Focused attention, good recall can help with barking
Dear Cathy: How can I get my 3-year-old terrier mix, Reef, to stop barking at everything? While inside, he barks at people and pets, delivery drivers, etc. Outside, he barks at other dogs walking by us on the street. The “shock” collar only worked for a while, but we did not want to keep it on him constantly. Bribing him with treats is not a good solution.
— Bob, Cooper City, Florida
Dear Bob: You can’t stop a dog from barking, but you can shorten its duration through training. Treats are a training tool. It’s how we let dogs know when they have done something right. Here’s how to begin.
Dogs can’t do two things at once. So, whenever your dog is barking, call him. He will have to stop barking to walk over to you. If your dog has poor recall, you will need to train him. You can get a clicker for a few dollars at the pet store. Begin by training him to look at you whenever you say his name. When he does, click the clicker to mark the correct behavior,
and follow up with a treat.
Next, focus on the recall training using the same techniques. Click the clicker the moment he turns to come when called. The clicker is the promise of a treat, so he will come for it. You are not rewarding him for barking; you are rewarding him for coming when called. After calling him, play a game, train him or give him a puzzle toy, like a Kong, with treats inside to keep his mind busy and distracted. You also can mask outside noises by playing music or
white noise, watching television or closing the blinds to the front of the house.
When he barks during your walks, say his name and turn quickly and walk the other way. If he makes eye contact, click and treat. Once he begins to focus on you, he should bark a little less.
Dear Cathy: We have a wonderful 12-year-old Zuchon (half Shih Tzu and half bichon frisé). She recently developed a strange habit. She now spends a good deal of her
time covering her food with the mat underneath it or pretending to cover it with imaginary dirt. She usually walks away after it’s covered. The vet gives her a complete bill of good health and suggests that there may be some senility. Ideas or suggestions? Do I remove the mat?
— Sherry, Henderson, Nevada
Dear Sherry: While it’s normal dog behavior, it’s also an anxious behavior. In the wild, dogs often cover their food so no one else can eat it. She may be worried “someone” will take her food. Feed her just enough, so she eats her meal all in one sitting. If there is no food left in the bowl, she shouldn’t feel the need to cover it up. I think it’s OK to leave the mat, since covering her food harms no one and may even make her feel better in some way. Try over-thecounter anxiety chews and a pheromone collar to see if that helps with her generalized anxiety.
Dear Cathy: We have three neutered, male cats — all rescues adopted from a local shelter when they were kittens. Over the last two days, Jake has been pooping in a cat bed, not far from a litter box. We’ve had two litter boxes forever: one upstairs, one at the back door. All the cats are healthy and get along well, and there haven’t been any changes in their routine. Sometimes, a stray cat or two may wander into the yard and we shoo them away. Could that be the cause of the problem?
— Chris, Islip, New York
Dear Chris: Redirected aggression is something that occurs when a cat sees something, like those cats outside, that he can’t get to and takes his frustration out on whoever is close by. So yes, seeing those cats may cause some anxiety.
Felines in the same household also may silently intimidate each other. It might be as innocent looking as one of the cats sitting in a doorway so Jake can’t get by to use the litter box. You wouldn’t know it was happening unless you were watching for it.
Either way, make sure Jake gets a health check to ensure nothing is wrong, and introduce some pheromone collars for all the cats or pheromone plug-ins around the home. Pheromones create a calmer environment, which can help mitigate anxiety, reducing inappropriate elimination.
I also suggest introducing two more litter boxes. The general rule is one litter box per cat, plus one.