| by Susie Aga
I frequently get asked the same questions
by different clients all the time. Here are the questions
and the solutions.
Why won't my dog come to me when I call
them?
First of dogs with out a fenced in yard
are the harder to teach come to, because they do not have
enough time off leash and will not give that up when they
are loose. If you give your dog ample exercise off leash
in an enclosed park or some other area on a regular basis
then it is no big deal for them to come to you when they
are loose because they are not giving anything up. Also
you MUST be exciting no one wants a boring dog and no
dog wants a boring owner. I can teach you 3 tools that
will get your dog to come to you first their name means
come to me, then "come" as an emergencies command and
then I have a secret weapon that is fool proof.
Why does my dog tear up paper, eat Kleenex
and sticks?
When dogs tear things apart or eat strange
things it usually an instinctual behavior passed down
from the wolves. Most of the time it comes from when wolves
would hunt for food and tearing the meat off the bone
is satiating to them. Kleenex eating is a mystery to my
vet and myself. I think it just tastes good. A lot of
dogs will sit down and eat a whole toilet paper roll or
Kleenex box. If your dog does this the best advice I can
give is to keep these things out of reach. If they can't
reach it they can't chew/eat it!
How to get rid of urine smells in carpet?
There are many different products out there;
personally I have not found one that is 100% effective.
Natures Miracle seems to have a good reputation. There
are many home remedies like a dilution of vinegar and
water to get the smell out but this solution can also
stain many surfaces and carpets so do a small test site
first and wait 3-4 days to see if the color changes. The
professional carpet cleaners sometimes guarantee to get
the urine smell out of surfaces, make sure so you're not
wasting your money on another useless method.
Why should I get my dog spayed or neutered?
The number one reason is that there are
more than 5000 homeless dogs in the metro Atlanta area
alone not to mention the surrounding counties. There are
some dogs prone to testicular and other forms of cancer
by neutering/spaying them you could be saving there life
in the future. Dogs that are spayed/ neutered seem to
have less behavior problems then dogs that are in tact.
The health of the dogs is also better and you will have
fewer visits to the veterinarian.
Where should I get a dog from?
A breeder, a pet store, or rescue group?
If you get your dog from a rescue group (Golden Retriever
rescue /Lab etc.) you can get the breed you are looking
for and save a life. The humane societies and shelters
always have a lot to choose from. If you must go to a
breeder or pet store do some back ground checking and
make sure you are not buying from a puppy mill.
What are some poisonous things I should
be aware of around my house and yard?
Some command foods that are poison to dogs
are chocolate, grapes and almonds. Just a few teaspoons
of anti freeze can kill a dog in the matter of hours.
Pesticides can be very harmful to animals as well rat
poisons, bug repellents and moth ball. Some house plants
such as poinsettias & mistle toe, azaleas and tulip bulbs
are also poisonous.
About the Author
Susie Aga Atlanta
Dog Trainer Susie is the featured Pet Expert for Turner
Broadcasting and hosts The Animal Hour radio show on AM1650.
She is a member in good standing with the Association
of Pet Dog Trainers. She has four rescue dogs and donates
much of her time and services to rescue organizations.
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