Old ideas can be hard to eradicate, even when better ones come along. That's certainly true when it comes to house-training, with many people still following horrid old methods such as shoving a puppy's nose in the mess and swatting him with a rolled-up newspaper.
If you have a new puppy and that's the method you're using, please put down that rolled-up newspaper and learn about crate-training. Every year more people turn to this method, with good reason: It's easier on pup and people alike.
"I find the crate to be very effective when used in house-training for a couple of reasons," says Liz Palika, the author of more than 45 pet-care books who has spent 28 years teaching dog obedience in the San Diego area. Her most recent book is "The KISS Guide to Raising a Puppy" (Dorling Kindersley, $20).
"First, when the dog is confined, he can't sneak off to another room or behind the sofa to relieve himself. Second, when in the crate, he learns and develops bowel and bladder control, because few dogs are willing to soil their bed."
Crate-training limits a puppy's options to three: He's either empty and playing in the house, or he's in the crate and "holding it" because he doesn't want to sit in his own waste, or he's at the place you've chosen for him to relieve himself.
Puppies need to relieve themselves after they wake up, after they eat or drink, or after a period of play. Set up a schedule to accommodate his needs -- young puppies, especially small breeds or mixes, can't go very long without eating, drinking, sleeping or relieving themselves -- as you work to mold behavior. A good rule of thumb: Puppies can hold it as long as their age in months. A 2-month-old pup can "hold it" in a crate for about two hours, for example.
"When the puppy walks into the crate, I praise him," says Palika. "But -- and this is the big thing -- I do not make a huge fuss over his walking in. I praise him and he gets his toy or treat, but otherwise I'm calm and matter-of-fact about it.
"I've found if people are too over the top, the dog may feel that the crate is dangerous or scary, or that it's all a trick."
Let the puppy sleep next to your bed in the crate -- sleeping near you speeds the bonding process -- and lead him to the chosen outside spot as soon as he's awake in the morning. When he goes, praise him thoroughly. Then take him inside for breakfast. Feed him and offer him water, and then take him out for another chance to go. If he goes, more praise and back inside for play. If you're not sure he's completely empty, put him in the crate.
Ignore the whines and whimpers. If left alone, the puppy will soon be fast asleep and will stay that way until it's time for the next round of out, eat/drink, out, play, crate.
Remember, the goal is for your puppy to roam free in your house, not to stay in a crate for life. "A crate is not a storage container for a dog," says Palika.
Eventually, your pet will be spending more of his time loose in the house under your supervision, and he will start asking to visit his outdoor spot. Don't forget to confirm his early attempts at proper behavior by rewarding him with praise and treats.
If you spot an in-house accident, don't punish your pet. Rubbing his nose in the mess is pointless and mean. If you catch your dog in the act, a stern "no" will suffice, followed by an immediate trip to the yard, and praise when he finishes up where he's supposed to. Clean up the inside mess thoroughly, and treat the area with an enzymatic solution to neutralize the smell.
With proper crate-training, the number of such incidents will be relatively few, and you'll end up with a dog who is not only reliable in the house, but also confident in his own ability to stay alone when you are gone.
The lessons pay off for life, too: A dog who is used to being comfortably confined will be less stressed by being caged at the veterinarian hospital if sick and also will have more options for housing in time of emergency.
Q&A
Make sure houseplants are safe for your cats
Q: Our cats like to shred houseplants, so obviously we want to make sure we have safe plants around. Can you offer any suggestions? -- D.P., via e-mail
A: If your cats love to nibble on houseplants, you're smart to make sure poisonous plants are not on the menu. Many common houseplants can make your cats ill, and a few can be deadly. Among the most dangerous are dieffenbachia, lily of the valley and philodendron. Various ivies and yews can be troublesome, too, and the bulbs of plants popular for "forcing" into early indoor bloom -- such as amaryllis, daffodils and tulips -- can cause problems for the cat who likes to dig and chew.
The Animal Poison Control Center (www.aspca.org/apcc) maintains a list of problem plants, and you should also be able to find such lists in most basic cat-care books. Check your household inventory against the "bad plant" list and replace any dangerous plants with safer ones.
You don't have to give up all your plants to your cats, however. Instead, keep some plants for nibbling and put other safe plants off-limits to maintain a lush indoor environment you and your cats can both enjoy.
Indulge your pets by keeping planters of sprouting grasses growing in an accessible place for nibbling. Special blends of seeds for cats are available in pet stores and specialty shops, or you can purchase rye grass seeds at the nursery. Catnip, too, is something that's always better when fresh, as is valerian. While not all cats react to the pleasures of these plants, those who do will appreciate your keeping it in-house and using fresh cuttings to recharge cat posts and toys.
When your cats have their own plants, you can work on keeping them away from yours. Plants on the ground or on low tables are the easiest targets, so make your houseplants less accessible to the bored and wandering cat. Put plants up high, or better yet: Hang them.
For the plants you can't move out of harm's way, make them less appealing by coating them with something your cats find disagreeable. Cat-discouragers include Bitter Apple, a nasty-tasting substance available at any pet-supply store, or Tabasco sauce from any grocery store. Whenever you find what your cat doesn't like, keep reapplying it to reinforce the point.
Pot your plants in heavy, wide-bottomed containers, and cover the soil of the problem plants with rough decorative rock to end digging. Foil, waxed paper and double-sided tape are also effective digging deterrents. But I don't like to recommend them as much because you're going to get tired of looking at these materials. Attractive, rough-edged rocks can stay in place forever.
Q: I have such a hard time getting my dog to take his pill twice a day. What do you think about baking the pills into homemade treats? -- K.M., via e-mail
A: Bad idea. Instead of baking dog-treats, which might decrease or eliminate the potency of the medicine or make delivering a proper dose difficult, why not learn to pill your dog?
Ask your dog to sit, then take the pill, open his mouth, and push it quickly to the back with your fingertip. Then hold his mouth firmly closed, raise his muzzle skyward, and blow gently in his nose while rubbing the front of his throat. The reaction will be a quick gulp. Follow with lots of praise and a yummy treat.
If you don't feel confident enough to manage the technique, stick to the age-old trick of hiding pills in fresh food. Some dogs go nuts over liver sausage, or try hiding the pill in a little bit of peanut butter, hot dog or cheese. You can also ask your veterinarian for a referral to a compounding pharmacy, which can put the medication in flavored paste or liquid form your pet might like.
(Do you have a pet question? Send it to petconnection@gmail.com.)
ON THE WEB
Rabbit resources reproduce rapidly
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As rabbits become more popular as indoor, box-trained pets, the number of places on the Internet that offer good care and behavior advice multiply like ... well, rabbits.
The House Rabbit Network (www.rabbitnetwork.org) offers a well-organized collection of solid information, along with pictures of rabbits looking for new homes and such lighthearted offerings as pictures and trivia. The latter is especially interesting, with answers to such questions as "Do rabbits cry?" (no) and "Are rabbits nocturnal?" (no again -- they're crepuscular, which means they're most active at dawn and dusk).
The site suggests that rabbits do best with another rabbit for company (after both have been fixed, of course), but also notes that rabbits can bond with other animals as well, including gentle dogs, cats and guinea pigs.
THE SCOOP
Newsletter scores with food issue
How do you choose a high-quality food for your dog? Dog-food companies have long targeted human emotions to sell their products, pushing pretty images that often aren't backed up by the ingredients inside the bag.
In recent years the Whole Dog Journal has made sorting dog-food truth from hype part of its mission. Every year the newsletter's February issue lists brands that the editors believe are the best on the market. The criteria include having a high percentage of distinct animal proteins (no general "meat byproducts" allowed), and whole grains and vegetables. Approved foods also do not have artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.
In other words, a dog food had better have more than a picture of fresh meat and vegetables on its label and a healthy-sounding name to make it into this select list.
With its emphasis on holistic care and positive training, the Whole Dog Journal is always an interesting read, but its dry food issue is a must-read that's worth the entire year's subscription cost. Subscriptions are $20 for 13 issues from www.whole-dog-journal.com or 1-800-829-9165.
PET BUY
Air cleaner delivers a breath of fresh air
Air quality can decline in the winter for pets and people both, with fur flying in homes closed up tightly to stay warm. As someone who suffers from both allergies and asthma, I'm always looking for anything that can help me breathe easier in a houseful of pets.
Allergists suggest removing all pets from households with allergy sufferers, but that's not an option for most of us pet lovers, nor is keeping pets strictly outside, the allergists' second choice. A pet-free sleeping area is a sensible compromise, but one that I'm rarely able to enforce, what with my weakness for pleading eyes and sad whines from bedroom-banned canines.
Still, with a half-dozen indoor pets, I need help and have long sought an edge with a series of air cleaners.
Recently, IQ Air (www.iqair.com, 1-877-715-4247), a company that makes top-quality air-cleaning systems for both industrial and home use, sent me one of its home units for a two-month trial. At around $750, the Health Pro is not going to win any prizes for low price, but the unit's efficiency at providing clean air was obvious from a few minutes after I turned it on.
And it soon passed an even bigger test with ease.
A few days after the unit arrived, a massive wildfire in the mountains above my home blanketed hundreds of miles with smoke and drifting ash, making breathing so difficult I had to stay inside. While I couldn't venture outside my door until the smoke and ash dissipated, the Health Pro kept the air so clean inside that I didn't have to resort to my rescue inhaler.
The HEPA filter in the Health Pro is of the type used in manufacturing microchips, and it kept the house cleaner and better-smelling throughout the trial. Truth is, I was sorry to see the trial model go to its permanent home at the Happy Tails cat sanctuary in Sacramento, where it'll help make breathing easier for felines waiting for adoption and for their caretaking volunteers. -- G.S.
PET Rx
Ferret lumps need veterinary attention
Lumps and bumps are common on ferrets as they age, but their presence should never be taken for granted. A ferret with a skin mass of any kind needs to see a veterinarian promptly to have the mass evaluated and possibly removed.
The veterinarian will start examining the mass by manipulating it to see its shape and how it's connected to surrounding tissue. The next step is for a needle to be inserted into the lump and some fluid removed for evaluation. This procedure is not very painful and is usually done with the animal awake.
Because lumps in ferrets are often cancerous, the veterinarian will probably recommend that any mass that looks suspicious be removed while the animal is under anesthesia. The mass will then be sent to a pathologist for further identification to help identify proper follow-up treatment.
(Pet Rx is provided by the Veterinary Information Network (VIN.com), an online service for veterinary professionals. More information can be found at www.veterinarypartner.com.)
Gina Spadafori is the award-winning author of "Dogs for Dummies," "Cats for Dummies" and "Birds for Dummies." She is also affiliated with the Veterinary Information Network Inc., an international online service for veterinary professionals. Write to her in care of this newspaper, or send e-mail to petconnection@gmail.com. You can also read her frequently updated Web log or view her column archives at www.spadafori.com.
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