by: Richard Delgado



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In this issue:



1) "How to Relieve Your Cat's Boredom" 



2) "How to Boost Confidence in Your Dog"



3) "Tell Us What You Think!"



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1) "How to Relieve Your Cat's Boredom"



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How many times have you sat around with nothing to do and

exclaimed, "I'm bored!" Now think of your cat at home for

hours at a time with nothing to do while you're at work.

Indoor cats with little or no stimulation will probably just

focus on eating and sleeping or even causing mischief.

Granted, cats do spend a lot of time sleeping, but if left on

their own outside, cats will also spend time stalking and

hunting prey, playing, and socializing with other cats.



Here are some suggestions to keep your pet engaged and

entertained for a healthier, happier life.



* SOCIALIZE

If you get a kitten, be sure to socialize him/her as soon as

you can. Have people visit you and your kitten to get used to

being around different people. Even if you adopt an adult cat,

you should make sure to socialize him/her. While you're out of

the house, you can get a friend or neighbor to visit and play

with your cat. You can also hire a pet sitter to visit and play

with your cat.



* TOYS

There are plenty of cat toys out there for you to check out.

There are fuzzy ones, feathery ones, ones with bells, ones with

catnip inside them, ones attached to strings and poles, and

battery-powered ones that move on their own. You can find them

at grocery stores and pet stores. When you can, engage your cat

with a toy. Get them to stalk and pounce, chase and capture. There

are special toys you can fill with catnip or food to really get

your cat interested.



Sometimes, you won't even need to buy a special cat toy. A balled

up piece of aluminum foil, a ping pong ball, or a length of yarn

can be just as entertaining to your cat. Also, consider leaving a

paper bag or cardboard box on the floor. Cats love to explore new

things and love to go inside small spaces.



* SOMETHING TALL

Cats love to go up high. We've all probably heard of stories about

cats getting stuck in trees. It's in their nature to climb and perch

on something far off the ground. You can buy pre-made cat "condos,"

which are built in different sizes and covered in carpet. If you're

ambitious, you can build one yourself. One of my clients has a great

climbing pole made out of the thick cardboard center from a roll of

carpet. He covered it with extra carpet from that roll and voila! Super

cat climber contraption! His cats love to climb on it and also scratch

the heck out of it.



In addition to the pole, my client built several perches around the

house so the cats could jump from one to the next, peer out of

windows, and sit and sleep on them. One of his cats' favorite perches

is in front of a window at the second-story level.



* SOMETHING TO SCRATCH - OTHER THAN YOUR COUCH

One of the ways cats mark their territory is by scratching. They also

scratch to shed the outer layer of their nails and to sharpen them. One

of the things to remember when buying or building a scratching post is

that cats like to scratch tall things. The same client who built all the

perches also built a very tall scratching post. He bought a piece of

two-by-four at a home improvement store, wrapped a long length of rope

around it all the way up to about six feet. The cats love it, especially

because when they stand up on their hind legs and stretch their front

legs up onto the pole, they cat stretch as far as they want and will still

have plenty of pole to scratch.



* CAT TV

You can leave a television on for the sights and sounds it provides your

cat. There are even cat entertainment DVDs out there for purchase. They

feature other creatures such as bugs, fish, mice, and birds for the cat

to watch.



* FISH

If you're up for the challenge and responsibility of owning a few more

pets, consider an aquarium with fish. I know a pet owner who had a fish

tank with several fish and her cat loved to watch them swim around. Of

course, you have to make sure the tank is secure so that the cat can't get

a paw into the water and scoop up a fish! (Again, this suggestion is only

for those who can take on the effort and expense of maintaining the fish

and the tank. It's not a toy for the cat, but another set of pets and the

resulting hard work.)



* A CAT BUDDY

A lone cat might like to have a companion, so consider bringing another

cat into the picture. Of course, there are no guarantees that the cats will

become friends and playmates, but it's something to consider.





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2) "How to Boost Confidence in Your Dog"



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As a pet sitter, I've encountered many different breeds

of dogs as well as various temperaments and personalities.

One troublesome trait I've dealt with several times is

fearfulness or shyness. Excessive fear or anxiety in your

pet can become a pretty big problem if left untreated. Dogs

will exhibit fear in various ways, such as trembling,

salivating, pacing, running and hiding, tucking their tails

between their legs, urinating, or even exhibiting aggression

like growling, barking, and biting. Here are a few

suggestions on how to deal with an overly fearful or

anxious dog.



THE SOURCE OF FEAR

Dogs can exhibit fear of many things, such as people,

other dogs, inanimate objects like vacuum cleaners or

skateboards, separation from the owner, and loud

sounds like firecrackers or thunderstorms. The list

can go on and on. Perhaps the dog was not socialized

properly when he/she was a puppy, or was traumatized

by abuse, or maybe just predisposed to being fearful.

In any case, you have to be the stable source of

energy that will consistently and gently lead the dog

away from exhibiting the behaviors associated with the

source of his/her fear.



VISIT THE VET

Of course, as with any negative situation with your

dog, rule out any medical reasons. Make sure your dog

is healthy and that there are no underlying illnesses

or medical conditions that might be causing the

problem.



BE THE CONFIDENT LEADER

After ruling out any health issues, the most important

thing to remember is that you have the biggest

influence on your dog. For your dog to overcome fear

and become more confident, you have to be calm,

assertive, and positive. Animals can sense how you are

feeling, so it's critical that you project the

confidence that you want your dog to adopt.



You must also gain your dog's trust and confidence as

the leader. If your dog looks to you as the pack

leader, he/she will more readily listen to and follow

your instructions. The assertiveness you practice with

your dog can only help him/her. You have to remember

that dogs are dogs; they are not four-legged humans.

If you resort to reassuring and coddling a dog as you

would a child, it could have the opposite effect of

reinforcing the negative behaviors you're trying to

stop.



One thing that is very helpful when you attempt to

help your dog overcome fear is making sure your dog

knows some basic commands like "sit," "lie down," and

"stay." If your dog listens to you as a leader and

knows a few word commands, it will make it easier for

you to control your dog in stressful situations.



DE-SENSITIZE AND COUNTER CONDITION

A common way to help your dog overcome fear of

specific things, such as a person, an item, or

thunderstorms, is to de-sensitize them to the object of

their anxiety. For example, if your dog is fearful of

thunderstorms, you can get a recording a thunderstorm

and play it over and over again, gradually increasing

the volume.



To do this properly, make sure your dog is

in a calm and happy state. Then, start the recording

at a very low level. If the dog doesn't show signs of

fear, reward with a treat and increase the volume. If

the dog starts showing fear, stop and lower the volume

until he/she is calm again. Then, start over. You can

have these types of sessions with a professional or

try them on your own. It's very important to know that

this takes plenty of time and patience, with sessions

taking place over the course of days, weeks or even

months.



You can also de-sensitize dogs to items. We'll use a

skateboard for this example. If your dog acts fearful

around a skateboard, you can bring one within eyesight

of the dog. Have your dog sit and stay. If your dog

stays calm, reward and praise him. If he acts

fearful, don't comfort the dog. That only reinforces

the negative reaction. Instead, move the item away

until he calms down and start again. Slowly move

the item closer to the dog, rewarding the dog if

he remains relaxed. Eventually, you can try having

someone ride by at a distance and again look for

either a calm or fearful reaction. Slow and steady is

the key and never push your dog too fast.



To counter condition, you teach the dog that the thing

that scares him can now be a source of good

things. For example, if your dog is scared of men, you

can have a male friend help out in the sessions,

creating situations where the dog will associate

treats and positive feelings by being around a man

instead of experiencing the usual anxiety.



Again, like with any training, this takes time and

patience. You can have your friend visit and just

ignore the dog. Don't force the interaction. The man

can sit on the floor, facing away from the dog, never

making eye contact. You can have him hold an especially

tempting treat so the dog has an incentive to approach.



Over time, the dog will sniff and approach, and maybe even

take a treat that has been dropped on the floor by the

man. The dog may eventually take the treat directly

from the man. As the owner, you should be there,

projecting happy and positive energy, staying calm,

but never reassuring the dog if he/she shows fear or

tries to cling to you.



You can use de-sensitizing and counter conditioning

together for all types of fears, from objects to

people to noises. If your dog is afraid of traffic

noises, slowly introduce him to the noises. Take

him for walks in town to increasingly busy areas.

If your dog is afraid of other dogs, introduce your

dog in a controlled and safe environment to a smaller,

well-behaved and confident dog. Gradually introduce

him to other dogs.



If your dog has separation anxiety, you can implement

the same techniques, gradually getting him used to the

idea of you being gone. Have your dog sit and stay while

you move away. Reward the dog if he stays and doesn't whine

or cry. Slowly increase the distance and the duration of

your absence. Keep rewarding calm behavior and don't

reward anxious behavior.



The key to using these techniques effectively is to

move at a slow and consistent pace, gradually training

your dog to be more confident and trusting. These

techniques can work if you are patient and always

remain calm.



CALL IN A PRO

You might want to consider calling in a professional

to help you since these techniques take a lot of

patience and correct handling. If you push too hard or

too fast, it can cause your dog to become more fearful

and even aggressive. A very fearful or anxious dog

might benefit from a knowledgeable trainer who has

experienced and treated troubled dogs.



You and your dog can also benefit from professional obedience

and/or agility training. Learning new commands and

skills can serve to boost your dog's confidence, give

him something new and exciting to focus on, relieve boredom,

and distract him from the things that might scare him.



DON'T SCOLD OR PUNISH

Never scold or punish your dog for showing fear. This

will only be counterproductive. At the same time,

remember not to reassure or coddle your dog when they

are in a frightened state. This will only reinforce

the negative behavior. Instead, try to take their

mind off of whatever is causing them fear, or start running

through training drills that you have been working on. Making

them work at a time of distress is a great way to alleviate

the fear, and make them use their brain in a productive way.



BE PATIENT AND CONSISTENT

As with any type of dog training, this will take a lot

of patience, consistency, and persistence. You can't

rush your dog into becoming a confident and happy

animal. If you push too hard or too fast, you can

cause setbacks and additional problems. Training your

dog can take weeks or months, so keep in mind that

this is a long-term proposition.



MEDICATION

For some dogs, it might be appropriate to look into

some type of anti-anxiety medication. This may help in the

beginning, but I believe in solving the problem, not masking

it with medication. Only a vet can check your dog and prescribe

the right medical solution. Do not give dogs human medication as

it can be harmful or even deadly.





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3) "Tell Us What You Think!"



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We'd love to hear what you think of this issue! This is

just one issue, with much more important information

coming in future months.



Please send your comments, questions, and ideas for

upcoming issues to us at:



rdelgado@thewoofpack.com



Your feedback matters to us!





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Copyright 2007 by The Woof Pack.

All rights reserved.



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