Ask Dr. Paola – Wall Chewing, Barking & Night Peeing (September 15, 2025)

Welcome to our “Ask Dr. Paola” sequence, the place each Monday we deliver knowledgeable recommendation straight from Dr. Paola Cuevas (MVZ) to assist our readers higher perceive their canine’s well being and well-being.

Whether or not you’re a brand new pet guardian or a seasoned canine lover, Dr. Paola is right here to offer solutions to your most urgent questions. From diet ideas and preventive care to troubleshooting widespread behavioral points, Dr. Paola is able to supply insights that can preserve your furry buddy blissful and wholesome. Keep tuned for knowledgeable steering on a variety of subjects that matter most to you and your canine, so you may make knowledgeable selections and supply the very best care in your canine companion. ‎Have‎ a ‎question? Send it in here!

Why Is My Canine Chewing the Partitions?

“Donny is a beagle, and I’ve learn that beagles get bored simply. He’s 2 years outdated and has at all times been effectively behaved, however just lately he’s taken to chewing our partitions — the corners, and the opposite day, the center of the wall. He acquired a gap in it after which chewed extra. We had been solely out for two hours! He has been left alone for 5-6 hours at a time since he was about 6 months outdated, so that is new conduct. What ought to we do? – Fred

Hello Fred,

What you’re describing with Donny is kind of widespread in younger, clever hounds like beagles. Chewing on partitions, significantly when it seems all of a sudden, typically indicators a mixture of boredom, frustration, and presumably separation-related stress. Though Donny has been snug being left alone for longer durations prior to now, at two years outdated, he’s in his prime vitality stage, and his want for psychological and bodily stimulation is larger than earlier than. Consider him as an athlete who all of a sudden has extra stamina; if he doesn’t get sufficient shops, that vitality can redirect into harmful chewing.

The very best strategy is to complement his setting and provides him jobs that faucet into his pure instincts. Beagles are scent hounds, so puzzle feeders, snuffle mats, and scent games are extremely satisfying for them. Meals-dispensing toys enable him to interact in pure foraging behaviors whereas minimizing hazards. Giving him an extended sniff-based stroll or structured play session earlier than you permit will even make it simpler for him to chill out. Since this can be a new conduct, I like to recommend ruling out any underlying medical causes, as gastrointestinal discomfort or dental ache can generally result in irregular chewing. If all checks out superb, specializing in structured train, psychological challenges, and offering acceptable shops for chewing ought to assist scale back the injury to your partitions. And, should you want a plan for Donny, you’ll be able to attain out to our vet workforce at PangoVet; we’re blissful to help you.

Sincerely,

– Dr. Paola

Assist! My Canine Barks Like Loopy Throughout Dinner!

“Hiya Dr. Paola,

Is there a strategy to get my canine Luna to cease barking like loopy when it’s meal time? Thanks “ – Pippa

Hello Pippa,

Many canines get very excited round mealtimes, and barking can rapidly turn out to be a part of the routine if it has been unintentionally bolstered. Luna has probably realized that barking is adopted by the very rewarding occasion of being fed, so in her thoughts, the noise works. The excellent news is that with consistency and persistence, you’ll be able to train her that calm conduct, not barking, is what makes dinner arrive.

Step one is to vary the affiliation by solely presenting her meal as soon as she is quiet, even when which means ready only a few seconds at first. Steadily lengthen the interval of silence you anticipate earlier than setting the bowl down. You can even redirect her vitality by asking for a straightforward cue she is aware of, like “sit” or “down,” and rewarding the conduct together with her dinner. Over time, this shifts her focus from barking to providing calm, predictable responses. Similar to youngsters be taught to lift their arms as an alternative of shouting for consideration, canines can be taught that stillness and quiet are the behaviors that repay. If you happen to want help by way of this course of, you could find us at PangoVet. We’re blissful to assist.

– Dr. Paola

Assist! My Canine Pee’s within the Center of the Night time!

“Hiya Dr. Paola,

I’ve a difficulty with Jersey, my 5.5-year-old Goldie. He has at all times slept effectively within the
storage in his mattress. Nonetheless, prior to now few weeks, he began scratching on the door in the midst of the evening. I rise up to take him out to pee, and generally he’ll return to sleep. I stroll him twice a day, he will get loads of consideration, I feed him effectively, and he eats. He additionally
began humping his lounge mattress, which is odd. Any thought what is going on and what I can do?” – Davey

Hello Davey,

When a canine who has at all times slept soundly all of a sudden begins waking at evening and scratching at doorways, you will need to first think about attainable medical causes. At 5 and a half, Jersey continues to be younger, however modifications similar to urinary tract infections, digestive upset, or early discomfort within the joints can all result in restlessness and the necessity to go outdoors extra steadily. The humping you describe can also level to discomfort, stress, or, in some circumstances, a medical issue involving the urinary or reproductive system. An intensive veterinary examination, together with a urinalysis and bodily verify, could be the most effective first step to rule out something underlying.

If Jersey receives a clear invoice of well being, then the conduct could also be extra associated to realized patterns or emotional wants. As soon as a canine experiences that scratching brings you to the door and leads to going outdoors or gaining consideration, it could actually turn out to be a behavior. In these circumstances, reinforcing calm conduct, making certain a constant bedtime routine, and maybe offering a quiet exercise similar to a protected meals puzzle earlier than mattress may help him settle. For the reason that modifications appeared comparatively all of a sudden, although, I’d strongly encourage beginning with a veterinary verify to verify nothing bodily is driving the brand new indicators. When you rule out any medical issues, should you want help along with his conduct, you’ll be able to contact our vets at PangoVet. We’d be blissful that will help you create a particular behavioral modification plan for Jersey.

Bset!

– Dr. Paola

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