RSPCA and animal behaviourist webchat

Tegan

My 7 year old whippet is going into kennles for the first time next month. Any tips on how to make it less traumatic for her? Also she's terrified of fireworks. Have tried dap diffusers and valerian tablets but nothing helps. She's a wreck around November time.

Tegan

My 7 year old whippet is going into kennles for the first time next month. Any tips on how to make it less traumatic for her? Also she's terrified of fireworks. Have tried dap diffusers and valerian tablets but nothing helps. She's a wreck around November time.

Hi Tegan, thanks for your question. Kennelling can be difficult for some dogs but teaching her that it is ok to be left alone can be helpful and introducing her to a crate can be useful in this situation. It is best to do this in a very gradual and positive way and you can find more information on how to do this here website
We also have advice on helping dogs which are scared of fireworks. You have plenty of time to try and tackle her fears and advice for keeping her happy around firework night website. I hope this helps.

auntybee

Im a recently retired grandma with three little girls 5, 2 and 1. We had a dog for 17.5 years when our children were little and I'm keen to get a dog for lots of reasons: company for us and also for the little ones to love, share and care for etc. Where do I get reliable advice from as to size/breed/suitability/temperament and how do I ensure the dog we get is healthy?

Hi Aunty Bee. It is great to hear that you are thinking about getting a dog. I would always be a little careful when relying on breed descriptions as they only give you an idea of how the dog could behave. How the puppy is reared and experiences during their lifetime can have a big influence on how they behave as they get older. The RSPCA has lots and lots of dogs which need forever homes and we take great care to find out as much as we can about the dog's behaviour whilst it is with us so please do consider adoption. If you do decide you want to get a puppy then it is important to do your research to make sure they and their parents are happy and healthy. The RSPCA has a resource called Get Puppy Smart website which provides tips about what to consider and think about before you start your search. Good luck!

hindsight

My 9 year old English Setter has become very strange in his old age - if he gets a bone, he can't eat it without barking at it first (loudly and for a long time).

Also since our older setter died a few years ago, he seems to be really lonely and stares longingly at the other dogs in the park when we're out (he has selective hearing, so can't trust him off the lead in that area as there are roads nearby, though he's fine in the fields), but when DD2 comes round with her female puppy, he growls at her, humphs and turns his back. Why does he want to interact in the park, but not at home where the new puppy has been many times?!

Dear Hindsight

Thank you for your question.

Just like us along with seniority come the “odd things” that occur. I expect your English Setter has learned to do this for whatever reason and now it has become something he just does. Try a smaller one or replace with a stuffed Kong toy. Regarding his behaviour in the park and towards the puppy this would be difficult for me to explain without seeing him and would be unprofessional in a short message. However, when you get older the last thing you want is a young whippersnapper trying to play with you all the time and it looks as if he is telling her to just leave him alone. I would respect his wishes and make sure he can get away to a safe and puppy free place and make sure he has something nice to do. Perhaps he might like to go out for a walk alongside her as long as she doesn’t become overly annoying. Don’t tell him off as this will only make him more likely to try and get rid of her as not only is she annoying but when she appears everyone gets cross as well. So make it fun instead.

I have added a few links that might help you read the signals he might be showing and a link to professional behaviourists who would be able to help you and him cope better with the oncoming years.

Hope that helps a bit

www.apbc.org.uk/help/regions
www.abtcouncil.org.uk/clinical-animal-behaviourists.html
drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/free-downloads-from-drsophiayin

Tegan

Don't want to but in but when my whippet was a puppy whenever she went outside into the garden I'd give her a minute or so, blow a football whistle and then give her a treat [something really delicious]. So now, whenever she's running loose on the beachwe blow the whistle and she comes straight back [a Pavlov's dogs thing].

NanaandGrampy

After many years of having big dogs we have a new Cavalier King Charles puppy. Its all working out well with the dog and grandchildren but we are experiencing one issue we haven't come across before.

We aren't able to let Sammy ( or Spammy as the little ones call him) off the lead because he simply doesn't come back. ANYTHING can distract him from coming back,. a dog, a person, the wind in his ears.... He comes when called indoors and in the garden but the draw of the big wide world is simply too much for him.....

Any advice would be gratefully received because we want to be able to take him out and let him off to chase a ball and play but its too dangerous at the moment.

Hi NanaandGrampy, thanks for your question. The great outdoors is a very exciting place and I can understand why you are keeping Sammy on the lead for the time being. I would suggest finding a suitable dog trainer who can help you teach Sammy a good recall so that you can left him off his lead and be confident that he will come back to you. The RSPCA has information on finding a dog trainer here which explains how to find someone who will teach Sammy using kind and reward based methods.website Good luck!

Tegan

My 7 year old whippet is going into kennles for the first time next month. Any tips on how to make it less traumatic for her? Also she's terrified of fireworks. Have tried dap diffusers and valerian tablets but nothing helps. She's a wreck around November time.

Dear Tegan

Make sure she has familiar smells around her so wear a few tee-shirts or old clothes and pop them into separate clean plastic bags and ask the kennel staff to give her one fresh one every couple of days. Make sure she also has her familiar bedding and bed if possible and the toys she likes. I would always encourage new owners with young puppies to get them used to a crate within the home and make it a safe and comfortable den and then begin to leave them for a few hours in a kennel situation and then for an over night stay and then for a few days so they slowly begin to learn that you do come back. A good kennel will allow you to do this.

www.apbc.org.uk/system/files/private/Advice_Sheet_4_-_Using_an_indoor_kennel.pdf

Regarding the fireworks, this is a great free resource by APBC member Karen Wild that will help: [[ www.dogsandfireworks.com]]/

Rosie

Lily56

i'm a bit disappointed in my niece at the moment (who has just bought a german shepherd puppy) as she says she and her husband can't afford to take it to puppy training.

the puppy a dear little thing when at home with us (my niece and i are very close and see a lot of each other), but is utterly terrified of everyone else outside the home and as a result starts growling at them and getting quite aggressive to people and other dogs. she's not that small any more either so it's alarming for others and embarrassing for us too.

What would you suggest? i believe that she came from a home where all the other dogs (including the mother) were guard dogs and i want to make sure we nip this in the bud now before she gets bigger. she s very obedient at home and very loving. she also barks maniacally at the door when someone knocks i am told.

Hello Lily56,

If your niece has the puppy insured she might be able to get help from a clinical behaviourist via a vet referral:

www.apbc.org.uk/help/regions
www.abtcouncil.org.uk/clinical-animal-behaviourists.html

I have also added some links here that you can send to your niece on the importance of socialising your puppy:

www.apbc.org.uk/articles/puppysocialisation2
www.thepuppyplan.com/

These explain why it is so important to socialise a puppy to all the things it may find threatening later on in life. This is usually fear-based behaviour so it is important that she gets professional help and does not resort to punishment training techniques. This link will guide you to properly qualified trainers and behaviourists:

www.abtcouncil.org.uk/clinical-animal-behaviourists.html

Hope this helps a bit

Rosie

nancy22

Hi There. I have a dog who most of the time barks, he doesn't like other dogs and there is a lot of cats where I live and he goes mad when he sees them and also birds. I had him when he was approx. 2 or 3 yrs old and I am the third home he has had. I have now had him approx. 3yrs and he is better than what he was when I first had him. I have tried lots of things but if you can suggest anything to help him calm down it would be gratefully received. The only thing that stops the barking is a collar that has a fragrant lemon that puffs out when he barks. but now he has got wise to it so he does low growls

Hi nancy22

This can’t be helping your stress levels much. I would suggest that you contact a reward based trainer who will show you how to help him cope better around other dogs. An aversive type of training such as the lemon collar may suppress the behaviour but it doesn’t stop him wanting to bark. In other words it doesn’t address the underlying reason for him barking. The reward based ways may be slower but they do address why he is doing this and help change his mind about how he feels so he doesn’t feel the need to bark at things.

www.abtcouncil.org.uk/clinical-animal-behaviourists.html

Hope this helps
Rosie

Christine1955

I have a 10 year old Cairn Terria cross jack Russell, he has always been anti social with other dogs barking etc, although he gets on fine with my sisters border collie but he gets VERY AGGRESSIVE with my sons Irish staffie who is about 8months old and twice the size of my dog, he snarls and try's to attack him, would appreciate any advice please ,many thanks chris.

Hi Christine1955,

As you have experienced not all dogs are social and some just want to be left alone. You may find that the collie does just this and is not threatening but a young bouncy Staffy is another issue all together. I have answered a similar question above (see ‘Hindsight’) and have posted some links and advice that might help you here.

Rosie

Charleygirl

I have an 8 year old cat who came to me from the Cat Protection League when she was around 2 years of age. I have laminate floors which have rugs on them. This minx scratches the rugs and the bottom of my bed and is ruining them. I did have an indoor pole scratcher but she used to walk around it to avoid it so I got rid of it. We have plenty of trees outside which she uses to sharpen her claws. I have the furniture covered because she would claw at the back of the chairs given half a chance. I have sprayed cold water at her which works temporarily. She is ruining my house.

Dear Charleygirl

Well done for taking on a rescue cat and oh dear, your poor furniture. However, this is quite normal behaviour for cats hence the many types of scratch-posts available and you might find that a different one may be more attractive to her especially if it is a tall one and you add a spot of catnip powder. I have posted a link for you to read through that gives lots of really good advice on this sort of thing. Cats tend to mark more if they are stressed so getting cross only makes the situation worse I am afraid.

Hope this will help you and your cat and your furniture.

www.icatcare.org/advice/problem-behaviour/scratching-furniture-and-carpets

Rosie

MsBehave

What is your advice for ensuring that a pet dog can be trusted around children? I realise this is a big question and am just looking for general guidelines after reading so many stories about family dogs turning on children unexpectedly.

This terrifies me, as my daughter, who has 2 children, is considering getting a dog.

Hi MsBehave. It is really important to teach children to stay safe around dogs . We have a leaflet available website which you should find useful. It helps children to learn about dogs and provides advice for parents and grandparents. As well as this there are some great resources available which have illustrations to help explain how children should and shouldn't interact with dogs website. Introducing these before your daughter gets a dog will help her children to understand how to behave around the dog. I have a two year old daughter and a labrador cross mastiff and have followed both sets of guidance and both are really happy

brown

I have a golden Labrador 4years old ,shes a lovely dog,but very ,very excitable.If visitors or family arrive she goes beserk running around jumping up banging her tail that hard against cupboard doors she makes it bleed.I have watched all the training programmes ,making her sit and stay while I open the door . It doesnt work my son was in and out the front door like a yoyo.So I make her wait till visitors sit down before I let her in the room .People who have Labs tell me its common that some of them don't settle down until they are old .

Hi brown

Don’t Labradors just love people? And it’s all our fault for breeding dogs that were originally bred to work for us for very little reward other than our pleased faces when they bring back a dead bird. Sometimes giving them something to hold in their mouths helps a little and so would a great sit where the reward is to be simply looked at and spoken to. You have to teach her this first when there are no other people about. So lots of ‘sit’ (said nicely) and rewards for sitting. Make sure she only gets reacted to when her bottom is firmly on the ground. Meanwhile, keep popping her into a different room and ask your visors to only say hi to her when she is sitting. With some great timing and lots of repetition she might get the picture. Keep it all fun and if you continue to have problems get in touch with a trainer from here:

www.abtcouncil.org.uk/clinical-animal-behaviourists.html

Good luck

Rosie

katykat

My question sort of follows on from the one by MsBehave. Out and about with GC they often want to run over and pet dogs that they see. I always check with the owner first to see if they are happy about it and if the dog will react well. But sometimes they are too fast for me. How best to deal with this?

Hi KatyKat, I have a two year old daughter who absolutely loves dogs as we have one at home. I am teaching her that she can only stroke dogs which I know are friendly and she must never approach a dog without asking. This way I don't have to worry whether the dog she is going to say hello to is friendly or not and is the best way of keeping her safe. I would sit down with your GC and explain that they mustn't approach dogs without you being there and asking for permission. I have also included some resources on this website which show really well how children should and shouldn't interact with dogs. Good luck