FIND YOUR SUPERIOR

They think: ‘If you allowed this, mom, then will you allow this (other thing)?’ If you have no boundaries, you will have a very aggressive dog. Many people don’t have the chutzpah to stand up and be a good leader.”

Craig said it is also important for dog owners to understand that dogs cannot think in the past or future. They only understand the present.

So, what happens if you come home from work and the dog has piddled on the rug? To the dog, that happened in the past. It is over and done and no longer relevant to anything. The dog is happy that you are home. If you suddenly get mad, the dog can’t understand why. It can only connect your reactions with what it is doing at the time.

“You must give a consequence at the time they are doing the naughty behavior,” Craig said. Otherwise, “they have no idea what you are doing. They begin to distrust you as an owner.”

Since dogs can’t learn to think and reason like a human, Craig said dog owners must change the way they think.

“If you can’t understand dog’s behavior, you are dead in the water,” she said.

D’AndreRobinson Class of 2018 CommunicatingArts and Sociology

Cats: Use positive reinforcement

“Most people don't even realize that you can train cats — even people that have owned cats all their lives,” said Heather Alvey, owner of Felidae Behavior in Minneapolis.

Alvey said cats can be trained to do fun tricks like “sit” and “high five.” They can also be trained to not scratch on the furniture or jump on the counters. The key is working with your cat’s natural tendencies and providing positive reinforcement.

“When training your cat, you need to find something that the cat is willing to work for,” Alvey said. “Usually that is an amazing treat that they only get during training time. For the cats that aren't food motivated, that could be a favorite toy, a pet said. “Hold the treat in front of their nose and move it up and back. The cat's bottom will naturally go down as they follow the treat. Click and reward as their butt goes down. Once they will do this regularly, you can add the verbal cue SIT. Repeat the hand motion with the verbal cue. Eventually you can remove the hand cue and just use the verbal cue SIT.”

Once your cat understands clicker training and can sit on command, Alvey said it is easy to expand the training to other tricks and desired behaviors.

“All it takes is one or two 5-minute sessions a day, and your cat will learn,” she said.

One word of warning, though. Alvey said you should never punish your cat.

“Cats have a reason for everything they do, so they don't understand punishment,” she said. “The only thing punishment will accomplish is to degrade the cat-human bond. Using positive reinforcement to teach your cat an alternative behavior will lead to a more successful outcome.”— MDT

Dr. Lori DeFrance Pediatrician Section Chair of Pediatrics, Essentia Health-Duluth Clinic