Dear Glynne
I currently have 2 dogs - a bullterrier (4yrs) and a bullterrier cross jack russel (6yrs). Both of them are very friendly dogs and the bullterrier spesifically is very fond of children.
My question is, I would really like to get my 4 year old little boy a pet of his own - whether it is another puppy, a cat or a hamster. I have been told that this is not a good idea as the bullterrier will not like it and she will either fight the new pet or even turn on my child becuase of jelousy????? Can I get another pet? If so, which wil be best? Obviously my child’s safety comes first and therefore I would really appreciate your opinion on this.

Leoni
Be guided by your vet who knows both your dogs and you.
I really can’t advise because my crystal ball is in for repairs this week…
Regrettably
Glynne

I enjoy reading your column in The Witness and the latest article on vaccinations was of special interest to me. I was very distressed when we had our Beagle’s annual booster innoculations done earlier this year and she was extremely sore afterwards, not even being able to lift her head for 2 days afterwards. I have successfully used homeopathic remedies on my children as they’ve grown and know a bit about using homeopathic innoculations. My question is whether you are able to give me the names of any Vets that advocate using homeopathy? I live in Pietermaritzburg, KZN.

Hi Jill
More and more pet owners are shunning vaccinations nowadays due to the shocking side effects as well as the “unexplained’ illnesses and in some cases deaths of their animals.
I’m, afraid I do not know anyone in your area but do contact Dr. Jane Fraser in Durban who is both a regular and homeopathic vet – I’m sure she will be able to refer you to someone in PMB. Or inquire at a health shop as they are always in the know.
Good luck
Glynne

A few questions about feeding pets :
We have a 4 yr old pug (who scratches himself quite a lot, but doesn’t have a flea problem), a 12 yr old staffie who is arthritic and overweight, and a normal cat.
I have always fed them Hills with a little bit of “supermarket” tinned/sacheted pet food to moisten the meal (my pug will not eat dry chunks). There is obviously always water available to them, but we give them a little milk almost daily, as they love it.
With the current melamine contamination scare, and especially after reading your column today (Mercury 6 Oct), I am wondering whether it wouldn’t be better to feed all my pets “people” food?
What diet do you recommend?
How many meals a day?
Should they be allowed to eat spare rib bones and chicken bones?

Hi Cheryl (Is it Sorebut Dunwoody?)
Yes, yes,yes! … it would be much better to feed them people food! Please Google “Rawmeatybones’ or “Fresh food for dogs”
Never feed cooked bones - any type of bone is good as long as it’s raw.
Take care
Glynne.

My child (or as some people would see it, my Jack Russell, JACK has been diagnosed with a cataract in his right eye. He is 6 years old. I have been quoted between R16 000 and R19 000 to have it removed. This is indeed a large sum of money & one which I unfortunately, cannot afford. I feel like a negligent mom not letting him have this operation. Do you know of any other person or institution that would be able to perform this procedure but at a much cheaper price?

Hi Cheryl
I do not know where you live but a friend had cataracts removed from their dogs eyes and it cost R8, 000.00. Do phone around for quotes. Perhaps Durban is cheaper?
Good luck
Glynne

Dear pet shrink,
My family and I have been noticing that our English Bull Dog, for the past copple of months, has been running and jumpimg on the walls all day because he sees a glare from out dorr nob. All day he can stare at the same light and it never stops. When we try to pull him away, he gets angry. I am waching him while I am writing this note and he is out of breath and rather anoying. there is no possible way we can get rid of of the glare unless we change the door nob. He barges into the doors and, in my prediction, in one day the door will crack. Even if we put a sock on the door nob, he still wont stop, he knows where the light is. Me and my family will be very greatful if you can give us some kind of advise. Thank you!

Hi Julian
Could be the start of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
Paint the door knob or use duct tape to cover it, or change it altogether.
If he continues after that – every time he looks at it, bang two saucepan lids behind his back and pretend it wasn’t you. He must associate the door knob with the unpleasant loud crash which should do the trick.
If that doesn’t help you will need the services of a behaviour specialist.
Regards
Glynne

Hello Glynne

This is not a question but more of a comment.

On the question of what to do with pets when one is emigrating or otherwise; there is so often a heartbreaking decision to make and if the parting hurts the humans who can understand, what about the dear friends who cannot have the situation explained to them?

Writing to you has been stimulated by the situation in which I find myself, and you may find the psychology interesting. Earlier in the year I moved from one complex to another; I had no animals and when I was told “No Pets” it was not a problem. This is not because I don’t love animals; on the contrary, I love them very much, but living on my own and working does allow much time with an animal or bird housemate – and what do they do all day when I’m out? However, I have a strong connection with cats and one always seems to find me; I was visited by a number in the first few weeks after I arrived. To cut a long story short, a beautiful neutered Tom became very friendly and wanted to stay; however I could see that he was someone’s loved pet and although I admit I did not chase him away, I told him he must go home – which he did, although he usually returned a short while later and would sometimes spend the whole night with me. Eventually I found his owner, and his story, which is more or less as follows. He was one of a number of animals (think there was another cat and one or two dogs) belonging to a young family who emigrated and put all their animals into the SPCA for homing. His new owner (let’s call her Mrs S) was delighted with him and he seemed to settle well with her. However, a number of problems arose – her resident cat did not like him; he made friends with another cat in the complex but the owner did not like him, and most of all, Mrs S had a job which took her away frequently. She had someone to come and take care of the animals but it was obviously unsettling for Kitty and the last straw for him was when she went away on holiday and had members of her family come to house-sit for her. The family included a new baby and for fear of Kitty doing some harm, he was shut out of the house and allowed only into the kitchen. On Mrs S’s return she found he had taken to wandering the neighbourhood although he still came home for food at that stage. He even took to going to church at odd times and is still recognised as The Church Cat! And he found me.

I will not go into all the details of how we tried to persuade him to stay at home or how we have managed a special if uneasy dispensation to allow him to stay with me. Mrs S wondered tearfully why he did not love her. But I don’t think that was the problem; the issue revolves around being at home for him most of the time. Not long after he began staying with me almost all the time, I stopped going out to work and began to work from home. When we went away I put Kitty into the best kennels so that he would not be a problem to other residents. He did not enjoy it but it did not seem to upset him unduly as long as he came home afterwards. Since he became established and my home became his, he has made the whole complex his own territory and he visits all the other residents; some of them welcome him and others do not. He is extremely intelligent, as curious as a cat can be, and very playful. However, if something displeases him or he can’t get his own way, he bites and uses his claws quite viciously. And he is easily bored. He has many toys at home and a variety of foods that he seems to enjoy, so there are no problems there. He is extremely clean in his personal habits although his large paws bring in quantities of mud and being a real boy he is fond of going out in the rain and getting thoroughly wet and dirty.

He has become accustomed to living with me and now takes it all for granted, going out for hours at a time and visiting the neighbourhood, although there were days of sleeping on the chair in the lounge and being close to me until last week. He used to always greet me when he came in and would come and sit on my keyboard when I was trying to work. Now all that has changed – all because I have gone back to work at a venue away from home, at the moment for only a few days a week but in December it will be on a fulltime basis. Kitty has thrown an instant tantrum; he still comes for food but spends all day and most nights (no sleeping on my lap and on my bed with his own special blanket) with my very understanding and compassionate neighbours. When he allows any petting and loving, he will purr for a few minutes and then turn on me with claws and teeth and quite often he will walk into the house and attack my legs and ankles, clawing and biting. If he does stay to play, the game quickly becomes violent and he will bite me until I give him a smack. I have tried to be as normal as possible but it is becoming extremely hard to accept the deep scratches and bites he inflicts. He is a big guy and very strong so this is serious stuff. I am at that stage of life when a small tear in the skin results in running gore, so sometimes this is a messy business as well as painful.

I really love cats and I do love Kitty but I don’t know how all this will turn out. What I’m fairly certain of is that it stems from losing his first family; he is young and smart and he feels that he comes first – and of course he knows nothing about earning the kitty biscuits and other treats he loves so much. I just feel that he has been traumatised by that first loss and that his insecurity was reinforced when Mrs S went away. Now he wants me to know that he is very unhappy because I am gone all day and can’t give him his supper at 4 pm, although he always has access to the house and his biscuits, even though he does have to wait longer for his other food.

For pet owners faced with leaving their pets, euthanasia is not easy to choose; I know; when I was divorced some years back I tried to keep my very special kitty and our little dog with me but it was just impossible. The cat was extremely ’spoilt’ and used to a certain lifestyle which I could not give him any longer. And I still dream about my babies and weep for them and the decision I had to make. It is very hurtful to see Kitty so unhappy and I can only hope that he will come to terms with the situation in time, but if people think their pets don’t mind being dumped and having to learn to live with new owners, they should think again.

Hi Penny
Many thanks for your insight.
About your cat. I don’t think the situation is as complex as you might think because the way to a cat’s heart is via his tummy!
Set up a permanent, 24/7 yummy, kitty smorgasbord. Keep it topped up and fresh, and make sure he has all day access - that’s what he’s trying to tell you, unfortunately with his claws.
“We cats like to snack at least 30 times a day because it’s our natural feline behaviour and it’s written in stone and humans can’t change that!”
And stop playing games with him, he doesn’t like them … and he’s telling with his claws in a no uncertain way – I mean, how much clearer can he make it?
All he really wants is a full tummy and a safe, soft, warm sofa on which to while away the hours. I’m sorry to disappoint you but your company is the last thing on his agenda – In his eyes , you are the Furless One, who walks on your back legs and opens the fridge for him…it’s a cat thing you know!
Take care
Glynne

Hi

I have a 10 month hyper dachshund, who get so over excited he nips my 4 year old daughter, causing a lot of screaming. Someone said I should get another puppy to play with and he will settle down. Is this true??

Hi Karin
Do not get another puppy because you will have double trouble.
Do check into a puppy school where you will get help.
Cheers

Hi Glynne. I first have a quick comment for Charmaine, whose dog is afraid of storms. We have a Border coliie female, we got her from the Rescue. She is about six now. When she experienced her first thunderstorm with us, she dived onto the couch and hid her head behind the cushions. (In fact, most of her whole self disappeared too!) We were careful not to make any fuss at all, but just left her to it for the next few storms, carrying on doing whatever we were doing: reading, watching TV. Occasionally, we would give her a simple command to obey, such as “down stay” or “sit stay”, or “roll over” or whatever. She eventually got the idea that it really wasn’t so bad, and now only puffs and pants a very little when it really thunders. NB we NEVER leave her outside when it’s thundering. She can always get into the cottage and onto (or into) the bed if she wants to.
The question I have is, she has developed a type of “Collie nose”. As we cannot get her to a vet, we are using a combination of things: aloe vera gel, to soothe it. Bee wise for pets and occasionally Zambuk. I also use tea tree oil in between. We put zinc ointment on her nbose to keep the sun off. Problem is, she slurps everything off!. We try to keep her inside between 11am and 3pm, when the sun is hottest. I have been told that it is a form of dermatitis, or even lupus. What can you suggest? It all started with a tiny pink spot on the side of her nose. Now, theres a band over the bridge of her nose, and a pink/red blotch on the left side. I can take a picture and send it.

Kind regards
Gina

Hi Gina
Your information is not entirely correct.
If left untreated, severe discomfort can result. As the nasal tissues become deeply irritated, they may crack, bleed, and impair breathing. All cases should begin treatment in the early stages. Advanced stages may develop into a form of cancer, which can be deadly.
Collie Nose can be managed several ways. Exposure to sunlight should be kept to a minimum. Sunscreen lotions help, but have limited effectiveness due to a dog’s licking behavior.
In some cases, the treatment of choice is tattooing. A permanent black ink is tattooed into the affected areas. The black ink serves as a shield against sunlight. It is best if young dogs with lightly pigmented noses, as a preventive, are tattooed before any lesions develop.
However before any treatment can begin, this condition must be professionally diagnosed and differentiated from various autoimmune disorders such as lupus or skin cancer, which may cause similar lesions. Biopsies are usually warranted to help confirm the diagnosis.
It really is necessary to take your dog to the vet for diagnosis, because if you don’t you may never forgive yourself.
Holding thumbs
Glynne

We adopted an 18 month old bichon poodle mix. He came fully house trained and extremely loving and affectionate. But he has incredible separation anxiety - starting as soon as we get dressed in the morning, even if we have no intention of leaving the house. He as been crated all his life, and does actually like it in there. When we leave, until today, he was fine. Today we came home after being away for 1 1/2 hrs and found his “mattress” and pillow completey disarranged (unusual for him). He threw up on his mattress, and when I picked it up to wash it, I swa that he had pushed it aside and urinated on the crate floor. We are at a loss as to how to handle the separation anxiety. Also, when one of us leaves, even if the other is home with him, he spends a few minutes crying at the door. Can you give us some ideas on how to get him less anxiety ridden?

Thank you,
Barbara

Hi Barbara
As your little dog is very traumatized, you really do need hands on help. Please ask your vet to refer you to a behaviour consultant in your area.
This behaviour will not be solved by a few, written words of advice.
Please spare a thought for his feelings.
Glynne

6 months ago I arrived back from a business trip to find my family had taken on 2 cross dauchund / ? puppies much to my annoyance. Whilst I have grown to accept them, the one problem that persists is messing in the house.

I (note I) have taken the trouble to open the doors in the morning to allow them to go out and yet it does not work. Doors are left open in the evening and they still mess.

Have you written a previous article on what should be done to handle this?

I guess a physical taking out is one answer with a piece of biltong as the “good boy” present. If so, the problem is I do not have the time or inclination to do this.
My son and girlfriend were the instigators and are not always at home, so as usual falls onto the parents to sort out. Not good but I recognise the responsibility.

Please advise.

Hi Bryan
I am afraid I have no solution to your problem as you do not have the ‘time or inclination’ … and I do not blame you for feeling that way.

However, I don’t think it is your responsibility to take these dogs on, and suggest you find homes for them immediately while they are still young and cute looking.

It will probably be the first time your son learns a hard lesson in responsibility. You see this is his guilt trip not yours, so go for ‘tough love’.

Now, stop playing the victim and do what’s best for the little dogs who deserve a loving home.

Good luck
Glynne.

Where in South Africa,in particular Kwa-Zulu Natal, do you get Odor Medicine O.F.(Organic Formula) for cat urine.

Regards
Anneline

Hi Anneline
You got me stumped there! Are you perhaps referring to Feliway which you can get from your vet or a pet outlet store?
For herbal remedies, try a health shop.
Good luck
Glynne

Dear Glynne,
My sister has a Male German Shepherd and lately his jealous behaviour towards her horse is getting worse. when he was a puppy she use to take him up to the stables to get him used to being around horses and he was fine with it but now its totally different. what can she do?

Please help
Kathryn

Hi Kathryn
Taining, training, training … school, school, school!
Glynne

Dear Glynne,

My BF and I brought home a 4 year old Timneh African Grey one week ago. Things are going well, but we have a concern. During his preening, we see some chest feathers come out. He seems to lose about 5-6 per day. Is this a normal number, or has he started plucking? As far as we can tell, they come from the center of his chest. We can’t decide if there is a small bare patch there, or if his feathers just naturally meet there and make a “part”, if you will.
Also I know that a cloud of dust is normal to puff off of them when preening, but I wonder if his skin is dry. Is what I see just feather dust, or is it also dander? He has a spray bottle which he lets us use, but he keeps his feathers slick. He bathes a little in his water bowl, but so far has NOT wanted to shower or bathe in anything large enough for him. I feel like I would like to get under those feathers and give him a rinse!
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Mainly, do you think this feather loss is normal for this type of bird, this time of year (December), in this location (Seattle, WA USA)?

Thanks in advance,

Karla, Patrick, and Miya the TAG

Hi Karla
Your bird sounds like he is very unhappy and could be in serious trouble.
Please take him along to a vet, who specializes in birds, for a check up.
Parrots have feelings just like we do - they need physical and mental stimulation, a wide variety of specialized food, love, company and attention. If you can’t satisfy all these needs, it would be kinder to donate him to a sanctuary where he will be with other birds in a more natural and healthy environment.
Take care
Glynne

Hi
What can we use for fleas on dogs they are scratching a lot , we use Frontline but it does not work , and the jack russel has a rush
Please help

Hi Adri
Do brush your dogs thoroughly every day to remove dead fur which can be very itchy. Brushing will also stimulate new hair growth … which can also be very itchy!
You must treat your house for fleas because that is where they are breeding There are excellent products available at vets for that use but remember to read the instructions carefully as all pesticides are deadly poisons and accumulate in your animals system. Also, bear in mind, for every flea you see there are 60 others waiting to pounce.
If necessary you could also use flea treatments sprayed or poured directly onto your dogs but please consult your vet first and read the labels carefully.
Always use poisons with great caution and only when absolutely necessary – they can be deadly … and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
Cautiously
Glynne

Hi,
I Hope you can help, we have just adopted 2 adorable little kittens… I have noticed a bit of peculiar behaviour. When we feed the kittens; after eating a little they scratch on the floor around the bowls as if to be covering the food up with some imaginary dirt/sand. It’s not a problem as they do not do any damage but I would like to know if they are uncomfortable or need something else to make them happier! They are about 8 weeks old!
Thanks!

I have a 10 month beautiful, blue Pitbull puppy. My BF and I bought her when she was only 4 weeks old.
Before we bought her, we researched the breed like crazy, because we didn’t want to be those people who buy this breed of
dog, get frusturated because they don’t know how to train them & put them down or send them to an animal shelter.

We did our best introducing her to people an animals from day one, but no matter the circumstance she’s still very skeptical &
timid of other people. Sometimes she will like someone - sometimes she won’t.. we can never really tell. She’ll be fine one minute
with a person, and the next she wants to tear them to shreds. Luckily, we handle these situations very calmy and do discipline
her with a chain-choker collar like this -> http://www.boxer-breed.com/products/Hs-collar/Choke-dog-collar/chain-dog-collar-choke-dog-collar-hs-dog-collar.jpg.
We’ve NEVER laid a hand on our dog in an agreesive manner, ever.

We’ve noticed that she’s extremely timid around those who used their hands as a toy when playing with her, teasing her, etc.
And we can never stress enough to those first meeting her not to do these things, along with staring her down or trying to
intimidate her in anyway, for obvious reasons.

A perfect example of her behavior before she “snaps” would be as follows.. my boyfriend, his brother and I, along with Vida.. are in our bedroom. My BF’s brother was simply
laying down on our bed, Vida procedes to hop up on the bed and begin to lick my BF’s brother’s face, she gets about an inch away from his face and starts growling very
seriously, his brother was petting her that’s all, my BF’s brother starts to get nervous, so he asks my BF to remove Vida off of him, as soon as my BF goes to grab Vida, she
“snaps”. She’s done this exact situation to my BF’s Father, she’s cornered his brother in a bathroom, etc. We don’t understand why she’ll act like a complete angel one minute
and go bananas in seconds.

Vida gets more than enough exercise, she gets two long runs everyday, she eats healthy, she sleeps in her crate at night, if we leave our house - she’s gated off in the kitchen.
She’s completed the first part of her K9 class, no problem.

Vida gets along with my Mother’s long-haired Chihuahua just fine, as well as my BF’s Mother’s old dog, I’m not quite sure what breed he is. We don’t really have a problem
walking her in front of other dog’s, or people. It’s mostly when she’s around a lot of people she doesn’t know or simply someone she doesn’t know and for whatever reason
does not like.

We love our dog so much and have tried different tactics, but don’t really know where to go for help with this problem.
It’s a constant worry, especially it coming around the holidays.

If you could respond to this message, we’d be more than thankful.

Regards,
Torrie O

Below are two pictures of Vida
She’s a little short, but she’s a very wide & muscler dog.

http://i545.photobucket.com/albums/hh378/TOMONSTRx3/UH2.jpg

http://i545.photobucket.com/albums/hh378/TOMONSTRx3/UH1-1.jpg

Hi,
My boyriends father recently lost his long battle with cancer, and ever since the family’s weimaraner ‘bella’ has never been the same. She was his dog, and stayed at his bedside right up until the end.my boyfriend now says ‘bella’ is sad and has lost her enthusiasm and energy. Is there anything that can be done to help her get back to her old self, a happy lovely dog.
They live in the pretoria area.

We have a 4 month old black and tan coonhound/black lab. He was easy to train and is great. We have one problem, when my husband talks to him or tells him to come he urinates on the floor. My husband and I were equally involved in training him and can’t understand his reason for doing this?? He does not do this everytime but a least 1 or 2 time a week.

Dear Glynne

About 2 months ago while I was walking my dog in our complex (on leashes), one of the tenants’ dogs got out and attacked me an one of my dogs. All I required from the owners was to pay my outstanding hospital bills.

I have yet not received anything from them. I did ask them last Sunday when they will sort this out but they rudely said it is not their problem but mine.

The hospital is now hunting me to pay the bills. I do not have a job as I was supposed to start a temp position 2 days after the attack, but could not accept due to my hands being bitten.

What steps can I take to make them pay. I cannot afford a lawyer. I’m quite desperate

Hi. My dog is a miniature Rat Terrier with Chihuahua mix. Usually when we go for walks she gets along fine with dogs that are her own size but when she sees a dog that is bigger than her most of the time she tries to start a fight. I don’t know if this is caused by fear or simply wanting to be top dog.

I inherited a 10 year old pekingnese who smells like fritoes. No matter what I bathe her in, spray on her monitor her outings, etc. she still smells just like fritoes. I also notice she sweats and I thought dogs panted. Maybe this is something with this breed? I really cannot get rid of this smell. Can you help? I have changed her diet, so I just need some advice.

Hi

My Labradoodle ate a fair amount of polystyrene yesterday, he also fell in a mucky canal and couldnt get out (exciting day!). he has been really sick all night though and today he is being very quiet where usually he is bounding around like mad! i’m really worried about him, i’m hoping he is just shaken up from falling in the canal, but am hoping polystyrene isnt poisonous to dogs? can you please offer any information?

thanks

My 5 yo corgi mix knows not to pee on the floor, so she goes on the furniture instead, 1st owner was abusive, may have beat her badly during her puppy years. Then again, about 50% of the time she will use paper, which I just recently taught her. I don’t know what to do.

why is one of my dogs(they are brothers from the same litter) breaking through the pickets to run outside the yard? He attacks small dogs wanting to play & ends up hurting them. They both play together & are not in the fenced yard a long time.
Buster can’t see the the street, only hear. He always leaves his brother who then freaks. they are 5 & he has only done this for the past year. Please help, he is now at the pound awaiting a vicious dog hearing.

hi

I have two rabbits and they are approx. 6 weeks old. I simply love them to bits and have been really bonding with them.

I have reason to believe that they may have been poisoned with rattex. I have found a sachet in their enclosure.

i also have reason to believe that a rat has been eating their food.

what can i do to check if the rabbits a have eaten the poison?

what can i do to prevent anything from happening to them.

kind regards
diane, JHB

hi

i have a large yard and somehow i have ended up with 7 dogs, two were with me for the past 8 years , one was 2 were adopted from the SPCA, and two from Pet rescue. They are a handful but my husband and i just love them to bits.

They take care of us and we take care of them.
I feed them a mixed diet of dried chunks and they almost daily mix of milie meeal and boiled bones. They are spoilt with narie biscuit treats each day and will only eat the mealie meal and bones.

You have mentioned that the should be fed raw bones but my gang do not like raw meat, or they do not know what to do with it.

they are also found of killing and eating the local birds. can i do something with their diet or are they just spoilt.

PS: whenever my wife plants anything in the yard they will always destroy the plants by either sleeping or digging the area. what can be doen to stop this?

We have a 5 month old english bulldog who is refusing to walk on the lead, she is fine if we leave the house and put her in the car but if we put a lead on her and try and walk her outside the house on pavements she becomes very nervous and scared, she shakes and grinds to a holt.
We have tried treats, walking with other dogs and pulling her along a little but with no joy.
She seems scared of the lead, even if we put it on her in the house she freezes and wont move. she isnt scared of people or other dogs.will not walk in st with or without lead.will run allday in park,beach open space but when lead put on she wont budge.

our Lahsa Apsa is a year old, she chews on our cabinets from time to time. How do we stop this behaior?

The latest addition to my flock of 8 African greys is a 4 to5 year old female grey. I bought her to keep a hand reared 18 month old company (rescued). They love each other and are kept in a 2 by 3 meter cage outside plenty of toys and stimulation(Cyprus) with other birds around. Problem is she is very aggressive. Her previous owner vaguely warned me. If I enter she will put her head down and fly into attacking mode, landing on my head or shoulder biting hard. If her head is not lowered she will come onto my hand or arm. Any help would be very welcome.

My 4 year old rhodesian ridgeback urinates in the house when we leave her. This is not everytime. Any suggestions?

Dear Glynne,
We are lucky enough at my job to be able to bring our dogs to work. My boss has a 4 and a half year old French bulldog who is very sweet, but he has lately been experiencing serious, very apparent stress. My boss’ office has moved, but her dog stays here because it a calmer environment. However, he seems to be reacting very badly to being left here with me and my coworker. We love him very much, but he gets very upset when he is left here. He spends most of the day trying to escape, and he is viciously protective of our office, which means that he has to be locked up or held down when the cleaning guy or the FedEx man shows up, or he will attack. He also whines a terrible cry throughout the day, and begs frequently, as if he is asking for something but we do not understand him.
How do we comfort him? I thought getting him his own dog bed might be helpful (he currently sleeps on the couch). He gets plenty of exercise, as my own puppy comes to work most days and keeps him entertained. He just seems very, very upset.
Thanks in advance for your help,
Anja

Dear Glynne,
My husband is jealous of our dog, and the fact that our dog follows me around everywhere and gives him no attention. He has a ton of work stress and is possibly dealing with depression and anxiety. He thinks the dog doesn’t like him because I don’t discipline him and he does. I do discipline him when necessary, but he wants me to push the dog away from me when it hides behind me because it’s scared. He does things like hold the dog back when I come home so that the dog doesn’t get excited to see me and come running. I try all the time to get the dog to go to my husband and not me. I really want my dog to love my husband and not fear him. I wish my husband could get advice on the right things to do to change the dog’s behaviour so it comes to him and gives him affection. He seems to do all the wrong things and make it worse. It’s also stressful for me because I want things to be happy. We need to see a pet psychologist but we don’t have enough money right now. I would please really love some advice.

Hi

I am the owner of a one year old bichon. He has become very attached to my youngest daughter (aged 4) he literally does not leave her side he constantly walks behind her and panics if they are separated. he sleeps by her bed each night this may sound sweet but my daughter is starting to get irratated by his behaviour. I am unsure what to do has he does not do this with any of my other daughters

PLEASE HELP

Dear Glynne,
I have a 14 week old kitten and when I get up (at any time it may be 2:00 am or 6:00 am) before I let her in to the living room, she tries to nurse on me. I don’t know if she left her mama too early, but I don’t think so. Why is she doing this?

I have 2 15 month old weimaraners that I show. Neithr will get its tail up while in the ring. Neither has ever had a bad experince at a show or in the ring. The male is very ‘tails up’ at home and sometimes bullies his sister who nonetheless gets her tail up at home. Both of the have their tails up when they get out of the van at shows but by the time they get in the ring it’s down.

My husband and I have a Maltese ( nearly 2 years) who we love to bits. She has a toileting problem. She has started weeing and pooing in the house occassionally. She has a cat door which she goes in and out of with no problems. Sometimes she does it inside while we are at work, othertimes she does it at night. She sleeps upstairs with us and instead of going down in the night and out the cat door she goes down to the lounge and does it on the carpet. It seems to happen after a change in routine eg when we have been away for the weekend and she has been to stay elsewhere. Also she doesn’t like going outside to the toilet when the grass is wet! What do we do?

I have a 7 month old male boxer. He was fixed when he turned 6 months and now has aggression towards other dogs. He barks and lunges at them. He is fine with any dog he has been around since he was little but does not seem to want to meet new dogs. He was always leary of new people but seemed excited to meet dogs (that is until he was fixed). I don’t understand why his aggression toward other dogs (and sometimes people) has escalated since he was fixed (I thought it was supposed to decrease). Is there a reason for this and what can I do to fix this problem?
He has been to puppy classes (when he was 4 to 5 months) and is supposed to start the intermediate class in a few weeks (I had to put it off due to his neutering). However, with the recent development I don’t see it working out.

Glynne, We have a11 month old Black Russian Terrier that has become more aggressive, in spells, over time, and she is getting worse. She jumps up, nips and tries to dominate anyone that will let her. Help? PLease

Hi Glynn

I have an african grey who is now alomost one and a half year old and about a month ago I bought a partner for “charlie”, but the new bird ( who is a female and younger but bigger than “charlie”) goes over to he’s cage (they have seperate cages
), then he bites her! and he’s not playing hey, everytime I have to seperate them.

yet they feed each other and kiss each other, but when she wants to go to he’s cage then he goes into attack mode!

Please help, what can I do?

Hi, i have 2 male dogs a border collie who is nearly 2 and a mixed breed who is coming up to 3 years of age. We are hoping to start a family within the next few years but our mixed breed dog reacts badly when he sees children in the garden or passes them on the street. He barks and pulls towards them and i’m afraid he may hurt them if they got to close. I don’t want to have to get rid of him and i’m very worried he won’t accept a new child into the house. He will bark at people who come into the house also and doesn’t like to be stroked by strangers until he is ready. Please can you help?

Please could you tell me if dog’s can pick up their human family “vibes”, i.e if one family member is unhappy or depressed can our dog feel those feelings and become depressed or stressed themselves? thanks for your help. regards angie

Hi

I have a 9 month old female English Bull Terrier. We love her to bits and when we are home she spends her time in doors with us. Unfortunately she loves to chew wood. She never touches our indoor furniture but if we go out we come home to either a fence, or table or door post chewed to bits! She has lots of toys but is not interested in them. She used to be able to chew old logs and things in our old house so I suppose it’s kind of our fault but now there’s no old logs she goes for everything else. Is it because she is bored? I am nervous to get her a friend because I have heard these dogs don’t like competition. What should we do?

Hi Glynne…I’m writing about my dog Louie. He’s a 2 1/2 year old pit bull. He is a great dog, who is very social and gets along with almost everyone. However, he is extremely attached to me, and he has a lot of separation anxiety as well as what seems like general stress. I recently got an 8 week old puppy, Charlie, whom Louie hates. First it started out as him being a brat, or at least that’s how I percieved it. He’s only played with her twice the entire time shes been here. Unfortunately, both of those times were when lots of other people around and Louie’s mood was much better. Since, he has seemed to get very depressed. He’s also been eating very little and has thrown up twice. I’m afraid I’m ruining the dog who means so much to me. But short of giving up the puppy, which I can’t do, I just don’t know what to do.

And in case you need to know, the reason for my reluctance to give up Charlie is because Louie lives with his dad most of the time. He’s been with me for a month and should be with me for a few more. I would give him back if I could, but I can’t get a hold of said dad.

Please, please, please help me.

my miniature schnauzer is 3and1/2 years old is not acting the same as he use to.he use to play with the other dogs at the dog park now he just sits on the bench beside me not next to me as far away as he can get.also for a week he would not sleep in my bed like he use to he acted like he was afraid of my bed.he would not ride in the car on my lap like he use to.and a few times he would sit out in the back yard for a couple hours just staring at nothing i would have kock on the window to get him to come in so i could go to bed he does a bunch of other things that he didn’t do befour. this started a few weeks after i adopted a miniature schnauzer for him to play with and keep him company.for the first two weeks thay played fine thay were the best of friends.then i gave confortis two the both of them.the rescue dog did fine harry just got strange he wanted nothing to do with the rescue dog all harry did was sleep one time he eaven growed at truman the other dog.i had truman for a month and 1/2 i gave
him back to the place i got him. thinking maybe harry was acting strange. but this didn’t help bring him back. so i thought maybe it was the confortis well it been a month and 2 days and harry still is not back. i hope i didn’t mess him up for life.

I have a male and female mastiff. I’ve had the male since he was 8 mos old…he just turned 1 year old a couple of weeks ago. He has been a good dog and a wonderful addition to our family. Two or three weeks ago he developed a fetish with my mother in law’s hands. He always wanted to “mouth” her hands. Last Thursday morning, for no apparent reason, he attacked her and she had to be life-flighted. The dog is now going thru a 10 day quarantine. He has had all of his shots, including rabies. His attack was not a normal attack with thrashing and ripping but more repeated chewing of both hands and a couple on one foot. After the attack, he sat on top of her for what she thinks was about a minute and then got off of her. She tried to crawl to our covered veranda and he grabbed her by the leg and pulled her back to the spot where the attack occurred but then walked off. Afterward, he was a normal dog again; happy go lucky and man’s best friend. We have wracked our brains trying to figure out what sparked this un-provoked attack. I even wondered if there may be some type of lotion or cologne that she may use on her hands that contain phermones or other chemical agent that could cause him to briefly go insane. We are just trying to make sense of what happened. Any ideas?
Thank you,
Lloyd

We just adopted a 2-yr-old Great Pyrenees from our local shelter. She was found stray and her history is unknown. We have had her 2 weeks and she has never wagged her tail.

The vet checked her out and there are no physical reasons to account for the lack of wagging.

She is alert, intelligent and obedient but we are slightly worried about her intentions when she stares at us intently without wagging her tail. We have tried playing with her - fetch, tricks, dog parks, treats, walking… and she is quick to understand her expectations and follow along but the fact that she never wags her tail makes us wonder if she is enjoying any of it.

The fact that she is such a large, powerful dog makes us worry that she is not happy and will take a notion to turn on us. She has given us “the eyes” a few times and it is very intimidating!

Do you think she is just slow to warm up and is intelligently assessing her new home without making any quick attachments? Or perhaps she is untrusting of humans due to her past and waiting for an opportunity to attack? Do some dogs just not wag their tails, even when they are happy? How long might it take for her to accept and trust us?

Thank you for any insight you may be able to provide!

Hi my dog ryobi a male shiba inu of 9 months has recently developed a chewing problem, hes fine while we r home or sleeping but the minute i walk out the door he finds wjatever hr can to chew up an destroy paper, cords, pens, coasters clothes ! Plz help!! Hes chewing atleast 1 thing everyday

I have a 27 yr old Yellow Naped Amazon who will not stay on his out of the cage perch. She is constantly fiquring out how to climb down and then, like my yorkie, likes to wander my bedroom.

What can I do besides lock him up in his cage.

Ivan

my two year old collie has some behavioural problems i.e cant get off leadd as he runs off..
im currently in italy with work so he is staying with a friend i was recently home and went to see him he looked alot fatter and was very hyper(not sure if this is due to cheap food or over indulgence) i took him to see my other dog and he was fine.. i then took him back to my friends house in which the last 2days hes refused to go in the garden in which he cocked his leg and peed inside? what is wrong av had a diabetes test done a whle ago should i get another one done?

We had our 10 month old cocker spaniel castrated on vets advice as his testicles hadn’t dropped.
he is now hiding under the table and will only come out if put on a lead ,he does not seem to want to know us . you have to put his food under his nose otherwise he will not eat , and instead of walking he is scampering about .
any advice would be helpfull to get our lovely dog back
Thank you

Hi, I had a 7 year old male staffie and a 14 year old female westie, unfortunately we had to have the westie put to sleep in january. Since then the staffie has been weeing in his bed on a night when we go to bed. Hes never done anything like this before. Hes eating ok and apart from looking a little lost and depressed at times seems ok. I say he is pining for his friend and we should get another dog my husband thinks im daft. Hes not brill with other dogs so was wondering how to introduce him to a puppy if we did get another dog. Thanks

We have a Robin at our house that flys into our window’s repeatedly each day. He sits on the BBQ at the back door and attacks the back door (window) and then moves to the front door and does the same thing. Can anyone explain this peculair behaviour of this wild bird, native to southern Ontario Canada?

I lost my Husky in January. I still cannot think about him and his last 3 days without crying horribly. Lying on the table he couldn’t see, move, drink…nothing. I knew it was time to let go but I didn’t want to. I finally spoke in his ear and for some reason he cried back to me. I know he wanted to be let go but I know he was telling me something else. I should have done more when we found out he was so anemic despite his failing kidneys. I want him to come back…

Can dogs have schizophrenia? Because I am beginning to worry that mine does- for the past two days now she has been wedging herself into a corner in our living room between an armchair and a blanket chest and snarling at the wall, always at the wall. It’s a full on muzzle-wrinkled, teeth-bared growl, and it terrifies the heck out of us.

She’s shown a tendency for aggression in the past, but this time, for once, it seems entirely unprovoked, so we’re unsure of how to proceed.

Any advice you might have would be most appreciated

We have a 5 year old Jack Russel male. 9 months ago we had a little girl and did everything we could to make our dog feel included. He was great with her and used to lay beside her on his back and lick her. Up until 6 weeks ago it all changed. He started running away all the time and in the last 2 weeks he’s snapped at her twice and whenever she tries to crawls near him he hides behind us or runs outside. It’s gotten to a point where I follow her everywhere just in case she gets him in a corner. We tried telling him off (we never hit him and never have), tried giving him more cuddles, more walks but nothing helps. I don’t know what to do. I don;t want to get rid of him but I don’t want him to have to be an outside dog either but we’re starting to consider it. It all pretty much started when she got mobile but I don’t know what to do. Please help

Hi

we have a 9 month old boxer who loves drinking water from our pool. we are getting a friend for him soon, a little 8 week old boxer girl. i’m terribly worried that she will try and copy him and fall into the pool and not be able to get out. Your suggestions?

Hi. I have a question about my dog. I am the owner of a 12 1/2 yr old JRT. She has been with me since she was 6 weeks old. She is a true jack and has always battled some sep axniety. Over a year ago we moved to a new home. She has still not adjusted and seems to be very unhappy. She has cataracts and gum disease. Also a good bout of allergies and arthrits. She is using the restroom in the house on a daily basis and continues to get worse. I have discussed these things with my vet and he said it may be time to let her go. I have had to put a dog to sleep before, but there was a clear cut reason. I am not sure if this is the Christian thing to do. I feel her quality of life is poor, while her basic needs are met, the zest she once had is gone. Our new home does not have a fenced yard and this is also very hard for her b/c she has to stay on a leash now. Any advice you can offer would be very helpful. Thank you. I should add she has been a loyal companion for many years and I feel terribly guilty about her unhappiness and fate.

I bought a Maltese rescue. He wasn’t lively when I got him. He didn’t bother my cats or other dogs. Turns out his thyroid was really low. Medication made him a new dog - but now he chases my 2 younger cats who are now afraid of him. 17 yr old cat won’t run & is bigger than the dog, so he gets along w/ her. How can I get him to stop chasing the other cats. Tried treats, keeping leash on. Help!!!

hi my neighbours cat keeps coming into my house. during the day it sits on my front step if i leave a door open for any length of time it comes in and retreats to the spare( i cant even bring my shopping in from the car or hang clothes out)last night i found it on the stairs and put it out only to be woken up in the middle of the night by a strange cat. last year i was tortured with cats pooing in my back garden( nothing this year) i have a clean house and am getting so annoyed with this what is the reason for this, i am not a cat hater dont hold with cruelty but am getting seriously annoyed.

i have a cavalier king charles spaniel, Bailey, who recently lost his best mate, a Shih-Tzu called Billy (yes, we’ve heard the Bill Bailey jokes). Bailey’s normally very happy and playful but a couple of days before and since Billy was put down due to chronic kidney failure, he’s been very down and quiet. Later on we found he’s very sensitive around his mid, lumps in his stomach area and he has been over heating a lot. Over two weeks he’s been back and forth to the vet trying to find out what’s what, it’s not cancer, pancreatitis, his bowels are working fine and every test has come back negative. My dad spoke to a dog psycologist today and said he might still be pining for Billy and those lumps could be stress related. Could you give me some more info on this? We’re really worried we’re gonna lose him and we don’t want that just before a holiday.