tiny, and we travel a lot, she’s being trained to “go” on “pee pee pads”. </p>

<p>Ok…she knows that she’s supposed to “go” on the pee pee pads. When she does, she immediately gets up on her back legs to receive her treat-reward. So, she does “know” what she’s supposed to do. </p>

<p>However…she’s also known to “go” under the kitchen table (thank goodness it’s tile flooring). Ugh. She has also “gone” in H’s closet…on one of his shoes…tossed that out. lol</p>

<p>I bought the “Go here” spray that you spray on Pee Pee pads or an outdoor location which is supposed to attract them to That Spot. </p>

<p>I am also crate-training her, but as a yorkie, she does get separation anxiety easily and cries the whole time she’s in there…and H can’t bear that at all. lol (I can tune it out, but H can’t)</p>

<p>Ok…so share away all of your cat, kitten, dog, puppy tips and tricks. </p>

<p>Don’t limit to my issues. Every pet owner has issues…and many of us have answers…so share away.</p>

<p>:)</p>

<p>Thanks in advance!</p>

<p><3 Pets</p>

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<p>It took us about 5 dogs to get the crate training right. We have the added issue of the fact that all of ours are rescues- most coming from violent situations and have bad separation anxiety.</p>

<p>We put her crate in a common room and put all of her toys, blankets, etc in there and leave the door open. She slowly becomes accustomed to it and we do it RIGHT away- as soon as we start fostering or adopt. She slowly comes to think of it as her space and has no problem when we merely shut the door. The trick is to not use it as a form of punishment or to only put her in there when people aren’t around. It becomes associated with fear and anxiety and once those are established, it’s hard to break. We rarely use the crate because she’s allowed to stay out when people aren’t here and she is allowed to sleep with us, but she goes in there when she’s feeling anxious and we put her in there when we have a lot of company. She’s happy to go in and just sleep where it’s safe and quiet lol. (We’ll move the crate to a bedroom when there are a lot of people over.)</p>

<p>She also has a bedtime routine where she goes outside, runs to her cage, and patiently waits for her kong. She puts herself to bed and gets irritated when we don’t jump as soon as she declares “bed time”. Dogs like routine.</p>

<p>(I use “her” because almost all of our fosters/adopts have been female)</p>

<p>Unfortunately, no tips with potty training.</p>

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<p>How about putting the pads near the door and moving them outside gradually ? When she wakes in the morning ( assuming she is in a crate ) Carry her outside to do her business and give her lots of praise.
She will get the idea
Also , don’t make a big deal about her " accidents "
I was told to not let the puppy see you cleaning it up either since she may get the idea that is acceptable</p>

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<p>I don’t have a problem with her going on the pee pee pads. I actually need her to do this because we travel so much that I won’t always be able to take her outside. Plus she’s too small to be left outside in the backyard while I’m away. </p>

<p>The problem is that she sometimes will go on the pads, and sometimes won’t.</p>

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<p>I dont have potty training tips either, our dogs have always gone outside on a leash.
Using pee pads seems confusing, like toilet training your kids, but putting diapers on them at night.
Its easier, but it gives the message its ok not to use the toilet/go outside.</p>

<p>Crate training, I can better understand, although I dont currently use it.
I do think it is good for a pet to have their own clearly defined space.
Besides our bed, :wink: ours has his own cot ( which is actually my mini trampoline with a cushion )
I agree with not using it for punishment.I also wouldnt use it to restrain while you are gone, instead I would dog proof the house, at least several rooms.</p>

<p>Since we recently adopted a shelter dog, after three years of no pets, I am relearning what it is to have a dog. Although our two dogs w/are very different- they would have made a good team though. One was a black lab, bred for hunting and was super social, our new boy is a shelter rescue, suspect he has a great deal of rhodesian ridgeback- & is very bonded to us, but very wary of most everyone else.</p>

<p>Sorry dont have any tips on the potty, but she should get better as she develops better bladder control.</p>

<p>So cute!
[How</a> to Potty Train a Yorkie with Puppy Pads | PetCareRx](<a href=“http://www.petcarerx.com/article/how-to-potty-train-a-yorkie-with-puppy-pads/532]How”>http://www.petcarerx.com/article/how-to-potty-train-a-yorkie-with-puppy-pads/532)</p>

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<p>I agree AFTER they are out of the chewing stage.
We had one who chewed off part of our wall when we were gone for less than 20 minutes. THAT was a new one! I didn’t care so much about the wall as what she had ingested. </p>

<p>Our vet told us it wasn’t as uncommon as you might think. C’mon doggies! lol</p>

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<p>With our last pup we trained him by taking him out about every 30-60 minutes, all day, every day until one day it clicked and he barked to go out. We would walk around with him until he peed, then praise him. It did take several weeks, 3-4 if I recall, but one day, it was done and he does not pee inside. I have heard smaller dogs are harder to train & I have heard that if they can smell pee, they think that it is okay to pee there. My in laws dog peed in the house as she aged, their next three dogs peed in the same spots…yeech.</p>

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<p>Anecdotes- we didn’t do it right with our puppy and suffered the consequences. Part of the problem was bringing him home to a northern climate in November. No fun to go out in the cold and snow during the housebreaking age so we weren’t as rigorous as we should have been. Different breeds train differently. We had a Shih Tzu. The logic that dog used for where to pee/poop was different than we wanted, sigh. As a child our beagle would sometimes pee on the hanging down bedspread on my father’s side- he was expressing a (deserved) negative opinion. Part of training is getting the dog to figure out what is home, where they never mess, and elsewhere. The crate is obviously home territory but their brains need to process that the rest of the house counts as no go territory. I remember when our dog was an adult he finally figured out our logic- and we put a boot tray in the laundry room for him to use (worked for a dog with small volumes of urine).</p>

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<p>Here is the trick about the potty training: a puppy should never be given the opportunity to make the mistake of going in the wrong place. The way to do that is completely control the areas that the dog has access to until the potty training is well established. That’s part of the point of the crate: most dogs won’t soil the area where they sleep, if they can avoid it, so a dog that is in its crate won’t be going to the bathroom under the kitchen table. </p>

<p>I have two dogs now, and messed up totally with the first one, but amazed myself by having the second one fully trained in a day – but he was older when I adopted him (about 11 months). He also is very small, though bigger than a Yorkie pup – but when I brought him home, the first thing I did was make sure he he knew where he was supposed to go and how to get there. (For me, that’s the backyard, using a pet door – my other dog was a huge help in teaching dog #2 how to use that pet door). After that I put a leash on the new dog and simply kept him with me, on leash, all the time. Two times as we were walking around the house, he tried to do his business – in his case, being male, that meant lifting his leg to mark a piece of furniture – and each time I immediately corrected him and took him outside. There wasn’t a third attempt – he got the message. (But he also happens to be the smartest dog I have ever owned - so I’m not saying that it would work that well with other dogs). </p>

<p>Puppies are tougher because, just like toddlers, they really don’t have the control. </p>

<p>So keep your dog in the same room where you are; keep closet and bedroom doors shut. Use the crate, but you can probably also set the dog up with a small enclosed area like a doggie play pen that would give a tiny dog plenty of room to play. </p>

<p>The reason that you don’t want the dog to have the opportunity to make mistakes on its own is that the act of peeing or pooping somewhere without an adverse consequence is self-reinforcing. The puppy relieved herself, it felt good, so in her mind, wherever she went is an ok place to go. Scolding her later on doesn’t work, she has no clue as to what you are upset about. The only effective correction is one that occurs right at the instant she starts to go. Plus, if the dog is scolded for making a mess, the dog may simply learn to do a better job of hiding.</p>

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<p>Yorkietalk.com has very active forums. I think a lot of the stuff applies to most small dogs, or even most dogs. I post there even though my dog is a yorkie mix. They have lots of potty train advice. Just browse or search the forums.</p>

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<p>One trick I learned with our newest dog, a 20-month-old Australian shepherd that we got as a puppy. It taught him some self control! With him on the leash, I would start putting down his food bowl. Of course, he would immediately go for it. I’d stand back up with the bowl still in my hand. I then would lean down with the bowl again. He’d go for it again. But he would start looking at me, like “Huh?” Eventually, he got the idea that he had to wait patiently until I said, “OK!” That also translates well to letting him outside. He has learned he has to SIT until I open the door and tell him OK. It really didn’t taken him very long to get the gist.</p>

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<p>I do have a question - even though we’ve taken him to obedience classes, my dog is HORRIBLE at leash-walking. He pulls and pulls. Even with a halter on! The dog trainer said as soon as he starts pulling to give a sharp yank on the leash and make a 180-degree turn, saying, “THIS way!” Sounds good in theory, but I end up saying, “THIS way!” “THIS way!” “THIS way!” It’s very frustrating. I don’t have money to take him for more training. Does anyone have any suggestions?</p>

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<p>ML have you tried a gentle leader “head” collar? The leash attaches under the chin. If you control the head you control the dog! They can eat and drink with it on. It is not a muzzle. Ask at your local pet store. I think that would be best. Train on the leash with little training treats. It’s the only way for my Lakeland Terrier. We tried several options.</p>

<p>Another alternative is the gentle leader harness that attaches at the chest, not on top of the back. The pressure at the chest works to keep them from pulling. Worked for my Wheaten terrier.</p>

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<p>Got any tips (or sympathy) for those dogs who will and do soil the area where they sleep (whether that’s in a crate or in our bed)? I am about at my wits end. Our Cavalier is 1 1/2; we’ve had him a year.</p>

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<p>What is the best way to keep the area under the water and kibble bowl clean? I’m thinking of maybe some big tray? What do you use to “contain”. </p>

<p>My tip to help the surviving dog adjust when your other dog passes… when we lost our Chorkie Missy last year, our Doxie Sammy was very upset. Sammy was with Missy at the end and was aware of her death. I put Missy’s collar on Sammy and it seemed to soothe him because he could smell her.</p>

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<p>Got any tips (or sympathy) for those dogs who will and do soil the area where they sleep (whether that’s in a crate or in our bed)? I am about at my wits end. Our Cavalier is 1 1/2; we’ve had him a year.</p>

<p>I’ve been told that once a dog has soiled his bedding/crate/whatever, you have to start with new stuff…throw the old stuff out and buy new. The flooring area (if tile or linoleum) needs be washed first with bleach and then with vinegar. If the flooring area was carpet, then the new bedding needs to be placed in an area that’s never been soiled.</p>

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<p>Let’s see: for training loose-leash walking (LLW), I’d suggest going back to square zero. You want to teach the dog that hanging out near you is VERY VERY rewarding. First thing in the morning, take your morning’s kibble and put it in your pocket. You should be a safe place. Dog is NOT on leash. I start this in the back yard. Take a step. Does the dog come with you? Yes, give a piece of kibble. No? Walk farther away. Don’t call the dog. Wait until the dog notices you. The moment the dog gets within reach, give a piece of kibble and start moving again. Your first goal is to take ten steps with the dog at your side; Day 1, that’s ten pieces of kibble; day 2, 5 pieces… Don’t try to decrease the kibble-feeding-rate too fast. You want the dog eagerly trotting at your side waiting for a piece of kibble, even as you speed up, turn, slow down, etc. After a few minutes, say “go sniff” and turn away from the dog. If the dog is still interested, do a few more steps. If the dog is not interested, you’re done for the day. Note that the dog has no leash; he’s choosing to walk with you. </p>

<p>While you’re working on LLW in your backyard, take the dog for walks using a front-attach harness. Don’t attach to the back; that teaches the dog to pull. Don’t expect the dog to walk with you immediately, no matter how well the backyard lessons are going. Remember that forward motion is the reward on a walk. You don’t need to jerk your dog around; you can cheerfully say “this way!” and just turn around. I find that what works best for my dog to keep the leash loose if I’m just walking is a zig-zag path about ten feet wide, like tacking a sailboat. </p>

<p>I’ll note that a human walking pace is slow-death-by-boredom for most dogs. I’ve recently discovered that there is a pace at which my dog trots nicely at my side. Sadly, that pace is too fast for me to sustain for more than a few minutes, although my personal trainer (the dog) insists that I can improve. </p>

<p>As for potty training with a dog that is struggling with the concept, I’d go back to square zero on that idea as well. After a thorough physical exam by a vet (to rule out a bladder infection), the dog would be tethered to me with a waist leash at all times; I would set an alarm to take the dog outside once an hour every waking hour; I would start training a “go pee” behavior. (That is, as I see the dog start to pee, I say “go pee” repeatedly, then “good dog!” and a treat when he’s done.) Nothing interesting happens until the dog has peed. You take the dog outside and you’re incredibly boring until the dog has peed; once the dog is empty, you can play, do some training games, whatever you like. Most dogs learn quickly that fun stops after they pee–they go back inside or get walked home–and so they learn to not pee until they really have to. </p>

<p>In any kind of behavior training (with dogs or with people), what gets rewarded gets repeated. So don’t reward behavior you don’t like. And remember that the dog defines the reward, not you. If the dog is jumping up to get his food, make sure he doesn’t get it until his feet are on the ground; if the dog is pulling on leash and you let go of the leash so he can chase the squirrel, that’s a huge reward. </p>

<p>A friend pointed out to me that creating a disciplined (but not harsh) environment is kindest to the dog, because a well-behaved dog will not need to be rehomed.</p>

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<p>Cat owner here. I hope I’m welcome.</p>

<p>Tip one (from my vet): A jar of baby food meat mixed with water to make a broth - you can vary the thickness - is good for sick kitties and loved even when well. We have more than one cat and when we open a jar we split it three ways. I have a cat who had surgery yesterday and she’s lapping up the warm baby food broth now, getting plenty of food and liquid.</p>

<p>Tip two: First, let me say that I don’t like litter boxes with lids. I find them harder to keep clean. Unfortunately, my male cat - now a big boy - occasionally started standing nice and tall and going over the side of the tallest litter box we could find. It didn’t happen often but enough to be an annoyance verging on problem. We looked online for a solution and my son ended up making a version of this litter box for me:</p>

<p>[BETTER</a> LITTER BOX – CATS ADORED](<a href=“http://catsadored.com/LITTERBOXES/LITTER_BOXES.htm]BETTER”>http://catsadored.com/LITTERBOXES/LITTER_BOXES.htm)</p>

<p>We had an old storage box (for sweaters and such from Target) and it took my son almost no time to cut out an entrance. We have plenty of space for it in our laundry room. The cats took to it right away - privacy with the high sides and definitely no more accidents. I find it easy to scoop out a couple times a day.</p>

<p>Any other cat owners with good tips?</p>

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<p>Oh, believe me… we’ve done that. We always take him out at 10PM, on leash, to make sure he pees; he always does. But when H goes down to let him out of his crate around 5:15AM, a lot of times, he’s peed. We actually got tired of buying new bedding, so we started putting a large beach towel in his crate. Because I now won’t buy new bedding anymore, I wash the beach towels with bleach.</p>

<p>I also recently had the carpets professionally cleaned, and he peed in the hallway about three weeks later, so I’m going to have them back out again to just redo the hallway. They put down a pet deodorizer when they clean them. I also soaked the bottom tray of the crate in the bathtub, with bleach, but did not use vinegar. </p>

<p>So the trainer we worked with when we first got him also does doggy day care and overnights. He’s really good with our dog. The first time we used him overnight and he returned our dog, I asked him where the dog slept because he had not picked our crate when he picked up the dog, and he said, “Oh, he sleeps with me.” I about flipped - I said, “He didn’t pee on your bed?” And he said no. So fast forward a few weeks and I decided to see what would happen if we let the dog sleep with us, knowing that our bedding has never been peed on - maybe he wouldn’t do it. Things were GREAT for about two weeks. Then, two nights in a row, he peed on the top cover of our bed. So, as H says, “He’s back in jail”, which means, he’s back in his crate at nighttime. The problem with this is that he got to a point where occasionally he would start barking somewhere between 4-4:45AM, so H would go down and let him out, but then H usually gets up at 5AM - so if he let the dog out at 4AM, then tried to lay and bed and go back to sleep for an hour, many times he couldn’t. So essentially H was getting up at 4AM, which is not OK with us. The crate used to be on our first floor, but when the dog started waking up early, we moved the crate to the basement, so now we shut our door and put pillows over our heads so he doesn’t wake us up before 5AM. I just think a dog should be able to hold it between 10PM-5AM, and if he barks before then, he needs to learn we set the time for when we come down and let him out. Surprisingly, the couple of weeks he spent with us in bed, on the weekends, he wouldn’t get us up or bark, until sometimes before 7-7:15AM, so we KNOW he can hold it. Why he’s choosing not to, is baffling us.</p>

<p>One of the other things we might need to start doing is pulling his water bowl by 7PM each night. That’s the only other thing I can think of that we can do. I have almost relegated myself to the belief that our lives, for the next 10-15 years is going to entail dealing with a dog that will not house train. And I don’t like it.</p>

<p>Sorry this is so long!</p>

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<p>One of the other things we might need to start doing is pulling his water bowl by 7PM each night</p>

<p>That’s what I was thinking.</p>

<p>But also, have you had the vet check for diabetes?</p>