Teach your cat (s) to come when their name (s) are called at feeding times. Always feed the cat first at a height where the dog cannot get at its food. This sets the pattern of a ‘pecking order’ and the dog knows that the cat is above it because it was there first. They may become the closest of friends.
Cats can be trained when they are kittens to use a scratch post rather than sharpen claws on furniture. Outside provide a tree trunk for this. They are especially attracting to mature lilac tree branches.
Cats are naturally clean animals being taught by their mothers when they are kittens. They clean everything themselves except their ears which need checking when they get their weekly comb.
Supply a covered litter tray with 3cm (1”) cat litter granules or sand in a quiet place away from their food. Clean out daily. If they go outside safely they often use the same area so it is possible to clean the patch in your garden occasionally.
Some can be trained to walk on a lead. Particularly Siamese cats and some that are taken to Cat Shows.
Dogs
Dogs can learn up to 50 words - examples of words used and what they mean to your dog.
Their sense of smell is 10,000 stronger that humans, scientists have confirmed that a dog’s sense of smell can detect illness and cancer in humans.
Cats and dogs can smell gas and smoke from fires before humans.
Dogs also get similar illnesses and diseases as humans. |
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Never shout at your dog and never hit it. It will need some training and to get to know its name. Stand still and call its name, wait patiently until it sits at your feet then reward with a treat. Gentleness and persistence are needed certainly for the first six months and better for eighteen months. Give your dog a food treat and lots of verbal praise after it has done anything good or well. Use one word commands like, Come, Sit, Down, Drop, Bed, No, Heel, Wait, Stay, Over, Nicely, Fetch. A strong verbal NO is all that is needed to show your dog that you are not pleased. They are like teenagers up to the age of 18 months and can be wilful, asserting their personality and even chewing things in the home but they will grow out of this to become most loyal and pleasurable creatures to have as company, exercise and as guard dog deterrants. Do not teach them to bark they will find their voice soon enough. Again a strong verbal NO is all that is needed to show your dog that you are not pleased.
Dogs need to be taught to be clean and house trained immediately. This starts as soon as your get your 3 month old puppy home. Keep your puppy in one room when you first get it home, usually the kitchen as it is a warm and sociable room. Using a ‘child gate’ on the kitchen door or at the bottom of the stairs will restrict your dogs movements around the house until 18 months old. Your puppy has just left its mother so it will cry the first night or two. Give it lots of reassurance. Go down to it and stroke it – do not let it jump up. This will be worthwhile because it will deter your dog from jumping up when it is adult and it will also protect its hip joints while they are growing if it grows to be a medium sized or large dog. Start as you mean to carry on and be consistant. Provide your puppy with his bedding probably in a three sided box first, food and water. Feed 4 or 5 times a day visit website www.rspca.org.uk Animal Care Sheets for full information. Immediately after each feeding time take your puppy outside to urinate or do its business. They can be trained to go in a certain area of your garden making it easy to clean and keeping your garden protected. Patience, gentleness, persistence and lots of praise are needed. This can be very useful when you are travelling with your dog in the future. A dog can live for an average of fifteen years and who knows where your life may be then. Think of a command – one word.
Dogs need a favourite toy with which you can have a daily game. A large piece of chew rope a ‘Ragga’ from your local pet store or a squeaky toy, but supervise this so that they do not chew out and swallow the squeaker part. When your dog is in its bed this is its sanctuary. Do not let children hassle it when it is in its bed. Tell the children to call its name and to ‘come’ if they want to play with it. If it does not want to come then that must be respected. Sometimes dogs get tired and do not feel well, so their beds are their safe place. Also a good place to send it when it has been naughty or under your feet.
Train your dog to walk on a lead on your left and to ‘Heel’. When it pulls turn round and go back the other way, keep doing this, the dog will soon realise that pulling trying to get its own way does not work. Praise when it has done well. Walk your dog twice day, for twenty minutes each time - minimum.
Train your dog to be gentle with cats, rabbits, sheep, children, old people and other dogs. Dogs can be legally shot if they worry sheep or chase rabbits while running free on a farmer’s land.
They are one of ‘the family’ pack and when they are young they will try to jostle for position within the family. It is important that they are at the bottom rung – well praised and loved but below children and cats. They will then remain well behaved and a pleasure to own.
Poisons: Poison is illegal but is used in the countryside and in some towns in Andalucia. Dogs who eat any suffer a painful death. Always inform the Local Police 956 450400, 091 or 092 or the Guadia Civil 956 450079 or 062 of the location of the poison if you know it. Also inform your vet of the location. These professions are obligated to report the location of the poison to a central unit in the region to try and monitor who and where this is happening and a prosecution can take place. Information on Poison toxicology 915 620420
Dog Trainers
Willie is a Dog Physcologist, Behavioural problems Dog Specialist, Trainer particularly good with puppies
Tel: 619 841 304 Vejer area Approximately 240 euros for 10 x one hour lessons (January 2007)
Also has Boarding Kennels 9 euros per animal.
