Chasing cars and bikes — basically anything that moves quickly — is instinctual for dogs. They are predators, after all. Chasing and “attacking” moving objects can be problematic and dangerous. And the longer that your pup has been chasing cars, the more rehearsed it becomes. Practice makes perfect! It becomes a habit, a perfected and … Read more
It is inherent for dogs to want to protect what belongs to them. Particularly if it is something that she highly values. For example my pup Juno is fine with me having a seat next to her when she is enjoying a Bullystick. But, on occasion, she finds a real treasure and her body freeze … Read more
Puppies come into our homes and immediately have to learn how to live by our human rules — which likely go against much of a new puppy’s natural instincts. This includes learning when and where he is permitted to go potty. However, once these rules are learned, fully and completely, we can rule out incomplete … Read more
It can take just one bad encounter for a pup to feel as though other dogs are scary or and learning from the many experiences that they have during their formative years. Today’s reader asks: “Our dog was attacked while on leash at 10 months. Now he is 2.5 and reacts to dogs that get … Read more
Stairs can be a tricky obstacle to navigate for our four-footed friends. They require a lot of coordination. They can be slippery, steep, and challenging for some dogs. But what about a dog who used to have no problem with stairs but has developed a fear of using them? In today’s Ask a Behavior Consultant, … Read more
My dog, Juno, is afraid of people. Not all people ring the five-alarm bells though: it’s not like she cowers to hide from everyone. She mostly just has no interest in saying hello to anyone outside her circle of human friends. However, people who come into (her) house or people who are just standing around … Read more
Barking is a totally natural and normal way for dogs to communicate. We have selectively bred certain breeds of dogs for their barking abilities! The problem is that it can be irritating to us humans. Especially when it is excessive and relentless. How can we let our puppers know: “Thanks, but that’s enough now” without … Read more
There are a lot of human assumptions as well as misconceptions around dogs mounting and humping other dogs. This is where dog culture and human culture tend to clash. What is a completely heinous social behaviour for humans, one with a strong sexual innuendo, is not one that is parallelled in dog behaviour. In fact … Read more
We rescued our new puppy, Juno, from a little place called Marlborough, New Zealand. She was 11 weeks old, and the rest of her littermates were already adopted into their new homes by the time we picked her up. Juno is a tiny fox terrier cross, and we don’t know much, if anything, about her … Read more
I am so lucky to have a new puppy in my life, Juno. Juno is a typical amazing and exhausting puppy in every way, but she has some anxiety surrounding being left alone. As with any client who has a dog with separation anxiety or isolation distress, I recommend watching their dog remotely to see … Read more