Universal Press Syndicate
Q: We adopted a great beagle mix from our shelter. She loves the kids and they love her. But I'm about ready to take her back!
The problem is she eats cat poop from the litter box and at the park. I've never heard of such a thing. It's disgusting, and I don't want her around the kids after she does it. Who knows what disease she could give them? We've spanked her, but she just sneaks in anyway when we're not looking. -- W.P., via e-mail
A: Litter boxes are irresistible to many, if not most, dogs: They're drawn to the undigested protein that remains in feline feces. Faced with a constant supply and ready access, no dog will be able to resist for long, which is why efforts to train your pet haven't been successful.
A better plan would be to restrict access, which can be accomplished in many ways, including:
Covered litter boxes. You can find litter boxes with lids at almost any pet-supply store, and this might fix the problem. Cats who have asthma shouldn't use them, some cats won't use them and some dogs are strong enough (or small enough) to get to the box anyway. But for some households, a covered box will solve the problem.
Change the litter box location. Make any change slowly, so as not to discourage litter-box use by your cat. But it doesn't hurt to experiment with such things as moving the litter box to a location above the dog's reach.
Provide barriers. One way is to rig a door so it stays open wide enough for the cat but not for the dog. One friend of mine did this by putting hooks on the edge of a door and the door jamb, and then by putting a length of chain between them to allow the door to stay open wide enough for the cat, but not for the dog. Another possibility is to cut a cat-sized hole through the door to the litter-box room. For a small dog who's able to fit through any opening a cat can, a baby gate is an alternative: The cat can jump over, but the dog cannot.
As for the park, keeping her on a leash is most effective, although you can also try getting a trainer to teach her the "don't touch" or "leave it" command.
Experiment with what works, and realize that punishment doesn't work when the reward is as wonderful (to your dog) as the litter box contents. This is one case in which training the family to make adjustments usually works much better than trying to train the dog.
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