PROBLEM PETS

Sadie a 5-month-old chocolate Labrador retriever owned by Chris Mitchell of Jackson took a break on the floor during puppy training class.

Habits doting adults deem adorable in the young are often labeled intolerable if displayed by a grown-up.

Just as children become adults, lovable puppies and playful kittens mature into dogs and cats with minds, wills and instincts all their own.

Seeing a pet from its first days to adulthood is a lot like rearing a child, several local veterinarians and other pet owners say.

Behavioral problems can surface at any time.

Local dog obedience instructor Carla Carr advises that when it comes to pets, "Nip something in the bud as soon as it starts. Address it right then and there, rather than keep hoping and praying that they'll outgrow it or it will go away."

Pet owners, like parents, are best equipped to address pet behavior problems armed with understanding.

While there are many possible reasons why a pet may exhibit behavior problems, including physical ailments, perspective is important, experts say. Caring for a pet may be akin to caring for a child, but the obvious distinctions must be recognized.

"Often, we treat our pets as little people. They're not, they're dogs and cats and so they react like dogs and cats. We need to adapt their instincts to our way of life," said veterinarian Gwenn Freitag of LaCroix Pet Hospital.

"It's important that we learn to think like them," Carr explained.

The impact of the evolving role of pets plays a part in the equation. "Used to be, house pets were the exception rather than the rule. Pets lived outside, they fended for themselves to some degree," observed veterinarian Wanda Pipkin of Merry Lea Animal Clinic in Jackson. "These days, it's much more common for pets to be confined to a house or an apartment."

Along those same lines, Freitag explained, "Because pets are becoming more and more a part of the family as opposed to being truly dogs and cats, we do see things like separation anxiety and stress."

Anxiety and stress in pets can manifest in behavior that may range from fearfulness to destructiveness.

Pipkin said two of the most common behavior problems she sees in both cats and dogs are elimination problems and aggressive displays, such as biting.

Attempts should be made to learn the reasons for the behavior, Pipkin said. "The first thing to do is make sure your pet is not having physical ailments that are contributing to the behavior problem."

Most often, healthy doses of patience and dedication can do the owner a world of good.

"When someone comes to me with a pet behavior problem, at the top of the list of things to do are increase supervision and exercise," Carr asserted, adding, "A tired dog is a good dog."

Prevention is key. For instance, she noted, "We wouldn't leave a two-year-old loose in our house without supervision; it's the same way with a puppy or even a young dog."

People often have unrealistic expectations of what behaviors are to be expected, Carr noted. Plus, certain breeds of dogs may exhibit certain tendencies.

"There are books available on how to select a breed that's matched to your personality and lifestyle," Carr said. "If you're looking to a mixed breed at a shelter, there are ways that you can look at the individual dog or puppy and get a feel as to what their individual temperament will be like."

Too often, when the "cute" wears thin, "that's when the dog ends up isolated, out in the yard by himself, or given away, or at the humane society," Carr said.

Jhan White hears the reports all the time. "You see a lot of different things; one pet doesn't get along with another pet in the house, or it's too aggressive with children, it barks too much, digs holes, won't stay in the yard," she said. White is administrator at the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri on Route W.

White and other professionals in the field encourage people whose pets are exhibiting behavior problems to gird themselves with determination, to learn, and to get advice from professionals.

"The majority of the time, even with problems where animals may be behaving in an aggressive manner, there are very specific techniques that can be used to modify the animal's behavior," White said.

In some cases, drugs may even be helpful, "but just like in people, drugs alone are not the answer," Freitag said. "Behavior modification, sometimes environment modification, working with the animal, and yes, medication if needed, can all go hand in hand."

Freitag shared this advice:

-- Begin working with and socializing the pet at an early age, discuss behavior molding techniques with a veterinarian.

-- Attend puppy classes and obedience classes.

-- Have the pet spayed or neutered.

-- Report any abnormal behavior to a veterinarian.

Having a pet is a long-term investment, Carr pointed out. After all, depending upon when the pet joins the family, "some of these pets you may have in the home longer than kids," she said.