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I have 2 dogs and 3 cats. One dog is an American Bulldog mix and the other is a chihuahua rat terrier mix. I’m trying to house train them to behave around the cats, but it’s not going so well with my elderly cat. The 2 young female cats just run upstairs or up the cat tree if they want to avoid the dogs, but my elderly cat can’t really do that, and he just simply moves maybe 5 steps away in the same room, pretty much feeling trapped. When the dogs approach, first he just shuts down, and if the dogs come close, he hisses and bats at the dogs.
Right now there is a cheap baby gate separating his territory (the dining room and kitchen) from the dog room (the living room) but I’d like to make more areas available to him, since he seems to see all other areas as “not his territory.” If taken to any other room, he kicks the person holding him and escapes. (He can’t jump over the baby gate.)
What should I do in this situation? Is there any hope for getting him to be less uneasy around the other animals?
Hi my rabbit has given birth sometime today, she was left with us by a friend only yesterday so we were unaware of her pregnancy. How do we tell if the babies are fed? What other precautions we should take?
The babies are currently placed separately with beeding and fur to prevent Mom from stepping on them accidentally. I’m not sure if that’s right to do. Two babies altogether, one is well fed but the other one has a flat tummy. I have tried placing it back to Mom but she did not feed it. Any advice on that? What should I observe about the babies?
I have 2 male cats around 9 months old. They are brothers and I have had them both since they were 5 weeks. The less dominant of the two has been spraying so I went and had him neutered. Its been a week and there had been no spraying so I thought we were in the clear. Yesterday he started spraying again. I don’t want to rehome one of my boys but I don’t know what else to do. Any advice would be appreciated.
it takes a while for the hormones to leave his body. be patient.
We had a young puppy with the same symptoms and it died a few days ago. Now the older dog is showing the symptoms. We live in rural Cambodia and do not have access to a vet.
My 2 year old pit bull has a sever rash on his thighs up to his chest and under arms. We rescued him a year ago and everything was fine but about 4 months after we got him the rash started appearing. By vet recommendation we moved him to gluten free food that helped for a little but the rash returned. Then the vet gave us allergy medicine. That worked until they were gone and then the rash was back again. Now the rash is worse than ever. It starts out looking like dry, irritated, inflamed skin around his thighs and under arms and then starts to peel and ooze. Up his chest he has red bumps that half look like pimples and half like hives. Our vet now wants to try allergy shots but I don’t want to do that unless I know it will work and nothing else will. I am very tight on money but what my baby to feel better.
I was just wondering if the vet did a skin scraping to check for mange mites?
I have a small humidifier but it doesn’t do much my nose is usually really dry so I suspect hers could be too.
She is doing good, still eating and drinking. Using the bathroom. Very protective of pups which is good. Panting still but I also have the heat turned up for pups. I’ve tried taking her to the vets but no one is accepting new patients and are refusing to help. I cannot travel due to weather and car problems. I’m just worried a pup came two days later
Hello sorry to bother you but i am concerned about my dog. And wanted to get a quick opinion. Lastnight I noticed unusual behavior in him. He was very clingy he was getting up on furniture and bass he normally would never get up on. If I tried to leave out the door he wouldn’t allow me to without trying to force his way out with me. And then his eye looked weird too. Then I woke up to the front bag window covered in blood and teeth marks from him trying to lift it to get out. I noticed he has a broken front tooth he broke off doing this and there’s another side big tooth that looks like an old broken tooth and is yellow. The bleeding has stopped but he still is having seperation issues do you have any suggestions. If so they would be very much appreciated.
i would get him checked out – it sounds like something really is wrong, and he should see a vet first, especially to address the teeth.
When I wake up in the morning, all 5 of my pets are crying for their needs and I don’t know what to do? What is the most efficient way to take care of many pets in the morning? What is your personal routine?
I have 2 dogs and 3 cats. The dogs whine in their crates and the cats yowl their heads off..
better question: what is YOUR daily routine? more info about the animals in question? are the cats free fed? we can help tweak if you share. 🙂
Well I guess I have to be honest then. : Don’t be too harsh on me.
I wake up around 8 am to 10 am. I take my dogs outside to pee as soon as I can, but I often can’t, because they cry and I can’t respond to them until they stop crying. I then feed my three cats, the female ones first, then the male one, and this takes about an hour, more or less, because I’m trying to train the cats to stop yowling. The dogs are still whining after this, so I wait for them to stop. I have to wait because every single step I take, every single door I swing, they are very sensitive to, so they start or stop whining according to those sounds. I try not to reinforce the whining. Once the whining eventually stops, I stand up and start walking, but they usually start whining again before I even get to them. I make my large dog lie down and stay in his crate and he doesn’t get it until he does, and I just give it to Coffee since her crate is too small for her to stand in it. I give them water on top of their kibble. It’s the exact same process to wait for the cats to stop as well.
Back when it was warmer, I used to put the dogs outside until I was done feeding the cats. Since the cats would yowl so much without stopping, I’d usually eat a little something until they stopped. But now the dogs stay in their crates since it’s cold, and it’s become more complicated.
All animals get specifically measured food. I try to wake up at a reasonable time, but I have issues sleeping and issues waking up (at a time the animals aren’t crying). :
oof, that’s tough.
how old are the animals in question? how long have they been in your house, with you? routines can be tough, ESPECIALLY when there’s so much NOISE.
Bones is almost 2, approximately 19 months. Coffee is about 9 months. Those are the dogs. Callie and Artemis are almost 2. Callie was a stray and is small, so it’s hard to know how old she actually is. Artemis was claimed to be 1 from the previous owner. Loki is approximately 12-13 years old. I’ve had Bones since he was 9 months, but my husband had him for a month before I started living with him. Callie and Loki were the only cats in the house back then. In May 2015, Artemis and Coffee were both added to the household approximately at the same time. Only in the past 4 months I’ve been really getting into training my animals the correct way though. Before this, I’ve never owned cats or multiple animals, just a single dog, and there’s just so much…
oof, puppies. one puppy is tough enough, but your older dog is still pretty much a puppy. i don’t envy you there!
i would ignore the cats until the dogs are dealt with. i understand wanting to make them stay in their crates until they stop crying…but i wonder, do you do any training during the day? do they understand that crate is for settling down? i’d maybe work on that when it isn’t early in the morning.
i’d also ask your husband to help out, if that’s possible.
Yeah… My mistakes were the /reasons/ I got my pets. Loki and Callie were default for moving in with my husband, those two were his cats. I wanted Bones because I wanted a “dog that would love me since cats are mean,” Artemis because “white cat means marriage” and Coffee because “small puppy needs a good home.” And now I have all these trouble cases because I have so much to deal with lol…
Yeah! I really REALLY overestimated (underestimated?) Bones because I (my husband too) was convinced that he was an adult, he should know better. But when I started to build a closer relationship with Bones, I realized he is completely a puppy… I realized this especially when he wanted to chew my toes…..
That is a good tip! Let’s say I wake up at 8 am, then take the dogs to the bathroom outside. Then what do you recommend?
Well, they stay in their crates because that’s where they sleep. I know some people may find that controversial, but I can’t sleep with them because my husband doesn’t like that, and Coffee also has peed on our expensive mattress several times, and I can’t exactly sleep with them on the couch since it is difficult to stretch out my body. I give them a walk at least once a day, allow them to run around in my 3/4 acre yard at least once a day and try to train some inside manners at least once a day.
My husband works all day and comes home at 7:30 and his excuse for not being in close vicinity of the dogs is that “he doesn’t want to fight with them.” : So I’m kinda (and preferably..) on my own with this one..
so, here’s my thought.
your husband should handle the cats’ breakfasts…especially if he wants nothing to do with the dogs.
you should handle the dogs’ needs, absolutely, and i would put a lot of work into making them Good Dogs…dogs your husband might want to spend time with! i won’t knock you for crating – i used it for my girl until she was 18 months old because i had a geriatric cat i didn’t want her stomping on in the middle of the night. i also do not sleep with any of my pets, so i won’t knock you there, either.
you didn’t mention breeds, so i’m going on generalizations here. with breed info i’d be able to tailor this a little better.
here’s what i would do: get up, take them out. back in, breakfast. back out for a bathroom run. back in, training time! work on basic obedience for now. my favorite thing is “puppy push-ups,” which are sit-stand-down, rinse and repeat for a good 15 minutes or so. randomize it so they don’t start anticipating. after a good 20 minutes or so, i’d start working on a Place command. it’s a way to send them to a bed, a towel, whatever…and stay there. this is HARD for young dogs, and helps them learn when it’s time to settle down. i’d do more training throughout the day – little stuff, here and there, but enough to help them understand what you expect of them.
what do you mean when you say your husband “doesn’t want to fight with” the dogs? that’s a little distressing, but something that should be fixable with work!
exercise really depends on the breed, here. so does housebreaking…if Coffee is still urinating in the house, he’s not housebroken and needs some attention in this area. i’d also make sure he is clear of any UTIs.
Ah, sorry, you didn’t ask. Bones is an American Bulldog mix. To be more specific, his previous owner said “half White English Bulldog and half pit” but considering he said he was a “lab and pit breeder” makes me think he wasn’t exactly trustworthy. He looks like an American Bulldog because he’s large (approximately 80-100 pounds) and he’s got those side lips that stick out. He’s also neutered.
Coffee is a rat terrier chihuahua mix. She might be mixed with more, as her previous owners claim she’s half shih tzu as well 1/4 of those 2 other breeds, but it’s hard to say. All I know is that she looks exactly like her father, except with drop ears, and her mother looks nothing like a shih tzu, since the mother also had prick ears and was fluffy and brown.
Loki is Siamese and shorthair stray, Callie is a shorthair stray, and Artemis is Himalayan and shorthair stray if any of that matters, but I think they’re all too mixed for that to even matter lol.
hmm, so the dogs are vastly different in their breed intentions, which means you MAY need to tailor training to work on their weaknesses.
i think i’d work on Bones’ obedience. and i mean work HARD on it. bulldogs are stubborn noodges but really seem to excel in rigid structure, based on what i’ve seen. so work on the basics, then increase skills. work on things like rigid heeling. something that might help you here: http://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/index.php/courses/obedience-courses (i’m a HUGE fan of Fenzi-style training, especially since you can do it at home)
for Coffee, keep working on the basics for now. focus on hardcore basic obedience, work on that housebreaking, etc. once she gets more of her brain in the mail, step up the obedience and maybe work on nosework? i’d even consider doing Barn Hunt stuff if you have any local events. it’s a lot of fun, doesn’t involve a LOT of training, and terriers LOVE THE HELL out of it. more info for that can be found here: http://barnhunt.com/
you didn’t explain the husband’s aversion to the dogs, though. how is he fighting with them?
you have a Siamese. oh god, the noise. i have a Balinese mix, which is essentially a long hair Siamese, and he’s a NOISY boy. you could always try to work on training the cats (yes, they CAN be trained if you use positive reinforcement!), but i really think you need to focus on the dogs for now. cats are fairly self sufficient as long as they’re fed and watered and their boxes are clean.
oh, forgot to mention: i would walk Bones a second time, at least, and i would do more yard play. hell, do obedience in the yard – the distractions help work dogs’ brains! Coffee probably shouldn’t be walked too much until she’s fully grown, but she’ll need a bit more exercise than you’re giving her, too.
i promise, with more frequent and comprehensive training your dogs will be less of a headache for everyone. 🙂
My husband isn’t /really/ fighting with them, that’s just what he says. : He thinks it is too hard to teach dogs how to learn. It quite frankly is, because I am still a novice, but he doesn’t even try. It’s been many months since he’s attempted anything close to training them with me. He works and I don’t, so there’s that, but I wish he’d at least try. He views methods that reward as allowing the dog to get away with things and doesn’t always work, and ultimately believes that dogs need a “firm hand.” :
Honestly, I still think I need to get a better understanding of heeling, because I’ve taught both my dogs to go behind me (as in to take a step back rather than actually right behind me) so I can avoid tripping over them. But then I realized that might not be actually heeling.
What does housebreaking actually mean..? You mean house manners? Walking and not running, ignoring the cats, not tearing up pillows..? Not really sure if barnhunt is anywhere near me.
Loki actually doesn’t really make a lot of noise. He’s probably less than half Siamese actually, and only meows when he wants attention or food. It’s the female cats that meow for literally no reason all the time.
yeah…i’d ask him to involve himself in the cats’ care, and you take over the dogs. if he doesn’t want to be involved with training the dogs, so be it, but i wouldn’t LET him do anything with them henceforth, either.
oh, and to answer your questions:
“Honestly, I still think I need to get a better understanding of heeling, because I’ve taught both my dogs to go behind me (as in to take a step back rather than actually right behind me) so I can avoid tripping over them. But then I realized that might not be actually heeling.”
— as long as you’re happy with how they’re walking, that’s good enough.
“What does housebreaking actually mean..? You mean house manners? Walking and not running, ignoring the cats, not tearing up pillows..?”
— housebreaking involves eliminating bowels and bladder in the house. the rest of that is manners, yes, and something that definitely needs daily work. for the record, my 2.5 year old dobe bitch can’t have pillows or blankets without destroying them, so i don’t allow her to have them. i’d work on a strong “leave it” with both of them, especially if they’re going after the cats. running…good luck stopping them from doing that.
“Not really sure if barnhunt is anywhere near me.”
— check the website, you never know. 🙂 it’s a fast-growing sport and trials are popping up everywhere.
So now that we talked about my situation, how is your morning routine like?
mine is NOWHERE NEAR as chaotic as yours, as i have one dog and one cat. when i had two cats i had some excessive noise from the feline brigade, but felines in my house are free fed so the dog takes up 99% of my effort and time.
she gets a quicky around-the-block morning walk and about a half hour of mental work. if i have to leave for the day, she gets another run outside in the yard before i leave, then she’s back out the second i get home. back in, train for a half hour, back out for a longer period of time (this depends entirely on the weather. today she got 20 minutes outside and was DONE after that but we were staring down a blizzard at the time). back in. free time for however long i deem appropriate, more training. because it’s cold we’ll do nosework in the house or my favorite, a fairly free-form game of “find it!” (where i’ll hide things around the house and make her find them). until yesterday we were also in a weekly class. we’re doing some table and tunnel work in the yard right now – i want her to understand what those words mean when she’s faced with different types of the same thing.
this is enough to keep her happy, but the first year and a half were tough ones. she’s insanely intelligent and needed a LOT more work to keep myself sane. we were in obedience classes almost constantly the first year she was home with us, and i had her in a weekly drop-in class for show training. when she was the age of your younger pup she was in a minimum of 2 classes a week, sometimes 3.
i need to look for more drop-in classes so i can pop in and out at our leisure…looking for Rally classes as i’d like to start competing in that.
I let my dogs out as soon as I wake up. They usually pee immediately and run in. While they pee I get their food in the bowls. As soon as they finish eating I put them right back out. Then while they are out there running around and pooping or whatever I feed the cats so the dogs aren’t bothering them. I have coffee and by the time the cats are done eating the dogs are ready to come in.
Also, we take the water bowl away a half hour before bedtime so they don’t chug water and then they don’t have really full bladders all night
My rat appears to be choking/urging. What could this be & what can I do to help him? His airway appears to be clear.
While it’s true that I shouldn’t physically carry him places to see if he likes being in those areas, the point is, if maybe he could see upstairs as a safe place, he would actually have somewhere to run to when he feels threatened by the dogs. I’ve heard that having “cat safe spaces” should help when trying to get cats and dogs used to each other. He definitely does mind a lot when they are in the same room, and I do find him to be afraid. I guess it’s your call though, since I am much newer to cats, so what do I know.
Well you see, I’d like to allow the dogs to come and go through the house. Right now, they only are allowed in their crates and in the living room under strict supervision, but always having to do that is very draining. I’d like to have them wander around the house one day just like the humans and cats in my house. But I can’t really do that because the cat-dog relations are an issue… However, if Loki would see upstairs as a safe place to be, maybe he could try hanging out up there. But he doesn’t want to. My question is, how can I make more spaces inviting for him, as an elderly declawed cat? He doesn’t seem to be able to go the cat tree because lack of claws.