My Pet World: How to keep your pets safe when painting inside your home

Cathy M. Rosenthal, Tribune Content Agency on Jul 29, 2021

While you can teach an old dog new tricks, it is difficult to change an ingrained behavior that has been around for 10 years or more. I don’t know what your husband does when your dog behaves this way. But if he sits and allows the dog to remain next to him, it is just reinforcing the bad behavior and letting the dog know it’s alright to be aggressive with you.

Instead, your husband needs to stand up and make the dog get off the couch. Then, don’t let him back on the couch for a week. If he gets back on the couch and does this again, keep him off the couch until you can introduce a new routine for him. I know this will be hard for your husband, but when you have a dog who likes one owner and is aggressive with the other, the one he is nice to needs to be clear that the behavior won’t be tolerated, and the best way to do that is remove couch privileges.

While doing this, develop a new routine for him that involves both of you. Take turns brushing him, training him, or playing with him in the presence of the other. Give him a puzzle toy when he cannot get on the couch as a distraction. Start these habits in the late afternoon and move the time you do this forward by 15 minutes each day until you are doing these things in the evening in the family room. We need him to look forward to the evening as time spent with both his “parents.”

If the behavior persists, consult a behaviorist. They can observe what’s happening in real time and help formulate a more comprehensive plan, if needed.

Dear Cathy,

I have a six-month-old Chihuahua/Maltese mix. I have tried many types of food but can’t find one he will eat. Can you help? – Marina, Bayshore, New York

Dear Marina,

When a puppy doesn’t want to eat, he likely has intestinal worms. When they don’t feel well, they associate the food they are eating as the cause of their physical ailment. Your vet can deworm him, and he will feel better overnight. But it also could be food allergies. Either way, you will have to introduce him to a new food, so look for pet food labeled “limited ingredient diet,” as this often takes care of food allergies.

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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.)