Pet Zone
| Published: 23rd November 2007 23:55 |
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Q: How can we control our dog's humping behaviour aside from giving him the chop? He tries it on with visitors when they come round and is very embarrassing. Gizmo is also aggressive towards other dogs when we take him for walks. He growls and tries to get hold of them. Gizmo is a two year old male Shitzu.
A: I think a remedy could take a number of stages: 1: When he gets exited don't speak to him but distract him with a favourite toy and play with him. Or... 2: When he is excited again the person he is interested in should turn his/her back on him and then take him out of the room into a quiet place, do this as many times as is needed eventually he should get the message. Should this not work try...3: There is a product on the market that is successful with our dogs in which a loud sound is produced which distracts them from the unwanted behaviour. After a while you should only need to show the can to your dogs to stop what he is doing.
For a persistent exited dog I suggest the next step is a visit to the vet as there are drugs which can reduce the testosterone in the dog which could stop the behaviour. This would be an indication whether the permanent removal of the dog's testicles would solve the problem in the long term. From my experience your dog is showing dominance over his surroundings and his owners and has little respect for anyone. If he is not going to be used as a stud dog then the removal of his testicles would not cause any further undue problems. There would be additional benefits - his urges to get excited would be reduced as would the urge to scent mark every few steps when out walking. Also if he does have tendencies for aggression to other dogs or people this would also be reduced. Every dog must know his place in the pecking order. I don't know if he is pampered which could cause these problems as he thinks that he is in charge. A good book on the subject is "The Dog Listener" I think it can be found on Amazon but it is worth reading and taking note of, the dog will be happier when he knows his place.
As an example our little terrier was scent marking in the house and was showing signs that he thought he was in charge especially when taking him for a walk and not coming when called etc. We had his testicles removed before he was a year old he is now much calmer and sometimes comes back when called, it's a terrier thing.
Q: I've built a large aviary in my garden and want it to house as many different breeds of birds as possible. What I'd really like are two love birds but I've heard I can't mix them with other birds - is this true? Any suggestions?
A: Roughly speaking birds with Soft Bills should not be mixed birds with Hook Bills though exceptions do exist. Love Birds can be kept in an Aviary quite happily. Problems may occur if you introduce breeding boxes as competition for the best box may start and Love Birds can be very vicious and have been known to kill a rival. Also there should be more female to male birds. I have a number of aviaries in my garden and we have a selection of Budgies, Cockatiels, a Golden Mantle and some Red Rumps which are all hook bills and they all live happily in the UK environment. I don't know when you expect to start populating your aviary but I would only purchase birds that have come straight from another aviary as it is now too cold to take birds from indoor cages and put them in the aviary and expect them to survive in the cold weather. When I purchase birds for my aviary I wait for the summer or in late spring which does give the birds a chance to survive the winter.
Q: My 7 year old son keeps pestering me to buy him a dog. Can you offer any advice on how I can get him to understand the amount of responsibility looking after a dog takes?
A: I would mention the following: Walking the dog in all weathers, Cleaning up after the Dog, Training the Dog, Vet Bills, Grooming the Dog and Puppy Training. These are all negative but there are many benefits as a Dog owner that are equally as important. Having a dog will help teach your child responsibility as well as possibly encourage your child to exercise by taking the dog for walks. Bear in mind that dogs can live for 12 years or more. As a parent are you happy to look after the dog should your son lose interest? It's something to think about...
Q: I'd like to have a colourful fish tank but hours of cleaning it regularly is putting me off - is there a solution?
A: I can supply all your needs for the Fish Tank and Equipment - the Fish and also a tank cleaning service. Just call me on 020 8300 8820 or email and we can look into this further.
What do you think?
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