Dogcharmer: Two problems, two approaches
Hello, Tom,
My name is Moose. I am a toy fox terrier/French bulldog mix. I will be turning 6 years old this year. I go from a calm dog in the house to a bouncing,...
Dogcharmer: Skittish newcomer
Dear Tom,
We have just last week brought a new dog into our family. She is now our adorable Phoebe, a 5-year-old American cocker spaniel. We drove to New Hampshire to get her from her...
Dogcharmer: Tucker’s not done
Dear Tom,
We take our 11-year-old Labradoodle, Tucker, on daily off-leash walks through the woods. He gambols off, runs back periodically to check on us, then eventually, energy depleted, walks back with us. Lately, regardless...
Dogcharmer: Resource guarding
Hi Tom,
My daughter needs to be able to recall Ludwig when he gets out the door. Also, how do we get Ludwig not to eat the 2-year-old cat and 16-year-old bichon frisé?
Melisa
Dear Melisa,
Let's start...
Dogcharmer: Get those extra ZZZs
Dear Tom,
I have an 11-year-old Papillon mix that I adopted when he was 9. Jack is very food-motivated, and spends most of his time looking/waiting for something to eat. Otherwise, he's happy to lay...
Dogcharmer: Not taking my own advice, Part 2
Dear Readers, and me,
Having had Paula Jean, the easiest dog in the world to live with, for the past nine years, I feel I should not only remind myself of what to do when...
Dogcharmer: Not taking my own advice
Dear Dogcharmer Tom,
I recently heard a cute tip, or recommendation for older people when it came to travel: "In your 60s, go go, in your 70s, go slow, in your 80s, no go." Well,...
Dogcharmer: Nicky the mini-pin
Tom,
I have a 16-year-old mini-pin who has to be on a leash at all times. It’s frustrating, because I would like to let him play outside, but I can’t trust him. He takes off...
Dogcharmer: Duncan wants all the attention
Hi Tom,
When you look at these pictures, it's hard to believe that this dog can be so frustrating for me. He is good when we are here alone, but when guests come, he becomes...
Dogcharmer: Building ‘den instinct’
Hi Tom,
We’d love some help with our adorable Alaskan Klee Kai puppy (about 7 months old), Ace. He’s very sweet with our children. However, he can be quite anxious, chewing up clothes, shoes, and...
Dogcharmer: Moab gets the zoomies
Dear Tom,
We would like to ask you a couple of questions. Most importantly, my husband would like to know where the “off” or “pause” button is! We have a very sweet, affectionate, energetic, and...
Dogcharmer: Summon the Dog God
Dear Readers,
The other day, while I was watching my 7-year-old grandson Jasper scoring goals in his soccer game, some guy came up to me and said, "You're the dog guy, right?" Looking over his...
Dogcharmer: Close quarters
Dear Tom,
Does each dog need their own crate, or can they share a crate?
Elle
Dear Elle,
The answer to your question is a definite maybe. It depends on the answers to some questions. Are we talking...
Dogcharmer: Meet and greet
Dear Tom,
How best do we introduce our daughter’s new pup into our home when we already have two adult French bulldogs, Stella (10), and Louie (3), one of whom (Louie) defaults to an aggressive...
Dogcharmer: Territorial dominance
Not long ago I met a couple at a BBQ who told me that their two Boston terriers started fighting when a visitor came to the door and rang the bell. They said they...
Dogcharmer: Tired of always saying ‘No’?
Hi Tom,
I am sure my dog Toby thinks his name is "Toby No!" How can I change the grumpy madwoman that I have become in Toby's eyes? He is always doing something that I...
Dogcharmer: Housebreaking, the eternal challenge
I adopted Zeke, a very active poodle mix, in January. He is not my first dog, as I am 73 and have had dogs most of my adult life. I cannot seem to housebreak...
Dogcharmer: Post-Covid separation anxiety
Dear Tom,
I got my dog, Girlie, from the Susquehanna SPCA last December. She is a Rottweiler/Australian shepherd mix, about 7 years old. She has separation anxiety that has worsened in the past few months....
Dogcharmer: Porcupines are too attractive
Hi Tom,
My two mostly Lab rescue dogs, Gus and Gracie, have a great affinity to porcupines. They have been quilled a number of times — most recently a severe quilling. Yet they never seem...
Dogcharmer: Demanding dogs
Dear Dogcharmer:
When the phone rings, Coco barks for attention until I play with him. What can I do?
Thanks,
Maryanne
Dear Maryanne,
Having spoken to you earlier when Coco was attacked and traumatized by a much larger dog,...