Pet Tips & Advice
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Dr. Edward Moser
Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionist Edward
Moser, MS, VMD, DACVN An expert on the natural feeding of pets, he
serves as consulting veterinary nutritionist and spokesperson for
Wellness Natural Pet Food. He is Adjunct Assistant Professor of
Nutrition at the University Of Pennsylvania School Of Veterinary
Medicine and also serves on a federal USDA panel, National Organic
Program's Pet Food Task Force, which is defining organic standards
for pet food.
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Robert Machi
Dog Trainer and Behavioral Therapist Bark Busters Home Dog Training I teach people how think like and understand their
dogs as well as what their dogs need to feel safe and to behave. My
goal is that when I leave a client's home that they are happy to
pay me because they feel encouraged that there is hope for their
"hopeless" dog.
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Hi,
Hello. First, let me say that I love the Bernese...they are
beautiful and usually a lot of fun to train. As for the poop eating
(the fancy word is Coprophagia, it is a difficult problem to solve.
Even though it is disgusting for us as people to think about, some
dogs don't give it a second thought. I have spoken to Vets and
Nutritionists as well to try to solve the problem. The different
potential cures that I have heard of are to add certain foods to
the dog's food: Pineapple and it's juice, fig, apple cider vinegar,
meat tenderizer, horse radish. I can not say for sure if any of
these will work for your dog so PLEASE talk to your Vet. Vets offer
at least 1 product that I know of (Forbid). Pet stores also sell
products that claim to help. What I have found is that there may be
several potential causes but no absolute solution. In other words,
it's sort of "hit or miss" but may be worth trying.
The causes might be:
1) A dog simply cleaning it's area - whether it's simply
cleanliness for their own area or if the area is shared with pups,
or perhaps fear of correction from it's owner. Very young puppies
often will eat poop to populate their intestines with bacteria
2) Nutritional - perhaps a food with a lot of by-product, corn,
wheat, etc that does not give the dog all the nutrition it needs. S
your dog may be eating but still be hungry if the food is low
quality. If this is the case, do some research and talk to your Vet
about diet. Possibly adding helpful digestive enzymes like
Probiotics so that the dog is digesting more of the nutrients and
excreting more waste may help. Remember that I'm not a nutritional
expert but I have learned from experts which what I suggest that
you do as well.
3) Behavioral -what I mean is that a dog bought from a Pet Store or
breeder that does not quickly clean up pee and poop might start the
unwanted behavior of poop eating as a young pup. It may be just
boredom or anxiety.
Your only recourse may be to supervise as much as possible, maybe a
few extra walks and not allow your dogs to even get their noses
close enough to smell the poop. Having them on leash makes it
easier to control.
Hope this helps.
Robert Machi
Dog Trainer and Behavioral Therapist
Bark Busters Home Dog Training
www.BarkBusters.com
Hi,
Most behavioral issues are symptoms of a problem rather than a
problem themselves. No Bark Collars come in different forms. I am
not an expert on these because I do not use them. However, I do
know that there are collars that spray citronella in the face of
the dog as a correction for barking. For situations where these are
effective, I would never be called by those people. I do however
get calls from clients that say the collar did not work. I feel
it's because the barking was treated as a problem rather than a
symptom of a bigger problem. If you are speaking of Bark collars
that use electric shock, keep in mind that you are shooting
electricity through your dog's body. I personally do not and would
not use them on my dogs nor would I suggest that any of my clients
use them.
If your dogs are barking you can:
1) Try to recreate the barking trigger at a slow pace so that you
are ready for the bark and can immediately use the correction
(verbal only) that your dog responses to.
2) Immediately praise your dog as soon as they respond to you and
use a light calming voice tone
3) If the barking continues, keep changing your voice tone from
correction to praise to give your dog time to calm down. You can
even redirect them to something they enjoy like their favorite
toy
4) If you prefer to not use a correction, you must try to
de-sensitize your dog to the noises
Robert Machi
Dog Trainer and Behavioral Therapist
Bark Busters Home Dog Training
www.BarkBusters.com
I have four dogs. Three of them are male, non-neutered. The fourth is a female who is spayed. My problem is that no matter what I do they pee and poop in the house. I have tried walking them, crating them, pee pads, schedules, you name it. Now it has just gotten to the point that we leave them outside for most of the day. I didn't get dogs to look at them through the window. My major problem is that they are all older dogs now. The female is 6 and 1/2 and the males are 5, 4, and 1. Can you please help me? My husband wants to just leave them outside all the time and I live in upstate NY. It is getting cold already, we have had two snow storms. I love them and all I want is for them to go outside to do their business.
Thank you for your time and advice.
SincerelyJennifer Laurentius
Hi Jennifer,
I can appreciate that you've tried walking them, crating them, pee
pads, schedules, etc. That's important. What breed of dog are they?
My 1st question would be how long were you able to be consistent?
House-training can take anywhere from weeks to months depending on
the dog and the situation at home.
The toileting in the house could be considered marking. If so, neutering might help but is not a guarantee. Traditional thinking suggests that 3 un-neutered males in 1 house means a lot of leg-lifting. Is the female peeing & pooping as well? The 1st key to house-training is supervision. If they are toileting in front of you, that is much easier to control as they will generally give you some signal just before I.e. walking to their favorite spot or sniffing around. If they leave your presence to toilet then that is the signal you are looking for. If you see the signals, immediately take them outside and encourage them to do their business outside. Don't yell or run over to them in a panic as this will only scare them. I also have 4 dogs and I do not let them roam around the house. If you can't watch them, then put them all in the crates or outside.
If you can limit their access of the house to ONLY the room that you are in at the moment, then you can narrow down their "target" areas. Putting a food bowl or water bowl in spots where they toilet can also be a big help.
I hope this helps.Robert Machi
Dog Trainer and Behavioral Therapist
Bark Busters Home Dog Training
www.BarkBusters.com
Question 2 - My dog barks and nips at anyone leaving the house (he generally doesn't bark when people come in). How do I stop this behavior? Please help. Thank you! - Beth
Hi Beth,
Answer #1: This can be difficult. It may not be just the noise from
the storm It could also be the change in the barometric pressure in
the air. You could try a cd with the recorded sounds of a thunder
storm. Start it on very low volume and try to get him desensitized
to the noise. TRY NOT TO STRESS HIM OUT - Do it in small doses.
Maybe 10 to 15 seconds at a time. Also, do something he loves when
you put on the cd...play fetch with his favorite toy or offer
treats as a positive association. BE SURE not to coddle him. Trying
to reassure him could back fire and reinforce his fear if he's
still focused on his fear. I'd suggest that you have a
behavioralist come in to evaluate his overall behavior. That might
help as well.
Answer #2: Based on what you've said, I'd suggest that you could
put the leash on him 2 minutes BEFORE the guests stand up to say
their good-byes and leave. When guests leave, it's usually a little
loud, lots of hugs and a little chaotic. You could walk out ahead
of the guests to the front curb or elevator (if you live in a
building). If he likes to walk, this could make a positive
association. You will need to practice that several times until he
"gets it." If that doesn't work, you may need a professional
trainer. I'm guessing there are other problems that could be
addressed as well. That aggression may be a symptom of the real
problem. He may be a nervous or fearful dog. Does he intereact with
the guests or not bother with them?
Robert Machi
Dog Trainer and Behavioral Therapist
Bark Busters Home Dog Training
www.BarkBusters.com
Hi Ellen,
Your puppy may grow out of this behavior. As he gets older, his
bladder should get stronger. Definitely speak to your vet or the
shelter just to make sure your puppy has a clean bill of health and
that there are no Urinary Tract Infections or other ailments.
Here's what I would suggest:
1) Make sure that when anyone (including family who live in
the house) leave and return home, don't say anything to him. Just
ignore him and walk past him. I know it sounds cruel and that the
best part of the day is coming home to the wagging tail of a puppy.
However, do NOT encourage any excited response- it is better for
your puppy. Take off your coat, put your keys down, then greet him
after he's calm. It could take a few seconds to several minutes.
This can also help any separation anxiety he has for you when he is
left home alone.
2) Repeatedly walking in and out the front door could make
him less sensitive to it over time. Remember, he doesn't know he's
doing something wrong so patience and consistency in training are
the key.
3) Not only should you ignore him, even more importantly, do
not excitedly pet him. Petting him in this way will make it worse.
Sometimes calm, quiet petting can help. Sometimes any attempts at
petting will cause him to show his belly and pee. It's best to
ignore him in that case. NEVER give any corrections if your dog is
showing submissive bodily language. I hope this helps.
Robert Machi
Dog Trainer and Behavioral Therapist
Bark Busters Home Dog Training
www.BarkBusters.com
When you’re feeding a canned food, you’re feeding a relatively
higher protein and fat food; its high moisture, high protein, and
high fat content make it pretty palatable, (or tasty) for the dog.
To try to get your dog onto a food that’s a dry food base, we
recommend a Wellness CORE product – Original or Ocean flavors. The
nice part about the Wellness CORE line is that there’s also a
reduced fat option available – Wellness CORE Reduced Fat.
Mix the dry food with the canned food you’re currently feeding your
dog for a couple of days to ease the transition. And if you think
your dog prefers a more moist food, you could also moisten the
kibble with warm water or warm broth, such as chicken broth.
The issue here is really focused on body weight as opposed to
age. Senior products could be a restricted diet with lower protein
and fat levels, or they could be an enhanced diet with increased
protein and fat. So it really depends on your cat and how he or she
ages. Some cats may become sedentary and accumulate body weight
during their middle-aged years, and others may become thin. Cats
usually reach their fattest point at about 8 years old, with some
remaining heavy as they age and others growing thinner – so you may
see two distinct populations of older cats.
You must go beyond just looking for the word “Senior” on your cats’
food in order to determine the best choice for their needs. You
have to pick up the bag and read the label – look at the protein,
fat and fiber content to help you determine which formulation is
most appropriate for your adult indoor cat.
Have a Question for the 'PLJ Pet Vet Dr. Moser? Email:: pets@plj.com
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