New Program Coming to WAMU

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Permalink Reply by Karen Munson on May 26, 2009 at 12:35pm

Samantha said:

With some major changes in the house (separation and open houses), my dog - an Old English Sheepdog - started to lick one part of her back left thigh incessantly. I am fairly sure that it is due to anxiety as she is healthy otherwise. It seems to have slowed down and is healing, but I don't want her to make it worse again or start doing it somewhere new. Any thoughts on what I can do that don't involve medication?

Thanks!

Hi Samantha! Karen Munson here. I produce the call-in segment of The Animal House. Call me about being one of our call-in guests during tomorrows taping so you can discuss your question with Host Sam Litzinger and Dr. Gary Weitzman. My nunber is 202-885-1205.

Permalink Reply by Karen Munson on May 26, 2009 at 1:09pm

Robert B said:

I would like to hear a discussion about older pets, their quirks, habits and special needs. I have a male cat, "Patrick" who will be 18 years old this July. He is very healthy, but is also showing signs of age. You can see it when he carefully settles himself when sitting, like an old person with achy bones. And he doesn't leap with abandon off the bed like he used to but carefully gets on the edge and jumps gently. I put a stool next to the bed but he doesn't use it. He still plays with a shoelace like a kitten, only not as for long. And he does that thing that cats do where they go running around the house like crazy for a brief moment. One of the things I observe in him and have been told is that older animals are much more dependant on a regular schedule, like food at the same time, and he wants me to read the newspaper with him at the same time every morning and cries if I don't go to the chair. He is an indoor cat, and has as always, his good appetite and cleans his plate. And he's got great poops. I know this isn't popularly talked about but it's one of the best ways of telling about your pet's health. Enclosed is a pic from this past cold season when he has his full Winter coat :)

Karen Munson here, producer of the call-in segment of The Animal House. If you can be available on the phone at 3 tomorrow, I'd like to have you ask your pet question on the air - let me know at 202-885-1205. Thank you!

Permalink Reply by Christopher on May 28, 2009 at 7:48am

Sorry Mrs. Munson, I missed your post! Let me know if you have any other time you want me to call in since I would love to!

Karen Munson said:

Christopher said:

Another possible idea for a segment is to go through the process of training seeing eye and companion dogs. I would love to see how they are trained. Also, a show on show dogs would be pretty cool. I have a show dog (retired champion), and the sub-culture of the show world is quite interesting, humorous, intense, and at times cut throat.

Hi Christopher - Karen Munson here! I produce the call-in segment of The Animal House. If you have a question about show dog behavior, I'd love to have you on the air tomorrow at 3 talking to Dr. Gary Weitzman and Host Sam Litzinger about it. If you're interested please call me at 202-885-1205. Thank you!

Permalink Reply by b-j Altschul on May 30, 2009 at 9:48am

Hi Christopher,

I'm a listener and also on staff at the Montgomery County Humane Society in Rockville. There are *lots* of different kinds of assistance animals that would be fascinating features -- not limited to seeing eye, or even to dogs. Some animals are able to detect when a person has cancer. Some can sense an impending seizure. I've even heard about some that are trained to dial 911! (Search on "assistance animals" for a broad range of resources.) I'd love to hear more about your idea, too!

Christopher said:

Another possible idea for a segment is to go through the process of training seeing eye and companion dogs. I would love to see how they are trained. Also, a show on show dogs would be pretty cool. I have a show dog (retired champion), and the sub-culture of the show world is quite interesting, humorous, intense, and at times cut throat.

Permalink Reply by Lesdeak on June 1, 2009 at 12:45pm

My cat periodically likes to get up on his hind legs and with his front paws, moves them up and down against glass windows and also mirrors. It's a very strange behavior and he only does it on windows and mirrors. I thought he wanted to get out but someone told me it was just that cats like the way the smooth surface feels on their paws? Any ideas? = Lesley in Vienna

Permalink Reply by Martha Huelsbeck on June 4, 2009 at 10:08am

I like the balance of features and call-ins. The most often heard pet conversation around Arlington begins with "He/She is a rescue." I would be interested in a feature on the pet rescue "movement" and how it has changed the issues surrounding pet care.

Permalink Reply by Tara on June 4, 2009 at 10:42am

Hi Martha,

Thanks for the suggestion --great idea! I'll definitely explore that topic for the show. Also, we're doing two interviews in the coming weeks that might interest you. The first is with a local organization that focuses on parrots and their welfare. (Apparently, there are a lot of parrots in our region in need of a home!). The second is with the head of an organization called Alley Cat Allies, which works with stray and feral cats.

The show launches June 20 at 7 a.m. and will also be available at wamuanimalhouse.org. Hope you'll check it out!

Thanks,
Tara

Martha Huelsbeck said:

I like the balance of features and call-ins. The most often heard pet conversation around Arlington begins with "He/She is a rescue." I would be interested in a feature on the pet rescue "movement" and how it has changed the issues surrounding pet care.

Permalink Reply by John Curran on June 5, 2009 at 6:29pm

My dog preys on smaller dogs. How do I treat his predatory aggression?

I adopted a 7-year-old male shepherd mix in February.

He has a very high prey drive. He loves nothing more than chasing squirrels, deer, and foxes. The prey drive helped me teach him "fetch"… although he doesn't return the ball. Instead, he takes it somewhere secluded, usually under a picnic table, and enjoys gnawing and shaking the ball in private.

Here's our big problem: Small dogs. He's okay with big- and medium sizes. But we've had too many incidents at the dog park where he's chased and/or attacked small dogs. His preferred targets are the smallest, fluffiest, least defensible -- and often the most nervous-looking.

I've gotten good at detecting early that he's beginning to take an unhealthy interest in a small dog -- tracking it with with that predatory gleam in his eyes; his muscles stiffening, legs shifting, even as I have him laying down, as if he anticipates making a sudden leap and high-speed sprint towards his target. This is usually what happens when he's spotted a small dog that's just arrived at the park.

Sometimes he's more subtle, though, and it can be nearly impossible to pick up behavioral cues that suggest an impending attack. If there's a terrier who's been in the park for a while -- and whom he's come close to before, perhaps traded sniffs, without incident -- he'll approach as he does every dog: head-on directly, with a low, slinking, jackal-like gait. He might stand around with the small dog for a full minute or two. Then, without warning, he'll dive for its neck, and if successful, pick it up and shake it in his teeth. Or sometimes, nothing happens at all.

About 90% of the time, I can distract him early, keep him looking at me, and get him to lay down. I'll often cover his eyes with my hands so he can't track the small dog. Then, I'll put leash and Gentle Leader back on, and lead him over to the small dog for an introduction. He's never yet attacked a small dog that I've introduced and petted in his presence. I'm not confident, though, that this method can always guarantee that my guy won't chase or molest the small dog if I let him off the leash.

I feel pretty sure that I'm dealing with predatory aggression, which, unlike fear- or territorial aggression, involves minimal affective arousal. (That's why he seldom exhibits any warning signs: If the predator exhibited signs of imminent attack to his prey, that would defeat his purpose.)

There seems to be an abundance of literature about treating affective-type aggression, but I can't find anything for treating my dog's predatory aggression. Can you recommend any sources?
My goal is to get him to a point where he can play safely off-leash at the dog park with all sizes of dogs, even small ones. Is this realistic? How do I get there? Am I doing anything wrong?

I've also heard that SSRI medications greatly help dogs with affective types of aggression. Is there evidence that the same is true of predatory-type aggression?


P.S.
He loves nothing more than chasing squirrels, deer, and foxes. I live in an area of Washington D.C. where it's possible for him to do this safely, and I don't see it as a problem. The prey drive has been helpful in teaching him tricks, like fetch… although he still doesn't return the ball. Instead, he takes it to a third place, usually under a picnic table or someplace den-like, and enjoys gnawing and shaking the ball in private.

Permalink Reply by Jason Novak (WAMU 88.5) on June 9, 2009 at 4:02pm

Hi, all. You might be interested in joining The Conversation's first group, dedicated specifically to The Animal House. Post your pet questions and meet other fans of the show! We're closing this thread so that all the pet questions can be posted in the same space.

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