Dear Matthew: I have a 5-year-old Rottweiler that thinks she's a kid of mine. The problem is every time I take her with me in the back of the truck and I walk into a store, she starts howling.
She also does this when left at home. We had another dog for a while to see if that would help her feel not so alone, but no luck -- she ended up teaching the other one to do the same.I love taking her everywhere with me, but I can't stand how she carries on like a big baby. I've heard a shock collar might help, but I don't want to hurt her or turn her into a aggressive dog.
Dear Sandi: First of all, stay away from the shock collars. They are cruel and will only end up doing more harm than good.
As for causes of your dog's separation anxiety, being taken away from her mother at a young age could very well be a cause. But just because your pet has a traumatic infancy doesn't mean she can't adapt and learn to behave.
The first thing you need to determine is how long your dog howls after you leave the house. If she only barks for a few minutes after you pull out of the driveway, the problem is easier to fix: Simply make your exit from the house as quietly and nonchalantly as possible. Don't make a big deal over leaving your dog; don't even say goodbye. If your dog doesn't know you've left the house, there's nothing for her to get excited over.
If, on the other hand, your dog is barking all day, regardless of whether she knows you're home or not, the problem will require more work. Try leaving a leash on your pet (under your supervision), and give her a corrective jerk and a stern "no" every time she starts barking. If she continues to make noise, confine her to a crate for 10 to 15 minutes, or until she stops barking -- this should calm her down.
Consistency and patience are the keys to training a dog to keep quiet. Don't lose your head, and your dog should come around eventually.
Dear Matthew: I have two male Australian Shepherd mix puppies that are about 14 weeks old. They are from the same litter. At the last trip to the vet, she suggested that I talk to their animal trainer about the fear the puppies were showing toward her. They were trying to hide behind my mother and me, and were growling and would not come to the vet, even when offered treats.
The puppies were not like this when I first got them, and they passed all your "puppy tests" for temperament.
The reason I am writing this is because the trainer said if they did not improve that I should euthanize them. To my knowledge, no one has abused them and the trainer said that it might be something genetic. Naturally, I am quite distressed about this and everyone else thinks the trainer is nuts.
She suggested separating them as much as possible so they get more time to bond with people instead of with each other. I separated them completely for two days and they seemed depressed and were restless due to lack of playing time that they were used to.
Since then, they still spend most of the day together and at night I separate them by having a friend take them one at a time. They are calmer separated, but they are still fearful around strangers. They growl and bark, but they do not bite.
Do you think the trainer is right? Are they going to get bigger and then aggressive toward me or someone in my family? I should add that I am single and have no children. The people they are around are all adults. Should I separate them altogether?
Dear Chris: I don't know what your trainer is smoking, but I would strongly suggest you find someone else to assist you in working with your pets. The idea that one should euthanize puppies because they exhibit fear of the veterinarian is simply ludicrous. It's absolutely normal for puppies to be startled and afraid of almost everything -- they remedy for this is to socialize them as much as possible and expose them to new situations and experiences whenever you can.
It is important that you spend quality time with each dog individually. That will help them bond with humans, as opposed to with each other. Don't worry if they initially show some fear of being separated -- as they grow older, they'll be better at going it alone. Good luck, and stick with your puppies!
Matthew Margolis is the host of "Woof! It's a Dog's Life," a dog-instruction series airing every Saturday on your local PBS station. Read all of Matthew Margolis' columns at the Creators Syndicate Web site http://www.creators.com, and visit him at http://www.matthewmargolis.com. Write him at 5777 W. Century Blvd., Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045.