Dear Fisher,

I saw an article in the paper about you and decided to check you out. I am a 2 year old great Pyrenees named Greta. My human tells everyone that I am the most laid back and gentle dog you will ever find. I am the perfect dog to take to hospitals, nursing homes, cancer center, and many other places where I behave perfectly and everyone loves me.

I am a certified therapy dog and I get along with every living creature with one exception. For some reason, when I see another Pyrenees I get ready for battle. If I get within 2 feet of another like me, it is fight time.

My worst behavior came out at a rescue group picnic a few months ago and there were at least 50-60 Pyrenees there! Things got so bad my human had to take me back to her car and crate me. It was awful. She has tried dog trainers and everything. What in the world do you think is wrong with me?

Greta

Dear Greta,

You can imagine I hear all sorts of issues from all sorts of critters. Some are easier to advise than others. I think yours is a very unique case.

Characteristics of the Pyrenees breed range from “gentle giant” to very independent, and even stubborn. Training could be difficult because you do not like to be told what to do. You can make your own decisions, thank you very much. On top of that you are absolutely adorable.

Since your issue is much more complicated than most, I am giving you 2 sites to explore. Both have more good information than I can include in my column:

1. The Woof and Word Press tells about Louie, a 4 year old Anatolian Shepherd/Great Pyrenees cross. Louie, like you, has that one trigger that turns him into a raging bull. In his case, it is not another Pyrenees – he is not at all aggressive toward other dogs and people. His aggression trigger is diesel engine vehicles. Even though this might cause a chuckle at the very idea, the behavior called barrier frustration/aggression is serious and can escalate quickly. It does sound a little like your going off on the other Pyrenees, don’t you think? Enjoy the read and I hope you find some answers there.

2. Leash Aggression in Dogs is an article by Kathy Sdao, MA, CAAB, where she explains your leash is restricting you – very much like barrier restriction. First you are restricted, then frustrated, anxious, and finally aggressive. Ms. Sdao provides suggestions for training techniques as well. Again, due to the extensive information, I will leave it to your human to find the information that will serve you best.

We are all in this together – any readers out their with helpful ideas for Greta? Please feel free to let us know.

Your friend,

Fisher

Dear Fisher,

We are Lola and Lucy, sisters. Our Dad is a great guy and we know he loves us tremendously, but he is allergic to us and has asthma that is getting worse. He says we are like mops of everything that is in the air, plus we have dander and saliva that he can’t tolerate.

He saw another doctor (a naturopath) in a bid to keep us and was told that if he could live apart from us for 6 months he could build up a tolerance so that we could live together.

Dad has a question (actually, Mom does). If we are separated for 6 months, will we remember Mom and Dad and/or will we be unhappy forever because of all the movement?

We are told that good friends of Mom and Dad (who are cat lovers) will be keeping us.
HELP!!!!!  (Life is so unfair!)

Many thanks,

Lola and Lucy

Dear Lola and Lucy,

I am very happy your Dad is doing everything he can to keep the family together, and I am pulling for a happy outcome for all of you. It is so great to have friends who are willing and able to help you out.

As you surely know, cats have a reputation for being sensitive to change. Change can cause them to get their little noses out of joint and display bad behavior for quite awhile, or they may just enjoy upsetting the humans for a bit and then quickly adapt to the changes. It all depends on your personality and the memories you hold. You might want to choose your behavior carefully.

Your family may find comfort in the knowledge that cat brains and their capacity for memory have been seriously studied. Research done at the University of Michigan and the Department of Animal Behavior at the American Museum of Natural History in the USA, shows cat memory is about two hundred times more than dog memory, and it is greater than in monkeys and chimpanzees. Some research concludes cats have both short term and long term memory.

Cat people who travel will attest to the fact that cats can really cop an attitude. Cats may act standoffish upon their return. The cats have not forgotten who you are – they remember who you are and they want a good explanation of where you have been. Short term, the attitude is quickly readjusted when all parties fail to see the benefits.

Longer term separations require a little more planning. Your people can:

1. Pack a few pieces of clothing with their human scent for nap time snuggle-ups
2. Record their voices on tape for your listening pleasure
3. Send videos via the internet with them talking directly to you
4. Pack old toys and new toys, but save the very favorite toys for the reunion

Chetan Gupta has published a neat article on ArticlesFactory.com called “Intelligence of Cats”. I think you will all enjoy it and you will feel a little better about the pending separation.

May your time apart bring healing and your reunion bring happy new beginnings.

Your friend,
Fisher