Raising Your Paws- Your resource for dog & cat pet parents

Who is the most famous dog in the world?  It may surprise you to know, he isn’t even real yet he says words that we, human beings would often like to say.  In today’s creature feature I’ll share some fun facts about this character that most children know and love, and many adults still fondly remember.  

Continuing my conversation with dog aggression expert, Michael Shikashio, CDBC, (aggressivedog.com) we talk about what to do if you are out walking your dog and suddenly one or more dogs becomes aggressive and start attacking your dog – how to ward off the dogs, and stay safe yourself. We also cover why other dogs may join in when only one originally attacked.

Does your cat seem to have a preoccupation with open doors – making mad dashes to go through them?  It can be hard to catch the cat if it gets outside or they can run off, become lost and never return. Door dashing can be a real problem for many people. In this episode, I explain some ways to make the door unpleasant so the feline will want to stay away from it.    

See the companion blogs for the podcast episodes at www.raisingyourpaws.com.  

Additional Resources 

Source for the story about Snoopy – “Dog’s Best Friend” by Simon Garfield.

Michael Shikashio’s website: Aggressivedog.com.

Listen to Michael’s podcast - The Bitey End of The Dog.

Source for the Story about door dashing cats - “ComPETability: Solving Behavior Problems in your MULTI-CAT Household. By Amy Shojai.

Do you wonder exactly why cats get hairballs and if there is anything you can do to reduce the amount that form in your cat’s stomach and then get thrown up exactly when and where you most don’t want them? I’ll explain how hairballs are a good thing for your feline, what to do to lessen their existence and the symptoms to watch for that might indicate an excessively large hairball may be causing health problems.

There have been two different types of highly upsetting dog biting incidents recently in my town, one involving a child that got bit after asking if she could pet the dog, the other where two dogs broke loose and attacked two separate dogs being walked by their owners. The circumstances of these incidents, convince me we need to keep talking about what we can do to prevent traumatic bites and attacks.  About preventing children from getting bit when wanting to pet a dog, there are two things that we must be mindful of that greatly affect the outcome. In this episode, my guest, Michael Shikashio, a Certified Animal Behavior Consultant, the founder of the Aggression in Dogs Master course and host of the podcast, “The Bitey End of the Dog” explains those two critical things.

If you are of a certain age, then you’ll remember when Fido was the quintessential name given for any generic dog. Some real dogs actually had this name, President Abraham Lincoln named his dog Fido, but the most famous was an Italian dog that came to public attention in 1943 because of his demonstration of unwavering loyalty to his dead master. Fido was written about in many Italian and international magazines and newspapers, appeared in newsreels throughout Italy, and was bestowed several honors, including a public statue erected in his honor. Today’s creature feature is his story. 

Additional Resources for the Show. 

Michael Shikashio’s website: Aggressive dog.com.

Listen to the podcast, The Bitey End of the Dog. 

Source for the Story about the Italian dog, Fido – The book, The Dog’s Best Friend by Simon Garfield, plus varied news stories found on the internet.

Are you frustrated by the yellow and brown spots on your lawn that occur when your dog pees in the grass?  Wondering why it happens and what can you do about it? 

The reason those spots appear is that dog urine is rich in nitrogen and it’s the high concentrations of this plus associated salts in the urine that kills or essentially “burns” the grass the urine soaks into.  

You may have heard that to stop your dog from killing the grass when they pee, that you can feed your dog a dietary supplement and this will change the urine.  This however, can cause health problems for your canine, so the safter solution has to do with lawn care. I’ll explain a number of things you can do to try to eliminate all those dead spots and a few tips regarding your dog as well.  

From a previous interview on my past Wild About Pets Radio Show, comes this conversation with Dr. Debra Horwitz, a veterinary behaviorist, and co-editor of the book, Decoding Your Cat, about why they do some of the things they do. You’ll hear the unique perspectives about cats that will explain why they need to scratch things, what those sudden bites could be about and how to better meet their needs so they don’t have to wake you up every morning at dawn. 

Finally, for this week’s creature feature, I’ll tell you a story about a cat that just may make you believe that they do have 9 lives. 

Additional Resources for the Show. 

Books edited by Dr. Debra Horwitz:

Decoding Your Dog: Explaining Common Dog Behaviors and How to Prevent or Change Unwanted Ones by American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, Debra F. Horwitz DVM, et al

Decoding Your Cat: The Ultimate Experts Explain Common Cat Behaviors and Reveal How to Prevent or Change Unwanted Ones by American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, Debra F. Horwitz DVM, et al. 

How to find a Veterinary Behaviorist near you: American College of Veterinary Behaviorists.

Source for the story about the cat who lived – Exploding Pigs and Other Bizarre Animal Stories by Ian Simmons.

Does your cat start yowling or meowing excessively in the early mornings or late at night? This can be very annoying, I know. Why do cats make this loud, piercing sound and what can be done to stop it? I’ll explain a number of reasons why cats may start excessive vocalization and what to do, during this episode and then in more detail on the companion blog. 

I have heard that it is important that your dog respect you. I know Rosy, my part Shetland sheepdog/German shepherd mix loves me, and mostly listens to me, but respects me? I don’t know. What does it mean for a dog to respect a person and what does it look like?  My guest, Dan Abdelnoor, founder of The Online Dog Trainer, author, speaker, dog trainer and behavior specialist, knows what respect means from a dog’s point of view and how you can start earning it from your canine. You can see the video of our conversation on the website, www.raisingyourpaws.com on the episode page for no. 93. 

Then this week’s Creature Feature is about a dog that figured out exactly what to do that saved his person life. 

Additional Resources for the Show. 

Source for the story about cat’s yowling: The Cat Whisperer by Mieshelle Nagelschnieder and Why Does My Cat Do That? By Catherine Davidson.

Doggy Dan’s website: The Online Dog Trainer.com.

Kindle Version of the book “What the Dogs Taught Me About Being A Parent” by Doggy Dan. 

Doggy Dan’s Facebook page. 

Source for the creature Feature: Amazing But True Dog Tales, by Bruce Nash and Allan Zullo, Compiled by Muriel MacFarlane.

Does one of your cats bully other cats in the house hold? When human bullies torment other people, it seems like the reasons for doing so, is that they take delight in picking on others. Bullying cat’s behavior may look the same –torturing and attacking others, but the reasons are very different and specific to being a feline. I’ll explain a few of most common reasons a cat may turn into a bully. 

Then, continuing the conversation with animal communicator, Tim Link, author of “Talking with Dogs and Cats: Joining the Conversation to Improve Behavior and Bond with Your Animals, he shares the three steps he uses to “talk” more deeply with dogs and cats. Keeping an open mind, you can learn how to do this as well, to increase the bond with your pet. Plus, you’ll hear the story about the dog who was eating socks, and paper clips and how Tim helped him to stop plus how he solves the number one behavior issue people call him about regarding cats and dogs. 

Has your sweet, quiet, cuddly, obedient puppy who used to respond to everything you asked, changed overnight into a disobedient, counter surfing, stealing, beast, who runs away from you, ignores you and seems to have forgotten all its training? There’s a very normal, inevitable reason for this that’s part of your dog’s developmental stages. I’ll reveal what this is, and offer some tips to help you deal with the behavior changes. 

For some other possible behavior changes to expect from an adolescent dog, see the blog for this episode 92 at www.raisingyourpaws.com. 

If you have any in-depth questions or want to share your stories about anything you hear on the show today, please write me at [email protected] or leave me a comment at the end of the blog article for this episode number 92. 

Additional Resources for the Episode.

Source for the story about cats who bully – “Cat Wise” by Pam Johnson-Bennett and “How to Speak Cat,” by Aline Alexander Newman & Gary Weitzman, D.V.M. 

Get in touch with Tim Link through his website.

Order Tim’s books. http://www.wagging-tales.com/mybooks.html

Sources for the story about when your puppy becomes an adolescent: “Why Does My Dog Do That?” By Sophie Collins and “The Other End of the Leash” by Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D. 

Can cats experience separation anxiety as we start leaving them alone more as we return to working outside the home? Yes, they can. I’ll explain how they may exhibit anxiety and what you can do to distract them after you’ve left or prevent them from becoming unnerved in the first place. 

 To find a good dog trainer, what should you be looking for regarding their credentials and what are the first big questions to ask them. Louie Torres, the CEO and founder of Unleashed Consulting, a company that helps dog trainers grow their business, found himself in the position of desperately needing a dog trainer and his journey led to the saving of his relationship with his girlfriend, a changed dog and a complete refocusing of his business working with dog trainers. You’ll enjoy this second part of the conversation with Mr. Torres.

Does your cat have a silly or annoying habit to wake you up in the morning? Hear about a cat who knew exactly who to focus his attention on and how to get the person to let him out, in this week’s creature feature. 

Additional Resources for the Show. 

Source for the story about cat separation anxiety – ComPETability: Solving Behavior Problems in your Multi-CAT Household by Amy Shojai.

Unleased Marketing – Louie Torres’s website. 

Source for the creature feature – Animals Make Us Human by Temple Grandin. 

The difference in effectively training large versus small dogs, has more to do with your technique and what is required from you, rather than their abilities. The mechanics of training large and small dogs stay the same, but there are subtle differences in how you train, that can get in the way of success or guarantee it. In this episode, I’ll offer three training tips for small breeds having to do with the position of your body, the size of their tummies and the additional time and patience that may be required from you to teach them some simple behaviors. 

Do you have a dog that’s behavior is so bad that it is causing havoc in the home or damaging relationships with other people in your life? Maybe you tried training the pooch yourself, but it seems like it is useless. Should you call in some outside help and get a dog trainer but don’t know what to look for, or how to find a good one?  This is the exact problem my guest, Louie Torres, experienced. He is the CEO and founder of Unleashed Consulting, a company that helps dog trainers grow their businesses, and he’ll tell you his story about a badly behaved Chihuahua, not being able to find a trainer that would work with the dog, and the journey that finally led to him identifying and working with the perfect trainer that changed the dog’s behavior, Louie’s life, and even his business! 

In this week’s Creature Feature, you’ll hear a story that I can really relate to. About a man who had a problem with an outside plumbing pipe that resulted in his house being flooded. This happened to me recently, but the causes were very different. Mine was a block in the pipe that I had no control over, his was a choice he made - in order to save the life of seven puppies. 

About the creature features, the animal stories I’ve been telling you, I’d love to get your feedback about them - if you like this feature and would like me to continue them.  Please write me a comment on the episode or blog pages on the website, raisingyourpaws.com.  Or you can write me at [email protected]. For taking the time to leave a comment, I’ll randomly select a number of people and send a coupon for a free bag of NutriSource pet food. 

Additional Resources for the show.

Louie Torres’s Unleashed Consulting Website. 

In this week’s creature feature hear about how a man’s grocery shopping trip cost him a whole lot more – thanks to his dogs.

Do you find it almost impossible to get medicine in your pets at times? As you struggle and fight to get pills or drops in them, do you find yourself thinking, “there has got to be an easier way”? Well, there is.  And it has to do with changing the form of the medicine. My guest is Dr. Alan Chan, a pharmacist with the Golden Gate Veterinary Compounding Pharmacy in Novato, California, and he’s going to tell you about how through the technique of compounding drugs, you can eliminate the stress, scratching, screaming that you go through and at the same time provide a better experience for the animals as well. 

Are you thinking about if you want to get a small breed dog rather than a large one?  Many people ask are small dogs better?  The answer comes down to what size dog is best for you.  A good way to figure this out is to know some of the broad differences between the small and large breeds and match a dog with your activity level, physical, financial and/or time limitations you may have, rather than how they look. In this episode, I’ll explain 5 important aspects about small dogs for you to consider. 

Additional Resources for The Show.

Source for the creature feature story – “Exploding Pigs and Other Bizarre Animal Stories” by Ian Simmons. 

Golden Gate Veterinary Compounding Pharmacy Website. 

For more differences between small and large dogs see the companion blog (89) at www.raisingyourpaws.com. 

For this week’s Creature Feature, you’ll hear two stories, about a dog and a cat that unknowingly caused a “bit” of panic that resulted in the police being called. 

Then, hear stories from my guest, Dr. Kwane Stewart, known as the “Street Vet” about his experiences treating pets of the homeless in Los Angeles, California. For the last 9 years, Dr. Stewart has spent time walking the neighborhoods looking for people living on the streets that have pets that might need some veterinary care.  He’s called the Street Vet because dressed in scrubs, with his medical bag in hand, he stops and offers a smile, and then, if the owner accepts, a professional veterinary exam. Right then, right there. For free. 

You can also SEE the video of our conversation on both the raisingyourpaws.com website episode #88, page and our Facebook page.

Next, an etiquette guideline for us humans with dogs to get along well with other humans with dogs.  If you are walking or playing with your unleashed dog in a public place other than a legitimate, sanctioned dog park, and you see an unfamiliar leashed dog in the distance, it’s best to leash your dog right away. I’ve got a story about this very situation with Rosy and another dog, that explains how practicing leash etiquette, we can all keep our dogs safe from harm. 

Additional Resources for the show. 

Source for the creature feature stories – “Exploding Pigs and Other Bizarre Animal Stories” by Ian Simmons. 

Dr. Kwane Stewart’s Facebook page.

Dr. Kwane Stewart’s You tube channel. 

Project Street Vet website.

Today’s creature feature is about a diamond in the ruff.  Hear a story about a dog named Duque, a mutt that was worth 15,000 dollars, at least while the diamond ring he had swallowed, was inside of his stomach. 

Are you allergic to cats? Or you may not be, but one of your family members is? Wish you could have a cat or already do and suffer the consequences of your allergic reactions? Cat allergies can seem like a really hopeless problem.  My guest today, Diane Morgan is the author of “The Sneeze-Free Cat Owner: Allergy Management & Breed Selection for the Allergic Cat Lover” and her suggestions for how to treat your allergy, and changes you can make in the home will give you hope and help you realize there is much more you can do to lessen or eliminate symptoms than you might have known about. Cats and cat allergies can co-exist. 

Have you ever wondered where the term “kitty corner” comes from? It describes something that is diagonal to or from us, but why do we say this? What does it have to do with cats? Absolutely nothing, actually. Curious?  I’ll explain in this episode. 

If you’re enjoying this podcast please let your friends and family know. They can subscribe for free on all popular apps by visiting www.raisingyourpaws.com. 

Additional Resources for the show. 

Source for the story about the diamond in the ruff – “Amazing but True Dog Tales” by Bruce Nash and Allan Zullo, compiled by Muriel MacFarlane. 

How to order “The Sneeze-Free Cat Owner: Allergy management & Breed Selection for the Allergic Cat Lover” by Diane Morgan.

To see photos of “hypoallergenic” cats, spoken about in segment 2, visit the blog page for this episode #87 at www.raisingyourpaws . 

Source for the story about the term, kitty corner – “A Fine Kettle of Fish: And 150 Other Animal Expressions” by Michael Macrone.