A fence may help stop your dog from barking at others

Q: My husband and I very recently adopted an 8-yearold rescued golden lab mix. He was in foster care for six months where he lived with two dogs and a cat. He is mellow, sweet and adores humans. But when I have him in the backyard and dogs walk past the street, he goes into attack-mode, snarls and barks. It takes all of my strength to hold him back. I called the foster guardians to ask about this behavior, but they never saw it in him. Can you suggest what we might do to help him get over this? — Maureen Andrew, Richfield, Minnesota

A: Most dogs that live in a yard that borders a street do this when they see a dog walking past their property. When they see another dog, they bark and see that dog leave; in their mind they just did a good thing. Once this happens, they now believe it is their mission to chase all dogs away that walk past the property.

The anxiety you show when he does it only adds to the drama. This is not easy to fix and requires the attention of an animal behaviorist — not a dog trainer. You’ll need a behaviorist that specializes in positive reinforcement.

The best quick fix I can offer is to build a solid fence along your property that does not allow your dog to see the passing dogs. He will lose interest when he can’t see them and likely will be a happier dog because he no longer has the worry about chasing away other dogs.

Q: My male cat, Fluff, who is 11, has a new bad habit. He will paw at a small area on a rug or bath mat until it’s all bunched up and then pee all over it. What can I do? I have removed the rugs but I’m afraid he’ll start finding new places to relieve himself. Thank goodness he is still pooping in his litter box. — Holly Baldyga, Middletown, Connecticut and many times it is all trial and error to discover what is going on. The most common reason that cats do this is because they have a mild urinary tract infection.

When a cat in such a situation is forced to squat in a box full of rough litter it does not feel comfortable, so they will seek out something that is soft and more yielding. This may be why he carefully bunches up the rugs or bath mats: to prepare them so he can urinate against a soft and comfortable surface.

The fact that he is still pooping in the litter box indicates further it is a urinary tract infection. The obvious answer to fix this is that the cat needs to go to the vet to determine if my hypothesis is correct. If it is correct, the vet will prescribe medication to cure the infection and all should go back to normal.