What do you do when your dog is aggressive towards children? Dogs and children can be majorly cute – or majorly scary. It’s challenging to know whether or not to trust your dog around children. It’s even harder yet to train your child and your dog to get along. Get more help training your aggressive … Read more
Dogs with high prey drive aren’t always fun to take for wilderness walks. But there’s hope – many dogs with high prey drive can learn to control themselves around bunnies, squirrels, and pigeons. In this “Ask A Behavior Consultant,” Amanda K. asks: My 5 year old Dutch shepherd, Konrad, has an EXCESSIVE prey drive. He … Read more
I’ve gotten more “Ask A Trainer” questions about reactivity than I can count. Let’s just roll them into on generic post, with specific posts to come if needed. Get extra help with your reactive or aggressive dog with our e-book, Practical Solutions for Aggressive Dogs. You might also want to check out our latest posts … Read more
Do you think your dog is “alpha” or “dominant?” It’s ok if you do – this is a very common way of speaking about our pet dogs. It’s easy to find lists of alpha traits, how to detect dominance in your dog, and how to become the leader of the pack. But you’ll (almost) never … Read more
Light chasing in dogs is a common behavior. In the latest “Ask A Behavior Consultant,” Kim M. asks: Can you tell me more about my GSD’s sensitivity and obsession with moving light? Are some dogs more prone to this attraction than others, if so, why? How can it be detrimental to my dog’s health? Are … Read more
It’s totally possible to exercise your dog effectively when you have a busy schedule. I work four ten-hour days per week I also have private clients on my “weekends” and enjoy doing things like sleeping, going to restaurants, and writing blogs. So how the heck do I keep a very athletic 3-year-old border collie happy and … Read more
I’m writing this article to talk about something I don’t hear people talking about enough. It’s intensely personal for me, but I think it needs to be said. It’s about the frustrations of training and why we punish our dogs. Most animal behavior science points towards positive reinforcement as the “best” way to train animals. … Read more
In this article, we’re exploring a scientific paper that was published in 2004. We’ll try to break down the article into plain English to help you understand what the researchers had to say. Dog training methods: their use, effectiveness, and interaction with behavior and welfare EF Hiby, NJ Rooney, and JWS Bradshaw Animal Welfare 2004, … Read more
Training is much easier when your dog is excited to work for you. Some dogs don’t naturally love training, and that’s ok. Some are fearful, overaroused, or just seem to lack “drive” and motivation. Instead of getting frustrated, learn new ways to make your dog want to work with you. 1: Find What He Likes … Read more
Many dogs struggle a lot with crate training. How should you respond when your dog barks non-stop in his kennel? In today’s Ask a Behavior Consultant, we’re tackling the following query from our reader: “My 7 month old Chihuahua -I just got him this Saturday- won’t stop barking in his kennel, we’ve tried everything. I’ve … Read more