Ask Dr Jo - your pet problems solved

Who is Dr Joanne?

Dr Joanne Righetti is an animal behaviourist, educating the public and professionals in all aspects of the human–animal relationship. Her background is in zoology, with a PhD in animal behaviour and a counselling diploma – qualifications which enable her to work with all sorts of animals – including the human variety!

At PetsHQ we are very excited about the opportunity to work with Dr Jo in our online resource centre, so please Ask Dr Jo!  “I’d love to help you understand your pets.  Let’s look into your pets mind……and perhaps yours too!”

Joanne likes to help pet owners understand their pet’s behaviour and solve any pet behaviour problems. She also consults to a variety of organisations including non-profit organisations, commercial companies and councils and is involved in a variety of media including pet magazines, TV and regular spots on radio.

Joanne has published booklets on pet behaviour including Barking Problems Solved and Cat Toileting Problems Solved.

Joanne lives with a variety of animals including a dog, mixed breed, 4 cats, 2 Ferrets, 3 sons and a husband!

Hi Kelly

Moving house can be one of the most stressful things we do in life and this can also apply to our pets so we need to make Mia’s transition as smooth and anxiety-free as possible. This means keeping her routines and belongings as close to normal as possible in your new home. This is not the time to throw out old food bowls, toys or blankets.

Boarding your cat may be a good option if it is difficult to supervise her while the removalists do their work. Otherwise confine her to one room until you are ready to leave. I am not a huge fan of tranquilising pets while transporting them as this may mask illness or stress but, if your cat finds car travel stressful, this may be a better option than listening to mournful meows the entire journey.

In your new home confine your cat to a small area to begin with. One room or two is fine as long as her familiar belongings are there and she has your company. You can gradually increase the amount of space and freedom she has. Allowing two weeks to acclimatise is good.

If you intend to allow your cat the freedom of the great outdoors, then accompany her outside to investigate, ensuring she can’t escape from your garden. This is a good idea even in indoor cats as it familiarises your cat with your garden and how to return to the safety of indoors should she ever escape. Remember to update your cat’s tag and registration details.

You may decide to keep your cat indoors for safety or at least encourage her to spend more time at home. This means enriching her home environment and activities. Consider building a cat enclosure in your yard, providing scratching posts, litter trays and a variety of toys that you rotate on a regular basis. This should help keep your cat amused. Lots more tips on keeping cats happy at home on my website www.petproblemsolved.com.au

Dr Jo

Hi Barb

It is never too late to teach your dog but, at your dog’s age it may be more of a case of management than cure. As you have experienced, a lack of socialisation and significant negative experiences combine to result in a distrust of other animals.

 Long term improvement of this situation needs a program of gradual desensitistion to other animals. This involves a very careful and controlled series of introductions, best done under the supervision of an experienced professional. Contact an animal behaviourist or ask for a referral from your vet.

Management involves avoiding potentially dangerous situations. Crossing roads, walking in the other direction and avoiding canine eye contact will help minimise the threat. If you do have to meet other dogs then approach in an indirect route and keep up some light, happy talk which helps convince many dogs that they are about to encounter a friend rather than foe. Try not to become too stressed yourself as this will be communicated to your dog. A secure leash is essential and a muzzle may give you some peace of mind. It may also be wise to tell people not to approach with their pets.

Please remember that a degree of aggression is normal in all animals. Without it, we would not be able to eat, defend our property or our young. It is modern human society that sees aggression as unacceptable and, quite rightly, we try to reduce the risk and impact where possible. Celebrate the fact that your dog enjoys people.

Dr Jo

Hi Jo,

I have a problem with my female boxer Bella.  She is a humper.   When I talk to my husband, the kids, even the cat, she humps my leg.  Almost as if she doesn’t want anyone else in the picture.  She wants me all to herself.

I know it isn’t normal, but what is going on in her head?

Michelle

Humping, or possibly more commonly called mounting behaviour is common in canine communication. Humans tend to associate it with sexual behaviour which is why we find it tremendously embarrassing when our dog humps other dogs, our legs or worst still, our friends’ legs. And girls do it just as much a boys! While mounting does take place in the sexual repertoire, it also occurs during play, during fights and, as you’ve discovered, as a means of getting attention and controlling humans.

Bella has no doubt learnt that grabbing your leg gets your attention. This behaviour distracts you from your previous occupation, talking to your family, and diverts your attention to her. Thus Bella’s humping is always rewarded. To stop this behaviour, you need to remove the reward. In other words, you give her no attention. If she gets the chance to start mounting then you must ignore her by giving her no physical attention, no verbal attention and no eye contact, which are all considered rewards in Bella’s mind.

Better than waiting for the behaviour to happen, why not teach Bella a more appropriate behaviour to perform. Teach her to go and sit on her mat when you need to talk to your family, where a favourite toy or treat can be given. In this way she is being rewarded for calm, quiet behaviour. If this is difficult to teach you may need to practice it when you have more time and patience on your hands, not when you are in the middle of an important conversation. Otherwise I would suggest that you either put Bella out of the room or you control her behaviour by having her on leash, again rewarding her for sitting calmly by your side.

Dr Jo

Dear Dr Jo,
My children have pet mice, 2 females. I never thought I would like them but I actually find them quite amusing. They are very tame and get lots of cuddles from my 6 year old son and 8 year old daughter. One of their friends has a pet rat and they have asked me if they could have one too. Since my mice are in a huge, palace-like cage, I wondered would it be Ok to keep the mice and rats together? Would they become friends?

The answer to this is easy. Don’t do it! By all means consider a rat as a pet. They can make fabulous, interactive companions for children. They don’t, however, make great friends for mice. In fact, rats may even kill mice. This is not a learning experience that your kids would enjoy so if you are considering adding a rat to your family, make sure you give him or her, their own luxurious palace.

Dr Jo

Dear Dr Jo,

We are ready for a dog. The problem is my family can’t agree on which breed to get. I would like a smallish Terrier, husband wants a Labrador, son (16) would like a Staffordshire Bull Terrier and daughter (7) a Maltese. Then we cannot agree on a boy or a girl, although we will have it desexed. Can you give us some tips on how to choose the best dog for us please?

Marie, Sunshine Coast

Hi Marie,

Choosing a dog for your family is a serious business or it should be, as you will live with this new family member for the next 12 to 14 years so I think it is great that you are making an informed decision. Here are some tips for picking the right canine companion:

1.       Breeds Research all the breeds you are interested in. Meet breeders and owners of these dogs. Find out the worst things about your shortlisted breeds, their health and temperament. If you can live with this, you will be well on the way to accepting this breed of dog into your life.

2.       Lifestyle Examine your lifestyle as a family. Are you active, busy people or the opposite? Who will do most of the work with this dog? Be realistic. Then I suggest that you go with the breed that suits the member of the family who will look after it most or the person in the family that is most at risk of an energetic canine. This does not necessarily mean their choice of breed but a breed that suits them.

3.       Try before you buy Borrow or look after a dog, preferably of the breed you are interested in, for a few days. Then you can identify which family members are less willing to walk the dog or pick up poo. Sometimes the novelty of life with a dog wears off very quickly and it tends to be Mum who is left with the workload. Be prepared!

4.       Individual While breed of dog is important, often dog owners make their choice solely based on aesthetics, the way the dog looks. It is the dog’s temperament that you are going to have to live with. Ensure you select a puppy whose personality fits in with your lifestyle. You have a young child .You should not choose a “pushy” puppy, nor the quietest of the litter. Good breeders these days will interview you. You must do the same with them. Together you can then make an informed choice of individual.

With regard to the gender of your dog, this is a personal choice and luckily humans are split about 50-50 on their preferences. As a very general guide you will find that boys play more and are more energetic while girls are more loveable and show less aggression. Desexing is the way to go.

5.       Other choices If you are still finding it hard to choose a breed, then you might like to do what my family did. Since we could not agree on the perfect breed, we decided that a mixed breed puppy was the ideal option and so we gave a home to an unwanted young dog. Check out pounds and shelters near you (you may like to start your search on the internet).

Good luck with your decision making and your future life with your canine companion.

Hi Dr Jo,

Our 4 year old Kelpie cross is barking, a lot! Our neighbours have told us that she runs and barks at the fence while we are out at work. We walk her lots and she is quiet when we are home except when people pass by the gate, then she likes to chase them but she is not that noisy then. The barking started about 6 months ago and nothing seems to stop her when we are out. Can you help?

Angela, Sydney

Hi Angela

Barking is the most common problem reported to local councils. Dogs bark for many reasons, including boredom, stress, disturbances in the environment, pain, excitement and to get attention. Barking is a symptom of an underlying problem and to reduce or remove this unwanted symptom you have to work out the cause. Did something change in your life or your dog’s to cause her to start barking? Perhaps you can rectify this. It sounds to me that, in your dog’s case, it is very likely disturbances that are causing her to bark but may also be boredom, separation-related stress or attention seeking.

Some things to try include:

• Exercise –vary your routes and types of exercise to stimulate your dog. Working dogs such as Kelpies often respond well to ball games such as fetch or flyball or you might like to try agility classes or make your own agility course at home. You could also ask a friend to walk your dog or hire a dog walker.
• Training & Play – this exercises the mind and body, leaving your dog tired. Play with your dog while you are home and train your dog to be quiet by rewarding her when she is. When you leave her alone, provide toys that you rotated daily or work out an arrangement for play dates with doggy mates. You may also like to try doggy day care.
• Food –Provide a treat ball or scatter some kibble around the yard. This will give the dog a job to do, quietly! Leave chews that will occupy your dog throughout the day. Again, vary these treats from day to day.
• Change of routine – relocate your dog to another part of the house or yard or block his view. Work out when he is likely to bark and alter his fence access at these times.
• Introductions – Set up people to walk past your fence when you are home and reward your dog’s quiet behaviour. Enlist the help of willing friends and neighbours to help out.
• Devices such as The Husher can help train dogs to be quiet. Anti-barking collars may work for some animals but are not recommended for stressed individuals. They should always be used in conjunction with behavioural therapy.

Since barking is such a common problem and can be one of the most annoying pet problems in our society, I have written a booklet, Barking Problems Solved,  to help dog owners understand why their dog barks and how to solve the problem. This is available at pet and vet stores. Details at my website www.petproblemsolved.com.au.

Dr Jo

Hi Dr Jo,

I love my cat Noodle. He is a 7 year old Burmese and very loving and affectionate with me. He is a different cat with my boyfriend. When he stays over, Noodle will tolerate Brian holding him and even patting him but only for so long. Then he attacks with teeth and claws and even I can’t stop him? He seems to take ages to be friends again. Is there anything we can do to make him nice all of the time?

Sarah, Wogga

Hi Sarah

Noodle is what I call an “Attack Cat” and they are relatively common in the feline world. He probably does not attack you because he gets everything he wants from you. It is only when he is not getting attention on his terms - lots of cuddles and humans to obey his demands - that he attacks. It could also be that your boyfriend stimulates him a little too much and Noodle chooses to relieve his energy and/or stress on Brian!

I suggest that you and Brian time how long or count how many pats Noodle can take prior to attack. Then reduce this by between 10 and 50%, and gradually build up over time. Brian must also ignore Noodle’s attacks, as anything he does to respond to these will be giving Noodle attention, therefore reinforcing the unwanted behaviour. Easier said than done -  Ignoring a cat intent on using his claws and teeth is not easy! Brian might like to try wearing thick gloves so he does not feel the pain and react. But the gradual desensitisation and habituation to Brian’s pats are the best long term solution.

Watch out for Noodle’s ears flattening, tail swishing and/or whiskers moving forwards, just before he bites. Lots of cats give us these warning signals prior to attack. Remember to give Noodle lots of stimulation with games and treats and then hopefully he won’t attack humans for fun.

Dr Jo

Dear Dr Joanne,
My cat, Penny, wakes me up every morning at the crack of dawn, sometimes even before it is light. She starts meowing softly then it gets louder and louder. If i ignore her she will pounce on me. My partner seems to be able to ignore her but i can't! When I get up she likes to be fed and to play. She is a domestic short hair (moggie), is 5 years old and is very healthy.

Over-activity and crying behaviour can be a sign of medical conditions in cats, so a vet check may be necessary before attempting to change your cat's behaviour.

Being active at dawn and dusk is a normal feline behaviour and given the chance our domestic felines will often revert to their wild ancestor's nocturnal behaiour. To prevent his happening your cat needs a lot of stimulation during the daylight and evening hours so that she is more prepared to sleep overnight. So ensure when you are home that you play entertaining, interactive games with Penny.

The easiest solution will be for you to put your cat out of earshot so that she cannot disturb you at night or in the morning. And remember to shut the bedroom door.

If you feel bad about this, then get yourself some earmuffs and ignore all her activity. If you do get up, don't play with her as this will reinforce her demands. Just attend to her needs as quickly and quietly as possible.

Interestingly, recent studies have shown that owners respond to their cat's insistent meowing and it has been suggested that cats are manipulating humans. I'll leave that for you to decide.

Hi Dr Jo,
My dog is about to stay with a friend while we go on holiday. He is a Labrador and good with our 2 cats but my friend has a rabbit and I'm not sure how Maxie will respond. I don't think he has ever met a rabbit before. Do you have any tips for smooth introductions?

The introduction of canines to potential prey species is never easy and all interactions will need to be monitored. I suggest that you start this prior to your holiday so that you are in charge of your dog’s behaviour.

Introduce the dog by taking him over to the enclosure, preferably when the rabbit has been removed. Allow him to sniff and observe but not touch in any way. You will need to keep the dog on a leash and very much under your control. Practice this many times prior to meeting the rabbit.

When the rabbit is safely back in his enclosure, you can repeat this exercise with the dog, again on the leash. Your dog should be under your (or your friend’s) command at all times. If this is difficult for you, you should work on training and leadership skills prior to introductions. Praise and/or reward all the dog's calm behaviour.

It is worthwhile never leaving the dog alone with the rabbit until you are absolutely sure that he will not annoy or chase the rabbit. Any time he manages to chase or get a reaction from the rabbit, it will reinforce unwanted behaviour. You might also like to check if your friend has an area of yard that the dog or the rabbit may be relocated, should things not go as smoothly as planned. Good luck!

Dr Jo

Hi Dr Jo,
My dog is about to stay with a friend while we go on holiday. He is a Labrador and good with our 2 cats but my friend has a rabbit and I'm not sure how Maxie will respond. I don't think he has ever met a rabbit before. Do you have any tips for smooth introductions?

The introduction of canines to potential prey species is never easy and all interactions will need to be monitored. I suggest that you start this prior to your holiday so that you are in charge of your dog’s behaviour.

Introduce the dog by taking him over to the enclosure, preferably when the rabbit has been removed. Allow him to sniff and observe but not touch in any way. You will need to keep the dog on a leash and very much under your control. Practice this many times prior to meeting the rabbit.

When the rabbit is safely back in his enclosure, you can repeat this exercise with the dog, again on the leash. Your dog should be under your (or your friend’s) command at all times. If this is difficult for you, you should work on training and leadership skills prior to introductions. Praise and/or reward all the dog's calm behaviour.

It is worthwhile never leaving the dog alone with the rabbit until you are absolutely sure that he will not annoy or chase the rabbit. Any time he manages to chase or get a reaction from the rabbit, it will reinforce unwanted behaviour. You might also like to check if your friend has an area of yard that the dog or the rabbit may be relocated, should things not go as smoothly as planned. Good luck!

Dr Jo

Dear Dr Jo
My lorikeet attacks all family members except me! He likes to sit on my shoulder but it’s no fun for my kids or my husband who get chased and bitten if they come near. What can I do?

Dr Jo

Dr Jo,

Our Maltese Shih Tzu is a house dog though when no one is home we leave him outside. Recently when he has been left outside he has started scratching & gnawing at the back door to come inside & has damaged the door jamb. What would be causing this recent change in behaviour (not sure if it’s because of winter) & what can we do to change his behavior as the damage is quite noticeable

Thank You

Brad Squire

It could well be the cool days and expecially the cool nights of winter that have prompted your dog's change of behaviour. It could also be a change in your routine or your dog's health so a vet check may be best to rule out any illness.

It is quite normal for dogs to communicate to us by scratching at doorways although perhaps not our desired means of communication. Some owners get around this by installing a doggy door so their dog has the freedom to come and go as they please. If this is not an option, you can deter your dog scratching and gnawing by covering your door in deterrents such as citrus oils or bitter sprays available from pet stores or by erecting a barrier such as wire mesh.

Destructive behaviours such as chewing can be a symptom of separated related distress, so if you think your dog could be suffering from separation anxiety, ensure you provide opportunity for your dog to cope with short separations from you, gradually building them up over time.

You should also ensure you never respond to your dog while he is scratching or chewing as this will reinforce the unwanted behaviour. Instead you must wait until he is quiet before you let him in. Some owners have success with teaching their dog a different method of asking to be let in. This involves setting the dog up with one person outside to command him to bark, or even ring a bell that’s at his height, and the other person to let him in when he does so – his reward. Good luck!

Joanne,

My family are considering a Cocker Spaniel/Poodle cross-female from a rescue. Do these dogs have any particular problems? We are worried about digging under fences especially as our last dog, a maltese shitzu dug under the side fence and was killed by the bull mastiff that used to live next door.

Thanks, Vicky

It is difficult to guarantee how any dog will turn out. There are medical conditions and behaviours specific to breeds and there is just as much variation within individuals of any breed. A good guide to what you are likely to come across in inherited canine or feline breed disorders can be found at the Sydney University website Listing of Inherited Disorders (LIDA) www.vetsci.usyd.edu.au/lida/. With a mixed breed, you may have elements of both breeds arising.

Temperament-wise, it may be difficult to tell exactly what sort of personality this dog has, although being a rescue dog, the previous owners will already have an indication of what unwanted behaviours she has exhibited. Many rescue shelters and organisations these days carry out behavioural assessments to ensure that the dog is safe for rehoming and to alert the new owners to any behavioural problems that exist.

With digging behaviour, some breeds may be more prone to digging but so are some individuals. It is difficult to remove the behaviour from dogs so better to provide an appropriate outlet for it – sandpits or visits to the beach. Also better to ensure your fences are adequate, both height and depth prior to taking on another dog. Lastly ensure your dog has enough stimulation, in the form of exercise, games and training and does not suffer from separation anxiety. Boredom and anxiety are the likely causes of dogs digging to escape.