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Aggression Gone. What did Stimpy Learn?
Fear is a miserable emotion. It happens in-the-moment, before there is time to think. And it can be dangerous. Whether a threat is real or imagined you need to either get the heck outa there or drive off a scary monster - who might retaliate.
Stimpy had trembled and hidden from visitors, but later chased those beasts while snapping at their heels. He’d improved. While his good leader Amy entertained guests, he stayed busy in the other room extracting bits of sustenance from challenging food toys and puzzles. Not bad.
Amy now wanted Stimpy by her side as she swilled red wine with her pals. Was she dreaming? But if he could stay occupied… We knew that if he eyeballed another alien invader (anyone other than Amy) he could wig-out and relapse. She needed to keep him working.
So I told Amy, that social butterfly, to continue squirrelling her hungry dog away in the bedroom with a food toy prior to her friends arriving. After everybody was seated, settled, and focused on their Cabernet she would bring Stimpy out on-leash to find – a “lick mat” smeared with whatever he could not resist. Dogs will labor for extended periods, focusing on the narrow food-packed grooves, to reach every bit of liver pâte, peanut butter, or whatever. And when they’re done, they are tired.
I also schooled Amy in teaching Stimpy to touch his nose to a target stick, which earned him an immediate click and a treat. Anytime he appeared tense or vigilant she would extend her Clik Stik ©, tell Stimpy “Target,” and then reinforce him with a click and a tidbit. Many species have learned to cooperate with humans, earning clicks and tasty morsels.
Research-based behavior modification was certainly helpful but Stimpy’s improvement began with his leader; he needed her empathy in order to succeed. He’s more peaceful now but he’s still not the party animal Amy had hoped would amuse her pals with parlor tricks. Actually, they
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Life isn’t Perfect; It’s Still Mighty Good
For many dogs, separation anxiety has a hereditary basis but changes in their environment often worsen the problem. It turned out that Newt had been adopted from a shelter, followed by a few moves with his new family. Videos of him home alone showed him not barking or vandalizing but quietly pacing, nonstop – except for the occasional indoor restroom break.
There was no changing Newt’s genome or his life story but we could reduce his anxiety triggers. That confident visiting cat, who routinely scared the daylights out of this nervous little dog, needed to snack at someone else’s cafe. Sadly, it wasn’t that simple.
When I flatly stated that this interloper had to go, the sour looks on Anna’s and Tom’s faces made it clear that this was not some annoying stray; they regarded him as one of their own. I would have felt the same in their shoes but I had to try. Newt’s ability to see his nemesis could be diminished so I advised his people to install frosted window film on the lower portions of their glass door. I also urged them to move this fuzzy freeloader’s feeding station to a neighbor’s yard, maybe someone whose political signs offended them. I was only kidding; cats just don’t care. (I wanna be more cat-like.)
Surveillance video now showed Newt more relaxed and not urine soiling - as much. Tom and Anna admitted that that their feline soup kitchen was still open. The word was out. More homeless cats were dropping by.
Newt improved in other ways. I explained that, despite his undying love and trust for his people, being reached for and leaned over triggered panic for this little nervous wreck. Warning them away with a growl or a snap was a defensive reaction. Newt never planned to cuss anybody out but a sudden stab of fear unfailingly unleashed unkind and uncouth utterances. If flight was not possible, only fight remained.
I encouraged Tom and Anna to set this boy up for success w
Happy Just to be Alive - You'll Love this
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The Monster in the Yard
Newt did well on his antianxiety medication. He was alert, happier, and playing with a new puppy but there was no home run. He continued to douse the house when his people were out of sight, although somewhat less often. He certainly suffered from separation anxiety but I was still missing something.
We needed to gather intelligence on Newt’s activities when his people were away from him. Drones? They’d only cause paranoia. So I advised Anna and Tom to purchase a home surveillance system like a Nest Cam. Of course, this was an invasion of Newt’s privacy. We assured him that his secrets, some of them anyway, were safe. I swear. Watching the video, I knew right away that we were onto something.
The great Dane mix and older golden Retriever snoozed on the furniture. And there, in the corner of the screen, was Newt pacing. I watched him move slowly from the living room to the sliding glass door and stop for a gander. After scanning the yard he strolled over to the wall and hiked his leg to release a generous stream.
I was immediately reminded of a comment Anna had made earlier about how hard it had been to get Newt to exit through the sliding door. He would take care of business on leash walks but never in their yard. And so I asked, “Do creatures visit outside?” To which she and Tom replied in unison, “Oh, there’s the big fat black cat.” Tom explained that Newt was “driven absolutely mad” when he spied this beast boldly sauntering beyond his reach. Sightings were consistently followed by a fear-driven indoor whiz.
It turned out that Tom and Anna loved cats as much as dogs but because Newt barked and growled at all kitties, except their sole feline pet, they doted on this stray who dropped by several times a day. Did they feed him? Oh, sure, in prodigious quantities. Newt was not only stricken with separation anxiety but fear of foreign felines.
Next week: Not in my back yard.
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For help with beh
Second in a series
People – Can’t live with ‘em; can’t live without ‘em
Our dogs are not little people in furry suits. We love them that way but their upstairs wiring is somewhat different. With his significant anxiety disorder, Newt the Bichon Frise, struggled mightily with life in a human world. He was strongly bonded to his people, Anna and Tom, but his mind overflowed with angst. Contrary to what they had come to assume, urine marking was not his favorite pastime.
Newt was often on the edge of losing impulse control; almost anything could set him off. If Anna reached for him while they sat on the couch together he might curl his lip and spew nasty epithets at the woman in his life. He’d urinate on his water bowl and his people but then suddenly abandon these targets in favor of the walls and furniture. He’d even jumped onto the dining room table and, well, you know. This dog was only fully relaxed 10-15% of the time.
Newt was more connected to Anna. He followed her around the house, sticking to her like Velcro. When his beloved was gone he camped-out at the door, fully ignoring poor Tom’s attempts to engage him in play or even bedtime stories. Always a glass half-full person, this good man felt like a potted plant when his wife was away although, thankfully, not like a fire hydrant.
Newt’s reactive snapping also needed to change. When Anna and Tom had visitors the little devil followed them around the house, barking and nipping at them. A kind-hearted guest tried to pick him up and scared the poop out of the kid. During his evaluation for doggie day care, he nipped the interviewer. Newt desperately needed a peaceful life. He wasn’t the only one.
Prescription Reconcile is a chewable tablet that does a good job of safely reducing anxiety, impulse control issues, and aggression. And it’s FDA approved for separation anxiety. After a few weeks Newt improved somewhat. Now he urine soiled only when his people were both away from home.
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Confused Older Dogs
Pets who age gracefully bring comfort to their doting pet parents. But not all of them do well in their golden years. Some get dementia that their families mistake for normal aging. Alzheimer’s disease is pretty common in older people. The symptoms of dementia and the unhealthy brain changes seen in some older dogs are similar. In dogs it’s called cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS). Like nearly all physical and behavioral problems we can make a bigger difference with early diagnosis and treatment.
I hope you find this information useful. You're welcome to share this video with any of your pet-loving friends. If their senior dogs are struggling, well, they’ll be glad for the advice.
Each week I share a short video, a podcast, or a blog to help bring out the best in pets. You can sign up at no charge on my website, drjeffnichol.com. And when you do, I’ll send you my free at-home pet first aid and CPR guide.
I’m Dr. Jeff Nichol. Thanks for watching.
Cat Attacks Child
What's wrong with this kitten? Why go after a child? Cats are hard-wired for predatory behavior to survive in the wild. Kept as pets, they must still be cats. This indoor, 5 month old kitten had no rodents to stalk and hunt. She was riveted by this child's movements. Punishment? No. Lots of hunt and pounce toys and, if safe for all creatures great and small, plenty of outdoor time.
Fat Cat? Exercise by Eating
Cats aren't hard-wired to be couch potatoes. They are meant to hunt and pull the guts out of the helpless creatures that keep them alive. It's not pretty but it's nature's way. You can import a dozen lab mice to turn loose in your living room (not a good idea, really) or you can provide all of your cat's food from food-dispensing toys like the Twist 'n Treat that Gaston is scavenging from. He expends energy and stays busy doing work that is similar to his innate survival skills. And he's taken off a bit of that holiday weight gain. He has another food toy that he pushes around to get dry food. He never eats from a bowl. It wouldn't be natural.
There’s a reason these slow creatures with their prickly personalities are seldom seen. They’re mostly active at night, normally spending the day in trees. They may forage for food during the day but are generally shy around humans. If they get their dander up, their quills show it. Nobody should get away with close contact. So why was this relaxed porcupine moving in my direction? We worry about wild animals that aren’t afraid of us. A behavior change can suggest rabies. Another good reason to keep your distance.
Bored dog? Barking? Chewing? Digging? What’s his Sport?
Dogs in the wild survive by their wits. But as our pets they may live lives of quiet desperation because they can’t engage their natural brains and bodies. I tried fetch games with Mick but he wasn’t interested. Then it occurred to me (Doh!) – he’s a herding dog. We could call this game soccer but it’s all about Mick so he makes the rules. Well, I have one rule. I only kick the ball when he brings it to me.
There is much more to Mick’s life. He practices agility and obedience, he runs on the irrigation ditches and plays tug. He’s a snuggler too. But his passion is kick ball.
Do some trial and error to find what winds your dog’s clock. Have fun but try to have her do most of the work.
Bored dog? Barking? Chewing? Digging? What’s his Sport?
Dogs in the wild survive by their wits. But as our pets they may live lives of quiet desperation because they can’t engage their natural brains and bodies. I tried fetch games with Mick but he wasn’t interested. Then it occurred to me (Doh!) – he’s a herding dog. We could call this game soccer but it’s all about Mick so he makes the rules. Well, I have one rule. I only kick the ball when he brings it to me.
There is much more to Mick’s life. He practices agility and obedience, he runs on the irrigation ditches and plays tug. He’s a snuggler too. But his passion is kick ball.
Do some trial and error to find what winds your dog’s clock. Have fun but try to have her do most of the work.
Iguana for breakfast? This tropical creature on the island of St. John camped out in the almond tree next to our bed & breakfast porch while we ate - breakfast. It gathered it's meal of almonds, starting its day WITHOUT THE BENEFIT OF COFFEE!!! Never one to offer unsolicited advise I accepted our differences.
St. John island vacation. We just returned from an excellent vacation and so, apparently, did these relaxing peacocks on our walk to the beach. Things happen on island time - slow.
Barking and instigating mayhem
OMG! Yell, swat, yell some more?
Samantha, a sweet basset hound, was the highest-ranking dog in her home but she was not a stable leader. Her pushy, overbearing behavior toward her subordinates was caused by her anxiety not some desire to drive her people crazy. She often lost her impulse control and lashed out aggressively at her canine housemates.
Safe antianxiety medication reduced this hound dog’s anxiety, her impulsiveness, and her aggression. Applying frosted window film to the lower portions of the front windows (available at home improvement stores) helped a lot by preventing Samantha and the other dogs from seeing those outside scary monsters.
