Sometimes, someone has got to step in between others to avoid a fight. It may be your dog that does this. I’ll explain this dog signal called “splitting” and reveal how you can use this behavior yourself to calm your dog.

Plus, just as Superman would lose his powers when exposed to Kryptonite, there are certain things women and some men, do around their dogs that can act like kryptonite and strip their powers away. Camilla Gray-Nelson, dog trainer and author, of Lipstick and the Leash: Dog Training a Woman’s way, is back for part two of her interview and explains what women, unknowingly do that results in their dogs not listening to them. Once aware of what to avoid, women will again be empowered resulting in better behavior from their dogs.  

Then, learning to identify your dog’s warning bark, and how to effectively respond to it, will increase the chances that your dog will quiet down rather than bark even more. 

Resources for this episode. 

Camilla Gray-Nelson’s website.

Camilla’s blog: Dog Talk Diva.

How to order Lipstick and the Leash: Dog Training a Woman’s way.

For the full show notes of this episode, see www.raisingyourpaws.com. 

Please let us know what you think of the podcast. Rate and review it on iTunes.

In this “Best Of” Replay show, we’ll start by talking about barking. Different sounding barks communicate different emotions and needs. If you’re trying to reduce your dog’s barking recognizing what your dog is telling you is the first step. I’ll explain the sound that means your dog is feeling excited.

Then, why do some women have a harder time getting their dogs to obey them compared to men? Listen as Camilla Gray-Nelson, author of Lipstick and the Leash: Dog Training a Woman’s Way, explains the answer and tells women how to get control back. 

Next, if your cat is peeing outside its box, it might not like the brand of kitty litter you are buying. I’ll tell you the signs that indicate this may be the issue. 

Resources for this episode.  

Source for story about barking: “Barking: The Sound of a Language,” by Turid Rugass.

Camilla Gray-Nelson’s websites:

Dairy Dell Doggy Dude Ranch and Training Center. 

Blog: Dog Talk Diva.

Order the book, “Lipstick and The Leash: Dog Training a Women’s Way” by Camilla Gray-Nelson. 

Find the full-show notes with live links at www.raisingyourpaws.com. 

Please support this podcast by subscribing and telling your friends. To subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode, here is the link. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/raising-your-paws-your-resource-for-dog-cat-pet-parents/id1313060210.

Do you like it or hate it when your dog wants to jump up on you when they greet you? Why do dogs want to jump up on people anyway? There are two reasons I’ll tell you about. If you want to stop the behavior teach your dog the way you would prefer them to greet you. 

When we take our pets to the vet because they are sick or injured we are feeling fear and love and anguished hope that they will be okay, plus worry and possible stress about the costs it will take to return them quickly to health.   That’s a lot of emotion we bring to the examining table. What about your vet? Do they also experience the stress you are feeling?   The answer is yes.  And it can take a fatal toll on these doctors who do so much to help your pets. My guest, Sandy Weaver, is the author of the book, Happy Vet, Happy Pet: Caring for Your Pet’s caregiver and the Program director of the Center for Workplace Happiness, whose mission is to reduce the suicide rate in the vet community. She will tell you three easy things you can do to help and care for your vet that can make a profound difference for their lives.

About this episode’s creature feature, It’ June and it’s been very hot where I live, so when I came across a story about what happened to a young girl during a  blizzard, and the dog who came to her rescue, just reading about winter and snow cooled me down. It’s also an inspiring tale. Hope you enjoy this story. 

Resources for the show.

Source for the story about dogs jumping up- “Decoding Your Dog” by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists.

Center for Workplace Happiness website.

How to order “Happy Vet, Happy Pet, Caring for your Pet’s Caregiver” by Sandy Weaver.

“Not One More Vet” website.

Source for the “Snow Job” creature feature - Amazing But True Dog Tales by Bruce Nash and Allan Zullo, compiled by Muriel MacFarlane.

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.