Fearful Pets
How do you clean a dog who is afraid of a bath?
Dear Cathy, Our eight-year-old dog, Shea, has never liked getting wet, but has tolerated being bathed and getting wet to “do her business” in the rain. However, when my son tried to bring Shea upstairs to give her a bath the other day (she is 48 pounds), she started growling and snarling and hiding behind […]
Read MoreSocializing and training a fearful dog
Dear Cathy, My dog, Major, is a rescue who was 18 weeks old when we got him and is almost two years old now. I fell in love with him in his cage huddled against the wall with his head up the wall. He is so sweet and gentle. I have taken him to dog […]
Read MoreBreaking the habit of growling at visitors at the front door
Dear Cathy, My dog, a Yorkie-Pekinese mix, barks at every noise he hears. He goes into a frenzy when someone comes to the door. If I let them in, he is very aggressive and will even bite visitors. If I leash him, he gets worse. He is four years old. I adopted him three weeks […]
Read MoreSlightly feral cat not adjusting well to new home
Dear Cathy, We recently adopted a 2-1/2-year-old orange tabby cat from our local TNR rescue. He was rescued as a feral kitten and neutered at three months of age. Since then he has been at the rescue. Before we brought him home, I spent time with him over a three-week period. Although not overly friendly, […]
Read MoreHelping a small overprotective dog feel at ease
Dear Cathy, My Chihuahua is extremely protective of me. No one can touch me or come near me. I want to learn how to teach my dog not to be defensive on my command. – Rafael, New Castle, Delaware Dear Rafael, With a small dog, overprotectiveness is mostly related to fear. Growling and baring their […]
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