My Pet World: Dog can be trained to not bark at individuals
Dear Cathy,
I have a 10-year-old pug. She runs and barks at my son's girlfriend when she takes her dog out and at my therapist when she leaves. No one else. She almost nips them.
Why would she run at them like that?
--Mary, North Las Vegas
Dear Mary,
It's hard to say why a dog barks at some people and not others. In the case of your son's girlfriend, it could be she is directing her barking at her dog and not her. As for the therapist, no one can know for sure why, but some dogs do bark at people when they leave, so it's not entirely unusual.
While you can't stop a dog from barking, you can stop her from continuing to bark, although it can be a challenge. Try to interrupt the barking by shaking a can of coins or using a Pet Corrector that emits a hissing sound. If she stops, call her to you and ask her to sit. Then give her a treat.
You won't stop her from barking at people altogether, but you can work to redirect the behavior, so she doesn't continue to bark or think it's OK to go after your guests.
Dear Cathy,
I have two adult Yorkies who, believe it or not, still need to be housebroken. When I let them out in my back yard each morning, they will usually defecate. I also let them out in my back yard during the day. In the evening, I take them for a walk after they have had their dinner, and they defecate and urinate. During the day, they use the pee pad but still have accidents off the pee pad.
What can I do besides let them outside more often and give them treats when they finish their business? They're both rescues, so I don't know their ages or if they were ever crated. Are they ever too old to be crated?
-- Linda, Farmingdale, New York
Dear Linda,
When dogs are trained to use pee pads, they sometimes think that means they can pee in the house so long as they find something to pee on. Unless they are very old dogs, you can see if they will tolerate some crate training when you are off running errands. If they are crated for short periods of time, they may be able to hold it better until you get home.
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(Cathy M. Rosenthal is a longtime animal advocate, author, columnist and pet expert who has more than 25 years in the animal welfare field. Send your pet questions, stories and tips to cathy@petpundit.com. Please include your name, city, and state. You can follow her @cathymrosenthal.)
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