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Encyclopedia on Pets

This archive article (written 2009–2016) contains advice that may be out of date and is waiting for veterinary review. Please check with your vet before acting on it. About our articles

How Can I Remove the urine smell inside my house?
Urine smells can be very difficult to eliminate inside your home. To make things worse, dogs will tend to return to an area they've already soiled. The good news is, there are products that can help reduce dog odors, depending on what kind of surface you are dealing with.

Unsealed concrete floors (like those in a garage or unfinished basement) – Unfortunately, the urine may have seeped in and absorbed. You will need to clean with a disinfectant and allow the disinfectant to sit and seep into the floor. Once you've rinsed with water and allowed the floor to dry completely, you'll want to seal it so that liquids won't be absorbed in the future. Concrete sealant is widely available at hardware stores.

Linoleum and sealed concrete floors – Use disinfectants that you can purchase from your veterinarian.

Carpet – Can be more difficult to remove the smell completely. You will probably have to pull up the carpet and replace the padding. You can then clean the carpet with an enzymatic cleaner, available from professional carpet cleaners.

Preventing accidents – Once you've cleaned the odors out of your floor, your best option is prevention. You may want to consider crate training for your puppy. Crate training gives you control over where and when he is eliminating, and it often housetrains dogs quickly and effectively.

Is it ok for my dog to lick my child’s face?

It is probably OK for a dog to lick a child’s face. The only disease dogs and humans can pass back and forth through saliva is beta strep throat, which is relatively rare.

Strep throat – You may want to take your dog to the veterinarian if strep throat has been passed among the members of your family.

Weakened immune system – If your child has a weakened immune system, be careful about exposing him or her to the normal bacteria that's present in the saliva of healthy dogs.

The importance of deworming – Worms are parasites that are not passed by saliva, but children can pick them up by playing on the ground and floor. Regular deworming helps dogs stay healthy and will help protect both children and adults.

My dog's teeth chatter when he gets excited.

Should I be worried?

Answer Teeth chattering isn't all that unusual in dogs. It's most likely just a nervous habit, particularly since your dog only does it when he's excited. You and your veterinarian should check his mouth for any signs of oral disease (swollen or bleeding gums, broken teeth, etc.), but if you don't see any signs of it, the teeth chattering shouldn't be a problem. Just keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't happen more frequently or become more severe.

How do I crate train my dog?

Crate training is a great way to help your dog feel comfortable and secure while you are away, as well as protect your home from damage caused by anxious dogs.

Tips for effectively crate training your dog:

• Get a crate that is large enough to allow your dog to stand and move comfortably.
• Place a towel in the bottom of the crate to keep your dog warm.
• Give your dog appropriate toys (chew toys, kong, etc.) to play with in the crate.
• Always feed your dog in the crate.
• At first, get your dog used to going in the crate without closing the door or leaving.
• Start by leaving your dog alone in the crate with the door closed for a few minutes and gradually build up to leaving your dog for several hours at a time.
• When you come home, don’t rush to let your dog out of the crate or your dog will look forward to the event too much. Unlock the crate only after your dog has been quiet and calm for a few minutes.

 
Tail Chasing and Chewing

Question Our dog constantly chases his tail and then chews on it. What can we do?

Answer Dogs chase their tails for several reasons. If your veterinarian examined your dog and didn't find any fleas or problems with your dog's anal glands, then you could be dealing with a behavior problem. It may have started when he was bored and now tail-chasing has become a habit. In some dogs, tail-chasing can be an obsessive-compulsive disorder. In others, it's a source of attention. Your veterinarian may be able to suggest a good animal behaviorist that can help diagnose and treat the problem.

In the meantime, try not to react when he chases his tail. Laughing or scolding him are forms of attention and this could be what he wants. If there are any incidences that seem to trigger the behavior, try to get him into a down-stay before he can chase his tail.

These suggestions may help, but some dogs, if they are causing harm to themselves, may need drug therapy in addition to behavior modification to solve the problem.

Tail Problems

Question Recently, my dog's been keeping his tail tucked under. It used to curl up. What's wrong?

Answer There are a few reasons dogs will keep their tails tucked between their legs, but most commonly the behavior is a response to pain or discomfort. Many dogs are prone to back or hip pain, for example. Raising the tail can place pressure against these sore areas, so the dog keeps it tucked under.

Dogs will also keep their tails tucked because of emotional distress. When they are depressed, frustrated, stressed, or afraid, they may tuck their tails to demonstrate their emotions. Stressful changes in a dog's home environment could cause these emotional responses.

Talk to your veterinarian about the change in your dog's behavior. He or she can check for physical problems that may be causing your dog discomfort, as well as investigating emotional and other causes.