OT: Dog Advice

[chicagocatfan24]

Anyone have any idea on how to convince a dog to go into the basement? Adopted a pup back in September and she won't go into the basement.

She'll go up the stairs to the bedrooms without any problem, but refuses to go into the basement.

Upstairs are carpet and so are the basement stairs, so maybe it's because the basement stairs are 'enclosed' and walled off whereas the upstairs are open?

Any suggestions welcome

 

[willycat]

Anyone have any idea on how to convince a dog to go into the basement? Adopted a pup back in September and she won't go into the basement.

She'll go up the stairs to the bedrooms without any problem, but refuses to go into the basement.

Upstairs are carpet and so are the basement stairs, so maybe it's because the basement stairs are 'enclosed' and walled off whereas the upstairs are open?

Any suggestions welcome

Why not just leave her upstairs? Some dogs , I would imagine don't like dark, closed in spaces.

 

[Hungry Jack]

Anyone have any idea on how to convince a dog to go into the basement? Adopted a pup back in September and she won't go into the basement.

She'll go up the stairs to the bedrooms without any problem, but refuses to go into the basement.

Upstairs are carpet and so are the basement stairs, so maybe it's because the basement stairs are 'enclosed' and walled off whereas the upstairs are open?

Any suggestions welcome

food usually will induce almost any behavior in a dog.

 

[Alan Smithee_rivals156293]

food usually will induce almost any behavior in a dog.

Yup, some treats, and a big party if she comes down a single step towards you. Very brief sessions, maybe even a single step or two the first time or few times. All positive even if she doesn’t take a single step down.

 

[zbag51]

Yup, some treats, and a big party if she comes down a single step towards you. Very brief sessions, maybe even a single step or two the first time or few times. All positive even if she doesn’t take a single step down.

And don’t force anything, that can make it even worse.

 

[Alan Smithee_rivals156293]

If you’ve used a clicker with her for anything else, use it for this too. Perfect for that instantaneous feedback

 

[chicagocatfan24]

Why not just leave her upstairs? Some dogs , I would imagine don't like dark, closed in spaces.

Thought you had me muted

 

[thewildcat2011]

Thought you had me muted

Come on boys, let’s not fight.

 

[stpaulcat]

These are great suggestions. Thank you all.

Here is a follow on question, or perhaps a conundrum.

We moved to a new neighborhood (Uptown) a few weeks ago. Finally found a bigger (but not too big) place. There is a dog park less than 2 blocks away (Puptown)! It take Ollie there every morning, and sometimes in the pm.

Because I cannot help myself, when I see something in the public sphere that needs fixing, I fix it (and ask for forgiveness later). It is how I came to be the builder and caretaker of a public (privately owned, publicly used) green space in my own neighborhood before we moved.

I noticed that the dog park, which is paved in the center (not great for dogs, I think) and bare ground on the perimeter, had large accumulations of pea gravel along the perimeter fence line, and very little gravel in the lower elevations in the open ground areas. In this space, the soil was compacted, and then made muddy / icy with some recent snows. It looked to me like the gravel had been dumped along the fence line (perhaps from the outside as a drop off during construction?) and largely left there.

So I started relocating the gravel. There is a storage shed full of tools, so I grabbed a wheelbarrow and shovel and got to work. Over about 3 weeks, I estimate I have moved maybe 10,000 pounds of gravel (about 200-250 bags) by doing about 6 wheelbarrows per day. I have laid 3-4" thick on the low areas. I am just finishing up the north side of the park. I will see how it holds, and add more if needed.

I am trying to determine how the gravel ended up piled 2 ft deep along the fence line. I can only come up with the hypothesis I described above. I spoke with several people who have used the park for years. They claim that the gravel has migrated via traffic and wind (really?) from the lower elevations back toward the fence line. This is a distance of about 15-20 ft, and a climb of probably 6 - 18 inches.

Again, that explanation makes no sense to me.

So, if anyone has experience building and maintaining dog parks, please weigh in.

The dogs running in a certain pattern? There's a lot of power in those paws.

 

[Alaskawildkat]

Thanks to this thread I had to take a look at this book on my visit yesterday to Duluth Trading Company while supporting Duluth, a BTN advertiser.

 

[rwhitney014]

Come on boys, let’s not fight.

She's really in her element this week.

 

[Hungry Jack]

We also have two cats. One has become a bit Satan-like. He attacked Mrs. Jack as she was stretching, doing cat-cow poses, which I guess kitty found threatening.

Anyhoo, we talked to the vet about declawing an adult cat as a last resort. She suggested Prozac.

So my cat is now going to be getting Prozac.

I never thought I'd see the day...

 

[stpaulcat]

We also have two cats. One has become a bit Satan-like. He attacked Mrs. Jack as she was stretching, doing cat-cow poses, which I guess kitty found threatening.

Anyhoo, we talked to the vet about declawing an adult cat as a last resort. She suggested Prozac.

So my cat is now going to be getting Prozac.

I never thought I'd see the day...

Try "Feliway". Plugs into the wall with a vial of heated liquid that disperses ferimones into the air. Calms cats down, esp. good for cat relations. Don't declaw.

 

[Gladeskat]

Try "Feliway". Plugs into the wall with a vial of heated liquid that disperses ferimones into the air. Calms cats down, esp. good for cat relations. Don't declaw.

There are pheromones you can buy in spray bottles. I've never used them so I cannot tell you how well they work.

Teddy, my 3-legged chihuahua serves as a highly effective "cat cop" when the cats start quarreling or scratching the furniture. Otherwise, he's their best buddy and the cats love enjoy play fighting with him (I need to get a camera and film these battles - hilarious). He just hates to see his cats quarrel with each other.

 

[EvanstonCat]

Your pooch's giardia is probably from Ollie eating scat (rodent, racoon, possum, wild/feral dog/cat, even the green duck or goose stuff) in parks or around your neighborhood. Scat munching, especially among female dogs, is a normal instinctual maternal response to droppings produced by her litter pups (which, in actuality, is a good thing because Ollie's canine maternal response will really come to the fore when she relates to babies, toddlers & young children and which eventually will become the foundation for more loving, protective attachment to every member of your household in the process). It's almost impossible to control scat munching, especially if you live in a more non-urban neighborhood. The earlier advice to have Ollie's scat inspected & tested for parasites and other naturally occurring nasties, like giardia, will prove very beneficial. Once the nasties have been identified, then it's all a matter of addressing the parasite/bacterial nastie issue.

You're saying that my dachshund (may she rest in peace) was not just a crap eating dog, but was acting on maternal instincts?

 

[The_Waterboy]

E-Cat... I've raise 5 female Golden Retrievers and none had the "hot fecal lunch" issue; but many canines in my neighborhood did. All went to their various vets for help and the explanation I gave was their vets' universal answer. The bigger issue is the parasites and bacterial nasties that can arise from the fecal munching, which can (and often will) result in GI problems. Hungry's pooch contracting giardia is a big one and can be very debilitating to a dog's gut and sometimes deadly, making normal digestion a virtual impossibility with continual intestinal pain and diarrhea a common effect. That's why if your dog has constant diarrhea and is lethargic after eating, it's a good idea to have their droppings inspected for parasites and bacterial nasties. If discovered and addressed, you will get a much happier/healthier pooch.