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Have a dog behavior question you don’t see answered after visiting the site?  Not sure about how to set up a play date? Want a clearer definition of what the all important socialization is that everyone is always talking about? Uncertain about how to prevent or fix a problem? Having trouble navigating the site?

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Q. When Angie gets excited on the leash – like seeing another dog – she grabs the leash in her mouth and chews.  She’s almost chewed through it, even though it has knots all along (to make it harder to chew thru!).  Do you know of something I can put on the leather that would make her say “yuck!” but is not toxic? Thanks! - Lisa

A. Well, I might suggest you work on getting her attention BEFORE she gets so worked up that she goes into her habit ofmouthing the leash BUT that wasn’t really your question! You can do a little science experiment. First, go into your medicine cabinet and pull out the non-toxic things like toothpaste and mouthwash; then go into your baking cupboard and find the extracts — vanilla, mint, orange, etc. Put a dab of each on a separate piece of paper towel or paper napkin and let Angie sniff it when in a relaxed state. If she eats the paper, or tries to, keep going until you find the scent that offends her olfactory organ — her smell preferences.  Since dogs have a much higher sense of smell than humans, depending on her choice, you don’t have to necessarily use full strength. Whether full strength or diluted, take the selected scent and infuse it into the leash (i.e, smear the Crest or Colgate into the leather knots). Next time she gets reactive, try both behavior modification and observe whether you notice a decrease in her unsavory habit. Good luck and let me know how it goes!

Q. I’ve had a bad dog park experience where my puppy got bullied and is now afraid of other dogs. I’m interested in signing my puppy up for Drop in Play but I’m not a client of A Better Pet. How do I get involved? – Antoinette

Bogey learns his place.

A. Drop in Play is an outdoor dog paradise held year round and is a new addition to the lineup of services offered at A Better Pet LLC. DIP is a wonderful opportunity to help dogs of all sizes, breeds and ages learn how to be appropriate with their own kind. It is also intended to help clients better understand how and why problems can evolve to prevent or fix social problems in a safe, supervised and supportive environment. Training services isn’t part of DIP, but practicing training skills (positive methods) is encouraged. If you want to consider a FREE DIP session, an evaluation of your dog is required. You can bring the dog for a brief appointment or even send video clips and answer a few questions to ensure it’s a good fit. It’s a very rare case in which dogs will not be allowed into DIP. Hope to see you soon!

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