PETS

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Dr Pauline Taylor answers your pet questions

With work from home less frequent now, how can I prepare my dog for me not being around so often?

Reorganise your schedule and do not make it the same every day. Dogs like routine and very quickly settle into certain time slots for food, walks, sleep and playtime. By alternating these you will alter their normal daily routine. Normally this is not something we want, but separation anxiety in dogs may lead to many other problem behaviours. These include barking, home destruction and indoor soiling, all behaviours we want to prevent starting.

Barking when owners are gone is one of the main reasons for pet abandonment according to many welfare shelter-groups. If your dog is used to you leaving by car, leave your car keys out of her earshot when you pick them up to go, change the times you go and instead of saying goodbye leave quietly by a back door. Another trick is to arrange some food toys or treats and give them as your pre parting gift that she soon begins to associate with a nice reward when you are not around.

It is important your dog’s daily needs are met. Arrange some extra walks and playtime for her even during your absence. Hopefully, things will be fine and soon your dog will have a ‘new normal’ routine without you around all day.

My dog growls whenever people walk near my house. How can I get her to calm down?

Without knowing more about your home environment the first thing I would suggest is to block off the sight of people walking nearby. This may mean installing a cover over a balcony so your dog cannot see out or stop your dog getting access to a window viewpoint.

Anxiety about the unknown is most likely the cause of the defensive growling you describe. In some cases, seeing moving things including birds, other animals, as well as people from a window, causes frustration in pets, which in turn can build up and lead to abnormal behaviour in other ways. For example, chewing the skin for no apparent reason. So, despite us thinking it’s nice to let a pet look outdoors we could be causing the problem ourselves.

If it is a sound that triggers the growling that is more difficult to control and usually people want their dogs to growl and alert us should an unwelcome visitor be nearby. When you respond to your dog when she growls, she is achieving her goal by getting your attention which is what most dogs want in their watchdog role.

Since downgrading my house, my cat doesn’t wash herself as regularly and seems a bit dirty, should I be worried?

I am concerned the downgraded house is a red herring. I would like to suggest that leading up to the downgrade you were busy and perhaps did not pay sufficient daily attention to your cat. As soon as the move was over, and you began to settle in, having much more time around your cat opened your eyes to some things you had

Photo: W Hong Kong

Dr Pauline, Pets Central veterinarian

missed before in your previous home. I think the party is over, the move and downgrade done and it’s time for your cat to have a complete clinical wellness exam from your vet. Brushing her yourself can help rather than washing her but is unlikely to be the long-term solution.

I’m considering taking my pet on one of those pet staycations. What is your opinion about them?

I admit I have not tried one myself but knowing my own dogs I think they would have fun with an interesting new experience away from home. Imagine all the enriching noises they would hear, sights to see, smells to take in and special foods to taste. In addition, instead of the same day to day home routine they would get a change of pace. They could travel to the place looking out the vehicle windows, check in and inspect the staff, walk around in the foyer checking for messages left by other dogs, journey in a lift with other hotel guests surprised seeing a dog in a 5 star hotel lift space, then find the correct door for the room, and busily check out all parts of the room and test the holiday bed. I reckon my dogs would have a ball if they were with me and/or family. I do not think most dogs would be overwhelmed at all, but it does depend a lot on your own pet. However, the result may end up with the human getting overwhelmed thinking they were in for a short holiday when instead they ended up exhausted by excited dogs having a ball. If you are happy with your role in a staycation with your dog, I would say give it a go! However, you do not say your pet is a dog, I do not think cats in general would do so well. Being much more independent and set in their ways with a dislike to travel. I certainly know my cats would hide and even wail, may not eat and generally be miserable in a hotel. Other small pocket pets would probably be fine in their own cages, with their own food they like.

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