Dog Training and Behavior
One of the trickiest canine behaviors to live with and understand is Resource Guarding. Why is it so difficult? It is very common for guarding dogs to be lovely, sweet, fun creatures 98% of the time. Then BAM! You forget that your dog gets snarky over sticks until you have to pry one out of …Read More
A dear friend of mine who does not LOVE dogs and lives in an elevator building often asks me how to politely tell her neighbors she does not wish to have dogs plunge their face into her laundry basket on her way home. Before you judge, she does not dislike animals. She simply does not …Read More
They lure you in with their good looks and charm. You spend countless hours together in the house, easily enjoying each other’s company. Yet, the instant you walk outside or have a friend come into your condo; your dog backs away, trembles and sometimes growls. If only people saw the wind-up tail bounding to you as you …Read More
Look at this face. You want to pet him, don’t you? Have you ever wondered if he wanted you to pet him? Just because a dog is cute and looks good to you does not mean he or she loves to be touched; especially by strangers. I am not suggesting that you get on hands …Read More
If you have ever been surprised by a sudden display of aggression, the following can help you safely diffuse the situation and prevent it from happening in the future. Once you do so, immediately call a qualified training and behavioral professional to help you determine the cause and also give you techniques to teach the dog new ways to cope with aggressive triggers. Be calm. If …Read More
After 11 years of living together and being completely unmoved by loud noises of any sort; my dear Finn started showing signs of anxiousness during storms. The first incident really took me by surprise and was very mild. He danced around a bit and followed me from room to room (which is not common). Once …Read More
Socialization does not mean pushing your dog to do something he is clearly uncomfortable doing. Unfortunately, well intending humans often do just that and the results can be very detrimental. I recently witnessed a common situation in which two on leash dogs walked towards each other and their guardians stopped to allow them to interact. …Read More
There are many dogs out there who like dogs but their friends need to be chosen wisely or new dogs in homes who are still aroused in unfamiliar environments and may be barking as a way to cope. The random street greeting should not be an assumed and many folks who say “my dog is …Read More
Many dog lovers’ initial response when seeing a dog walking towards them is to say hello while bending over and petting their new friend. This innate human behavior can send many dogs running for cover or even put them on the defense. Children tend to move more quickly, make higher pitched noises and touch dogs …Read More
What is it? Separation anxiety is a serious behavioral issue that the dog panics upon the departure and absence of his guardian. It is extremely sad to see dogs with full-blown separation anxiety as even the mildest departure triggers can cause severe emotional and behavioral responses such as: Chewing to get out of crate or …Read More
