|
 Pet Central
Q&A
Q: Our Australian shepherd makes high-pitched
sounds when we go for rides in the car, even though the windows are closed.
He normally obeys commands, but we can't stop this behavior. Is there
any hope of our dog just sitting peacefully in the car? Also, our Aussie
gets us up at 8 a.m. on the dot. Does he have a built-in clock? -- B.V.,
Danville, Ind.
A: You don't have a breed that'll
be content to snooze and let the world pass by. In fact, your dog gets
so excited about being in the car he can't control himself. And he's telling
you all about it, which many Aussies like to do.
New York City dog trainer Brian
Kilcommons, host of "Pet News" on the Fox News Channel, has a pair of
Aussies at home. He offers some tips to tone down the whining. Teach your
dog the down command in the car; at first try it without the motor running.
Then, have a passenger enforce the command. Also, do a major-league workout
before the car ride. Hopefully, the pup will nap and not yap. By the way,
the more often you take your dog for rides, the less novel the experience
will be.
As for waking up at 8 a.m., consider
yourself lucky. We know of one Aussie owner who once got up for work at
the crack of dawn. On his new job, he doesn't have to get up until 9 a.m.
But his dog doesn't care. Promptly at 6 a.m., the pooch arrives holding
a plush toy, ready to play. There's no question, dogs (and cats) seem
to have built-in clocks.
|
