Separation anxiety has confused owners for many years. It was believed that separation anxiety was caused because the dog ‘loved’ the owner so much. The dog then became so upset at the owners departure that it would destroy anything it could get a hold of. Or bark or howl non-stop until the owner returned home. This would explain the over excited welcome when the owner would return home. The dog would jump up on the owner, bark and whine and sometimes jump from one article of furniture to the other, all in an excited, “Your Home!” way. Although that is how it seems to us, it is not the case. By interpreting these gestures in this way we are humanizing our dogs. That is we are assuming that dogs, and other animals for that matter, think and communicate in the same way we do. By humanizing our dogs we are ignoring what they are actually trying to tell us, creating aggression and frustration in our dogs. All creatures interpret gestures in a different way. Cats and dogs for example. When a dog is happy it will wag its tail back and forth with ears relaxed and slightly back and mouth slightly open. When a cat performs the same gestures it means something completely different. A cat will only ‘wag’ its tail in annoyance or anger. When a cats ears are back it is a sign of aggression and a mouth open means ‘hissing’ or a bite is coming. Is it any wonder why dogs and cats generally have a hard time getting along? They are constantly sending mixed signals to each other. The same applies to humans and dogs. If we were to come home to our children and they jump up on you and get all excited we would say that they missed us. We humanize our dogs by believing that this is what they are trying to say to us when they perform the same actions. If fact you are way off. It all comes down to superiority. Most owners send their dog’s mixed signals on a daily basis. The signals you send your dog are saying that you are unstable, (yelling, excited behavior), and below the dog in rank. Domesticated dogs follow the same basic pack instincts as wild dogs. Every pack has a leader or leaders, and followers. Since it is obvious that dogs do not communicate the same way we do, it is important to learn how they communicate, in order to understand what our dogs are trying to tell us, how we can talk to our dogs, and how to become pack leader. Dogs use basic body signals and energy to communicate. If you learn to interpret these signals, and focus on your dog’s energy you will find it easy to understand why your dog is behaving badly, and what it wants or needs. It is important for you to be the pack leader and not your dog. The pack leader is responsible for: the safety and well being of the pack, determining if visitors are a threat to the pack or not, leading the “hunt”, (walk), or any venture outside the “den”, (your home), and protecting the pack and den from outside threats. Your dog lacks understanding of the world, to perform the duties of pack leader. Your dogs lack of understanding and its belief that it is the pack leader, can lead to separation anxiety, excessive pulling on the lead, excessive barking and many more common behavior problems. If your dog believes it is the pack leader, and you, as their responsibility, leave the den without them, this can send your dog into a frenzy. Think of it this way. Your five year old walks out of your home without you. The doors are locked and you are prevented from getting to your child. You have no idea where your child is going, if they will be safe and if they are ever coming back. You would be frantic trying to get out. You would probably try to rip down the door. If that didn’t work you would become hysterical and cry, even yell. You may become angry and look for something to wreak to relieve the tension and pain you feel. Sound familiar? These are generally the same feelings your dog is going through when you leave it behind. Your dog has no idea where you are going, if you will be back and if you will be safe. This creates anger and frustration. Just like us, our dogs need to find a way to relieve the tension. They do this by digging at floors and doors, ripping at windows and walls, and chewing furniture and objects. Again, sound familiar? When you come home to find the mess your dog has created, or a neighbor comes by to tell you of all the noise your dog makes when left alone, what do you do? Generally you punish the dog. You yell and curse and, sometimes hit your dog. You believe that because your dog has a ‘guilty look’, that it knows what it has done and knows that it was wrong. There we go again, humanizing our dogs. A dog cannot connect something it did 10, even 5 minuets ago to the punishment it is receiving now. What your dog sees it a confirmation of its fears. While you were out something happened and it wasn’t there it protect you, causing you to react this way. This causes your dog to become frustrated because it feels it is not living up to its job of pack leader. This can cause your dog to become increasingly dominant over you and increase the separation anxiety when you leave. The first step you must take in correcting separation anxiety is to establish yourself as the pack leader. Once the job of pack leader is removed from your dog it will relax and the anxiety will fade. Follow the steps laid out in Pawsitive Training. (An incomplete outline of this training process is laid out in the article: 'How to tell if your dog has a Superiority Complex and what to do about it" or a full copy of this training process is available in hard copy for a minimal fee at: Pawsitive K9 Consulting, 9 Doric St. Unit #3, Ajax, Ontario, L1S 7L5.) After establishing yourself as pack leader it is time to de-sensitize your dog to you leaving. Many times separation anxiety is corrected by Pawsitive Training, but for times when it is not there are simple steps you need to take. First you need to make a list of the rituals you go through when leaving the house. For example: Grabbing your keys and jacket, putting on your shoes, walking to the door and any thing you say to your dog or other family members before you leave. Generally owners will say things like, “I’ll be right back”, or “Be good”, to their dogs as they leave. This draws attention to your leaving and will create confusion and anxiety in your dog because it has no idea what you just said. For all your dog knows you are saying good bye forever. You must never draw attention to yourself when you leave. Dogs pay great attention to your movements and body language. They come to understand that grabbing your keys and putting on your shoes means that you are leaving the den. You need to de- sensitize your dog to these cues. During your time at home, when you are not planning to go out, put on your jacket and grab your keys. Then sit down on your couch and watch some television. Once you grab your jacket and keys your dog will be paying attention to you. By sitting down on the couch it changes the cue. It says that although you may have done the things that generally mean you are leaving, you didn’t. After a while get up and remove your jacket and place your keys back down. This signals to your dog that those cues are no longer reliable in assessing that you are leaving. This will need to be practiced often until your dog seems to pay no attention to these cues. It is important to distance yourself from your dog for a period of time depending on the severity of the separation anxiety. If it is only a mild case you may only need to distance yourself for 30 minutes before you leave and 30 minutes after you return home. If it is a severe case you will need to completely distance yourself from your dog until the anxiety is removed. By distancing yourself I mean no talking, touching or looking at your dog. In severe cases you may need to ignore your dog for days until the anxiety fades. This may sound cruel to you but it is a necessary evil to remove your dog’s anxiety. It will reduce the attachment your dog has to you, thus reducing the anxiety when you leave. This is not to say that your dog will not love you anymore, and your dog will not think that you no longer love it. There is an unbreakable bond between man and dog. A little time apart is not going to break this bond. I promise. It will actually strengthen your relationship in a more normal calm way. After your dog’s anxiety is removed you can reduce the amount of time you ignore your dog when you come home. Always remember the second step of Pawsitive Training, (the greeting). This still must be practiced to maintain your leadership. The next step is distraction. Purchase a rubber Kong toy, nylon bone you can drill holes into, or natural bone with a marrow removed. Stuff the toy with peanut butter or cheese whiz. (You can purchase stuffers for these toys at any local pet store, however peanut butter and cheese whiz is much cheaper.) Give this now stuffed toy to your dog 10 to 15 minutes before you leave the house. If your dog is anything like mine however, you may need to either re-stuff the toy or give it to your dog 5 minutes before you leave. After your dog is engorged in the toy, you can silently slip out of the house. This acts as a diversion to you leaving. If your dog is food oriented, and doesn’t go through bouts of not eating when you are gone, you can leave small treats hidden around your home for your dog to find. This is like a game to your dog that will also distract it from your absence. Anxiety is a very serious problem. It is up to you, as a responsible pet owner, to help your dog dissolve this problem. By following the steps of Pawsitive Training and de-sensitizing your dog to you leaving, you and your dog will be able to live a normal balanced life together for years to come. By: Sarah Hill – Owner; Top Knot Professional Grooming & Pawsitive K9 Consulting

To stop a dog from barking you must first understand why they bark. Dogs bark to signal to the rest of their pack, (meaning any humans or animals in your household), that they believe there is a potential threat to the safety of the pack. This can be barking at sounds outside that they can not see, strangers walking past your home or yard, visitors coming into your home and even cars driving by outside. One of the main problems with constant barkers is the fact that they believe that they are the “pack leaders”, therefore responsible for the safety of the pack. Not understanding this fact can lead to frustration on your part because to you it seems like your dog may be barking at every little thing for no reason. Barking signals the pack to be on alert. If you are acknowledging this by yelling at your dog or smacking your dog, it will confuse the dog. It sends the signal that you are mad at them for doing the job they feel they were elected to do. To stop a dog from barking, you must establish to them that you are the pack leader. This takes the responsibility away from your dog and places it on you. Giving you a more calm and relaxed dog. Your dog will still bark when it feels there may be a threat, but all you will have to do is use a signal phrase to stop your dog from barking. This can be anything from, “quiet”, “enough” or even “thank you”. Your dog will come to understand that once he/she has risen the alarm and you say your signal phrase, that you are handling the situation and the dog can relax, thus stopping the barking. I first ask you to read the article: “How to Tell if Your Dog Has a Superiority Complex, and What to Do About It” at http://www.thepetproject.zoomshare.com Follow the steps of Paws-itive Training laid out in this article. This is the first step you must take to effectively stop your dog from barking. The next step is to establish your signal phrase. Use a word that is easy for the dog to understand. One word that is not associated with any other training your dog has had. Example: If you used the word “stop” in previous training to stop your dog when walking, don’t use it again here. When your dog starts to bark, say your dogs name, to get their attention so they know you are referring to them, and use your signal phrase. Example: “Fido, quiet”, or “Fido, enough”. If your dog stops barking, praise them and give a food reward. I use food rewards to first introduce new training, however I have come across some dogs that will bark just to get the food reward. So after your dog has gotten the hang of things, you need to drop the food reward to every other time, then to once in a while. Praise will be just as good to the dog as a food reward. If your dog ignores your command and continues to bark, quietly and calmly walk over to your dog. Place one hand gently over your dogs muzzle to close his/her mouth while saying your signal phrase calmly. You must be very calm. If you are agitated or loud your dog will sense that you are upset and believe that there is a real danger to the pack, thus confirming its alarm signal. Once the dog has stopped barking, reward and praise. If, however your dog still believes that he/she is the pack leader, your attempts to stop the barking may do no good. The idea that a subordinate is telling the leader to stop what it is doing, only increases dominate behavior. This can lead to, jumping up on you to appear bigger and to look you in the eye, ( a very dominate thing to do), as well as food protectiveness, pulling on the lead and aggressive behavior. It is very important to establish leadership to your dog. This opens the door to easy training. This will take time and patience, but it will pay off. Your dog will come to understand that it is thanked for the alarm, and the cavalry is here to take over, signaling that his/her work is done. Soon all you will have to say is your signal phrase and your dog will stop barking. Leaving you to a calm and quiet home. By: Sarah Hill – Owner Paws-itive K9 Consulting & Top Knot Professional Grooming - Ajax

It is in a puppy's nature to chew things. The problem lies when your pup chooses the wrong things to chew, like your tables legs, your shoes, books or anything they can litterally get their mouth on. Always have a generous supply of good, strong chew toys for your pup. Two or three toys is not enough. You need a good 10 or so little, medium and big toys to save your stuff. Don't give all the toys to your pup at the same time. Save a few interesting toys for times that you need to distract your pups attention from chewing something that they shouldn't. Even with a large choice of toys, your pup will sometimes find it more satisfying to chew your new pair of running shoes instead. In the case of finding your pup chewing something they shouldn't, tell your pup "NO" or "BAD DOG" in a deep, stern voice. Litely tap your dogs nose with one finger as you take the object out of their mouth. The most comman mistake is then leaving your dog alone and going about your business. Your dog will then go and find something else to entertain them and it will probably be another thing they should not have. When you take something away from your pup that they should not be chewing on you have to show them what is 'ok' to chew on. Replace that shoe, table or book with a bone, squeaky toy or stuffed animal. Pat your dog and tell them 'yes' as you give them their toy and 'good dog'. The dog will then come to understand that this toy is acceptable to chew on and mommy or daddy's shoes and such are not. Don't leave your new puppy to try and figure things out for themselves. They will enevitably get themselves into more trouble. As a good parent to your pup you must point them in the right direction. Show them where to 'go pee', show them what they can and can not chew on and make them understand what is acceptable behaviour and what is not. It is always a good idea to practice Paws-itive Training with your dogs. This is a process that is good for dogs of all ages and will help to eliminate many bad behaviours. For more information read: How to tell if your dog has a superiority complex and what to do about it. By Sarah Hill - Owner Paws-itive K9 Consulting and Top Knot Professional Grooming - Ajax

Most bad behavior in dogs happens because of a very simple reason. Your dog has a superiority complex. You can take the dog out of the wild, but you can't take the wild out of the dog. Dog’s instincts are basically identical to the instincts of wild dogs and wolves. The only difference is that dogs view humans as part of their 'pack' and wolves and wild dogs do not. The 'leader of the pack' is responsible for the safety and well being of all the pack members. The leader of the pack has certain rights and privileges that come from being the pack leader, such as; the pack leader decides when to show affection or ask for affection, eats before all others in the pack, leads the 'hunt' or walk, and decides what is dangerous to the pack. eg. other dogs. Signs that your dog may feel that he/she is the leader are; pawing at you, staring at you, leaning against you or jumping up on you, nipping and mouthing, barking at you, protective of food or toys, barking at visitors out windows or at fences and when someone comes into your home and pulling on the lead when you are walking, hyperactivity and dominance with other dogs, people and objects, eg. 'humping' Pawsitive Training: These simple steps will get the message across to you dogs that they are not the leader you are, and therefore they do not have to worry about the responsibilities of being the leader. eg. barking at people when they get close to the houes or yard. when you first enter the house from being away, you must show your authority. the leader has a personal bubble of space that can only be penitrated when the leader says so. you must ignore your dogs when you come home until they have settled down. do not look at them, do not acknowledge them and do not pet them. once they have calmed down you may call one of them to you, tell him/her to sit and after they comply you may give them all the love you desire to give. If, however, they start to jump around again you must start all over. They must understand that you will give them affection but only on your terms, no one elses. The second step is gesture eating. The leader always controls the food. The leader always eats before the rest of the pack. Once the leader has gotten his/her fill the rest of the pack is then allowed to eat. I am not a big fan of eating a whole meal infront of my dogs so there is something else you can do that will get the message across just as well. You should never free feed your dogs. This gets the message across that because they have full access to food at all times that they are the leaders. Take a cookie or a cracker and place it on your counter. Place your dogs food bowls beside your cookie and prepare the dogs meal. Before placing your dogs food down for them to eat, make sure that they are watching, and eat your cookie or cracker infront of them. You dont' want to make a big scene, but you do want them to see what you are doing. You want them to think you are eating right out of their food bowls. And when you are finished it looks as if you have taken your fill and the rest of the pack can now eat. Third step. The leader always has a personal space in the house that no one else is allowed into unless allowed by the leader. For me it is my living room. My dogs are not allowed in my living room unless I say it is ok and not before. At first this may be hard to do. The best thing to do is go and get a few baby gates and place them in the opening of the room that is 'off limits' to your dogs. After a while your dogs will get the picture and you will be able to take the gates down. After that it is a constant reminder to your dogs that you are not welcome unless the leader says so. My male, who is a pure bred border collie stud, constantly tests me. He will put one foot into the living room and check to see if I am watching, If I don't see him right away he will put another foot in and check me again. By this time I have caught him and all I need to say is 'out', and he will retreat. However, there are some days that he will test me further and that is when I only need to stand up off the couch and he will back away with a look of, 'I'm sorry, your the leader.' You should never give your dogs full run of the house. Not even when you are home. Fourth step. The leader is always the one to lead the pack on the 'hunt'. The hunt being anytime you and your dogs leave the 'den' house. If your dogs pull on the lead or walk infront of you at anytime, the walk is over and you return to the 'den'. The dogs must understand that the 'hunt' only takes place under your rules. This may take quite a few times, but it is very important to follow all steps. Your dogs will be looking for any sign of weakness from you for them to try and take over again. Practicing 'heal' in a controled environment eg. in the home or in your enclosed yard, on a lead at all times, is a good way to train them for the hunt. All these steps take time and effort, but they will work. I have tested these theory's time and time and time again, not only with my dogs but with numorous clients of mine. This is a way of life with your dogs, not just a quick fix. Once you go back to your old ways your dogs will return to their old ways. By: Sarah Hill - Owner Top Knot Professional Grooming & Pawsitive K9 Consulting

Cats are very clean animals that love habit, so when your furry little friend starts going to the bathroom in places other than the litterbox you can rest assured that something isn't right. This problem could range from a serious health problem such as a kidney infection, gastritis, or cancer to a simple behavioral problem that can be fairly easily corrected. If your cat has a litterbox problem (especially if he/she is also exhibiting signs of illness) you should first consult your vet to rule out any sort of medical reason behind the problem. If your cat is given a clean bill of health and is still having 'accidents' then you can probably be safe in listing it as a behavioral problem. Behavioral reasons for improper elimination can be for any of the following reasons: - Litterbox is too dirty to use. Cats are very clean and if the box is dirty they will find another place to go. - Litterbox is in too high traffic of a place. Cats won't go to the bathroom in a place that is loud or congested, so keep your box somewhere that is quiet and calm. - Litterbox is too small/large. Your cat's box should be large enough (not too large) for your cat to stand in and move around and the litter should be no more than a few inches deep. - The litter itself isn't of your cat's liking. Yes cats can have litter preferences and some of these start when the cat is young. When you get your pet check what the pet store, or shelter is using as litter and continue using that type. Also don't get into the practice of continually switching brands and types of litter, this may throw off your cat's routine and confuse your cat as to where to go to the bathroom. - Other cats also use this litterbox (in a multiple cat home) and your cat wants his own box. As a general rule you should have at least one box for each cat in your home. - Your cat doesn't like to urinate and defecate in the same litterbox. If so try to keep two litter boxes available for your cat and clean each often. - Your cat is in heat or is looking for a mate and is marking or spraying. For many reasons other than this one, get your cat spayed or neutered. - Your cat is overly aggressive and marking. Try to find out what the cause of the aggressive behavior is and counteract that. - Your cat feels his/her territory is being invaded and is marking. Have you gotten a new cat or another pet? Can your cat see other cats from the window? Has something changed in the home? - Your cat is marking to exhibit his/her dominance in the home. This can happen when a new cat is brought into the house or your cat is being treated against the natural cat hierarchy in the house. - Your cat has had a bad experience with his/her litterbox and is scared to go there. This is one reason why it is important to not put your cat's face in the 'mistake' and then toss him/her into the box. - Your cat has recently been declawed. A newly declawed cat will not like the feeling of litter on his/her paws and may thus avoid the litterbox altogether. - Litterbox is too close to food or water. Cats will not eat and go to the bathroom in the same place, so keep these two areas separate. - You have changed the location of your cat's litterbox and your cat is having trouble finding or remembering the new place. Once your cat gets used to his/her box in one place try not to change it. If you do change the location make sure to show your cat where it is and be patient as he/she learns the new location. - Litterbox doesn't have 2 easy escape routes. Cats like to be able to see two clear directions of escape while in the litterbox, this is an instinctual feeling stemming from not wanting to be 'snuck up on' at an inopportune time. - Any bad event surrounding the box can make your cat even more likely to stay away from the litterbox. - A stressful situation has occurred in your cat's life such as a move to a new home or a new child or cat being brought into the home. In this case you may also need to retrain your cat to go to the box. If your cat has made a elimination mistake DO NOT take your cat over to the scene of the crime or the litterbox and rub his/her face in it and punish your cat. Many Owners like to, after an accident, place the cat in the box and yell at him/her. Unless you have caught your cat in the act chances are your cat has no idea why it is being punished, nor does it link that spot on the carpet or being placed in the box with being in trouble for not using the litterbox. All your cat knows is that using the litterbox or going to the bathroom is a dangerous event that results in punishment. This will only exacerbate the problem, as your cat will now detest the box even more. In most cases such behavioral problems as the ones listed above can be corrected by making simple changes to the litter or litterbox. However if you feel you have tried everything and your cat simply won't use the box you may need to retrain your cat how to use the box. This is not difficult but it will take time and patience. Reintroduce your cat to the litterbox, show him/her how to use it, giving praise and treats when the cat 'gets it right'. Note that many cats hate their paw pads to be touched or their paws to be held, thus you can show your cat how to scratch (if he/she is using the box but not scratching) but unless your cat is comfortable with you touching his/her paws you may need to use your hand (or a scooper) as an example. Also watch your cat for signs that he/she is going to go to the bathroom, if you see the sign take your cat to the box, and give treats when your cat finishes going in the box. You may also need to use aversion techniques to help your cat stay away from new favorite places to go to the bathroom. And make sure you clean the old area with a cleaner specially designed to eliminate cat urine odor this will also prevent your cat from returning to the scene of the crime so to speak. Regular cleaners do not do the trick. Although the area may smell fine to you, unless you use an appropriate cleaner it will still smell like urine to your cat. And if it smells like a litterbox your cat will most likely treat it as a litterbox. If you still need help correcting this type of problem you may want to consult a behaviorist. Info from: Pet Professor online