OFF-SCREEN VOICE: My owner says he loves me.

WALI: “What?”

GREAT DANE DOG: Been over a year since I’ve had a bath.

POODLE IN HAT: Look at this outfit. I can’t leave my yard looking like this.

BULLDOG: At least you got a yard. I live in a studio.

CAT: I wish they would brush me more. I have a lot of knots in my fur.

BIRD: I like to be fed on time, every day.

MOUSE: So then he said to me, “Are you a man or a mouse?” I said, what, are you blind?

CAT: I find this collar so constricting.

DAUSCHUND: If they would just let me out more than twice a day, that’s all I ask.

POODLE IN HAT: I wish someone would talk to my owners about this.

WALI: I’ve got an idea!

WALI: I found a pet expert to go door to door with me to ask people about their pets. I found Dr. Vint Virga, a nationally acclaimed veterinary behaviorist, to help me out.

WALI: All right, I’m gonna ring and knock at the same time, just to impress you.

VIRGA: Oh, okay.

WALI: Hey, how are you? Oh!

MARY: I’m Mary Pat.

WALI: Hi Mary Pat.

VIRGA: Hi

MARY: This is Emily.

WALI: Hi Emily, how are you? I’m Wali Collins, this is Dr. Virga and he’s a pet behaviorist. We’re giving out free pet advice. Do you have a pet?

MARY:Yeah, we have a pet.

VIRGA:Ah,there she is.

WALI: What’s her name?

MARY: This is KC.

WALI: Hi KC!

SON:I take care of the dog the most because I take her outside a lot and I play with her a lot and I also take her to the bathroom and you know, just bring her food and water a lot, too.

VIRGA:So what’s it like to have a puppy in the house again?

MARY: Well, it’s like having a new baby, but she’s a really good puppy. She’s great. The kids get along with her really well.

MARY: The main thing is the nipping and jumping and stuff like that. You know, she’s constantly jumping on the kids and they get nervous and they just don’t know how to react to that.

VIRGA: The thing to remember is that she’s gonna have sharp teeth for a while. She’s still got her puppy teeth for several more months. So, besides discouraging the chewing type of behavior on people, you want to be giving her appropriate things. So, when she does bite sometimes, it’s fine to correct her, but then give her something appropriate to chew on, like a football or a chewy or a toy.

VIRGA: And provide plenty of toys for puppies. You know, remember, just like a child, their attention span is not gonna be that of the adult. You have to make a decision whether you want her to actually sleep with the kids or with you guys. My general recommendation is to actually let them have their own bed, just like you or I would have our own bed.

MARY: Wow, thank you so much!

VIRGA: You’re really welcome.

BOY: Why do cats like, they don’t take orders from people like dogs do?

VIRGA: Dogs are very people oriented in terms of wanting to please them and they kind of include us as part of their pack. Kitty cats, it’s different. They aren’t so much oriented towards pleasing people as part of a pack because, while they’re very social, they don’t tend to form a pack.

VIRGA: So you can teach cats to do tricks but they don’t do things naturally on command like dogs do because dogs aim to please. They are so oriented towards people.

VIRGA: I like to encourage people to give their cats opportunities to actually explore their environment. Take their food, divide it into two or three or even four little saucers and hide where the food is in the house each day.

NAT: Doctor, is it true that dogs and animals can sense when a person is scared of them?

VIRGA:Oh, I definitely think so. I think the thing that makes a great pet is first of all, we’ve gotta have that attraction. I meet people all the time that have one vision of a dog in mind and then because of what they were raised with, maybe because of what they were raised with as a child… So, looks aren’t always everything. And looks certainly don’t say anything, necessarily, about the personality of the dog, or the general temperament. So, I think it’s very important that we look at what the original breed was designed for.

VIRGA: For example, if you’re a city dweller and you’re not particularly an athletic person, maybe a greyhound might not be exactly the right type of breed for you. So, pick a dog that suits your lifestyle, but then, beyond that, the one that sings to your heart. I mean, it’s obvious.

WALI: Dr. Virga’s top five pet tips. Spend quality time with your pet each and every day.

WALI: Make sure their environment’s interesting for them to play and explore.

WALI: Be sensitive to the exercise needs of your pet.

WALI: Positive reinforcement works much better than verbal or physical corrections.

WALI: And remember, pets are emotionally sensitive to all the people around them.

Print Transcript