102 - Teach The New Kitten to Like their Cat Carrier & Why Ditching the Food Bowl Helps You Train Your Dog.

Living with a Deaf dog & Why Your Neutered Male Cat May Still Spray in the House

First, I want to give you an update on how Rosy is doing since I wrote the blog, #106 telling you about her diagnosis of cancer. 

Then, I have heard that it is not uncommon for dogs to lose their hearing as they age.  This got me thinking - this could happen with Rosy and I wondered what it would mean for taking care of her.  So, I looked up a website I had heard about recently, called Deaf Dogs Rock as well as their social media pages.   There is gobs of handy tips and things to know if you have a deaf dog or one that is losing its hearing. Having never known much about this, and being impressed by this great website resource, I asked the founder and president of Deaf Dogs Rock, Christina Lee to tell her story on the show. What it is like to have a deaf dog and what are some important things to know about deaf dogs.    

Can male cats still spray if they have been neutered? Yes they can. Maybe you’ve noticed a new pungent smell in your house or perhaps even seen your cat spraying on your furniture or backing up to your walls with their tail sticking up and depositing a small amount of urine on the wall. How can this happen, you might be thinking? My vet told me that once they are neutered that is not supposed to happen. Though telling the story of my cat Willie who took to spraying in all the corners of my new house even though he had been neutered years before, I’ll explain a number of the reasons why cats may begin to spray and what you can do to stop it. 

It’s time for us to select the two people to win three months of free pet food that was part of celebrating our reaching our 100 episode. Thank you for everyone who left a comment on our website or Facebook page during the promotion period. We’ll be putting your names in the hat and randomly selecting two people to win either the free dog or cat food. We’ll be getting in contact with you if your name is pulled. Good luck. 

Additional Resources for the Show.

Deaf Dogs Rock Website.

Deaf Dogs Rock on Facebook.

Deaf Dogs Rock on Instagram.

Here are links to the resources Christina Lee mentioned during our conversation.

A video with American Sign Language Interpreter – Alisha McGraw

Field of Dreams Dog Training

Dog Trainer specializing in deaf dogs - Terrie Hayward

Three Reasons Dogs Benefit From Day Care & A Dog and Cat that Cheated Death.

First, why are the animals we share our lives with called pets?  Where did that word come from? The word first entered the English language in Scotland and Northern England around 1500 and pet meant a spoiled child or a favorite. Ah, that’s probably where the expression teacher’s pet comes from. Hear how it evolved to mean beloved animal companions.  

Are you considering daycare for your dog?  Wondering how to find one that your dog will love and also relieve your mind that you’ve left it in safe hands for the day? Or maybe you want to know what is the big deal about it is and why to spend the money at all on daycare when your dog seems fine staying at home.  My guest is Neil Gill, the CEO and president of Dogtopia, the leading provider of dog daycare in North America and he will answer these questions and give you an insider’s view into the world of doggie daycare.  

This week’s creature feature is rather macabre and creepy. But it’s fitting as Halloween is just past, and it could also be an Easter story as well. Here is a story about a dog, I’m calling, Never Say Die. Another mention of a cat being “resurrected” caught my eye. 

October just ended and you have a few more days as a new month starts, to win our promotion and receive 3 months of free pet food. Just leave a comment about one of our 100th episodes on either the show page at www.raisingyourpaws.com or on our Facebook page. We’ll randomly select 2 winners from the comments.  Make sure you get your comments in before November 15, 2021.  Good luck. 

Our new producer is Talk North. The largest sports, outdoor, and lifestyle podcast network in the upper Midwest. Check them out at Talknorth.com. You’ll find this podcast there as well.

Additional Resources for the show. 

Source for story about where word pet comes from:  “Pet Nation” by Mark L. Cushing. 

Dogtopia’s website.

Press Release about the Partnership between NutriSource Pet Foods and Dogtopia. 

The reading program Neil Gill talked about in the show. Sit, Stay, Read. 

The autism organization Neil Gill talked about in the show: Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center.

Source for the stories about pets that cheated death: “Amazing But True Dog Tales” by Bruce Nash and Allan Zullo, complied by Muriel MacFarlane and “Pet Nation” by Mark L. Cushing.

How To Lessen Dog’s and Cat’s Stress & The Best Game to Play with Your Dog

Have you tried to take photos of your cat in low light? If so, you’ll know that most often the pictures show their eyes as being just bright shining yellow circles.  Why is this? I’ll explain the special physical feature felines have that cause this and why they have it. 

We know that we feel stress and that it can affect our health. Dog and cats also experience physical and emotional stress that can result in health issues, but it can also reveal itself as behavior problems. In this episode, I’m replaying a part of an interview from my Wild about Pets Radio show with Dr. Paul McCutcheon, the author of the book, The New Holistic Way for Dogs and Cats. The Stress-Health connection, written with Susan Weinstein. We talk about some of the kinds of stress that can affect pets and how to monitor and remedy it. 

In the last episode, I promised I’d tell you what is considered to be the best game ever to play with your dog.  This game develops a strong bond with your canine, teaches them manners, allows them to safely express their wolf instincts, and has you maintaining leadership and its lots of fun for your dog. All great games have rules - to play them properly, and this one does too. You may already play this game with your dog but knowing why the game is so beneficial and what the official rules are will be interesting to you. In this episode, I’ll list the 7 short rules you’ll want to know and the ones to teach your dog.  

We’re still celebrating reaching 100 episodes by giving away 3 months of free pet food to 2 lucky winners through the month of October, 2021. For your chance to win, please leave a comment about one of the 100th shows, on the episode pages on the website, raisingyourpaws.com or on our Raising Your Paws Facebook page.  We’ll randomly select 2 winners from the comments.

Our new podcast producer is Talk North. The largest sports, outdoor and lifestyle podcast network in the upper Midwest. Check them out at Talknorth.com.

Additional Resources for the show:

RaisingYourPaws.com

Dr. Paul McCutcheon’s clinic: East York Animal Clinic & Holistic Centre.

Amazon link to order The New Holistic Way for Dogs and Cats: The Stress-Health Connection by Paul McCutcheon, DVM and Susan Weinstein. 

Source for the story about the best game ever: Tug of War. 30 Days To A Well –Mannered Dog. The Loved Dog™ Method by Tamar Geller. 

Solve Common Cat Behavior Problems & Should a Dog Be “Heeling” or Not When Walking

In this week’s creature feature stories, hear about two dogs who volunteered for the postal service and loved their work. 

Do you wonder how you can stop your cat from doing certain things like biting or wrecking your furniture with their constant scratching? Pam Johnson-Bennett, a certified cat behavior consultant is one of the foremost experts on cat behavior and she has answers today about why cats do what they do and how to solve some of the most common behavior problems. 

Does your dog know how to heel when out walking with you? I never taught my dog Rosy to do this but I’ve wondered should I teach the command?  And does the dog need to heel the whole time?  In this episode, I’ll tell you where this command originated and talk about the importance of a dog walking nicely beside you on a loose leash but that making a dog heel for the whole walk is not in the best interest of your dog’s mental and physical well-being and happiness. 

In the next episode, I’ll tell you what is considered to be the best game ever for dogs.

We’re still celebrating reaching 100 episodes by giving away 3 months of free pet food to 2 lucky winners through the month of October. For your chance to win, please leave a comment about one of the 100th shows, on Raising Your Paws website or Facebook page.  We’ll randomly select 2 winners from the comments.

Check out our new producer’s website at Talk North.com. They are the largest sports, outdoor and, lifestyle podcast network in the upper Midwest. 

Additional Resources for the show.

RaisingYourPaws.com

Source for the creature feature stories – “Amazing but True Dog Tales” by Bruce Nash and Allan Zullo.  

Pam Johnson-Bennett’s website: Cat Behavior Associates.

To order “Think like a Cat” and Pam’s other books about cat behavior. 

Source for the story about dog’s heeling – “30 Days to a Well-Mannered Dog” by Tamar Geller.

102 - Teach The New Kitten to Like their Cat Carrier & Why Ditching the Food Bowl Helps You Train Your Dog.

Cats learn to fear their carriers if the only time they see it appear is when it is taken out of the closet, they are shoved inside it, taken away from their home, dragged out of the case, plopped on a slippery cold, metal surface and some strange person starts poking and prodding them. Of course, they come to associate the sight of the crate with the unpleasant experience of going to the vet.  You are going to do the opposite and train your new kitten right from the very start to associate the carrier with fun, positive experiences.   And it’s not too late to get your older cat to accept one as well. In this episode, I’ll explain the steps to take so that transporting the cat is easier for you and the feline when you do have to go to the vet.  

Why keep feeding your dog’s meals from the same old food bowls, when there are so many other ways to do this that make your dog happy and mentally stimulated. In my conversation with Ben Rimbey, head dog trainer with Lucky Mutt Dog Training and for the “Fairly Odd Dogs” (Disc Dog performers) on social media, he explains that you can train your dogs and strengthen your bond with them at the same time by “Ditching the Bowl.” Then, learn a fun game for your dog that that builds confidence and makes eating more engaging called “Cardboard Castles”. 

There’s a cool new app to know about. Do you like to keep track of how many steps you walk? Or have you ever walked to raise money for a charity or cause?  If you have a dog, I know you’re out there walking together and there is an app, I just found out about that combines all these things.  It’s called WoofTrax. It keeps track of how long you and your dog are walking and makes money at the same time to support your favorite animal organizations.  I’ll explain how it works to make walking your dog so rewarding and how you’ll still want to use it, even if you don’t have a dog.

We’re still celebrating reaching 100 episodes by giving away 3 months of free pet food to 2 lucky winners through the month of October 2021. Get your chance to win, by leaving a comment about one of the 100th shows, on the episode pages on the website, raisingyourpaws.com. Or tell us what you think of the podcast on our Raising Your Paws Facebook page.  We’ll randomly select 2 winners from the comments.

If you like sports, or outdoor life podcasts, be sure to check out our new producer’s other podcasts, at www.talknorth.com. They are the largest sports, outdoor, and lifestyle podcast network in the upper Midwest. 

Additional Resources for the Show.

Resource for the story about cat carriers – “Complete Kitten Care” by Amy Shojai.

Lucky Mutt Dog Training Website. 

Fairly Odd Dogs (Disc Dog performers) on Facebook

Fairly Odd Dogs on Instagram. 

About the App: www.WoofTrax.com