In many households, it’s a common early-morning scene. Everyone is scrambling to get ready for work, school, day care, camp or other activities.
Meanwhile, Fido the dog or Fifi the cat is watchfully waiting for that leisurely walk or that scratch behind the head. Instead, the human members of the house are suddenly gone-with their pets left behind, often lonely and bored.
So what’s a pet to do?
Bark? Look for a new spot on the carpet to mark? Find those favorite shoes to chew?
Pets under stress will do all these and more, and an increasing number of pet owners are looking for help, according to area trainers and animal behavior consultants.
Stress in animals, especially dogs, often comes from isolation, said Julie Deutsch, public education officer for DuPage County Animal Control in Wheaton.
“The modern-day dog really has it tough,” Deutsch said. “When no one is home, the dog is not learning to fit into the human lifestyle. Companionship is a psychological need for these animals.
“Even cats, typically regarded as loners, need socialization,” she said.
More than 65,000 dogs and 35,000 cats are registered to DuPage County residents. Deutsch estimates that there are actually twice as many cats and dogs as pets because many owners fail to vaccinate and register their animals.
Although more Illinois households own dogs (35 percent) than cats (27 percent), cat ownership nationwide is increasing at a quicker pace than dog ownership, according to a 1991 study by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) headquartered in Schaumburg.
“Cats have come to the fore as being the most popular home pet,” said Dee Jenkins, an AVMA spokeswoman.
AVMA’s figures also show that a greater number of people own more than one cat compared to those who own more than one dog.
“Our lifestyle is definitely impacting our pets,” said Sandy Myers, a Naperville pet trainer. “Today’s dual-income families leave the pets alone all day, and you get stress-related behaviors.”
Myers, who has been training dogs, cats, pigs and birds for 16 years, said her business has doubled in the past year. She now sees more than 500 dogs and cats a year for behavior problems and more than 700 for obedience classes.
Pet stress may show in destructive chewing or scratching, barking or howling, litter box or elimination problems and other aggressive or antisocial behaviors, Myers said.
“But all of these things can be handled if addressed early,” she said.
Cats, by nature are more independent than dogs, can benefit from training. But dogs really need it, Myers said.
“We get a lot of calls on cat behaviors,” said Jan Kramer, president of the board of directors of the Naperville Humane Society. “Cats view themselves as owning you: `I let you live here, I let you feed me, I let you pet me.’
“Dogs are pack animals, bred to be with people,” Kramer said. “They want to be with people more than other dogs, while cats like to be with other cats.”
To ease socialization for new cat pets, the Naperville shelter routinely encourages adoptive owners to get a second cat for company. Dog owners are strongly urged to enroll in training courses.
“Dogs can’t be left alone and turn out to be well-behaved,” Kramer said.
Dog owner Vince Cuchetto of Wood Dale knows. As a puppy, his dog, Casey, ate a couch while Cuchetto was at work. They both got into training 3 1/2 years ago and haven’t quit.
“I realized that the dog was in control of me,” said Chuchetto, a student of the Dog No. 1 training program in Bensenville. Through consistent reinforcement and attention, Casey has become the best behaved dog, Cuchetto said.
“A dog wants to be led, and early training teaches the animal who’s in charge” said Jackie Sniegowski, trainer and behavioral consultant for the Lombard Veterinary Hospital.
“Many people wait until there’s a behavior problem to look for training,” she said. “Getting your puppy into training by six months can help mold its behavior.”
Obedience training for young dogs is geared to teaching manners and basic commands, said Sniegowski, who conducts beginning and advanced six-week Canine Dynamics classes from April through October.
Behavioral training involves observing specific problem behavior in a dog or cat, figuring out the reasons for the behavior and learning ways to modify it, she said.
“We know a lot more about dogs than we did 5 to 10 years ago,” said Peter Gabor, owner of Cedar Lane Kennels in Downers Grove for the past 17 years. “The greatest problem I see is when owners treat their dogs as inanimate objects,” said Gabor, who conducts 10 puppy and adult dog training classes per week.
“I’m not against people working and having pets, but owners have to realize it takes time to teach dogs,” said Gabor, who also offers obedience training programs for the Downers Grove park district and the Willowbrook recreation department.
Most veterinarians routinely recommend training to pet owners, according to Dr. Steve Rohrback, veterinarian at Amber Leaf Animal Hospital in Winfield.
“A lot of behaviors that erupt when the animal is older occur because the owner hasn’t taken the time to get training when the pet is younger,” said Rohrback, who provides behavior counseling for dogs and cats. “A lot of people almost regard pets as disposables: `If this one doesn’t work out, we can always go and get another one.”‘
Training class fees vary widely, depending on where and how the training is done-in a class, in the home, as a group or one-on-one; the most expensive are anywhere from $125 to $800 for four to six visits.
Many park districts offer classes in dog training for $45 to $75 for six- to eight-week classes.
Trainers, vets and breeders agree that the cost of training is well worth it.
“When people go through a training program, they can come home and enjoy their pet, even if they have a busy lifestyle,” said Judy Vacha, trainer for seven years with Dog No. 1.
The 12-year-old dog training program now boasts group, private and semiprivate classes throughout the year at its headquarters and park districts in Hinsdale, Lombard, Glendale Heights, Hanover Park, Bartlett, River Grove, Melrose Park, West Chicago, Bensenville and Wheeling.
Designed for busy people, Dog No. 1’s three-week Puppy Survival Course helps new pet owners teach puppies manners, walking on leash and house training techniques.
Even an older dog can learn new tricks, Vacha said.
“Younger dogs can be hyper and more busy playing during training, while older dogs can be more settled down and willing to listen,” she said.
Whatever the age, consistency is the key with both dogs and cats, experts agree.
“It takes a little bit of time each day to reinforce rules,” said Steve Allen of Villa Park, who trains more than 500 dogs per year. “As the handler, you have to be willing to put in a little bit of work each day.”
Allen, who boards, grooms and breeds dogs at his Masters Pride and Groom kennel, also works with the canine police program in Villa Park.
“Dogs are not born disobedient,” he said. “They learn to misbehave.”
