At the simplest level, dogs bark to communicate. Your dog’s bark is just as unique as your voice! Interestingly, I can pick out my dog’s bark from a kennel full of other barking dogs. I also, typically, can tell what they are trying to communicate through the tone of their bark. I know when my … [Read more…]
Socializing your dog with other dogs is tricky! If you don’t do it right, you could be speeding down the road to your vet hospital to have him stitched up! It isn’t rocket science, but there are some common mistakes that people make that set their dogs up for failure and put them at risk! … [Read more…]
Dog to dog aggression is a problem that causes suffering for many dog owners, and their dogs. There are two main concerns I have noted as big causes during my 25 year career. Owners Who Inadvertently Cause Dog Aggression Yes, it is true… you can actually be the CAUSE of your dog’s dog aggression. Exposure … [Read more…]
For many animal lovers, it’s obvious that you’d want a home with multiple pets, even if they’re different species. If your home has one or two canine family members, there’s a good chance at some point you may want to expand your family by adding a friendly feline to the mix. However, to make sure … [Read more…]
“Take Your Dog to Work Day” is June 22!! Since the concept was launched in 1999, “Take Your Dog To Work Day” has become a huge success celebrated by many companies. After all, what business wouldn’t benefit from a little furry face and some unconditional love? Pet Sitters International coined the term and came up … [Read more…]
Leashes provide us with a means to communicate and control our furry friends. I love leashes! But, not all dogs or puppies love leashes…at least, not in the beginning. One of my veterinarian friends just got a puppy that hated her collar! She spent close to 3 weeks throwing herself on the ground and scratching … [Read more…]
Unfortunately, we seem to be in a time when very few dogs are receiving the socialization or training they need to be good companions and good canine citizens. I see a lot of dogs that are reactive to a large majority of situations. And, I see a lot of dogs that are severely dog aggressive. … [Read more…]
There are a few things that pretty much everyone does, but your puppy kind of wishes that you wouldn’t. The truth is, these things that you do make it more difficult for him to learn and grow up to be a good canine citizen. #1. Expect Him to Grow Up Overnight I just got done … [Read more…]
Socializing dogs, safely, is complicated. If you do it wrong, you can end up with a dog that has fear and aggression issues whenever they see another dog. If you do it right, you can control your dog’s positive experience! 1. Start Young Proper socialization can come with an expiration date! Puppies are blank slates … [Read more…]
That is kind of a tricky statement because I don’t think it means what you think it means. When people speak of socializing an aggressive dog, they often mean turning it loose with other dogs, or that is their goal. Many people tell me that they take their dog aggressive dog to the dog park … [Read more…]