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My Pet World: Pug's piddling indoors could be spiked by separation anxiety, poor housetraining or a medical issue

By Steve Dale, Tribune Content Agency on

These reader questions were all answered by contributing authors of "Decoding Your Dog: The Ultimate Experts Explain Common Dog Behaviors and Reveal How to Prevent or Change Unwanted Ones" (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, New York, NY, 2014; $27), written by members of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists. I co-edited the book with veterinary behaviorists Dr. Debra Horwitz and Dr. John Ciribassi.

Q: I adopted my 3-year-old Pug/Shih Tzu mix from a rescue group two months ago, and now I have a serious problem. The dog has urinated in the house three times, always when I was away. I assume he's marking his territory. He has a dog door and could go out to the enclosed patio, which he usually does. I don't want to give him up. Any suggestions? -- J.F., Las Vegas, NV

A: Assuming the dog is neutered, Chicago, IL-based veterinary behaviorist Dr. John Ciribassi says to see your veterinarian to rule out a medical explanation. Also, if you can videotape your dog shortly after you leave the house, the recording will help the vet determine if your pet has separation anxiety. Those who do demonstrate one or more of the following behaviors: pacing, drooling excessively, barking, yowling, whining, chewing on things they shouldn't, and having accidents shortly after their owners depart.

However, it's also possible your dog was never as reliably house trained as your were told. Also, dogs can be house trained to one place (their own home, for example), but if re-homed may not be so dependable. Some low level anxiety (associated with being re-homed) might contribute.

If your dog has separation issues, there's an entire chapter on this problem in "Decoding Your Dog." Also, enlist help from your veterinarian, a veterinary behaviorist (www.dacvb.org), a veterinarian with a special interest in behavior (www.avsabonline.org), or a certified dog behavior consultant (www.iaabc.org).

If your dog needs a brush-up on house-training, training her to a crate might be helpful. "Decoding Your Dog" has information on how to do that.

 

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Q: We rescued a 3-½-year-old Jack Russell Terrier. Turns out she's a troubled, Jekyll-and-Hyde dog. When we're walking her, she's aggressive toward any dog who gets anywhere near us. My husband is at the point of giving up on her. Any advice? -- S.S., St. Catharine's, Ontario, Canada

A: "Some dogs are more reactive than others, and terriers are right up there, sometimes bordering on dramatic," says veterinary behaviorist Dr. Debra Horwitz, of St. Louis, MO. "The technique (your dog is using) works; (she) gets aggressive, barking and all those antics, and you walk away. The other dog walks away, too. So, your dog does it again and again."

Horwitz continues, "What you should do for now is to simply stay away from other dogs, so your dog doesn't continue to practice this behavior." She suggests that a dog trainer who uses positive reinforcement techniques or a veterinary behaviorist could observe exactly what's going on, then show you how to lower your dog's level of reactivity.

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