My Pet World: Give dog something more interesting to do than fixate on your Guinea pigs
DENVER, CO -- These reader questions about dog behavior were answered by veterinary behaviorists attending the Convention of the American Veterinary Medical Association July 25-29 at the Colorado Convention Center.
Each of these behaviorists contributed to "Decoding Your Dog: The Ultimate Experts Explain Common Dog Behaviors and Reveal How to Prevent or Change Unwanted Ones," authored by members of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists and edited by myself and Dr. Debra Horwitz and Dr. John Ciribassi (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, New York, NY; $27).
Q: I came across your radio show by accident one day and enjoyed it thoroughly. As a psychologist, I'm interested in behavior issues. Molly, our 13-year-old Golden Retriever, is infatuated with the two Guinea pigs my son recently purchased. She's so obsessed that we need to distract her to get her to eat. What's this all about? Does she want to mother them? -- J.F., Chattanooga, TN
A: "Of course, it's hard to say what's going on in your dog's head, but it's likely either entertaining for your dog to watch the Guinea pigs, or maybe she's waiting for lunch," says veterinary behaviorist, Dr. Lore Haug, of Houston, TX. "Likely, the Guinea pig focus has nothing to do with mothering."
Regardless of what your dog is doing, it's not healthy for her to be so fixated on the Guinea pigs, says Haug, President of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists.
"It's important for old dogs to learn new things anyway," she says. "Old dogs sometimes have increasingly smaller and smaller worlds. It's possible there's nothing else going on in her life. Increase the amount of enrichment she receives."
Offer Molly treats from food puzzles and other toys that encourage dogs to think in order to receive their reward. Drive a mile or two away to walk her in a new park. Attend a training class that teaches scent games.
"Expand your dog's world beyond the Guinea pigs," Haug says.
Also, as a precaution, never allow the Guinea pigs to be unsupervised when your dog is near.
And thanks for listening to my radio show, even if it was only by accident!
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