My Pet World: How to condition your dog to wear a winter sweater

Dear Cathy,

My sister and I have a 10-year-old Maltese/Bichon mix male dog. He gets groomed fairly short, partly for health issues. As he gets older, he gets colder. He refuses to let us put a sweater on him even though he shivers. We recently purchased a nice warm sweater with Velcro along the entire belly, and large front paw openings, but we still can’t get it on him without getting bitten. Help! — Marcia, Tolland, Connecticut

Dear Marcia,

My normal response would be don’t force clothing on your dog if he doesn’t like it. But I understand your desire to keep him warm during the winter, so here are some ways to condition him to accept the sweater.

First, get him used to seeing the sweater and not freaking out. Carry the sweater around the house for a few days. If you constantly have the sweater with you and you don’t try to put it on him, he will start to get more comfortable around it. Praise and give him treats throughout the day for his nonreaction to it. A few days later, ask him to sit (praise and treat), and then show him the sweater (praise and treat) and talk about it in a sweet tone. Do not put it in front of his face; hold it over his head, lowering it into view over several sessions. Praise and treat him for not running away from it.

Second, get him used to feeling the sweater on his fur/skin. Gently rub the sweater on his fur while you brush him. You also can place the sweater near his favorite sleeping place to see if he will nap on it or you can cover him with it when he is on your lap. Always praise and treat for positive behaviors.

Finally, after about two (give or take a week, as necessary), it’s time to try to put the sweater on him. One of you needs to talk happily to him and feed him some extra special high-value treats, while the other puts his leg in the opening of the sweater, then removes it quickly before he has realized what’s happened. Keep doing this several times for several sessions until you can get both legs in each opening without much effort. Once you get to that point, you can try to put the sweater on him again. If he tolerates it, snap on a leash to his collar and take him for a walk. Once the sweater is on him and he is moving, he will be able to better ignore it. Spraying the sweater with canine pheromones anytime during the process may help relax him and move the process along more quickly.

If he doesn’t accept the sweater, it’s not a failure on your part. Some dogs just don’t like clothing. But with some conditioning, maybe your guy will learn the sweater is nothing to be scared of.

Dear Cathy,

I read your column about the cats fighting. It is just the issue we are having with two cats who lived together a long time and now are fighting. We have split them for now. The older cat is almost content to be away from the younger cat. I will try the pheromone diffusers but I am scared about the collars. Is there any pheromone breakaway collar? — Laurie, Las Vegas, Nevada

Dear Laurie,

If longtime cat companions suddenly start fighting, there could be a health-related issue with one of the cats, most likely with the older one. I recommend getting them both checked out by a vet to rule out health problems.

Cats are very territorial and sometimes disputes happen with cats who have known each other for a while. Make sure there are litter boxes for each cat, plus one additional one, and feed them in separate locations. This will help them map out their territory. It’s not uncommon for one cat to live upstairs and another downstairs or for one to have a particular side of the house they prefer, etc.

Separating them helps when there’s been a spat, but don’t wait too long to implement a reintroduction phase after tempers settle down.

As for the collars, I don’t know of any breakaway pheromone collars, so use the feline pheromone spray, which you can spray on the cats, people in your home, and furniture. Or use the plug-in diffuser in the rooms where they spend the most time in. The pheromones might help take the edge off and make them more agreeable in general.

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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.)