My Pet World: Training can curb pooch's passion for jumping on guests
BOSTON, MA -- Veterinary behaviorists attending the 2015 Veterinary Behavior Symposium on July 10 in conjunction with the Convention of the American Veterinary Medical Association chimed in to answer your questions this week.
Some experts answering questions today also contributed to "Decoding Your Dog," authored by members of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (co-editors Dr. Debra Horwitz, Dr. John Ciribassi and myself, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, New York, NY, 2014; $23). Learn more about the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists: www.dacvb.org.
Q: My 6-year-old Coonhound is too friendly. I can't have company without him jumping on guests. Is it too late to train him? His behavior is embarrassing. It's one thing for him to jump when people first arrive, but he won't leave them alone. Any advice? -- S.R., Buffalo, NY
A: Some simple training would be helpful, says veterinary behaviorist Dr. Ilana Reisner, of Media, PA. "Teach your dog to touch your hand or to sit when guests arrive, and then instantly he receives something very good to chew on, or low fat peanut butter stuffed inside a Kong toy. If he's occupied touching your hand, sitting, or chewing, he's not jumping on people," Reisner says.
If your dog gets bored with a chewy, have a stuffed Kong or a food puzzle ready for him. Meanwhile, train your guests not to pay any attention to the dog until he settles down.
Finally, old dogs can, in fact, learn new tricks. And your pup isn't old -- just middle aged.
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Q: My two cats will both be 20 years old this year. The female is on medication for kidney and thyroid problems. Feel free to laugh, but both cats seem to get lost, forgetting where the litter box is. And they get constipated. None of this is a laughing matter to the cats or to us. Sometimes they just cry out. I hold them and talk to them, which seems to comfort them. What's going on? -- A.B., Las Vegas, NV
A: I'm not sure anyone would laugh at your situation. In fact, I congratulate you, since the fact that both cats have made it to nearly 20 is no small accomplishment.
"It may be that your cats are suffering from feline cognitive dysfunction syndrome, the cat version of Alzheimer's disease," says veterinary behaviorist Dr. Gary Landsberg, of Thornhill, Ontario, Canada, renowned for his expertise regarding geriatric pets.
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