Most animal experts agree surgery should be the last resort. Behaviorists make these suggestions:
Barking solutions
– Obedience training, increased attention and exercise.
– Careful selection. Many breeds-beagles and terriers for instance-are known to bark a lot.
– Shock collars, advertised in dog magazines and available in some pet-product stores. The dog barks and gets a mild shock.
Scratching solutions
– Scratching post covers. Cats do not like most commercially made posts because the fibers run in two directions; cats prefer running their claws along fibers that run up and down. If you replace your couch covering, save the damaged cloth to wrap around the post.
– To get a cat interested in a scratching post, place it in the middle of the room. Gradually move it toward the wall.
