Pet Behavior: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (AND ANSWERS)
How do I keep my dog from chewing inappropriate objects?
- Keep forbidden objects out of reach
- Trade inappropriate objects for appropriate ones
- Praise your dog for playing with appropriate objects
- Exercise your dog a minimum of 1 hour per day
- Give him chew toys such as sterilized bones or nyla bones
- Play with him daily
Why does my dog bark so much and what do I do?
- He gets a reaction out of another dog or person when he barks
- He is startled by strangers, other dogs or noises
- He has visual access to things he barks at
- He is not exercised enough
- Limit his visual stimulation to one area of the house
- If he barks near you, call his name and if he is quiet or comes to you give him a treat
- Reward him and give him attention when he is quiet through out the day
- Make sure he gets plenty of exercise
How do I housetrain my puppy?
- Restrict your puppy’s access to all but one part of the house when unsupervised
- Put your puppy in a crate and take him out every couple of hours to get busy. If he does, he can play supervised, if not he goes back in the crate.
- Praise your puppy every time he gets busy
- Do not reprimand your puppy for going inside
- If he does go inside, try to catch him in the act and take him outside immediately
What are the most important things to do with my new shelter dog?
- Keep his new environment and schedule as consistent as possible
- Only leave him alone for short periods of time
- Exercise him daily
- Provide the most calm atmosphere during this adjustment phase
- Do not take him to a dog park. He will be insecure, stressed and a fight is very likely to occur.
- Gradually introduce him to other friendly dogs one at a time on neutral territory
