Teaching Woof to Respect Meow's Space

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
Tanner and Oliver Learn to Give Patches her Privacy

This photo above was a major catch. I just happened to be coming into the laundry room from the garage, holding the camera, when I saw this sight. With a quick command to STAY for Oliver and Tanner, I snapped a few shots looking through the laundry and the adjacent powder room, into the hallway where Tanner and Oliver were observing their feline housemate. Yes! they got a terrific treat along with a lot of praise.

While preparing for the #LitterChat Twitter Party, I pulled together some tips for helping your dog respect your kitty's space and thereby working wonders on their relationship. Today I'm sharing some of what I Tweeted on Tuesday. I'd love to hear your ideas for working on this very tough task as well.

1. Cat poo smells like protein to dogs. To reduce their interest in the litterbox, clean daily.
2. Try Treasure Hunt barriers like cat doors if you have large dogs with great interest.
3. If you have a small dog, there are cat doors that operate only when a kitty with a special collar passes nearby. Check out Sureflap.
4. Baby gates will deter Fido, while allowing cats to jump over to their private area. 
5. When using a baby gate, work w/Fido to train him to watch and not approach, treating when successful.
6. Training Fido not to enter kitty’s private area will protect her food and litter from invasion. 
7. It's also good for Fido's health to learn to leave the Treasure hunt behind.
8. Some feline families create raised areas for litterboxes and feeding spots, just to keep dogs out of trouble. 
9. Selecting a single room for kitty’s food and litterbox allow all pets to have access to the rest of your home. 
10. Curious dogs can be trained to respect the cat’s area. Have your dog SIT or DOWN. Praise and treat when successful. Practice frequently!
11. Try using a rug or towel as a spot 4 your dog 2 observe from. Again, use praise and treats when Fido complies. 
12. Still having trouble? When Fido is in position, offer a whiff of a favorite, high-value treat; watch him be more willing! 
13. Keep practicing by filling kitty’s water, cleaning her box and so on, as Fido watches. Praise and treat! 
14. Practice the above tip daily to continue getting Fido used to seeing kitty in her space--less excitement from "same 'ole, same 'ole".
15. Troubling Fido? Try leashing him while practicing SIT STAY as you watch kitty in her area.  Sit with your dog and praise when he remains calm.

I hope you joined us for the #LitterChat Twitter Party. We had a blast! One thing's for sure, there was a lot of information flying around. If you were having challenges keeping up, here's a couple of tips for next time:

• Read my post on the day of the Twitter Party to see which handle will be offering what information. This will help you decide in advance what handle to participate with in conversations. 
• Read the posts under "Twitter 101" in my left sidebar for help with other ways to keep up with the pace. There are many techniques to select from. 
• Finally, if you have specific questions, I'll be happy to answer them here. Just leave them in a comment and I'll answer them as they come in. Thanks for your interest!

Mutt Monday Helps Woof+Meow Coexist

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Yesterday I posted my top 3 tips for helping stop the treasure hunt in Meow's litterbox. That's one of the top issues among pet parents with both dogs and cats. Today's Mutt Monday topic is just a wee bit more broad. I hope some of these posts help you with your pet solutions.

Bloggers are invited to link up posts on similar topics of help to our readers. Feel free to link up as many posts as you wish throughout the week and join us each week as we continue to share a themed group of our archived posts. You can let your readers know you've joined in by using this one-click Tweet to share with your followers:

Join me 4 tips on helping Woof + Meow coexist at #MuttMonday #BlogHop: http://t.co/WcYtkcPC3U
— Carrie Boyko (@AllThingsDog) July 7, 2013

Next week's theme will cover topics in this area:

Vacation Dog Care + Pet Sitters

Please share!

#MuttMonday is offering articles on vacation dog care & pet sitters 7/15-21. Bloggers link + we all learn! http://t.co/DLd2wV8O6G
— Carrie Boyko (@AllThingsDog) July 7, 2013

Have a great week and look for Mutt Monday each and every week.

The Woof and Meow Wrap Up: Photos, Prizes and more...

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Did you see your Meow in there? The pictures in the collage above are some of the many that were sent in. You can hover your cursor over each one and it will pop out so you can see the whole thing. Your Meow's name will appear at the top of the photo collage. Ya gotta love Photobucket! Thanks to all of you who sent pictures in, even those that weren't quite clear enough to show here. I love them all!


What a great time we have had during the last 8 weeks with this Woof and Meow series. Never have I seen such enthusiasm and excitement from my readers. Thank you all!

Before I announce the winner of the prizes that I know you're dying to hear about, I'd like to share a little of Patches' journey to loving her new, sweet-smelling World's Best Cat Litter and, of course, her Litter-Robot. Despite Patches' interminable shyness with the camera, I did manage to catch a few images of the path to her private boodwa (does anyone know how to spell that word?!!) Enjoy!

The transition from the old-fashioned blue litter box, that you see in the background of many of these photos, was not terribly difficult for Patches. She simply needed a little motivation to go inside. The catnip helped her explore, and serving meals inside helped her bond. Then I removed her own litter box and the decision was a logical one for her. She used it immediately upon my disappearance! Soon we received notice of her first solid deposit, as you can see from the last photo in the show. Success! Congratulations Patches! You're a Litter-Robot success story and spokes-model. Great job.

Would I buy one of these Litter-Robots for Patches? Absolutely! Does it save me time? Totally! Is it sweeter smelling and cleaner? Completely! Should we announce the winners now.....YES!

The first 3 names to come from the box will receive a sturdy, World's Finest Cat Litter Tote Bag, with an 7 lb. bag of litter, a trial bottle of NoDor Litter odor spray from Hartz, a sample of Rachel Ray's Nutrish brand dog food for Woof, and a surprise or two for you and Meow. These winners, listed for privacy by first names only, are as follows. Each will be notified.

1. Debbie 
2. Beth 
3. Angela 

The grand prize, a Litter-Robot, will be delivered to this lucky winner:

Darcey

Congratulations, Darcey! Now comes the fun. First, you'll need to visit the Litter-Robot website to decide which color you'd like to choose. Then you can email me your address for your package, along with your color choice. It's quite a big box, so consider that when you decide where to ship it. Congratulations again!

For those of you who are drooling, you can order one right here and have it at your door in a week or so. What are ya waiting for?

Did you miss any of the earlier posts in this series?:

• Woof and Meow: Can they Coexist Happily?
• Woof and Meow, Part I: Stop the Treasure Hunt
• Woof and Meow, Part II: How to Win our Prize Packages....and a Sneak Peek at What's to Come
• Woof and Meow, Part III: Strategies for Stopping the Treasure Hunt and Keeping the Peace
• Woof and Meow, Part IV: A Little Training in Respect
• Woof and Meow, Part V: Exploring New Options with the Litter-Robot and World's Best Cat Litter
• Woof and Meow, Part VI: Considerations Regarding a Second Pet's Adoption
• Woof and Meow, Part VII: Socializing Your Dog to a New Cat or Kitten
• Woof and Meow, Part VIII: Socializing Your Cat to a New Dog or Puppy

Be sure to check out the commentary at
5 Minutes for Fido. Tanner and Oliver are in  mourning, not to mention exhausted from all this work. And worse yet, there's no more litter box raids! Poor boys!


And Patches, well, she's ready to retire. Enough of this blogging stuff. She just wants to be left alone. 

Full disclosure: The Litter-Robot and World's Best Cat Litter described in this series have been donated to All Things Dog Blog for an independent review. I have not been paid to provide my opinion of these products, and the opinion provided is my own.

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Pet Charities Funded and Prize Package Awarded from MANKINDdog™

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© courtesy MANKINDdog™
Gotham and Phil Welcome Visitors

It was a leap of faith to take on this fundraiser and promo even with MANKINDdog™, being the passionate and dedicated company that they are. Did I mention that they have a furry support staff of 7? If you visited their site, you've already met Gotham, the spectacular Mastiff on their header. 

It's time to wrap up this campaign. MANKINDdog™ will be offering a gift to their local Humane Society in Nogales, Arizona, in response to the blog links that came in to help us raise money for this struggling organization. And me, well, I plan to give A New Beginning  my donation. Their windfall of 257 Labs has continued to tug at my heart. Thank you to the folks at Cesar Canine Cuisine for matching our fundraising dollars. This will make for a much happier holiday for these dogs in need. Cesar Canine Cuisine has been extremely supportive of All Things Dog Blog; be sure to watch for upcoming giveaways of their products and some adorable Tshirts too!

MANKINDdog's prize package, well advertised on my site, as well as Facebook, has been earned by someone from my own ranks. Congratulations to Yvonne DiVita of Scratchings and Sniffings, for her winning raffle entry. Yvonne will get the following prize package: a MANKINDdog™ canvas tote bag filled with 2 boxes of organic dog treats, a dog sculpture, a MANKINDdog™ coffee mug, a MANKINDdog™ Tshirt, and an Isola Luce candle. Congratulations, Yvonne, you earned it!

I have some thank yous to offer to those of you who supported me in getting the word out with your blogs. If you linked to our original blog post and notified me where you did this, I thank you for your help. Each link earned more money for our chosen charities, so you can be proud that you followed through on your promise to "Be the Change." If I have missed you in the following list, feel free to send me the link to your post and I will amend it.

AfFURmation

Blogpaws 

Bunny Jean Cook 
Cesar Canine Cuisine

Dogingham 

DogTipper

Freaky Dog People

Go Pet Friendly 

Happy Tails Books

The Pet Book Lady

Scratchings and Sniffings

These bloggers, some new friends, and others simply met via the Internet, have helped me to work toward a goal. For that I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. When you need me, I'll be there for you. I am easily reachable at LetsAdoptaDogPark@gmail.com anytime you need a paw up. I'd like to help you Be the Change as well.

I am aware that a good number of my fellow bloggers Tweeted about this charity fundraiser and I would be amiss not to thank them as well, although I cannot thank them by name. As the folks at Freaky Dog People say; "You know who you are."

Thank you also to the folks at MANKINDdog™ for offering this opportunity to show off their wonderful products and upstanding business practices. They have been a joy to work with and I thank them for enduring all the bumps in the road, as well as the small successes we enjoyed together. It was a journey of learning and spreading my wings, and one in which I am pleased to have had a partner. Happy tails!


P.S. Be sure to stop in at 5 Minutes for Fido, where Tanner and Oliver are ready to take some time off from all this latest hoopla. I suppose I wore them out with all the photos, bandana fun and even the Woof and Meow series. Have you missed it? Follow the link to the latest post and all the links are at the bottom. Enjoy!

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Woof and Meow, Part VIII: Socializing your Cat to a New Dog

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

(c) N.M., reader copyright on file

Roxy Loves
her Kitty

We’re on the downhill stretch now. This process is much easier than the latter. When your cat already owns the home, you’ve got half the game licked. Woof will understand immediately upon his arrival at the door that this is Meow’s house.


But first you must make an important investment in Woof’s education. Take him on a very long walk, arriving at your home with a tired Woof, ready to meet him new pack-family with subdued energy. As you approach the door, be sure to impress on him one additional act of leadership. You should always enter the house before your dog. Leaders go first.They understand this by instinct.


Woof should be taken to a small area of your home where you spend a great deal of your time, often the kitchen and family room area, and preferably not carpeted, if Woof needs house training. 


His crate or bed should be located here, and this area should be easy to secure him in, when you must leave Meow and Woof alone. This will remain Woof’s only area to explore until he demonstrates his respect for you, Meow, and all belongings of the house. In other words, he grows up and behaves like a nice dog. When Woof learns good, reliable bathroom manners, he’ll be given the privilege of exploring other areas of the house, one by one, only by your invitation. This is one way you demonstrate your leadership; you expect it.


Woof will know Meow is present from her scent in the home. He will become curious and desirous of exploring. Do not give in. After a couple of days of long walks, and when calm behavior is evident, bring Meow to sniff Woof from behind. Once again, Woof should be leashed and held by a helper. Woof will get only the scent he can gather from this distance. That’s enough for him to understand his status.


Don’t take any guff about sleeping areas, unless you decide for yourself that Woof should sleep elsewhere. As a well-behaved adult, you may choose to have Woof sleep near your bed or perhaps by a doorway. Moving his crate or bed at that time will be fine, but not until then.


Woof and Meow will be experiencing each other from a distance for quite a while before she will jump the gate or sneak in to get a better look at the new boarder. Observe quietly and determine if Woof needs to be leashed or if the two are ready to get acquainted. They’ll need to do this on their own terms, but with manners. Separate them without scolding if either is upset by the meeting. 


Using a gate will allow Meow to visit Woof whenever she desires, with a quick escape route out, as well. This is the best way to separate the two until they learn to accommodate one another. Often this bond will form without you knowing it is happening, and suddenly you’ll find the two playing or lounging together.


When Xena, my Retriever mix, adopted Patches, our 12 year old Heinz 57 cat, the two were both young. They bonded almost instantly and played tag and hide-n-seek for hours. They hunted lizards on the porch and napped together often. Unfortunately those days were before that of digital cameras in every home, and who knows where the photos are. I guess, for now, they’ll have to remain in the recesses of my memory—two diverse species—living the destiny of being best friends.


I hope you have enjoyed this Woof and Meow series, and mostly that you have learned a little something about helping your own Woof and Meow become happier housemates. I'll put the links to these posts on our Best of All Things Dog Blog page, which you can reach by clicking the link just under our header. These posts have brought brisk traffic here, and I suspect there are many of you who have both cats and dogs in your home.  


Check out the gang’s comments at 5 Minutes for Fido, where Tanner shares the somewhat different experience that he and Oliver had in learning to live with Patches. 


Next week is the big drawing. I'll be giving away World's Best Cat Litter, miscellaneous kitty goodies, and the grand prize--a Litter-Robot to one lucky reader. I have about 100 entries so far, and there's room for more. Check out Woof and Meow, Part II, to learn how you can get in on this drawing.


Next week's post will not only announce the winners of the drawing, but also will include a photo slideshow of Patches journey--from using the new World's Best Cat Litter to learning to love her more private Litter-Robot. Join us next week for the big announcement.

Full disclosure: The Litter-Robot and World's Best Cat Litter described in this series have been donated to All Things Dog Blog for an independent review. I have not been paid to provide my opinion of these products, and the opinion provided is my own.

© Carrie Boyko, all rights reserved

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