Staff Newspaper Column
Critter Corner
Improving dog’s manners outside of the home
Dear Miss Behavin’: My pup won’t listen to me once we are outside. While in the home he is great and won’t take his eyes off of me, the second we are out the door it is as though I don’t exist. Can you help? This is a problem that many owners face and an easy one to...
Dog-proofing your home
Dear Miss Behavin’: Last week we adopted a dog as an early Christmas present for the kids. We had a great week together, but decided to leave Hanky home on Christmas day when we went to visit the grandparents. We came home to find that he had gotten into the trash,...
Cat proofing Christmas Tree
Dear Miss Behavin’: I recently adopted a new cat, and this will be his first Christmas. I would like to put up a Christmas tree but I’m not sure if he’ll just want to climb it and attack all the ornaments! How can I cat-proof my Christmas tree? Cats are curious...
Holiday gift ideas for dogs
Dear Miss Behavin’: We are looking for some suggestions on types of toys to get for our pup this holiday. There is such a large variety and price range, I am not sure what is the best choice. Can you help? Of course, what a lucky pup! There is quite the variety out...
Why is my shelter dog having potty accidents?
Dear Miss Behavin’: I adopted a dog, Pepper, last week who was supposedly potty trained. That appears not to be the case as she has had daily accidents since bringing her home. Were we tricked? There are lots of possible explanations for Pepper’s recent accidents, so...
Indoor or outdoor cat?
Dear Miss Behavin’: I would like to adopt a cat soon and I’ve heard different opinions on whether to keep my cat inside or let them be indoor/outdoor. Won’t they get bored being inside all day? Good question! For the safety of your cat and for other animals outdoors,...
Dog’s first Thanksgiving
Dear Miss Behavin’: We will be having close family over this year for the Thanksgiving holiday. This will be our pups first family gathering, what are some things we can do to ensure that the gathering goes well and he is on his best behavior? What a great question...
Working on leash manners
Dear Miss Behavin': I recently adopted a dog named BoBo. He's sweet and fun but pulls on leash. My last dog always walked by my side and I'm hoping BoBo will eventually do the same. Where do we start? To teach polite leash manners, it’s best to start working on...
Kitten not using the litterbox
Dear Miss Behavin’: I just brought home my new kitten and she is very sweet but still very shy and she doesn’t pee in her litterbox! Sometimes she’ll pee on my bed or on a pile of clothes on the ground. What should I do? Since she is a new cat, she is more than likely...
Helping puppy to not bite so much
Dear Miss Behavin’: Our 4-month old pup has recently started biting a lot and I am not sure why. How do I get him to stop biting so much? It sounds like your puppy is getting his adult teeth which usually starts around 4 months. Increased biting is normal during this...