Work with your dog’s behavior to keep yard looking nice
By Pet Connection Staff
June 23, 2009
Has your dog trashed your yard? It doesn’t have to be that way. From Gina Spadafori and Dr. Marty Becker in this week’s Pet Connection newspaper feature:
While it takes planning, work and dog-savvy, you can have a dog and a nice yard. You can’t just plant whatever you want wherever you want and then throw a bored, unsupervised dog into the mix.Here are the basic guidelines:
- Exercise your dog. Dogs who don’t get daily exercise are likely to expend that energy and cure boredom doing things people don’t like — digging, chewing and barking. Dogs who are well-exercised are more likely to sleep while you are gone. A dog with too much energy isn’t one you want to leave alone all day — and yet that’s exactly what many people do. If you don’t take care of your dog’s exercise requirements, he’s going to take care of them on his own, by digging a hole to China or by removing the shrubs in your yard. (Leaving him inside just shifts the destruction — although it will keep him from bothering your neighbors with his barking.)
More tips here.
Looks like Leona Helmsley’s fortune won’t be going to the dogs after all. From Dr. Becker:
Trustees of Leona Helmsley’s estate say they’re giving $136 million to charity — with just $1 million going to the dogs. Helmsley had left her multibillion-dollar hotel and real estate empire entirely to dog-related charities. But a judge ruled that trustees for the Leona M. Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust had sole authority to decide which charities benefit from her estate.
Some bunny-stats from Gina:
When it comes to small mammals as pets, rabbits are the most popular, followed by hamsters and guinea pigs. All small mammals are common children’s pets, but most have considerable followings among adults as well. Among those households with small mammals as pets, here’s how the animals rank in popularity…
Plus: A fix for fur-pulling; training your parrot to “go”; smoking hazards for pets. All this and more, in our Pet Connection newspaper feature, which you can read right here.
You can also see it exactly the way we send it to our client newspapers here. (PDF)
I had a similar problem at some point with my dogs in my apartment, they where destroying furniture instead of the yard. At the end, the solution was in fact better exercising.
Proper exercise is the right solution to so many dog behavioral problems that most dog owners should really be conscious about making sure their dog relieves all their built up energy.
Comment by Jorge Guzman — June 23, 2009 @ 5:55 am
Exercise is WAY underrated in my opinion. That combined with regular mental stimulation allows us to maintain our yard with three dogs.
Comment by Don Davidson — June 23, 2009 @ 7:31 am
Mint is the perfect landscaping plant! I had a thicket at my former house and loved it — it was indestructible. Sadly, the new owners ripped it out without my knowledge (I would have happily given the mint a new home) and I haven’t been able to find a source for plantings since. Any ideas? Anyone?
Comment by Deanna — June 23, 2009 @ 7:36 am
Yay! A bunny!!
The funny thing to me is that these “small” mammals are sometimes larger than dogs.
We have several 8-12 pound rabbits at the local shelters. They are the last to get adopted because they are so “big.” But in general, larger rabbits have the most wonderful, confident personalities! And when they dance and leap it’s hilarious.
I tell parents all the time that if they get a rabbit, they are not getting a hamster, they are getting a dog. So many get a baby bunny because they want a cute “cage pet,” and that’s a recipe for a frustrated, aggressive, overweight rabbit.
Comment by Mary Mary — June 23, 2009 @ 8:09 am
Deanna, I’d check to see if you have a local Farmer’s Market. I bet you’d find LOTS of mint there!
http://www.localharvest.org/
Comment by The OTHER Pat — June 23, 2009 @ 8:43 am
Mary Mary … that bunny is just because of you. :)
Comment by Gina Spadafori — June 23, 2009 @ 9:22 am
Thanks!
I see the Pet Products folks did the study. WHEN are they going to come up with some decent products for rabbits and their humans?
We are in such the dark ages with these products. The cages they sell at stores, for example, are very poorly designed. It’s as if the designers’ intention is to frustrate the rabbit and the owner. These things are given to me all the time and they are piled up in my garage.
Comment by Mary Mary — June 23, 2009 @ 9:44 am
When my boys were growing up, for many years we enjoyed a most wonderful yard bunny that we had adopted as a baby from the local petting farm. She was one of three adorable litter mates who looked exactly like Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail. I wanted to take them all but we decided on one whom we named “Rosalie.” Half French Lop and half Angora, she was the social queen and reliable sentry of our half-acre back yard. We planted an abundance of extra vegetables in our large garden for her where she could be found when not with the family. Every night she slept on the back door mat, directly under the dog door, and every morning waited patiently for the appearance of her dearest companions—my two little boys—and Liesl, our Miniature Schnauzer! Rosalie and Liesl were buds as well as being the same size and the same shade of light gray! They hung out together, investigated the grounds, played with the kids, greeted visitors and snoozed together often back to back. When guests entered our backyard, Rosalie would make a mad dash and stop short at their feet. After a two-second delay, visitors realized she wasn’t the dog. Rosalie had the sweetest disposition and loved being around people. Whenever we came home, she would run to greet us. If she could have barked and wagged her tail, I am certain she would have. Rosalie will forever remain our Heart Bunny.
Comment by NadineL — June 23, 2009 @ 9:50 am
Nadine,
She must have been gorgeous. I am fostering an Angora, and she is one of the most confident, curious and skin-hungry rabbits I’ve ever met. She just loves to be petted and loves to play chase (she chases me).
I can’t keep up with the matting so I keep her fur cut short.
How long did your rabbit live?
Comment by Mary Mary — June 23, 2009 @ 9:54 am
Mary - Yes, Rosalie really was gorgeous. She had the personality of an Angora and the sturdiness of the French Lop with a beautiful coat. We had Rosalie for about four years. One day she got out and a milkman returned her to the yard. Sometime later she disappeared again. We never found any way she could have gotten out either time—six foot fencing and no holes anywhere. We wondered if the milkman came back for her. Our side gate wasn’t locked, so it could have been anyone. Needless to say, we were all devastated. After Rosalie there were others, even an Angora, who were all sweet and cute, but none quite like Rosalie. She was truly unique.
Comment by NadineL — June 23, 2009 @ 10:05 am
What a sad story. Yes, it sounds like somebody wanted her to be his or her own bunny.
I lost my heart rabbit a few months ago at age 11. I have worked with hundreds of rabbits over the years and only one has come close to her.
Comment by Mary Mary — June 23, 2009 @ 10:11 am
Mary Mary - WOW — 11 years is a long life. You must have many cherished memories.
Comment by NadineL — June 23, 2009 @ 10:24 am
Nadine, I do. She was a smart, gentle, assertive and communicative rabbit. I had no idea they were capable of much more than eating and sleeping. She inspired me to become very active in advocacy/education for domestic rabbits. So, every time I take a call or email from a rabbit owner or teach a class or learn a new skill (as of six weeks ago I can give Pen G injections like a pro and I watched a necropsy for the first time last week) … my best bunny girl lives on.
She had the run of the upstairs (with her best friend) and a huge digging box. Even at age 11, she was very active and her blood work came back perfect. She died of pneumonia. :-(
PS to Deanna … her last meal was a small bunch of organic mint. She tore it from my hand! It was the first time she’d shown interest in food in days. It was winter here, so I drove to the store to buy it. I’m so glad she had one of her favorite treats that day.
Comment by Mary Mary — June 23, 2009 @ 10:34 am
Deanna—I’m sure my mother would be happy to give you some of her mint, it’s currently trying to take over the deck and she’s afraid someday she’ll find it trying to wrap itself around her while she’s sleeping. :O) Gotta watch that stuff, it grows like the dickens!
Comment by Original Lori — June 23, 2009 @ 11:10 am
Mary Mary,
And I hope many photographs! Rosalie was all those things too which was a revelation to me as well. We were constantly in awe of her. Please keep going with your wonderful advocacy and education. What a great contribution to the rabbit kingdom.
p.s. I love Watership Down! Both book and movie. BTW, Rosalie built her own warren which curiously ended at the footings of the house, three feet under the back door doormat. Perhaps she thought she’d eventually dig her way into the house and join us. =:o)
Comment by NadineL — June 23, 2009 @ 11:18 am
Deanna, I have organic mint I can send you if you’d like.
Comment by NadineL — June 23, 2009 @ 11:20 am
Nadine, Ha!
And I am hosting four in my basement (including one that talks, loudly, in his sleep) trying to dig their way outside!
Comment by Mary Mary — June 23, 2009 @ 11:26 am
A talking rabbit! You have your very own Bugs Bunny! They are so adorable.
Comment by NadineL — June 23, 2009 @ 11:40 am