The doorbell rings, your company arrives, and your dog races to greet everyone. Sound familiar? I’ve been there! Place training for dogs teaches your pooch where to go and helps them stay calm during everyday situations like this and more. Now imagine your dog calmly walking to one designated spot, settling comfortably, and waiting until…
Despite the intimidating name, this type of aggression is actually much more common than most people realize. In simple terms, a dog learns to use aggression as a tool to influence the behavior of the people around him. He discovers that growling, snapping, or biting can be effective ways to get what he wants. Sometimes…
After more than 30 years of traveling with dogs, I’ve learned that a successful road trip with a dog has very little to do with what happens on the road and everything to do with what happens beforehand. Packing the right dog travel essentials matters, but the dogs who travel best understand routines, can settle…
Progress is messy. Dogs improve, regress, improve again, plateau, then suddenly surprise you months later with major long-term improvement. The road is jagged. But over time, if the work is done properly and consistently, many dogs can improve dramatically. 4. Consistency: The Quiet Difference-Maker Dog behavior professionals can usually tell very quickly whether owners are…
By Mikayla Morris, CPDT-KA, DCBEC What Is Canine Confidence? Canine confidence is a dog’s ability to feel safe, calm, and self-assured in a variety of situations. Confident dogs tend to show neutral, relaxed reactions around people, other dogs, new environments, unfamiliar noises, handling, and changes in routine. Confidence does not mean a dog is overly…
“Reactivity” is a broad term; it’s a term that has become almost meaningless in the world of dog behavior. It simply means the dog is overreacting to something in the environment (e.g., strangers, other dogs, certain sounds, motion, etc.). That reaction may include barking, lunging, whining, hiding, freezing, pulling away, or trying to escape. Aggression…
Owners tend to label behavior problems in simple terms: “He’s stubborn,” “She’s not listening,” or “He knows better but ignores me.” But dogs don’t operate from a place of defiance in the way we tend to think. What you’re seeing is usually the surface expression of something deeper: anxiety, conflict, fear, or reinforced behavioral loops…
That doesn’t mean it’s impossible to address. But it does mean you need to understand what’s actually driving the behavior in order to properly treat it, not just react to what you see on the surface. The root cause of many behavior issues, minor and serious, is frequently not what the dog’s owner thinks it…
Figuring out how to train your dog when it’s too hot outside is a common challenge during warm weather months. When the weather gets warmer, long walks and outdoor training sessions may need to be shortened or avoided altogether. The good news is that training does not have to stop. With the right tools and…
Is It Right for Your Dog? If your neutered male dog has persistent anxiety, fear-based reactivity, or physical slowing that hasn’t responded to traditional behavior modification from a qualified dog behaviorist and hasn’t responded to behavioral medication, a hormonal panel might be the missing link. Cautionary Note While it would be nice to think that…
