Ask Ashley: Great Plains SPCA

Animal expert, Ashley Flores, CPDT-KA, is the Director of Animal Behavior & Training at Great Plains SPCA. Ashley has more than 16 years of experience in animal training and behavior.

My rescue dog, KC, from Great Plains SPCA, is a wonderful dog with great manners and personality. However, she has one problem - she whines and cries continuously whenever she rides in the car. She is always excited and eager to get in the vehicle, but as soon as we start the engine she begins to vocalize. And she does not stop. She gets a little better on the way home if we have been somewhere where she has had some exercise, but she still carries on. Any ideas about why she may do this? How can I train her not to do it? Thank you for your help. - Priscilla Bradley

This is a very normal habit for many dogs and I recommend you try to find out why your dog is whining. Sometimes it can be related to fear, excitement, or motion sickness. Sounds like it might be from excitement from what I am reading. Try to redirect her and putting her in sit, stay, down on the back seat or give her treats or a Kong filled with goodies to occupy her time. It is not safe to do this when you are driving, so have someone else drive while your work on this with KC. If it is just you in the car, you can practice some small trips around the neighborhood and stop the car and ignore her every time she whines, then start driving again. Do not do this if it's fear-related however, as it can cause adverse effects. – Ashley Flores, CPDT-KA

My dog has terrible breath and it is really embarrassing when visitors come over to our home and do not want to be near my dog. I tried some dental bones and they seem to help a little, but is there more that I can do? – Ralphie Parsons

I recommend visiting your vet to make sure there are no medical concerns that may be causing his unpleasant breath. A common cause of chronic bad breath is gum disease. I recommend brushing your dog’s teeth with a pet-friendly toothbrush and toothpaste made for dogs. Just like humans, dogs are prone to tartar and plaque, which can result in gingivitis, periodontitis, and other infections. Having a healthy hygiene practice for your pet can also increase his life expectancy. – Ashley Flores, CPDT-KA

I have a multi-feline home and one of the cats has a lot of issues with not using the litterbox. He seems to frequently go on the rugs near the litterbox, but not in the litterbox. I am getting tired of cleaning up his messes. Thoughts on why he used the litter box for years then suddenly stopped. – Violet Hawkins

There are many reasons for litterbox issues with cats. Some cats do not like using the litterbox if it is not clean or if they do not have easy access to the box. I recommend having a litter box on every floor in your home and multiple litterboxes if you have multiple cats. The rule of thumb is to have one litterbox for every cat in the household plus one more. Some cats do not like them if they are too small or deep. Some cats do not like the hoods or liners. If this behavior started suddenly, you may want to check with your vet to make sure your cat is feeling well and rule out any medical concerns. Stress and medical problems can cause a cat to avoid using the litterbox. Some litters irritate the paws of declawed cats so you may need to use a different kind if your cat is declawed. As you can see there are many reasons for litterbox issues. About 10 percent of cats have issues with litterboxes at some point in their lives so this is not uncommon behavior. Try different things and through trial and error, you will find what helps. -Ashley Flores, CPDT-KA

Email askashley@greatplainsspca.org for a chance to have your pet question answered here in KC Parent magazine.

Great Plains SPCA is an independent 501(c)(3) no-kill shelter serving approximately 6,000 animals annually in the Johnson County community. As Kansas City’s premium family shelter, we continue to support the seven municipalities with which we are contracted including Overland Park, Leawood, Lenexa, Shawnee, Lake Quivira, and Johnson County Parks and Recreation, and unincorporated Johnson County.

Great Plains SPCA

5424 Antioch Drive Merriam, KS 66202

(913) 831-7722(SPCA)

https://www.greatplainsspca.org