Search Results for: blog mr meow and tabby how goes the positive reinforcement training

Cats and Dogs Really Can Get Along

They’re as universal an example of opposites as up and down, day and night, right and left. Even the line “cats and dogs getting along” is sometimes used as a turn of phrase for unbelievable events. Thus there’s an idea out there that one has to be either a cat person or a dog person. One can’t love both equally, or one certainly can’t have both as pets without inviting a fur-flying frenzy into the home. At best they’ll get along by avoiding each other for the most part, and at worst they’ll need to be separated. Except that simply … Continue reading →

Organic Training

I call it “organic training” — those tricks your pets learn without much effort on your part. You don’t have to practice; they just happen. Moose — my shepherd mix — is great with organic training. I’ll be the first to say that he isn’t the world’s smartest dog. When I first brought him home to foster, he didn’t answer to his name (Coyote)! When I accidentally found a name that he would respond to (Moose), we stuck with that. He learns well by example. Lally already knew how to sit when Moose joined the family. By watching her, he … Continue reading →

Retraining a Stressed Cat

Sometimes, you can’t take the stress out of a cat’s environment. If seeing other animals outside the window is upsetting your cat, you can close the shades or not allow your cat into rooms with windows facing the street. However, if the stressor is something like a new pet or a new baby, you can’t really remove the source! In cases where you can’t remove the source of the stress, you can try desensitization and counterconditioning. Desensitization is exposing the animal gradually to the source of stress. Start with versions that are so mild that they don’t provoke anxiety — … Continue reading →

A Very Meowy Christmas

Besides patience, all I wanted Santa to bring me this year was family unity. Which he did, but a little earlier than last night. Regular readers know what I’m talking about. The strife that besieged our house earlier this year when I brought home the little stray who has since become our beloved Tabby Girl. For a while it was chaos. Poor Mr. Meow had met his match and lost the run of his house. If he dared to venture out, he had to do so cautiously and be prepared to run if Tabby spotted him. His whole routine and … Continue reading →

How Do Dogs Learn?

There are some behaviors that dogs inherit from their wild relatives. Inherited behaviors are strongly influenced by breed; for example, a border collie tends to have strong herding instincts while a greyhound (and other sighthounds) will have a strong desire to chase moving objects. Some dogs have an innate calm; others are innately nervous. My Lally seems to be the nervous type — sudden noises and movements will startle her. Human behavior around animals can help tone down or key up these behaviors. Inherited behaviors can’t be unlearned but you can work around them. When Lally gets excited, she tends … Continue reading →

Mr. Meow’s Bed Boycott: Finally Over!

Not Mr. Meow…I just liked this picture. It’s over. It’s done. Mr. Meow is back. The Great Cat Rehabilitation Project neared completion at the end of last month. Earlier this month there was even further progress when Mr. Meow not only dared to come upstairs again but resumed shower buddy time with me. There was only one thing left he needed to do to let me know all was copasetic in the Team Pryor household again: snuggle buggle bedtime. This past Sunday night saw that happen. Wayne and I were settled in, lights off, and I was watching something on … Continue reading →

The Great Cat Rehabilitation Project: Even Further Progress!

Yesterday, I wrote in the Week in Review blog that June’s going to be all about cats, cats, cats. Partially because Adopt-A-Shelter Cat Month started June 1, but also because since Friday I’ve had nothing but cats on the brain, thanks to Tabby and Mr. Meow. It all started about two weeks ago, when they made huge strides tolerating each other again, like they had done in the very beginning. I dared to hope that my positive reinforcement approach was working. By the end of May, The Great Cat Rehabilitation Project was nearly complete. All I needed to see Mr. … Continue reading →

Yes, Virginia, It Is Possible for Cats and Dogs to Get Along

If you’ve been following the Tabby/Mr. Meow saga, you’re well aware that they’re not big fans of each other. Worse, Tabby’s been running roughshod over him, making sure he stays confined to his leather chair and isn’t free to roam anywhere else in the house. Murphy’s never been a problem. When we adopted him six years ago, I worried how he and Mr. Meow would get along. Murph proved to be sweet-tempered and uber gentle right from the get go. And Mr. Meow was delighted to have a new companion. So much so he’d break Murph out of the kitchen … Continue reading →

Mr. Meow and Tabby: How Goes the Positive Reinforcement Training?

If you’ve been following my what to do about Tabby dilemma regarding the way she treats Mr. Meow, you’re aware that I’ve been looking for new ways to help them get along. One of those ways was trying to use positive reinforcement. Maybe you’re wondering how that’s working out. To be honest, it’s been working. Sort of. Mr. Meow is still skittish if Tabby’s around. Coaxing him out into her presence so I could reward the both of them has been an obstacle. But we’re getting there. The Sun Room For some reason, the sun room is the one place … Continue reading →

The Pets Blog Week in Review for Mar 26-Apr 1

Busy week? Afraid you might have missed something in the Pets Blog last week? Here’s your chance to catch up on what Aimee and myself wrote about. Monday, March 26 Monday was our Sunday. We took it off as a much needed day of rest. Tuesday, March 27 Mystery author Evelyn David graciously sat down for an interview about writing, Whiskey, and murder. Wednesday, March 28 For anyone following the trials of Tabby, you’ll be happy to know she received a clean bill of health (finally!). Thursday, March 29 Combining stories in the news with the theme of mystery for … Continue reading →