Possible False Pregnancy
Dog seems to be in a trance
Q.   Hi. Hope you can help! I have a 2 yr old rott, female, spayed, who usually has the SWEETEST temperament. Every once in awhile does this "thing" where she goes into a "trance", seemingly not knowing where she is or who we are.

Before she was spayed, the vet said it may be a false pregnancy as she would take an item (like a hat) and be real protective of it. she hadn't done it since she's been spayed and last night we found her in the corner of the den DROOLING like a madman, her eyes looked SCARY kind of like transparent almost and she was acting REALLY weird. looking at us like she did not know us or where she was and would not eat (she's usually on a CONSTANT quest for food!) We were so worried we tried everything to snap her out of it even threw her in the pool! its noon the next day and she's ALMOST back to normal.

Have you ever heard of this behavior in rotts or any other dogs? She's SO smart, and we just got a pug puppy and she is SO gentle and loving with her, they are buds. We love Dakota so very much ANY help would be greatly appreciated!!!
Thank you.
Lisa

A.   Your vet's idea of a false pregnancy is still a possibility. Even a spayed dog will occasionally suffer from a false pregnancy. I would recommend feeding the dog smaller amounts of food more frequently throughout the day. It's healthier and may stop the constant searching for food. The trance you described has me more concerned. I would ask your vet to refer you to a veterinarian that specializes in neurological problems, as with human medicine. There are many specialists available in the veterinary field as well.
Good luck, Hugs & Kisses,
Warren Eckstein

Subject: Crazy cat
Q.   I'm writing regarding my mothers cat, which is part Siamese in him. I'm starting to believe that this cat is not a cat, but a dog. His day starts around 4:00 A.  m.-he wakes-up anybody he can to feed him a little snack. Then he will chase you around until you let him outside.

My mom had he declawed when he was little because he climbed curtains and acted bizarre. He likes nobody but my mother. He could be sitting on the floor and suddenly spring up and literally bite someone. He once did that to my brother-in-law, sunk his teeth right through his jeans and drew blood!!! When you talk to him it's like he's answering you, he grunts back.

Two friends were here one day, the one was scratching him and he went over and bit the other you have to tip the chair over practically. We found him the other day in the car in my daughters car seat. When my mom goes away, he destroys the house, won't come in and etc. She tells him, let's go to bed, and he goes in and gets on the bed. He doesn't bite her, comes when she calls him, he literally talks and answers her!!! If you move the furniture around he loses his mind and stalks around the house.

Do you have any answers as to what is wrong with this freak? Sometimes we have to lock the cat up when company comes.

A.   It's not unusual for cats to have a different time schedule than their owners. Cats are nocturnal by nature. The act that the family is getting up to feed and play with the cat at 4:00 am is just reinforcing his behavior.

I would suggest feeding and playing late in the evening, just prior to the family going to sleep. Try not to respond to the cat in the morning. I know it's easier said than done, but after a few weeks of the family ignoring his 4:00 am rising, he will get the idea.

With regard to his biting, let me state for the record that I am 100% against declawing. The behavior you describe is not atypical of a declawed cat. When you remove their claws, which are one of their best defense mechanisms, very often there's a major increase in biting! The best way to get control of this situation is to only stroke the cat for short periods and walk away before he becomes aggressive. If you notice any aggressive behavior, walk away or use a loud noise like a can filled with 20 pennies. Shake it in conjunction with the word NO!

-Warren Eckstein -

Dog - Rolling in Bathtub and Mouthing
Q. Hi, I have a 10 month old Rottie? The mother was Pure Rottie but not sure about the father. He is now 92 lbs at 10 months old and has two problems I would like explained.

One-this dog loves to get into the bathtub. He rolls around and acts silly and will sometimes want to drink the water from the spout. Is this normal?

Two-this is more important. This dog likes to put his mouth on you all the time. He will grab your hands, shirtsleeves, arms, fingers, etc. He closes his mouth around them and doesn't want to let go. Now some may consider this a bite but he doesn't seem to use that much strength, although with his teeth are sharp he never breaks the skin. I read somewhere where Rotties are very oral dogs. Is this the meaning? Thanks
Sandy H.

A. Dear Sandy,
First of all it's not unusual for any dog to enjoy rolling around in the bathtub. One of the reasons for that is the coolness of the ceramic and the second reason would be, no matter how clean your bathtub is, there is going to be a strong scent of the owner there and the dog likes to roll in that to get the scent on him.

The other problem that we are talking about is the fact that he is very mouthy. It's not specific to any breed to have an oral complex like this, however, what I would recommend doing is first of all increasing the exercise factor. When the dog is being really mouthy, rather than yelling at the dog and correcting him, you should put him on his leash and collar and go through some of the basic obedience commands to re-establish some firm positive authority with him. Also, you may want to start giving him a specific toy when he is really mouthy so that his focus is on the toy and not on you. Some corrections that work occasionally are the bitter products that are available on the market. Spray it on your hands prior to playing with the dog as well.

The oral problem that the dog has could be caused by any number of reasons. It could be due to being a part of an excessively large litter he might have stayed with his mom a little bit too long. It's nothing to worry about, he's only 10 months old. Chances are, if you are consistent with the exercise and using your obedience training, this problem will dissipate.
Good luck, good training.
Hugs & Kisses,
Warren

Pets and Anger -
Avoid arguing in front of your pets
Q. Dig Warren Eckstein's show. Was half listening to AM 710 here in the NY area and heard a sort of public service announcement regarding pets & anger....I am a bit concerned for a particular pet regarding this matter, & would greatly appreciate it if someone could please tell me what that announcement said.

A. Dear Sue & Winnie Poo Girl,
The announcement you are talking about was in effect suggesting to people that they should not argue or get angry in front of their pets. Dogs, cats and other animals are very sensitive to loud noises and really do pick up on the emotions of people when they are in an argument. It's the same effect that fighting parents have on their children. This can create a very shy dog, or in some cases, aggressiveness on the dog's part towards people when they are talking loudly.

If you must argue, and we all have to get into our disagreements once in awhile, I recommend going into another room. I do believe that arguing and fighting in front of your pet is psychologically abusive and definitely psychologically harmful. Hugs & Kisses,
Warren

Puppy Training -
Seperation Anxiety and peeing in crate
Q. Dear Warren,
My wife and I have a 13 week old Rhodesian Ridgeback, named Chloe, which we adopted at 8 weeks. She is a wonderful addition to our family and we are very happy with her. My wife and I both had dogs growing up and we even took the time to read a few books on raising a puppy prior to getting her. She really adapted well to our home. But unfortunately, Chloe has developed a problem over the last 2 weeks which has caused great concern.

The breeder began crate training her at a young age (before we received her) and we have continued with the same. She arrived via airplane in a small crate. We used that crate for 3 more weeks until she grew out of it. We now use a metal crate 24" X 24" X 36" which has been reduced to approx. 10" deep X 24" wide.

We learned that reducing the size of the crate may help reduce the risk of an accident. Chloe is able to sleep from 9:30 PM to 5:30 or 6:00 AM without the need for a potty break. We let her go potty just before we put her in the crate at 9:00 AM or so when we go to work and by 11:30 AM or noon, when I am able to return to feed her, she has peed in her crate.

I clean the crate and put her back in for 2 or 3 hours in the afternoon and sure enough she pees again. The neighbors say that sometimes during our absence, Chloe yelps and barks (at times for up to 30 minutes or so).

For the first few weeks, we used the small crate in the bedroom for her to sleep in and the larger crate down stairs in the living room for the daytime when we are not home. We initially used a doggy pad with a soft sheet for her to lay on while in the metal crate.

Due to this problem, we eliminated the sheet and then the pad all together, only using a few sheets of newspaper. We did this hoping to make it uncomfortable for her if she has another accident. Unfortunately, the accidents continued and she would just tear up the newspaper afterwards.

Just today, we decided to put her in the crate with nothing on the floor and only a small toy for her to play with. We monitor her water intake and she is let out to eliminate every hour or so.

What can we do to correct this problem without quitting our jobs and never leaving her alone? The local veterinarians haven't been too helpful with ideas. Can puppies suffer from separation anxiety??? How can we help her to get past this?

Any advice you may have for my wife and I will be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for your time and attention to our problem and we look forward to hearing you again on Washington DC's MIX 107.3 FM radio station.

A. Dear John & Belle McGaha,
Yes, it is very common for dogs to suffer from separation anxiety. We are living in a latchkey dog world where dogs are left for long periods of time by themselves.

First of all, let me state for the record that I am not pro crate-training at all. I think it causes more problems than it resolves. What I would recommend doing is finding an area in the house, perhaps an area in the kitchen, that you can gate off. Make sure you neutralize the floor, using one of the odor neutralizers that are available on the market, before putting Chloe in there.

Start off by finding an area that Chloe is comfortable with. Put two food dishes down, instead of one, one on each side of that area plus a lot of her toys. Leave a radio on for her, as loud as you can, without disturbing the neighbors and I would also recommend getting her on a regular schedule, in terms of taking her outside.

Housebreaking should not take more than 12 - 14 days. Part of the problem is that because of the crate, Chloe became accustomed to staying with the mess therefore it doesn't bother her as much as it would bother a dog that hadn't gone through the crate training. I recommend confinement in a small area. As she's behaving, increase the area a little bit at a time, or decrease it according to how frequently she's having the accidents. This should be very beneficial to you. Start your basic training at a very young age.

In terms of the separation anxiety, one of the things I would recommend doing is, even when you are home with Chloe, start going into another room and leaving her by herself for short periods, or go out of the house, coming back in five or ten minutes later so she doesn't assume that every time you leave it's going to be for a long period of time.

Another good idea that might be beneficial to you is finding one item that the Chloe absolutely adores, and the only time she gets that item is when you are gone. Pick it up immediately upon coming home, so again her focus is on something different when you leave. This should not be a major problem and should be resolved relatively rapidly.
Good luck, good training.
Hugs & Kisses,
Warren

Dogs - Fighting and Breaking up a Fight
Q. Dear Warren
We have a Lab - age 7 & a springer spaniel - age 3. They are both assertive with one another. Our lab, Allie is the alpha - Our springer, Xena still occasionally wants to be. They have had a few fights, but no one had been bitten although they sound and act aggressive during the encounter. They are good friends and play with one another constantly. The problems occur when they both want the same toy.

A few days ago they got into a frienzed fight out of nowhere over a rawhid chew. I was on a lounge chair - they were on either side by my feet and somehow one of them got my foot. Reaction was to pull my foot away and ended up at the emergency room with a deep 2" rip on my foot Also several punctures on my wrist still trying to separate them. Believe it or not they both came away without scratch and immediately became the best of friends.

The question is "what is the best way to break a dog fight"? I don't want them to hurt each other, and know I handled the situation badly. We love these girls so much and "yes, they are spoiled. Both went to obediance school and listen to my husband and I gladly - How can such sweet dogs turn on each other like this and what do we do? Would pepper spray be a humane way to stop them? Would sincerely appreciate any help on this matter. Also, I've heard about "springer rage" can you elaborate on this? Thank you so much Warren. Looking forward to hearig from you.
Norma.

A. Dear Norma,
First of all, let me clarify the "Springer Rage" Syndrome. Years ago there was a problem because of the over breeding and popularity of the breed. However, the Springer breeders, for the most part, have alleviated the problem of what was called "Springer Rage." In terms of Allie and Xena fighting, it's not unusual for any two living things in a household to get into disagreements. However, very frequently owners don't realize that two dogs stuck in the same backyard, in the same house, day in and day out are going to get really aggressive from time to time with each other.

What I recommend doing is taking them on neutral turf occasionally, perhaps a special walk to a park, or maybe to a beach. The concept is to get them out of the environment where either one of them has to feel territorial or possessive. If there is a problem with possessiveness over toys, you may be putting down six toys or even a dozen toys at a time. What I recommend doing is putting down many toys, maybe 20 or 30 toys at a time, and adding new ones, three or four at a time. The more toys down, the less apt they are to fight. In terms of your specific question, breaking up a fight, what I find to be the best resolution is to go either to a marine hardware store or perhaps a sporting goods store and purchase one of those loud air horns that people use at sporting events, or when they are on small boats. One blast coming from you when the two dogs are fighting with each other should be a good way to resolve the problem.

As with people that love each other, usually the fights go on and after the fights, everything is forgiven. However, the fights can become dangerous, so what I would recommend doing is exposing them to neutral turf and using that air horn.
Good luck and good training. Hugs & Kisses,
Warren

Dogs - Housesoiling Problems
Q. Dear Warren
I have a 2 year-old male yorkie who pees in the house all the time. He knows that it is wrong and if he hears the word "pee" or sees us cleaning up his pee, he will run and hide. We used to live in a house with a doggy door and he would go outside all the time. Then we had to move into an apartment where he could not go out when he wanted to. Now, we are back in a house with a big yard and the doggy door and he is scared to go outside. I will take him out and set him in the grass and he is afraid to move.

He has also started pooping in the house and he has never done that. We just bought a brand new home and do not want the smell of dog urine on our new carpet and furniture. We did get him neutered and he did not do anything in the house for a week and we thought he was cured, but there is something about the back yard that he does not want to go out there. Have you ever heard of such a thing and what can I do to keep him from using the bathroom in the house? We also have a 6 year-old Basenji who will not go in the back yard either. He holds it until we get home and take him out in the front yard.
Thanks!
April

A. Dear April,
This unusual problem seems to be due to the location of your new home. Perhaps there are some other animals in the area. I don't know if you live in an area where there may be deer, raccoons or possum. Sometimes small dogs, when they smell that scent in the backyard, are a little fearful of going out there, however, that would not account for the Basenji, which are tough little dogs. There is obviously some scent in your backyard that's causing the dogs not to go.

The best way to resolve that problem is to spend more time out there, not specifically for them to go to the bathroom. Maybe take them out there after they've gone on the front lawn and just sit there with them with a special toy or a special treat or some special item, even if it's late at night or early in the morning. Let them get comfortable out in that yard with you. I think that will help make a major difference.

In terms of the doggie door, some dogs are afraid of new doggie doors. I would tape it open if possible and have you or someone else that they know on one side and someone on the other side. Make it a fun game and let them know as soon as they go out they can come right back in, but definitely tape that top of the door up so it is consistently open. I think that would be helpful as well. In the house now where the dog has had accidents, I would use an odor neutralizer to clean it up.

The other thing I would recommend doing is starting to place some of the dogs' favorite food in a little paper plate in the areas where they have the accidents. The reason for that is dogs will rarely go where they see their own food. You don't have to have a new house that smells. Just follow my advice and I'm sure it will work well for you.
Good luck! Hugs & Kisses,
Warren

Rabbits: Using the Litter Box
Q.   I have a six-week-old rabbit and it only uses its litter box once in a while. I have tried treats, praises and patience. Do I leave him alone in his cage until he figures it out or do I let him out to play? Any dvice?
Jennifer

A.   Welcome to the world of owning a rabbit. Rabbits are great pets and relatively easy to litter box-train. What I recommend doing is keeping the rabbit in a small area.   Make sure you use an odor neutralizer to clean up any areas where the rabbit has previously had accidents. Place several small food dishes around the area, as rabbits tend not to go to the bathroom where they have their food. By placing the food around the area, and the litter box in one corner of the small area, the rabbit should get the idea rapidly.

You may want to try putting some of the rabbit droppings in the litter box prior, and if the rabbit starts having accidents in other areas besides the litter box, just move the food dishes around. He will get the ideA.   Use the odor neutralizer, give him a hug and a kiss, and in no time at all your rabbit will be totally litter box-trained.

Q.   How to housebreak a stray dog?
A.   First of all, let me thank you for taking this stray dog in and finding it a good home. Sometimes housebreaking a dog when they are going through a heat cycle is a little difficult, especially if she's never been totally housebroken before. However, housebreaking should not take more than 12 - 14 days.

The first step that you need to understand is to confine the dog, but not in a crate. Gate off a small area where the dog's bed, food, toys and all of her other items are. Start taking the dog out on a pretty consistent basis and when she does eliminate outside, give her a tremendous amount of praise. I mean hug and kiss her until she doesn't want it anymore.

Please note that the most important aspect of housebreaking is to neutralize areas where the dog has gone. I recommend an odor neutralizer to clean where the dog is confined. As the dog starts keeping that small area clean, you can start increasing it gradually by moving the gate. It's relatively easy to housebreak a dog, however, we have a dog here that's traumatized by being a stray and is going through the heat cycle. Have her spayed, confine her in a small area, increase the area gradually, feed her a good solid dog food and you should have a housebroken dog in no time at all.

Rambunctious Dog
Q.   This is our first dog - we got her about six weeks old from a county pound. She was already spayed, but is very rambunctious. She has slipped her collar, gotten out of a Halti collar, slipped out the door as it was closing, etc. and always heads two doors away. We went through courses of training at PETsMART store. She is at home alone during the day due to us working. Would going to a regular trainer help or is it US that needs the training? Will she be calming down soon? HELP!

A.   Congratulations on your first dog and thank you for adopting from a local shelter. Having a dog that has been out on the streets, and again we don't know exactly what her background is, can create some difficulties for the dog.

What I recommend doing is some good basic training. Now I know you said you were taking her to a pet store for training, but the training should really be accomplished by the family and in your home, where the dog is really having the problems. This is so you can confront the everyday environment the way the dog sees it. I recommend picking up a good book, start training her yourself and remember that a lot of exposure and socializing are really important. Will the dog calm down? The answer is yes, if you calm her down.

Sounds to me like she's a very bright and intelligent dog. Focusing on the basic commands, and also making your yard and home more interesting for her will go a long way.

Remember that she was out on the streets, probably never seeing the same thing twice, so I would recommend rotating her toys and increasing the exercise in the house. If you feel more comfortable hiring a professional trainer, I have no problem with that, but make sure you get great references and make sure you have someone that is going to come into the home and work with the family.

Exercise, mental stimulation by rotating the toys, and some good basic training by you, or with a professional, will go a long way in calming the dog gown. Don't get frustrated. Remember the dog was out on the streets and we don't know much about her. It's going to take time, but this is the type of dog that always turns out to be the very best. Good luck and good training!

Hugs & Kisses,
Warren.

What to do for a finicky eater?
Q.   Dear Mr. Eckstein,
We have an 8 month old Jack Russell Terrier, Nigel. He is a frustratingly picky eater. He simply disdains the Wysong growth formula we put out for him three times a day. We've tried adding doggie-gravy, liverwurst, chicken livers, you name it. We've been told to just leave his food down for a few minutes, and take it up if he doesn't eat it. We're trying that, but it doesn't seem to help. We are clicker training him, so he gets treats, but they are very small treats, so I can hardly imagine he's getting his fill. He's always ready to beg for food whenever we're eating (we never give him anything from the table), and he happily eats any snacks he can get a hold of. He will also eat bits of kibble from our hands most of the time.

When we first got him at 3 months, he was eating Hill Science Diet. He didn't want to eat at all then, which we belatedly realize is normal for a puppy in a new home (we didn't then). We got nervous, and we tried several different types of all-natural dog food which we had researched. Of course, he didn't really eat them either. Then we tried following the recipes in "Dr Pitcairn's Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats", which Nigel enjoyed for about 2 weeks before thumbing his nose at that, too. After varying the ingredients in "Dr Pitcairns" he lost all interest. He ate Wysong for a few days, and now hasn't eaten a regular meal in days.

We are very concerned for his proper growth and development. We do give him vitamins from Dr's Foster & Smith's catalog. The fact that he's not eating regularly makes his evacuations much harder to predict, which we're also not too happy about.

We're desperate. Do you have any advice you could give us? We'd be truly grateful.
Sincerely,
Lars F. Dada L.

A.   Dear Lars and Dada
First of all, it's not unusual for a puppy to have a finicky appetite and changing the foods around was one of the mistakes you made early on. By doing so, we tend to confuse our puppies.

What I advise doing is picking one food and sticking with it. The brand you mentioned is fine however, some of the better-known brands are equally as good. I recommend heating the food up - popping it in the microwave for a mini-second or two - dogs eat with their nose, no pun intended. In other words, if it smells good, they're more apt to eat it. So sometimes just by popping it in the microwave or heating it up a little bit, the dog will start responding to the food a little bit better.

I also suggest using my own HUGS & KISSES vitamin-mineral supplements - it's been known to help stimulate the appetites of finicky puppies, as well. In terms of begging at the table, try feeding him at the same time you're eating - I think that would also be beneficial. As I said, many of the foods on the market are fine - the most important thing at this stage of the game is to get the dog eating consistently. Don't bounce around from food to food pick a quality food, a brand name is preferable.

And then I recommend supplementing with the vitamin-mineral treat alongside. You might try feeding him small amounts of food throughout the day however, that can sometimes cause a problem as well. If that doesn't start working, then just feed him twice a day, which is the minimum amount of times that any dog should be fed.

I hope Nigel starts eating and doing well maybe you'll be writing me another letter in the near future saying, "Warren, how do I stop him from eating?!" God luck, and let me know how you're making out.

Biting Poodle
Q.   Dear Warren,
I have a toy poodle who will be two years old in October. I love Sparky dearly, but he constantly "puppy" bites me (my feet, my hands, etc.). I tell him to stop, but he continues until he feels like stopping. Sometimes it hurts. What can I do to discourage the behavior? He also does it to company.
Susan S.

A.   Dear Susan,
With regard to your toy poodle Sparky, his puppy biting on your feet and hands indicates to me that either he was separated a little bit too young from his litter, or perhaps he spent too much time with his litter. In other words, he views you as a littermate versus his pet human family member. Now, I'm sure that when he's nipping at your fingers and at your feet, you're probably giving him a lot of attention, because it hurts, saying "NO, NO, NO" and he's probably responding to that negative attention.

At this point, what I would recommend doing is picking up a product called "Bitter YUCK". Prior to playing with Sparky, spray some on your hands and feet so that whenever he goes to bite onto you, he gets this hideous taste in his mouth. Be consistent with this; it should help considerably.

Another step you may want to take to discourage this behavior is when he is really excited or when company comes over, find one or two very special items (besides all of his regular toys) that only come out when company is around, or when the two of you are alone and he is very excited. This way we can distract him and transfer his focus onto the special toys that he only gets at these times, versus your hands and feet. Use the BEST BEHAVIOR, use the BITTER APPLE, be consistent; I'm sure in no time at all, your toes on your feet and your fingers on your hands will be fine, and you'll have a happy-go-lucky puppy. Good training, good luck!
Hugs & Kisses,
Warren

Stubborn Little Cockatiel
Q.   Hi Warren,
I've got a bright, stubborn little cockatiel. He's just about a year old and I've had him since October '99. He was supposed to have been hand raised but it took me four months to tame him to where he was responsive and had become very sweet and obedient. I then boarded him for three days with the people I had bought him from while I went away for the weekend. When I returned he refused to "talk" to me for three days. Very shortly thereafter I took him to a vet to have his wings clipped and for a check-up since his droppings were sticking to him. That really traumatized him.

Since then, he has become very distrustful and very independent. He seems happy, sings up a storm and constantly yells "Hi Sweetheart" "OK Sweetheart" and when I cover him up at night says "Goodnight Sweetheart." He also says "Kiss Kiss" and "Mackie Good Boy." When I clean the cage in the morning, he won't let me take him out but wants to come out on his own. He climbs to the top of the cage and will either sit there or fly down to the floor and starts following me around the kitchen. He'll climb on my finger at that point and will sit on my arm while I get his food, etc. From there he'll come onto my finger and I can put him back in his cage, but if he's on top of his cage he won't come onto my finger, or if he gets on my shoulder, he refuses to come off and runs from side to side or to the middle of my back and won't "step" when I asked him to. He also nips at me when I try to pick him up. Doesn't bite, but threatens.

Warren, what can I do to make him just a little more obedient? If he were, I could give him much more freedom. Help!! Incidentally, his name is Mackie (from Mack the Knife) and I think HE'S got ME completely under his control.

A.   First of all, in terms of the aggression of your bird, it was probably created (as you observed) when he went back to the people you purchased him from. It's not unusual for a small cockatiel to be a little hand-shy; very frequently when they're biting at your fingers, it's not so much aggressive behavior as it is what we call "perch testing."

It sounds to me like the bird might have been perch testing at the beginning and people would be pulling their hands away, making the bird fearful of hands. So what you need to do is overcome that phobiA.   The best way to do that is to keep your hand in the cage at night, when it's pitch black and the cage is covered and there's nothing for Mackie to focus on - just stick your hand in there. Let him get really familiar with your hand, being around the scent of your hand - you may even want to take the cover of his cage and really get your scent all over it by rubbing it with your hands, so he becomes comfortable with it.

Don't back away when the bird bites, because each time you back away, you're creating (again) a situation where the bird feels what he's doing is the right thing and therefore, the fear is warranted. Put your hand in the cage; it's not a Macaw, it's not going to bite that badly! The most important thing is to get your scent in there, keep your hand in there when it's pitch black at night - it's not going to happen overnight. Give him his favorite treats during the day when you're putting your hand in there and he will come around.

He sounds like a young enough bird, and having worked with literally thousands of birds with this type of problem -- I can assure you that, with consistency on your part, in a few weeks you'll start seeing Mackie's confidence build up and him being more and more comfortable getting on your finger.

Using the words "step" or "step up" is fine each and every time he gets on your finger; however, there may be a negative connotation with that word now. So pick up a new word and start from scratch - use "up" or whatever word you want. But pick out a new word, so that he doesn't associate the old word with maybe some negative things that happened in the past.

Good luck,
Hugs & Kisses,
Warren

Subject--New Guinea Pig
Q.   We just got a Guinea pig a couple of weeks ago. He seems healthy and normal, but since this is our first pet we aren't sure about one thing. Sometimes when we are holding him he will poop and reach down and eat it. Is that normal or will that make him sick? He eats all the time, so I don't think he is hungry. Do you have any answers? Plus, we are having a hard time getting him to use his water bottle. Are they suppose to drink a lot or do they get it from all the veggies and fruits that they eat?
Lynn

A.   Dear Lynn,
Guinea pigs are known for their great appetites and their need to drink lots of water First, the poop eating may have been to get him used to the bottle, or try a different bottle. Guinea pig vitamins are available that you add to the water and this may help with the poop eating. Feed him not too many greens and only dark leaf varieties. Some specialty treats are available for Guinea pigs. Try getting a kiddy pool with no water in it, of course. It's a great place for them to exercise.

© Warren Eckstein