Turn Fido into the Perfect Host

Even otherwise clam and well-trained dogs can get overexcited when confronted by groups of unfamiliar people visiting at your home. One friend’s terrier would run around the room half-a-dozen times before he’d calmly sit down by his mistress. Other dogs run for the front door when the bell rings and love to leap on unsuspecting guests.

To ensure your dog doesn’t scare or jump on your visitors and to keep him out of harm’s way, try these steps.

1. Run some practice sessions. The sound of a doorbell or knocking can send many dogs in a tizzy, exacerbated by a dog’s instincts to guard his home from strangers. If your dog isn’t familiar with these sounds, do some practice sessions. Have a friend come over and ring or knock on the door.

Don’t immediately leap up and run for the door. Be calm and walk toward the door at a normal pace. Remember your dog senses your excitement so you want to remain controlled in your behavior.

Repeat this a couple times a day for several days prior to Thanksgiving or whatever day your company is arriving.

2. Keep him under your control. Put him in the sit or stay or down (whichever command you’ve taught him) position as soon as you hear someone approaching your door. Don’t let him run to the door as soon as he hears a doorbell or knock. Don’t let him greet a visitor unless he is calm.

If your dog is not trained well enough yet to obey a sit or stay command, keep him on a leash while you greet company. You also may want to use a head halter if you’re not certain how dog will behave or if he’s meeting lots of guests at once for the first time.

3. Keep a water bottle handy. If your dog goes into a tizzy or tries to leap on someone and is beyond hearing your “no” command, spray him in the face with the water. Almost every dog hates that but he won’t be harmed.

4. Train your guests. If you dog starts to jump on a guest before you can get to him, tell the guest to turn their back and ignore the dog. Grab your dog and make him sit.

5. Don't reward bad behavior. Ask guests not to reward your dog’s bad behavior. The most natural thing for a visitor to do is to say “good dog” to a dog that’s greeting them by jumping up. This is terrible! Ask your friends not to say anything to the dog; simply turn their backs until the dog stays on all four paws.

6. Restrain your dog. If your dog isn’t used to much company or guests are bringing small children, put your dog in a room away from the guests until everyone has arrived and all the initial greetings are over. Don’t bring the dog out until the room is relatively calm.

There’s no reason Fido can’t enjoy the upcoming holiday season with you if you teach him how to be a good host.

Teach Fido to Shake Paws

Impress your company by teaching your dog to greet them with a paw shake. He’ll find it fun to learn and it’ll help stretch his brainpower. Most dogs learn this one quickly.

1. Get a treat that’s small enough to hold in your hand but keep hidden
from him when you close your finders.

2. Place your dog in a sit position on a non-slippery surface.

3. Gently tap one his paws with your free hand. Keep tapping it until he lifts
his paw off the ground.

4. As soon as this happens, support his paw in your hand and say “shake.”
Then give him the treat and coo praise at him.

5. Repeat this process four or five times and then stop before either of you
get tired.

6. Do this exercise a couple times a day for a few days before you expect company.

7. You can stop the teaching once your dog lifts his paw to you when you say “Shake.”

8. If you want to teach to shake the other paw, use the same process but with a different verbal command. Use “paw” or some other word.

Do Pets Belong in Evacuation Shelters? No!

Many animal lovers were outraged to learn that pets are not allowed in emergency evacuation shelters such as those that housed refugees from Katrina and Wilma.

News media in the affected areas love to report on stories about a child or elderly person having to leave their pet behind because the emergency shelter won't allow pets.

Are shelters wrong to prohibit pets? I don't think so.

There are some sensible reasons why shelters exclude pets, such as:

1. Many people are allergic to or afraid of dogs and cats, the two most common pets.

When shelter personnel are coping with health issues of survivors, they do not need to add the problems of people having allergic reactions to animals.

2. Not all dogs are well trained and any dog may bite under stress conditions.

Someone who survived Katrina should not be subjected to a dog bite from a poor dog who was reacting instinctively in a crowed, overexcited environment. People who aren't familiar with dogs often act in ways that provoke dogs without realizing it.

3. Dogs in packs act by instinct, not training.

A dog pack running through a shelter could injure people, even if it's unintentionally by knocking down people who get in their way. Pity the poor kitty who is suddenly surrounded by a pack of half-a-dozen dogs.

4. Pets attack each other.

A German shepherd or other big dog could easily attack a Yorkshire Terrier or other small dog in the mistaken belief that the small dog is dinner. This is especially likely if the big dog is hungry and overexcited - two conditions very likely to exist in a shelter. Then imagine this happening in front of the child whose pet dog is the unfortunate victim.

5. Housing many dogs and cats in a shelter is a great way to spread disease.

Some people do not vaccinate their pets and some people never take their dog or cat to a veterinarian. Imagine how easy it will be for an infectious disease to spread through all the pets in a shelter. It's difficult enough to maintain good hygiene and a healthy environment for humans in a temporary shelter.

6. Private groups subject themselves to liability for misbehavior of pets in their facilities.

I would hate to see the Salvation Army or Red Cross sued because someone's dog bit a small child, but that's just what would happen. These groups shouldn't have to waste their money on inane lawsuits and lawyers.

Some groups such as Pet Sitters International are petitioning the President and state officials to create pet-friendly evacuation centers throughout the United States.

That's a sweet, romantic idea but the problems above would still exist. Crowding traumatized people and pets into a temporary setting will create many problems.

I know many pet owners are initially outraged at shelter policies but consider all the problems involved and the responsibility of shelters to care for humans first.

Please review the tips and download the free booklet on disaster planning for pets prepared by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).

Download it at http://www.avma.org/disaster/saving_family.asp

Since public shelters rarely allow pets, the AVMA suggests finding a boarding clinic or kennel 30-90 miles away when you know a disaster is coming.

AVMA also recommends preparing an evacuation kit containing:
--two weeks supply of drinking water
--bowls
--bucket
--scoop and plastic bags for wastes
--cleaning supplies
--paper towels
--leash or harness
--collar
--tie out
--first aid kit
--towels and blankets
--proof of ownership
--photos of your dog and you
--medications and copy of medical records
--favorite toys and treats.

The best plan is to evacuate with your pets when you're warned about an impeding disaster. Head toward family or friends rather than a public shelter.

P.S. Visit http://www.ToyBreeds.com next month for a new edition of the Bone-Mot™.