How can I stop my male from "marking"? This is a very common question with a rather difficult answer. Marking is a much easier problem to prevent than it is to stop once it's begun.
If your male is already marking, you may have a battle on your hands trying to get him to stop. The easiest recommendation that we can give is to try belly bands. This is a cumberbund looking band that fits around your dog's waist and basically acts as a diaper, allowing him to continue his behavior while not destroying carpet and furniture.
However, many dogs won't keep these on, and that is where the problem comes in. Marking their territory is instinctual for males. Instincts are very hard to fight. Strict training and behavior modification really is the only way to fight it. You must teach your dog that no means no, regardless of the behavior. Training of this type is a long process, but certainly well worth it in the end. But, as with all other things, every dog is different and this solution may or may not solve a problem with your male marking.
There are several products on the market that are designed to repel dogs from certain areas. Most are sprays and the idea behind them is that the smell of the spray will be repulsive to dogs, but not offensive to humans. It has been our experience that the odors from these sprays are not offensive to humans, but also may not be offensive to your dog. Some dogs didn't like the smell and would stay away from the area sprayed, but some didn't seem to mind. And, again, some males will mark it anyway, just because it doesn't smell like them. Not to mention the fact that it will be difficult to spray every piece of furniture in the house. Most of the sprays do not damage furniture but they are sure messy at first, until they dry.
Our suggestion for stopping marking is having your boy neutered. Even if he is already marking, neutering him may put a stop to it....and it may not. There is no way to know for sure whether this will work for your dog because every dog is different.
Now, if we're talking about a puppy and you want to nip the marking in the bud before it starts, so to speak, we definitely recommend that you have him neutered at an early age. If a male is neutered before he begins to lift his leg, most of them will never do it. The critical age seems to be right around 6 months, so you'll want to have him neutered before that age. There are other benefits to having your male neutered too, at any age. Neutering tends to have a calming effect on males...so if you have a male that is a bit overactive, perhaps consider neutering to help bring on a more calm personality. Having your male neutered also reduces his risk for certain types of cancer, and eliminates the risk of testicular cancer altogether.
If neutering didn't work, he won't keep the belly bands on, and you have tried every spray on the market and none of them work, we recommend that you seek the advise of a good trainer. Beware....there are plenty of bad ones out there. You want a trainer that has had some experience training dogs similar to yours, preferably the same breed. And you'll want to choose a trainer whose training methods are comfortable for you, because the trainer is not only training your dog, but a good trainer will also train you how to train your dog. Also, trainers can be a bit pricey, but, once you find a good one, you'll be amazed at what these professionals can do for you and your dog!
Tips and General Information for Chihuahua Owners and Lovers
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
Keeping Fido Cool in the Summer Heat
With summer in full swing and our Chihuahua myths series over, at least for now, it is a good time to talk about keeping your Chihuahua cool in this summer heat. The tips and tricks found here will work well for all breeds of dog. Small and large breeds alike can be very sensitive to the heat, so no matter what breed you have, please read on!
Summer temperatures can be very stressful for dogs when they are outside, so there are a few things to keep in mind to protect your dog from the heat, and from heatstroke. First, remember that small breed dogs should live inside. They should only go outside to potty or play and should not be left outside for long periods of time, especially during times of extreme temperatures. Also, you should never leave any dog outside for long periods during summer months without plenty of shade and fresh cool water.
Keep in mind that watching the temperatures is not enough. Humidity contributes to the heat index, and it is the heat index that determines the experience that we have outside. The temperature may be only 85 degrees, but on a humid day, the heat index can be near 100 degrees. To us, and to our dogs, it feels more like 100 than 85 when we go outside. So, the heat index is the "effective" temperature, and that is what you should monitor. The Weather Channel's app does not give the heat index, but the Weather Bug app lists the temperature and the heat index hourly, so it is an excellent app for monitoring the weather for both you and your dog.
Next, I wish I didn't have to say this, but unfortunately, it keeps happening. Please DO NOT leave your dog in a car with windows up and no A/C during the summer. A car with the windows rolled up amplifies heat, so it can be over 90 degrees inside the car even when the outside temperature is only 75. Imagine how hot it gets in that car when the outside temperature is in the 90's. Leaving your dog in the car during the summer, even for just a few minutes, can cause heatstroke and death! Please don't do it! If you have a key fob, you can leave the car running with the A/C on and the doors locked, but be careful even doing that. In my area, people have broken car windows to let dogs out because they didn't realize the car was running. For a new car that runs very quietly, apparently, it isn't as easy to hear the car running as you might think. So, if you plan to leave your dog in the car with the car running and the A/C on, you might consider taping a note to that effect to one of the windows!
Here's another one that I wish I didn't have to say, but I know people do it every day, because I just saw several examples of it at our city's Independence Day celebration. Please remember that cement and asphalt gets VERY hot during the summer. It gets hot enough to burn sensitive paw pads very quickly. Burned and blistered paw pads is an extremely painful condition for a dog and it can take weeks to heal properly. If you took your shoes off on these surfaces, I promise, you would put them right back on, so keep in mind that your dog's feet need some protection too. Please be mindful of where your dog is walking when you take him for walks. If you walk on the sidewalk or on a roadway, please buy your dog some shoes to protect his feet or switch up your walking routine during the summer and walk your dog in grassy areas.
Keep in mind that the hottest part of the day is generally between 3 and 6 pm, but during the summer, it can be too hot for your dog to stay outside by 10 am in some areas. Limit outside time during the heat of the day to 30 minutes or less. Early mornings before 10 am and evenings after 6 pm are ideal times to take your dog outside for longer periods.
Keeping your dog cool during the summer may seem a bit of a challenge, but I have some tips to help with that. First, ensure that your dog has plenty of shade and fresh cool drinking water when outside.
Next, many dogs love wading pools. We use hard plastic kiddie pools for our dogs, but you can also buy pools designed for dogs. If your dog will be outside for a longer period of time, you will want to keep his wading pool in a shaded area because the sun can heat that water up quickly. Also, during the hottest parts of summer, we will throw some ice cubes in the pool. Some of our dogs like to bob for ice cubes, so it encourages them to spend some time in the water to stay cool, and and it can be a fun activity for them, as well as keeping the pool water nice and cool.
In addition to wading pools, I have seen doggie splash pads on the market now. These are inflatable plastic mats that hook to water hoses and spray water upwards and back down onto the plastic. If you want to conserve water, there is another product on the market that may be right up your alley. It is techincally a drinking fountain, but when a dog learns to paw at the pedal on it, it squirts water up and would be ideal way to let your dog cool himself off without constantly running water all over your yard....unless, of course, your dog loves the thing and learns that he can stand on the pedal and keep the water coming!
You can also use frozen things (other than ice cubes) to help keep your dog cool. There are many toys on the market designed to be frozen. Frozen chew toys will help to keep Fido cool. Plus, you can freeze treats, especially carrots, snap peas and apple slices, to help cool your dog off during the summer. And, some dogs love to eat ice cubes too, so if your dog is one of them, be generous with his ice cube treats during the summer. If he doesn't like plain ice cube, I bet he would eat organic chicken broth frozen into cubes, so try that for a healthy, protein packed cool down treat for your dog.
Now for the less pleasant information. As a dog owner, you should be able to recognize the symptoms of heatstroke in your dog, because should it happen, your quick action could be the difference between life an death for your dog. Symptoms include very heavy or exaggerated panting, lethargy, weakness, drooling, vomiting, rapid heart rate, warm dry skin and more. See the attachment for more information on heatstroke.
Most importantly, just keep in mind that dogs need protection from the heat as much as people do. If you are mindful of that and take precautions to keep your dog cool and comfortable during the summer, you will have a happy pup!
Summer temperatures can be very stressful for dogs when they are outside, so there are a few things to keep in mind to protect your dog from the heat, and from heatstroke. First, remember that small breed dogs should live inside. They should only go outside to potty or play and should not be left outside for long periods of time, especially during times of extreme temperatures. Also, you should never leave any dog outside for long periods during summer months without plenty of shade and fresh cool water.
Keep in mind that watching the temperatures is not enough. Humidity contributes to the heat index, and it is the heat index that determines the experience that we have outside. The temperature may be only 85 degrees, but on a humid day, the heat index can be near 100 degrees. To us, and to our dogs, it feels more like 100 than 85 when we go outside. So, the heat index is the "effective" temperature, and that is what you should monitor. The Weather Channel's app does not give the heat index, but the Weather Bug app lists the temperature and the heat index hourly, so it is an excellent app for monitoring the weather for both you and your dog.
Next, I wish I didn't have to say this, but unfortunately, it keeps happening. Please DO NOT leave your dog in a car with windows up and no A/C during the summer. A car with the windows rolled up amplifies heat, so it can be over 90 degrees inside the car even when the outside temperature is only 75. Imagine how hot it gets in that car when the outside temperature is in the 90's. Leaving your dog in the car during the summer, even for just a few minutes, can cause heatstroke and death! Please don't do it! If you have a key fob, you can leave the car running with the A/C on and the doors locked, but be careful even doing that. In my area, people have broken car windows to let dogs out because they didn't realize the car was running. For a new car that runs very quietly, apparently, it isn't as easy to hear the car running as you might think. So, if you plan to leave your dog in the car with the car running and the A/C on, you might consider taping a note to that effect to one of the windows!
Here's another one that I wish I didn't have to say, but I know people do it every day, because I just saw several examples of it at our city's Independence Day celebration. Please remember that cement and asphalt gets VERY hot during the summer. It gets hot enough to burn sensitive paw pads very quickly. Burned and blistered paw pads is an extremely painful condition for a dog and it can take weeks to heal properly. If you took your shoes off on these surfaces, I promise, you would put them right back on, so keep in mind that your dog's feet need some protection too. Please be mindful of where your dog is walking when you take him for walks. If you walk on the sidewalk or on a roadway, please buy your dog some shoes to protect his feet or switch up your walking routine during the summer and walk your dog in grassy areas.
Keep in mind that the hottest part of the day is generally between 3 and 6 pm, but during the summer, it can be too hot for your dog to stay outside by 10 am in some areas. Limit outside time during the heat of the day to 30 minutes or less. Early mornings before 10 am and evenings after 6 pm are ideal times to take your dog outside for longer periods.
Keeping your dog cool during the summer may seem a bit of a challenge, but I have some tips to help with that. First, ensure that your dog has plenty of shade and fresh cool drinking water when outside.
Next, many dogs love wading pools. We use hard plastic kiddie pools for our dogs, but you can also buy pools designed for dogs. If your dog will be outside for a longer period of time, you will want to keep his wading pool in a shaded area because the sun can heat that water up quickly. Also, during the hottest parts of summer, we will throw some ice cubes in the pool. Some of our dogs like to bob for ice cubes, so it encourages them to spend some time in the water to stay cool, and and it can be a fun activity for them, as well as keeping the pool water nice and cool.
In addition to wading pools, I have seen doggie splash pads on the market now. These are inflatable plastic mats that hook to water hoses and spray water upwards and back down onto the plastic. If you want to conserve water, there is another product on the market that may be right up your alley. It is techincally a drinking fountain, but when a dog learns to paw at the pedal on it, it squirts water up and would be ideal way to let your dog cool himself off without constantly running water all over your yard....unless, of course, your dog loves the thing and learns that he can stand on the pedal and keep the water coming!
You can also use frozen things (other than ice cubes) to help keep your dog cool. There are many toys on the market designed to be frozen. Frozen chew toys will help to keep Fido cool. Plus, you can freeze treats, especially carrots, snap peas and apple slices, to help cool your dog off during the summer. And, some dogs love to eat ice cubes too, so if your dog is one of them, be generous with his ice cube treats during the summer. If he doesn't like plain ice cube, I bet he would eat organic chicken broth frozen into cubes, so try that for a healthy, protein packed cool down treat for your dog.
Now for the less pleasant information. As a dog owner, you should be able to recognize the symptoms of heatstroke in your dog, because should it happen, your quick action could be the difference between life an death for your dog. Symptoms include very heavy or exaggerated panting, lethargy, weakness, drooling, vomiting, rapid heart rate, warm dry skin and more. See the attachment for more information on heatstroke.
Most importantly, just keep in mind that dogs need protection from the heat as much as people do. If you are mindful of that and take precautions to keep your dog cool and comfortable during the summer, you will have a happy pup!
Monday, July 8, 2019
Chihuahua Myths Series - #4 Chihuahuas are Hard to Train
After a short hiatus, I am back to blogging this week with our fourth Chihuahua myth, that these little sweethearts are hard to train. As with most myths, this one likely got started from at least a partial truth. Some very stubborn Chihuahuas may be a bit more challenging to train, but stubbornness and difficulty training are not exactly a common characteristics of the breed. I suspect that there are stubborn, difficult to train examples of every breed. So, let's consider the truths embedded in this myth and dispel the rest as exaggeration or inappropriate extrapolation.
One of the most common questions I get is about house training males. Our poor Chihuahua boys get a really bad rap for marking. Marking is an instinctual behavior that involves urinating on things in the environment, and it stems from the pack mentality that leads males to designate their own physical territory to keep other males away. Yes, intact male Chihuahuas will eventually mark, but the truth is, ALL intact male dogs will eventually mark, and once they start marking, it is all but impossible to get them to stop. So, there is the truth in this myth. What makes it a myth is that the behavior itself can be completely avoided by simply neutering these boys early, before the marking behavior begins. That works as well in Chihuahuas as it does in any other breed.
The little Chihuahua females present a slightly different picture with house training. This is generally where the stubbornness may come in. Some Chihuahua girls can be stubborn. That is the truth in the myth, but every one of them will respond to something...treats or other food, toys, praise....something! The key to training any dog, even a stubborn one, is to find what that thing is that they respond to and then to be consistent in offering it when they behave properly. Once you have that figured out, training of any kind, including house training, becomes easy!
Next, Chihuahuas are VERY smart, and they have the capacity to learn things that you might not consider that they can do. I strongly recommend training basic obedience, at a minimum, from an early age. If you have a high energy Chihuahua puppy, that may be a bit tricky. That is the truth in the myth, but there are some things that you can do to get the training in and minimize frustration. First, keep training sessions very short at first, until maturity calms your puppy down a bit. If you have trouble keeping your puppy's attention, then keep training sessions as short as 15-30 seconds, several times per day. You will be surprised what your Chihuahua puppy can learn in that time frame. If you do several very short training sessions each day, your puppy's skill will sneak up on you and before you know it, you will have a well trained puppy.
As with house training, you may need to find that one thing that your puppy or dog simply cannot resist. Chihuahuas tend to be very food motivated, so more than likely, this will be a favorite treat or perhaps a tiny piece of chicken. Keep training treats really tiny so you don't put unwanted weight on your dog, but keep in mind that food is a powerful motivator for most Chihuahuas. When you find that one thing that your dog cannot resist, use it ONLY when you train. Training time has to be the only time that your dog gets that reward. That usually speeds up the training process considerably and helps your dog to focus on the task at hand.
Finally, if you find that you have a really stubborn Chihuahua on your hands, there is one more thing that you can do to make training easier. You may need to assert your place in your dog's pack. The technique for that is a whole other blog, but basically it involves making your Chihuahua understand that everything good that he or she gets comes from you, and he/she has to make you happy to get it. That is a powerful message for a dog, and it establishes you as your dog's pack leader. You will be surprised how pliable your Chihuahua will become once he/she recognizes you as the leader.
In a nutshell, the notion that Chihuahuas are hard to train is a myth, despite the elements of truth in it, because for some dogs, a bit more work has to be done to determine what your dog's best motivator is. Some need tasty food, others need a strong leader or something else. However, once you have figured that out, training becomes easy, and Chihuahuas are no harder to train than any other breed.
One of the most common questions I get is about house training males. Our poor Chihuahua boys get a really bad rap for marking. Marking is an instinctual behavior that involves urinating on things in the environment, and it stems from the pack mentality that leads males to designate their own physical territory to keep other males away. Yes, intact male Chihuahuas will eventually mark, but the truth is, ALL intact male dogs will eventually mark, and once they start marking, it is all but impossible to get them to stop. So, there is the truth in this myth. What makes it a myth is that the behavior itself can be completely avoided by simply neutering these boys early, before the marking behavior begins. That works as well in Chihuahuas as it does in any other breed.
The little Chihuahua females present a slightly different picture with house training. This is generally where the stubbornness may come in. Some Chihuahua girls can be stubborn. That is the truth in the myth, but every one of them will respond to something...treats or other food, toys, praise....something! The key to training any dog, even a stubborn one, is to find what that thing is that they respond to and then to be consistent in offering it when they behave properly. Once you have that figured out, training of any kind, including house training, becomes easy!
Next, Chihuahuas are VERY smart, and they have the capacity to learn things that you might not consider that they can do. I strongly recommend training basic obedience, at a minimum, from an early age. If you have a high energy Chihuahua puppy, that may be a bit tricky. That is the truth in the myth, but there are some things that you can do to get the training in and minimize frustration. First, keep training sessions very short at first, until maturity calms your puppy down a bit. If you have trouble keeping your puppy's attention, then keep training sessions as short as 15-30 seconds, several times per day. You will be surprised what your Chihuahua puppy can learn in that time frame. If you do several very short training sessions each day, your puppy's skill will sneak up on you and before you know it, you will have a well trained puppy.
As with house training, you may need to find that one thing that your puppy or dog simply cannot resist. Chihuahuas tend to be very food motivated, so more than likely, this will be a favorite treat or perhaps a tiny piece of chicken. Keep training treats really tiny so you don't put unwanted weight on your dog, but keep in mind that food is a powerful motivator for most Chihuahuas. When you find that one thing that your dog cannot resist, use it ONLY when you train. Training time has to be the only time that your dog gets that reward. That usually speeds up the training process considerably and helps your dog to focus on the task at hand.
Finally, if you find that you have a really stubborn Chihuahua on your hands, there is one more thing that you can do to make training easier. You may need to assert your place in your dog's pack. The technique for that is a whole other blog, but basically it involves making your Chihuahua understand that everything good that he or she gets comes from you, and he/she has to make you happy to get it. That is a powerful message for a dog, and it establishes you as your dog's pack leader. You will be surprised how pliable your Chihuahua will become once he/she recognizes you as the leader.
In a nutshell, the notion that Chihuahuas are hard to train is a myth, despite the elements of truth in it, because for some dogs, a bit more work has to be done to determine what your dog's best motivator is. Some need tasty food, others need a strong leader or something else. However, once you have figured that out, training becomes easy, and Chihuahuas are no harder to train than any other breed.
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