TRAINING COMMON BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS

House breaking – it is not a common problem for a cat owner but in some cases it may be quite serious. Housebreaking means that cat always goes outside for urination or defecation or uses the litter box for this purpose. Like dogs, we can say a mistake or slips as a cat is either housebroken or it is not. Feral cats defecate or urinate at the same places to mark their territory. These cats do not scratch dirt over their faeces or urine like domestic cats and leave the faecal matter exposed. Toms are prone to spay urine over objects within their territory, whenever they sense a female cats in estrous. These cats scatter the faecal material in the nearby areas of original deposits. This behaviour is used as a form of communication by cats. If a domestic cat goes to outdoors to defecate or urinate, may use this material to mark its territory and to make sexual communication. Rectifying the behaviour – a.) Litter box – indoor cats, which do not have access to outside, should be provided with litter box. It should be cleaned everyday (pregnant woman and children should never handle cat faeces or cat litter, as they can contract disease, which may lead to abortion or can deform unborn children). Cats are clean in nature and they prefer clean areas for defecation and urination. It is recommended that a litter box should be available for each cat and boxes should be kept in the same place in a consistent manner. Boxes should be placed in those areas where cats can have their privacy. The area should be disinfected on a regular basis. Different types of boxes & litter are available in the market. b) Diet Scheduling- it is an important point to he considered that is diet and timing for meals should be kept consistent as frequent change in diet will result in upset stomach. Sudden change from dry food to canned food will result in indigestion and the consistency of faecal matter. The diet should be changed gradually to avoid the drastic change in the timing of defecation. Fresh water should be available for your cat, specifically if she is on dry food. You must discuss this with your Veterinarian to develop a diet schedule for your cat. Clawing – it is an inborn behaviour and is difficult to train the cats. Declawing can be done on any adult cat and it is a surgical procedure. Even declawed cat will exhibit “clawing” behaviour. For most cats only the front claws need to be removed as these are primary source of damage. This surgical procedure should be done at the age of 6 months and cats quickly recover from the operation. Declawing does not change any behaviour patterns and will still claw your things. The only difference appears to be that they cannot cause damage. I suggest that only house cats can be declawed as outdoor cats need their claws for defensive and offensive purposes. If you don’t want declawing but want to protect your furniture etc., then you must provide a scratch post to your cat. Noises - owners generally complained about cats howling, meowing, crying or screeching. The cat may cry even in the absence of owner and then it is a nuisance for neighbours. Crying behaviour is often a sign of frustration and is an attention seeking behaviour. In such cases you may take your cat on a lap or pet your cat. It is a highly reinforcing situation for your cat and may exhibit this behaviour quiet often. In such conditions you should try to ignore your cat that is don’t look at it, don’t touch it or don’t talk to it. Heat periods - During estrous, the female cats may cry or wail all day and night. The only practical way to stop this behaviour is to spay a female cat surgically. Likely the toms are equally obnoxious as he will spray urine all over the place to mark his scent. Even they will howl but you cannot train them. The best and only way is to neuter or castrate them and this operation does not have any risk at healthy animals. Neutering will solve problem of crying and is also a good tool for birth control programme as so many unwanted kittens are born every year. Neutering your cat is the best thing you can do for welfare of cats in this country.

HOUSE TRAINING YOUR PUPPY

There are three three things to consider during puppy house training - observant, consistent and patient.
1. Puppies smell the last place they did their business. Sniffing the ground to find their mark is part of dog behavior. Once you notice it, distract him and take him out as soon as possible. Your attitude and being observant is part of puppy house training.
2. Be consistent in your training, especially in the potty schedule. Especially, right after each meal. Give him a treat to walk or play with for 15 minutes then go out. Don’t get discouraged, remember that you are training your puppy and this is part of being consistent.
3. Be patient, do not expect much immediate progress, the stage can last from two to six months depending on the training, but the right puppy house training and you can do it within a week. Yelling does not help because he can not understand and physical abuse such as slapping, hitting can lead to other dog behavior problems.

House breaking of pup

Basics of Potty Training -
It is important for your dog to have an established routine. The easy way to look at the routine you need to establish is that any time there is a break during the day or a change of direction in your dog’s day, take the dog to his potty place.
The five keys to your success are:
1. When your dog gets up, take him to the potty place.
2. Feed your dog on a regular schedule which will eventually be thrice a day. After he eats or drinks anything, take him to the potty place.
3. After your dog plays or exercises, take him to the potty place.
4. Withhold water for two to four hours before your dog goes to bed.
5. Just prior to going to bed, take him to the potty place.
Depending on the age and activity of your dog, you may need one of the variations suggested in the training course. You may also want to understand the various methods of potty training and when to use which method. One method may fit your dog and your lifestyle better than the others.

Crate Training is Not House Training
There are three basic methods of housebreaking puppies or dogs - the basic direct method, the paper method, and the litter box method. Each method refers to where the dog potties.
Crate training is simply putting your puppy or dog into a crate at times when you cannot watch him every second during housetraining, you leave home, you want him to sleep, you need him to be or feel safe, you are traveling with him, or you need more control over his behavior.

Dog adoption from a shelter - two ways benefits

Most shelters are known as “kill shelters,” as elderly dogs, chronically ill dogs, dogs with serious behavioral problems or dogs in the shelter for a long period of time without a home are at risk of euthanasia. So adopting a dog from a shelter may save a dog from euthanasia.
80 percent of shelter dogs are in the shelter due to a change in living situation (i.e. a move to a small apartment ), a change in family situation (i.e. a new baby), or their owner has died or is too ill to care for them any longer.
“When you adopt a puppy, you have no idea what that dog will evolve into when he matures. You have no idea what bad habits he’ll have, how big he’ll get, what his temperament will be like, if he’ll get along with the children or if he’s incompatible with other dogs. With an adult dog, you know exactly what you’re getting into.”

Animal shelters and other rescue organizations provide information on new dog’s personality, temperament, habits and qualities on training, common behavior problems, feeding, general care etc. Breeders and pet stores generally do not offer such support.
Shelter dogs are large and small, and there are pure-breeds and mixes. New dogs arrive at shelters and at rescue organizations every day, so checking back on a weekly basis, or check the shelter or organization’s website for the latest profiles on adoptable pets.
Dog owners who adopt dog from a shelter or rescue organization also have the benefit of taking home a pet that’s been already spayed or neutered. Usually all rescue organizations and shelters neuter or spay all cats and dogs before they’re placed. I always encourage owners to meet the animals – that’s the best way to find your pet. Looks can attract you to a dog initially, but it’s not going to work if your personalities aren’t compatible. So meet the dogs to find the best suitable dog for you.