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We’ve had my dog for 6+ years. Up until about 3 months ago, he never got in the garbage and only stole food off a counter one time that we’ve known of. However, this is not the case now. For the last three months, he has started regularly getting into the garbage and recycling bags. He stole a loaf of bread off the counter the other day. The only thing we can think of that has changed is that we started giving our cat wet food instead of dry. But it seems weird that this would be the thing to trigger the behavior. Any ideas? And what can we do to train him out of it? He only does this when we are out of the house.
My cats are patients of Jarrettsville Vet. I am reaching out please to get information for my friend. They are located in Michigan and Her 7 year old indoor cat hurt its back leg. Her vet told her that she needed to see an orthopedic specialist because the cat tore a ligament. They made an appointment and were told it would run $250 for the visit plus whatever they needed to do to identify the problem and surgery could cost up to $8000. They are a young couple with a small daughter, and are looking for other options. I thought I had seen a video that Dr. magnifico did regarding anti-inflammatories, pain meds, and cage rest. Can you please Point us in the right direction as to what she should do. I recommended that she contact her vet to see if those options were available to her through them and she could try that route first before seeing a surgeon. I am so blessed and grateful that Jarrettsville Vet is close to me and offers options such as those. Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated! Her appointment at the surgeon is tomorrow.
Hello
I’m sorry to hear about your friends cat. I’m also not sure what advice I can give as I don’t. Know what kind of injury or diagnosis this is.
I do however think it is important to be honest about your financial abilities and express that to the surgeon. It is perfectly acceptable to ask for affordable treatment options and insist that they be provided.
Thank you Dr. Mag for your advice and I will forward that to her this morning. It is so difficult for us as pet owners to deal with the emotions, concerns and worry in the moment, without being given all possible available options instead of just surgery or amputation. This country most definitely needs more vet practices like yours! We will see you on our next visit and thank you for your time.
Teresa, Girlfriend & Panda Bear
My almost 2 year old dog has started to nose his way out the door when I leave the house. This has only been going on for about a week. There are two people who live in the house with him. This problem started when I was leaving for a weekend. His other person was here for the whole time I was gone I have been gone for weekends before. I need help to try to stop this behavior so we don’t have to keep him locked in part of the house so we can get out or in the house.
Please help
I’m not sure what your question is.
Are you worried about him escaping while you are out? If so then I do think that placing him in a cage while you are away is the safest thing to do. If you are away all weekend and this is your dog and your responsibility for his care and safety then this is another question you must answer as his primary care giver. If you share custody of this dog with someone in the house then I think you both need to sit down and discuss the situation.
It sounds like your dog knows you are leaving and is upset about it. We don’t want to discourage that kind of loyalty and love do we?
How is the dog getting out? At what point of your departure is he leaving? I suspect this needs to involve a behavior change in the humans as well as the dog. Reevaluate HOW you leave, and what you focus on as you’re leaving. Make sure the door is closed securely when you leave. If the door doesn’t close securely, look into fixing that issue.
I would also make sure the dog understands that we don’t go outside without a person. Take the dog outside, spend time outside with him, and bring him back inside when you come back in. (Dogs shouldn’t be unattended outside anyway, so this is a safety thing beyond training.) Work on barrier training – train the dog not to cross exterior doors without being told to do so. Look for a training club to find a good trainer to help you work with this issue. (In the Baltimore area we have Oriole Dog Training, which offers a wide array of training classes. Most major cities have at least one training club.)
Thank you for your comments. He tries to get out as we open the door to leave. For almost 2 years we have always have him sit and stay telling him we love him and will be back. My question is how do I stop this behavior. He is way to strong for myself with a shoulder injury to walk him so taking him even to the car to take him for training is not what I can do or even afford. Just looking for an idea
The other person isn’t willing to work with him?
Making a big deal out of leaving is part of the issue. I have a shelter mutt who came to us with some separation anxiety (on top of everything else) and she absolutely door dashed when we first got her. We built a routine of giving a high value dental chew just before we leave, and we require her to go to place (go to her bed) before she gets it. Until he has a better grasp of not door dashing, use a barrier! Baby gates are relatively expensive and very, very useful. Crating is also a good skill every dog should have, and should be practiced regularly – don’t discount this as an option.
There’s a LOT of training you can do at home. I mentioned a local training club for the widest variety of training options available, but you don’t necessarily need to go someplace to get a trainer in your home. Additionally, you can investigate Denise Fenzi’s dog sports university online at https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/
Thank you again. My dog is a very larg boy! He seems to be getting a little better! ( he dies not like the door being closed) . The other person ( my brother who is his actual owner) does work with him just not enough to my liking. The dog and I play out in the yard all the time. We are going to try again this weekend to see if the behavior is better. I just can’t do it by myself.
Set up a daily training routine with him. At least 5-10 minutes a day will work WONDERS for his overall behavior.
My dog ate a small mouse! Is this normal, and should I be worried?
Hello,
If Your dog ate a small mouse that was alive he will probably be fine. If the mouse was dead I would worry that it might have been poisoned.
First: get a full “senior” bloodwork panel done. Rule out anything medical.
Second: hide all trash and all food. Counter and garbage surfing are self-reinforcing. Lock the trash away, get a locking can. Remove all food from all counters and put them in a secure cabinet. Lock the fridge with a child lock, if necessary.
Third: Crate when you can’t supervise.
This is usually medical if it’s sudden like this, but you need to be proactive in your prevention, and it’s always a multiprong approach.
Thank you!