ArcaMax

Dear Cathy,

About six months after adopting our cat, Harmony, she started leaving a strong odor behind on anything she laid on. While we haven’t confirmed she’s urinating on surfaces, there’s definitely a smell that isn’t normal. Our current vet shaved her bottom, and we limited her food consumption to help her lose weight.

The vet ...Read more

Dear Cathy,

I have a 10-month-old chihuahua/mini pin that I have been crate training since we rescued him at four months. I gave up on keeping him in the crate overnight. He was crying after a few hours. When I put him in the crate to leave, he seems to cry the whole time I'm gone and moves the crate across the room. (I have a camera to check ...Read more

Dear Cathy,

I have a seven-year-old Pomeranian rescue. I adopted her when she was about two. Six months ago, she started running out of the room whenever I got a text. After two weeks, I changed the text notification sound, and she was OK for about a week, but then she started running out of the room again. My vet checked her out and said dogs ...Read more

Dear Cathy,

Our four-year-old Havapoo has been kenneled for most nights since a pup. She was great until about a year ago when she suddenly resisted getting into the kennel. It got better for a while, then worse again. Once in, she claws at the kennel door and whines. We tried a different kennel, but it did not help.

She has developed a fear ...Read more

Dear Cathy,

My son has a Pomeranian who barks at people walking down the street. He barks if I bang into something in the house, even if I’m right next to him. He is a good watchdog because he knows when someone is outside, but it gets to be too much. The dog goes into a barking frenzy at times and doesn’t stop. What’s his problem?

— ...Read more

Dear Cathy,

My husband and I have been feeding a feral neighborhood cat for 14 years. She was nursing two newborn kittens when we found her, so she is probably at least 15 years old. We managed to trap her and have her spayed, but she has lived outdoors ever since. She allows us to get close, but not touch her.

During a brutally cold winter in...Read more

Dear Cathy,

We recently rescued a four-year-old lab/pit-bull mix named Vesna, who has bonded strongly with me. The issue is, she refuses to walk with my wife when I’m not there, sitting down in the driveway or sidewalk despite positive reinforcement. How can we train her to walk with my wife?

The second issue is her reluctance to walk on ...Read more

Dear Cathy,

We got a Morkie from a breeder when she was 10 weeks old. We've worked hard on potty training, but she doesn't go on a leash and has accidents in her crate at least four times a week. Last night, I spent 30 minutes with her in the yard giving her every chance to go, but this morning, her crate was soiled again. This also means ...Read more

Dear Cathy,

I have two cats and have had multiple cats over the last 40 years. All of the cats were adopted at a young age from the local shelter, and a few were taken in from other sources. I had a grand total of nine cats and they were never allowed out of the house and I declawed all of them. I don't want any of them playing together and, at...Read more

Dear Cathy,

I have an adult daughter on the autism spectrum. She is high-functioning and lives in an assisted living environment. When she visits, our dog, Willow, growls and barks at her. My daughter has done nothing to warrant this response, and it breaks my heart and hers to see it because she wants to have a positive relationship with ...Read more

Dear Cathy, We have a nine-month-old pup, Winnie, who gets very excited whenever anyone visits our home. She squirms, wiggles her butt wildly, and then lays on her back, continuing to squirm. Eventually, she also piddles on the floor. We love her dearly, but this behavior is becoming a nuisance. What can we do to prevent her from greeting our ...Read more

Dear Cathy,

I have a little beagle that someone just dropped about a year ago. She is the sweetest dog but has gotten fat. She has gotten terrible about taking food out of your hand, jumping up to the table to get food, and taking food out of the refrigerator. She went through obedience training and did well. This food thing started within the ...Read more

Dear Cathy,

I have a rescue cat who has always been skittish, but developed unfortunate peeing habits at about a year old. I tried hyper cleaning litter boxes (we have four) and changed litter types, but nothing has helped. We have pulled up the rugs in the house. I did the whole workup with the vet, and he put him on medication, which helped...Read more

Dear Cathy,

My husband and I adopted/rescued a six-year-old Mini Schnauzer eight months ago. She has been a wonderful addition to our family. We are both in our 70s and live in a single-family, one-level home but do not have a fenced-in yard. For this reason, we always take her on walks to "do her duty." I wish she would poop and pee in our ...Read more

Dear Cathy,

My trainer has always taught positive reinforcement rather than negative consequences, as you recommend. However, I need help understanding what to do when my dog won't listen or obey in cases where it is important.

For example, I have trained my two-year-old Havanese to come when I call, "leave it," "wait," etc., but when we are ...Read more

Dear Cathy,

We rescued our Flossie six years ago from South Carolina. She was rescued from a hoarder's house in Georgia. She had puppies at 10 months old. She is house-trained, but eats extremely fast and is aggressive towards other dogs. She growls when she sees other dogs, especially large dogs. She is getting a bad rep in our complex. She ...Read more

Dear Cathy,

We have a wonderful eight-year-old "shihmalpoo" named Oliver. We have an in-ground pool. Whenever I enter the pool, Oliver becomes very frantic and races along the pool's fencing, barking wildly, clearly upset. He does not act this way when my wife enters, even though she is his primary caregiver. We have put him inside when we swim...Read more