Dog Warden Service

Behavioural Problems In and Out of the House

In the House

• About the house
• My dog is not clean overnight
• My dog soils the floor with urine and faeces
• My dog wets on the carpet
• My dog fouls on the carpet
• My dog vomits on the carpet
• My bitch is in season and there are male dogs in the house
• My bitch makes blood stains on the carpet and furniture when she is "on heat"
• My dog sheds hair over my furniture, clothing and in the car
• My dog raids the kitchen rubbish bin while I am out
• My dog has got oil or tar on his coat from the beach
• My dog needs to be introduced to a new puppy
• We are due our first baby, should we get rid of our dog?
• My puppy objects to wearing a collar and fights on the lead
• My puppy chews chair legs and doors
• My dog needs to be introduced to a kitten
• My new puppy needs to be introduced to our cat
• My dog will not allow me to brush it or touch its ears or feet
• My dog will not take tablets
• My dog drools on clothing
• My puppy bites peoples hands with its very sharp teeth
• Our toddler torments our dog
• What if my dog knocks down a valuable ornament
• My dog steals food
• My dog smells doggy

About the house

Early planning will help:

1. Decide collectively as a family which parts of the house are "no go areas" for the dog; for instance he can be trained never to set foot on carpeted areas, sit on the settee, or never go upstairs. Make sure that no member of the family encourages the dog to break the rules.
2. Never allow a young puppy the free run of the house. Restrict it to easily cleaned areas unless you can keep it under close observation.
3. Do not expect a puppy or a young dog to be 100 per cent obedient. If you are not present to warn him about committing offences. Be realistic about the amount of good behaviour you can expect from an unsupervised dog.
4. Above all, avoid putting the dog into a situation where he can spoil articles you value or commit other behavioural errors. Prevention is always better than cure.

My dog is not clean overnight

It is normal for adult dogs to have the very occasional accident but this should not occur regularly. Puppies cannot be expected to be clean for long periods until they are six months old. In an older dog consider:

1. Is the night to long? Eight to ten hours shut in may be as long as the dog can take.
2. Are there early morning disturbances by milkmen etc.? Once the dog is awake he may need to be let out.
3. Does the dog actually pass urine and faeces when he is let out last thing at night? You may need to accompany him in order to encourage him to concentrate on these actions until they become habits.
4. Will an alteration in diet and/or feeding times make any improvement?
5. Does the dog suffer from some condition affecting the digestive or urinary systems? A veterinary consultation will be necessary to decide.
6. Does the floor of the dogs sleeping place retain the smell of urine and faeces to that he is confused as to what is the right place? Cleaning with a strong solution of bleach, which should be left on the floor for ten minutes and then rinsed with plain water, should eliminate residue smells.

Consider: 

Providing the dog with a closed wire crate in which to sleep if all else fails, provided he is not left enclosed more than eight hours at night and four to five hours during the day.

My dog soils the floor with urine and faeces

Immediate reaction:

Whose fault was it?

Yours for not giving the dog the opportunity to go out at the appropriate time?

His for not asking to go out or refusing to perform when taken out?

Neither. If the dog is old or ill, or has had diarrhoea, these episodes must be executed.

Immediate action:

1. Pick up solid material with kitchen paper and put into newspaper for disposal.
2. Mop up pool of urine into a bucket with special sponge/cloth kept for the purpose.
3. Wash floor with detergent cleaner, which does not contain ammonia.
4. Rinse and wash over with water containing disinfectant.

Note. Stages three and four must be separate operations; disinfectant is useless on a soiled floor. While performing actions one to four express your disapproval facially and verbally if the accident has been the dog's fault. Smacking or other chastising is inappropriate, while the old fashioned "rubbing his nose in it" does nothing but reveal an ignorance of the dog's natural functions.

Prevention: 

Re-think the dogs routine and provide more opportunities for it to go out to the garden -e.g. dog flap in door. If the dog is to be left so long that elimination is inevitable, cover an area of the floor thickly with newspaper. If illness is suspected, consult the veterinary surgeon.

My dog wets on the carpet

Immediate action:

1. Blot up urine with kitchen paper or, if copious amounts, by laying sheets of newspaper on the pool, weighting them down and changing them frequently as they become saturated.
2. Clean the area with carpet cleaner, which does not contain ammonia.
3. Dry with iron, hair drier, or hot water bottle.

Prevention:

Review the dog's routine as above but establish whose fault it was.

My dog fouls on the carpet

Immediate action:

1. Note consistency and content in case of illness.
2. Pick up with kitchen paper, put into newspaper and dispose.
3. Wash and dry quickly as above to avoid staining.
4. Endeavour to remove the smell, as puppies in particular may return to the same spot.

My dog vomits on the carpet

Immediate action:

1. Observe colour and contents of the vomit, and any foreign bodies therein, since veterinary attention may be required.
2. Prevent the dog re-eating vomit.
3. Pick up solid matter with kitchen paper and put in to newspaper for disposal.
4. Wash area of carpet with warm water and biological washing powder, having first tested the carpet for colourfastness to the washing powder chosen. Dry with hair drier or iron
5. If vomiting continues contact your vet.

Prevention:

A dog, which is vomiting frequently, should be surrounded with newspaper on top of plastic sheeting. Clean the face and chest of a longhaired dog. A bib made out of towelling will prevent further soiling.

My bitch is in season and there are male dogs in the house

Practically all-male dogs recognise the odour of a bitch in season, as indeed nature intended them to do.

It is almost a cruelty to keep a male dog in the same house as an "in-season" bitch and they will almost certainly evade your attempts to keep them apart, as during the middle-third of her season, the bitch is just as eager to meet the dog as he is to find her.

The dog may refuse to eat, and become thin and poor-coated through frustration. Tempers become frayed and fights may ensue with other males.

Immediate Action: 

Proprietary pills and lotions are generally ineffective in masking the bitch odour. Either bitch or dog must be boarded elsewhere.

Subsequent Action:

Consult a veterinary surgeon about the prevention of heat on a temporary or permanent basis. Spaying or chemical methods are available. Castration of the male may be effective but he may still show some mating behaviour.

My bitch makes bloodstains on the carpet and furniture when she is "on heat"

The amount of bloodstained discharge when in season varies from bitch to bitch. Some bitches will lick themselves much more frequently when in season and so cause little problem, other bitches are not so meticulous.

Immediate Action:

1. Use salted Cold water to soak the stain out of fabrics.
2. Wash in biological washing powder.
3. Clean floor and carpets in similar manner.

Prevention:

1. Confine bitch to easily washed areas while she is in season.
2. Cover furniture with old sheets or similar cotton material.
3. Consider fitting the bitch up with sanitary pads and knickers, which can be bought at pet shops or improvised at home.
4. If the bitch is not to be bred from, consider eliminating all the nuisance of seasons. Consult your veterinary surgeon about the prevention of heat by spaying or chemical means.

My dog sheds hair over my furniture, clothing and in the car

Dog hair varies tremendously in the way it adheres to other fabrics. Really long hair can be easier to remove than the short hair shed by Bull Terriers, Dobermans and similar coated dogs.

You may find the following useful:

• Stroking furniture and clothing with a rubber glove on the hand.
• Sellotape wrapped around the fingers, sticky side outmost, and stroked over fabric pile.
• Brushing with a damp nailbrush; wiping with a damp cloth.

All these methods roll the hairs together and make them easier to remove. A special attachment for the vacuum cleaner, obtainable at pet shops, is available which can be helpful although some vacuum cleaners are extremely powerful and will do the job without any attachments.

Prevention:

Groom the dog frequently - daily when hair is being shed in quantities.

If hair is being shed excessively or throughout the whole year have the dog checked for possible underlying skin or hormonal upset.

Discuss the dogs diet with your veterinary surgeon to ensure especially that it is getting sufficient B vitamins and unsaturated fatty acids.

My dog raids the kitchen rubbish bin while I am out

Immediate Action:

Try to identify what has been eaten in case the dog later becomes ill.

Subsequent Action:

Empty or remove the rubbish bin before you go out. Train the dog that it must never touch the bin.

Prevention:

Reinforce the behaviour while working in the kitchen by having the rubbish bin prominently placed and standing open. Admonish the dog by saying "NO" and/or banging a saucepan on the sink immediately the bin is approached.

My dog has oil or tar on his coat from the beach

Immediate Action:

Be extremely careful of using any inflammable liquid, such as petrol or carbon tetrachloride, on the dog's coat. It may be preferable to cut off as much of the effected hair as possible, and then to wash the dog in mild detergent and/or canine shampoo, finishing with a plain water rinse. It can be helpful to apply sun tan cream, first working it well into the effected area and then washing it off with warm water containing a "soft" detergent, such as washing up liquid.

My dog needs to be introduced to a new puppy

Many older dogs take on a new lease of life when a new puppy is brought into the home, provided certain precautions are taken early on:

1. Get the puppy as young as possible. At six weeks puppies are confident and unafraid, but by eight weeks the puppy may be entering a "fear period" and may be much more difficult to acclimatise.
2. Allow the older dog to become accustomed to the puppy while you are present, and then allow brief periods of free socialisation, always supervised
3. It may be helpful to make an enclosure for the puppy in which it can be left safely for the first few weeks in your home when you are not present. Panels sold to enclose compost heaps are ideal for the purpose.
4. Protect the older dog's rights. Do not allow the puppy to make free with its toys, its bed or its food. It can be helpful to remove the most favoured canine possessions at this time to prevent problems.
5. Make sure the older dog has a full share of attention, and always give a small titbit every time the puppy is fed - older dogs are fed less frequently than puppies.
6. Do not leave the two alone when you are absent until they are at ease with one another - a good indication is if the pair choose to share a bed.
7. Puppies can bite an older dog's feet and ears quite painfully. Most adults growl and snap to warn a puppy that such behaviour is not permitted, but some puppies do not heed the warning and some adults are to vigorous in their reaction, so some humane intervention is sometimes needed
8. Consult your veterinary surgeon about taking the older dog to canine gatherings, or to places where many dogs are exercised, until after the puppy is vaccinated.

We are due our first baby, should we get rid of our dog?

Jealousy of new babies is very uncommon, despite the fears of new parents.

A well-kept healthy dog is unlikely to be a disease risk to the baby. It is a sad thing to discard a dog which has been a good friend to you and will in the future be a good friend to the child, and it is a pity that this action is often urged on new parents by relatives and friends who are prejudiced against dogs.

Jealousy should not occur if you plan the introduction of the dog to the baby with care, assuming that, you have already taught your dog good companion animal behaviour. The following tips may help:

1. Let the dog sit beside you when the baby is attended to and talk to the dog as usual.
2. The baby's cry may be a completely new sound to the dog, and may convey a distress message to him. Teach the dog that it may look but not touch or jump up to cot or pram.
3. If the dog is large and vigorous, make arrangements for it to have sufficient exercise, as walking with a pram may not be enough.
4. It can be dangerous to tie a dog to a pram and leave it unsupervised.
5. Discourage the dog from licking the baby.
6. Do not let young babies pull the dog's ears or tail.
7. Provide a place into which the dog can retreat away from the baby.
8. Never leave the dog alone with the baby, especially when the baby is at the crawling stage. Remember that dogs, especially large dogs, can be very vigorous in play.
9. Do not tempt providence by letting the baby play and crawl around the dogs feeding bowl. The dog should be fed separately and any food that is left must be picked up without delay.
10. Make a gesture of giving the dog extra attention once the baby has been put to bed - give it a few privileges at this time.
11. Take the baby or the dog with you if you have to leave the room even for a few moments. It is better to be safe than sorry.

My puppy objects to wearing a collar and fights the lead

Some puppies seem to object strongly to anything around their neck, but body harnesses are not a good idea.

Try the following strategy. Put the collar and lead on immediately before feeding the dog. Put the food on the far side of the room where the dog can see it. Hold the lead while the dog goes over to the food and let it trail while the dog is eating. Repeat at several meal times so that the dog is diverted from fighting the collar and associates collar and lead with something pleasant.

My puppy chews chair legs and doors

Puppies have an in-built need to chew, which reaches its peak at six to ten months old, although many are compulsive chewers from six weeks old. The trick is to prevent this problem arising by giving only a limited number of "toys" that the dog can chew. It is not a good idea to give an old slipper or a brush, since the dog will not be able to distinguish between that or new shoes from useful brushes. Chew-objects should be unrelated to household items

Prevention:

1. Set up a situation where the puppy will be tempted to chew an item that it normally should not. When the puppy starts to chew that item punish it by a well-directed thrown object (something firm but soft) and the verbal command of 'NO', direct the puppies attention to his own chews, when it starts to chew the correct item make a big fuss over the puppy and give it lots of praise.
2. If this fails consider confinement in a wire crate for short periods when you cannot watch the puppy, and put temporary protection around fixed pieces of furniture, e.g. metal angle strip around corners of cupboards, a sheet of Perspex or aluminium on the lower half of doors.
3. Finally, anti chew sprays can be bought at most pet shops - the most expensive ones are very effective, the cheaper varieties are not. (Bitter Apple is the brand that works.) However it is much better in the long term to train the dog that chewing leads to punishment and that not chewing is more rewarding.
4. A puppy may chew in order to ease pain in the mouth caused by teething. Consider rubbing on a soothing gel made to ease teething in babies. The veterinary surgeon may be able to help in such cases.

My dog needs to be introduced to a kitten

Dogs can become very fond of the household cat, even those that are chronic chasers of unfamiliar cats. A little strategy used at the time of introduction of the kitten makes the foundation for an easy relationship.

1. Bring the kitten into the house in a wire-carrying basket so that the dog can become accustomed to the scent and look of the kitten.
2. Give the kitten an escape route so that it can sit on a high cupboard out of the dog's reach.
3. Put the kittens sanitary tray and food where the dog cannot interfere; dogs are attracted to cats faeces.
4. Do not leave the two together until you are sure a mutual respect has developed.
5. Most kittens can take very good care of themselves against one dog, but "pack" action by several dogs is a greater risk.
6. Finally praise the dog and give it delectable food rewards when it behaves properly towards the cat, but admonish it promptly if it chases the cat or objects to its presence.

My new puppy needs to be introduced to our cat

Individual adult animals take additions to the household in a variety of ways, and it is not possible to predict how the cat will react.

Many cats will be reserved and sulky at first but most will come to accept the situation and will soon be sharing their bed with the newcomer.

Some cats resort to urine-marking indoors to express their displeasure at any change in the household. Judicious preparation for the new arrival will help.

1. Well ahead of the puppies arrival, put the cat's sanitary tray and feeding area in a place the puppy cannot reach.
2. Provide a comfortable sitting area for the cat on a high level.
3. Make sure the cat is clear of fleas and ear mites, as these are transmissible to dogs.
4. If you have a cat door, you may wish to keep it closed while the puppy is young and to train the cat to use a window instead.

My dog will not allow me to brush it or touch its ears, teeth or feet

Puppies should be made to submit to grooming and having various parts of their anatomy examined from the first day in the new home, even if they have very little coat at that time.

Either groom the dog on the floor or put something on the tabletop that will not slip about and which the dog can grip. An old piece of rubber-backed carpet is ideal. Some people advocate putting the dog on a slippery table surface to make it feel insecure and so likely to remain quiet. If this approach is adopted be very careful that the dog does not slip off the table and injure itself. One problem with this method is that the dog will tend to crouch low making grooming difficult.

If grooming is done regularly it will be unnecessary to have long and painful disentangling sessions. The correct grooming tools and the use of "disentangling" rinses makes the process easier. Consult the dog's breeder or ask for advice at a pet shop or grooming parlour.

Remember to praise the dog for good behaviour and punish it effectively if it growls or makes a fuss. If the dog shows a tendency to misbehave or even snap in such situations go through the dominance exercises.

My dog will not take tablets

It is important to practise tablet giving from the time you have the puppy. Put small vitamin/mineral supplement tablets deliberately down the throat, although they are actually palatable enough for the puppy to eat them.

Actual medicinal tablets are much more satisfactory given in the throat whole, than crushed on food or disguised in other ways.

Do it this way:

1. Cup your fingers around the puppies muzzle, open the top jaw by pressing the lips in the gap just in front of the carnassial teeth in the upper jaw and slip your thumb, protected by the dogs lips, behind the large canine tooth on the side nearest to you.
2. With the opposite hand, open the mouth, wide by pressing down on the incisors with your little or fourth finger, pop the pill onto the centre of the tongue as far back in the mouth as you can. If the tablet is put in the right place the dog will have no option but to swallow it.
3. Hold the mouth closed and stroke the throat until the dog swallows the pill, then praise the dog and release it.

My dog drools on clothing

Some dogs with loose flews (jowls) cannot help saliva running out of their jaws. Tantalising a dog with food increases the tendency to drool.

Action:

Allow the saliva to dry on clothing, then brush with a stiff brush or rub the two surfaces of the cloth together.

Subsequent action:

Protect unsuitably dressed visitors with a clean cloth to put across their laps or make the dog stay in its basket or bed.

My puppy bites people's hands with its very sharp teeth

Many people like to offer their finger for the puppy to bite, but when the habit is established, elderly people with prominent veins and fragile skin may not enjoy the sensation.

Action:

The command "No" accompanied by grabbing the dog's scruff, and lifting its front paws off the ground should deter the puppy. Give the dog its own chew object in exchange.

Ask other members of the family not to encourage hand biting.

Our toddler torments our dog

It is very difficult to impress tiny children about what is unkind, cruel or dangerous, when they are at the stage of exploring and developing their own skills. Many dogs will tolerate bad treatment from children, which they would not endure from anyone else.

The dog should always have some escape route so that it can remove itself if the persecution becomes too trying.

Discreet supervision is always necessary.

If the dog is longhaired check the coat regularly to make sure that rubber bands have not been put around neck or legs, or other objects have not been attached to the coat.

Keep small plastic toys away from the dog - if swallowed they may cause an obstruction in the digestive system.

What if my dog knocks down a valuable ornament?

All dog-owning households should be covered for Third Party liability as a social necessity. A dog that chases sheep or trips up an old lady may incur its owner many thousands of pounds of damage.

Similarly, damage done in someone else's house or car may be covered by this policy. Some insurance companies also offer cover for accidental breakage's within the home.

Prevention: 

With puppies and small children, breakage's are best avoided by removing precious objects from low or fragile tables. Do not allow the dog to become excited in a well-furnished room, for example, put the dog into the kitchen while you get ready to go for a walk or prepare its food.

Play should only be allowed in "safe" areas of the house.

My dog steals food

It is a normal instinct of dogs to take anything edible, which it can reach - hounds are especially good at snatching food, even the steak from under the grill!

It may be possible to train a dog to the extent that it will not approach a laden dinner table, even when all humans are out of the room, but this is a very high standard of control. It is easier to teach a dog to go to its bed and stay there until the order is given to move again. Dogs should always be sent to their own place in the kitchen while cooking is going on.

Some people advocate the folding wire crate as a training aid, to be invaluable in such situations, but if training is undertaken diligently and the dog regards its owner as a true pack leader, such devices should not be required.

My dog smells doggy

Check the smell of your house regularly, by taking a deep sniff when you come in from the fresh air. Unfortunately it is all too easy to get accustomed to animal smells which other people find very unpleasant. There should be little risk of the single or two pet houses becoming smelly, but where dogs are kept in quantity and there are always puppies around, the risk can be a real one.

You will find that even with one pet, housework and laundry is increased. With more dogs, these tasks will occupy even more time, and may be one of the limiting factors in acquiring more dogs.

Useful tips:

The more dogs you have in your home, the greater the case for having washable furnishings and floor coverings. You may want to consider vinyl chair covers and carpet tiles, which can be lifted and cleaned, rather than solid carpeting. Do not let dogs sit on upholstery, which cannot be cleaned.

Kitchen floors should be covered at the edges, if possible, to facilitate cleaning.

Clean up urine and faeces thoroughly and immediately, and disinfect with a product containing chlorine. Do not use a "pine" disinfectant as the scent compounds badly with urine and intensifies the smell.

Do not leave dogs shut in the house for long periods so that they cannot avoid soiling - consider having a door into a safe enclosure.

Do not keep a male dog, or allow a male dog to visit, when entire bitches are coming into oestrus. It is almost inevitable that the male will scent mark objects in the house with a particularly odorous stream of urine.

Consider chemical control of heat or spaying if bitches are not wanted for breeding, for they too have a distinctive scent when in oestrus.

Air rooms frequently, and wash bedding often. Woollen blankets and feather cushions hold dog scent while polyester fur fabric does not.

Groom long coated dogs right down to the skin frequently and give daily attention to the anal area where faeces may hang on the coat. The older dog does not have such a good "cut-off" by the rectal muscle and may soil the hair around the anus.

Trim overlong hair on the mail dogs sheath very carefully, as this may be a cause of drops of urine being carried on to bedding, Where there are old or sick dogs, examine the bedding twice a day in case urine is being passed in the bed.

Some types of skin and coat emit more odours than others, particularly the dogs which were once working dogs kept outside. This is an important point to research when choosing your dog.

All dogs smell when they are wet. The remedy is to dry them as soon as possible. You can make or buy a towelling bag fastened with Velcro, which covers the dog completely from the neck down, enclosing the body, legs and feet, and the dog will dry very quickly inside it. This is a very useful aid to have in the car in case your dog gets wet on a walk especially if you have a long coated breed.

When there is an unusual amount of body odour from a dog which does not normally offend in this way, examine the dog very carefully for infected ears, or a putrefying wound or skin lesion, all of which can rise to a distinct and unpleasant smell. Look carefully through the fur of a thick coated dog to see if there is anything embedded in the fur or skin.

If an elderly or sick dog has as untraceable body odour, consult the veterinary surgeon, taking with you a fresh urine sample in a sterilised bottle, as the condition may be indicative of a Kidney or Liver problem.

Keep a particular watch on the dog for coprophagy (eating ones own faeces) or scavenging, as well as the habit in rolling in fox, badger, or other animal excreta, or on rotting carcasses, on country walks. Much of this behaviour is normal to the dog but should be prevented in the domestic pet.

Finally, although dogs normally do not need bathing very often, do not be afraid to bathe your dog if you think it's smelly. Use a good dog shampoo and consider the advisability of using an insecticide rinse, which can be obtained from your veterinary surgeon.