address!)
Sometimes a therapist will diagnose a chemical imbalance in the dog that has triggered this depression. In such cases, one
of several canine antidepressants may be prescribed. The most popular and trustworthy ones include:
• Rexapro™: Primarily prescribed for dogs named Rex, this drug has lately also been proven effective with dogs named Rocky.
• Spanielavil™: Prescribed mainly for sporting dogs, Spanielavil has side effects that include excessive friskiness, drooling,
and uncontrollable ear floppiness.
• Boxil™: Originally developed for boxers, this drug has a user base that has expanded to include pugs, bulldogs, Boston terriers,
and other breeds with mashed-in faces.
• Schnauzoloft™: Proven unusually effective with mixed breeds, or mutts, although during initial stages of use special care
should be taken to avoid accompanying owners driving or operating heavy machinery.
• Welshbutrin™: Especially valued for its minimal sexual side effects, although many owners report an increased tendency for
their dogs to chase their own tails.
Other medications are available. Owners should be sure to consult a qualified canine psychopharmacologist for a proper diagnosis
and prescription, and not just order blindly from the many dog drug Web sites that, unfortunately, have begun to proliferate
online.
EMOTIONS, BEHAVIOR, AND YOU
No book written for the general public can possibly deal with all potential physical and emotional problems of every kind
of dog. Each breed has its own weaknesses and susceptibilities, and each dog-owner relationship has its own specific characteristics.
Therefore, the Q&A below is intended to discuss some general problem-solving approaches. All dogs referred to have been, or
currently are, raised Jewish.
Q: My dog is normally well behaved, but when my decorator Harriet comes to the house, she wears a bit more makeup than we’re
used to, and it scares the dog and he barks at her. What do I do?
A: This is not the dog’s fault. Too much makeup can indeed be frightening. Either start to wear a lot of makeup yourself,
to accustom the dog to it, or tell Harriet to wear a mask.
Q: Every day my dog, Peaches, barks at the mailman, both when he comes to our house and ten minutes later, when he crosses
from house to house on the other side of the street. Why is this, and can it be remedied?
A: Peaches may be reacting to a dim ancestral memory from her Jewish forebears who lived in New York, Chicago, Baltimore,
and other cities in the nineteen teens and twenties. She may believe that the mailman, with his distinctive cap, is a streetcar
conductor coming to ask you for money that, she somehow knows, you need not pay. So she chases the “conductor” away until
the next day. To remedy this situation, try inviting the mailman in for a cup of coffee or, preferably, for an overnight stay.
After a few visits the dog will regard the mailman as neither an intruder nor a streetcar conductor, but as a member of the
family. If this solution proves to be impractical, get a post office box.
Q: I am raising my dog, Cassie, to be a Reform Jew. Now she insists on sitting on my lap while I’m driving. No matter how
often I place her on the passenger seat, she eventually climbs into my lap and sits up, looking out the side window while
I have to work the steering wheel around her. What should I do?
A: This is a classic problem. When we first began addressing it in our teaching sessions at the Seminary, we advised hiring
a chauffeur.
Please note that we do not recommend this solution any longer
. Experience has taught us that the dog usually just sits in the chauffeur’s lap. Our current thinking on this matter leads
us to suggest that you teach her to drive. Naturally, you will have to work the pedals. But there is no reason she can’t learn
to turn the steering wheel, so long as you keep your hands on it as a precaution.
Q: My dog doesn’t like
Sometimes a therapist will diagnose a chemical imbalance in the dog that has triggered this depression. In such cases, one
of several canine antidepressants may be prescribed. The most popular and trustworthy ones include:
• Rexapro™: Primarily prescribed for dogs named Rex, this drug has lately also been proven effective with dogs named Rocky.
• Spanielavil™: Prescribed mainly for sporting dogs, Spanielavil has side effects that include excessive friskiness, drooling,
and uncontrollable ear floppiness.
• Boxil™: Originally developed for boxers, this drug has a user base that has expanded to include pugs, bulldogs, Boston terriers,
and other breeds with mashed-in faces.
• Schnauzoloft™: Proven unusually effective with mixed breeds, or mutts, although during initial stages of use special care
should be taken to avoid accompanying owners driving or operating heavy machinery.
• Welshbutrin™: Especially valued for its minimal sexual side effects, although many owners report an increased tendency for
their dogs to chase their own tails.
Other medications are available. Owners should be sure to consult a qualified canine psychopharmacologist for a proper diagnosis
and prescription, and not just order blindly from the many dog drug Web sites that, unfortunately, have begun to proliferate
online.
EMOTIONS, BEHAVIOR, AND YOU
No book written for the general public can possibly deal with all potential physical and emotional problems of every kind
of dog. Each breed has its own weaknesses and susceptibilities, and each dog-owner relationship has its own specific characteristics.
Therefore, the Q&A below is intended to discuss some general problem-solving approaches. All dogs referred to have been, or
currently are, raised Jewish.
Q: My dog is normally well behaved, but when my decorator Harriet comes to the house, she wears a bit more makeup than we’re
used to, and it scares the dog and he barks at her. What do I do?
A: This is not the dog’s fault. Too much makeup can indeed be frightening. Either start to wear a lot of makeup yourself,
to accustom the dog to it, or tell Harriet to wear a mask.
Q: Every day my dog, Peaches, barks at the mailman, both when he comes to our house and ten minutes later, when he crosses
from house to house on the other side of the street. Why is this, and can it be remedied?
A: Peaches may be reacting to a dim ancestral memory from her Jewish forebears who lived in New York, Chicago, Baltimore,
and other cities in the nineteen teens and twenties. She may believe that the mailman, with his distinctive cap, is a streetcar
conductor coming to ask you for money that, she somehow knows, you need not pay. So she chases the “conductor” away until
the next day. To remedy this situation, try inviting the mailman in for a cup of coffee or, preferably, for an overnight stay.
After a few visits the dog will regard the mailman as neither an intruder nor a streetcar conductor, but as a member of the
family. If this solution proves to be impractical, get a post office box.
Q: I am raising my dog, Cassie, to be a Reform Jew. Now she insists on sitting on my lap while I’m driving. No matter how
often I place her on the passenger seat, she eventually climbs into my lap and sits up, looking out the side window while
I have to work the steering wheel around her. What should I do?
A: This is a classic problem. When we first began addressing it in our teaching sessions at the Seminary, we advised hiring
a chauffeur.
Please note that we do not recommend this solution any longer
. Experience has taught us that the dog usually just sits in the chauffeur’s lap. Our current thinking on this matter leads
us to suggest that you teach her to drive. Naturally, you will have to work the pedals. But there is no reason she can’t learn
to turn the steering wheel, so long as you keep your hands on it as a precaution.
Q: My dog doesn’t like
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