dogIDs "How-To" Dog Blog

How to Help Your Dog Get Used to Car Rides
How to Help Your Dog Get Used to Car Rides
Some of us take it for granted that our dogs are calm and content riding in the car. It is a stressful or scary experience for a lot of dogs, causing them to whine or bark the entire time or to become car sick. The following are some tips to help your dog get used to the car or to make sure riding in the car remains a positive experience for your newly adopted dog or puppy. Tips to help…
How to Stop a Dog or Puppy from Chewing
How to Stop a Dog or Puppy from Chewing
Dogs chew for all kinds of reasons. Their jaws are built for some serious gnawing, but they also seem to chew because it's fun and probably relaxing. While it may be unfair to expect your dog to stop chewing completely, you should be able to teach herWhich items are appropriate for chewing. Here are some ideas to prevent your dog or puppy from chewing inappropriate items:1. Prevention goes a…
How to Stop a Dog From Begging While You Are Eating
How to Stop a Dog From Begging While You Are Eating
My dog typically stares at me and drools while I’m eating until I eventually smile or give him some of my food. My behavior of course encourages Ace to beg, even if I only acknowledge him 50 percent of the time.Since so many other dogs beg while their humans are eating, I asked a professional dog trainer for some tips on how to manage this behavior. Please leave your own suggestions or questions i…
How to Handle Separation Anxiety in Dogs
How to Handle Separation Anxiety in Dogs
If your dog is dealing with separation anxiety, we know it can be stressful for everyone, not just the dog!You wonder if your neighbors are going to complain about the barking. You worry what your dog is going to destroy next and you feel bad she’s feeling so anxious.When a dog has separation anxiety, it generally means she is anxious about being left alone or about being separated from her owners…
How to Stop a Dog From Barking at Other Dogs
How to Stop a Dog From Barking at Other Dogs
If you have a reactive dog, or even just an overly excited dog, then you know how frustrating it can be when your dog lunges and barks at other dogs on walks. It's embarrassing, to say the least. I reached out to three professional dog trainers to get some realistic tips that dog owners can try if they’re dealing with this type of problem. If you have a dog that tends to bark at other dogs…
Tips to Keep Your Dog Safe at the Lake
Tips to Keep Your Dog Safe at the Lake
As we head into summer, lots of dogs will be traveling to various lakes and beaches with their families. While the dogs swim, run, play fetch and chase squirrels, it's important for dog owners to keep some safety tips in mind. The following are someIdeas to help keep your dog safe at the lake this summer.1. Don't forget your ID! Make it as easy as possible for your dog to get back to you if h…
How to Teach a Dog to Stay With Distractions
How to Teach a Dog to Stay With Distractions
                      Learning how to teach a dog to stay in real-world situations like out on a walk can be overwhelming, especially if you’re a first-time dog owner. The following are some tips for how to teach your dog to stay reliably, even with distractions. For those of you with experience, please share your own tips and ideas on ho…
How to Set Your New Dog up for Good Behavior
How to Set Your New Dog up for Good Behavior
If you're adopting a new dog, it's so important to set the dog up for good behavior in your home. This post will help you learn how to prevent unwanted behavior like accidents and fights by controlling the dog's options. These tips can also be applied if you plan to foster or pet sit a dog in your home. Prevention goes such a long way! Tips for Good Behavior1. Keep the dog on a leash…
What to Do if Your Dog Won’t Listen
What to Do if Your Dog Won’t Listen
                                       We’ve all been there, right?Maybe you’re ready to leave the dog park, so you call your dog to go home ... only he doesn’t come when you call him. So frustrating! It seems your dog won't listen to you when you want him to.Or maybe you ask him to sit during a wal…
Five Reasons to Try Dog Agility
Five Reasons to Try Dog Agility
Dog agility is a sport where a handler and dog work together as a team. The handler directs the off-leash dog through an obstacle course. During an actual competition, each dog is judged on time and accuracy. Some people and dogs participate in agility for fun without actually competing. Others travel across the country to test their skills against other teams. Here are someReasons to give agility…
How to Stop a Dog From Barking in the Yard
How to Stop a Dog From Barking in the Yard
Dogs bark. They bark at the door. They bark in the yard. They bark when they see other dogs. They bark when they're scared or excited or frustrated. It's one of the many ways they communicate. It's not really "bad" like we have been conditioned to believe but it does get annoying at times.Not surprisingly, one of the most common behavioral questions dog owners have is how do I stop my dog from bar…
How to Socialize a Puppy Effectively
How to Socialize a Puppy Effectively
We hear about the importance of socializing our dogs and puppies to new things, but what exactly does that mean? At what age should we begin exposing our puppies to new places and other dogs, and how can we go about it without scaring them or exposing them to diseases? I reached out to some professionals for their ideas on how to socialize a puppy safely. Here’s what they had to say.Tips fo…
How to Choose the Right Dog Trainer
How to Choose the Right Dog Trainer
How did you go about choosing a trainer for your dog? Did you read reviews? Did you choose the trainer a friend recommended? Did you make your decision based on cost? We would love your feedback because choosing a trainer can be such an overwhelming process for new dog owners. The following are some ideas from two professional trainers to hopefully help you make the best choice for your dog i…
Get Your Dog to Come When Called - Every Time
Get Your Dog to Come When Called - Every Time
Teaching a dog to come when called is the most important command to teach a dog. Most people know the basics – put your dog on a leash, call him, lure him in and reward. But here are some important tricks toTeaching a dog to come when called: Only call your dog if you can enforce it. Yes, this is hard! But when your dog is in the yard barking at another dog and you keep screaming at him t…
Preventing and Managing Dog Food Aggression
Preventing and Managing Dog Food Aggression
Some dogs have a tendency to guard their food, toys, bones or whatever they view as valuable. They may guard these “valuables” from other dogs, or they might guard them from people, too. Some dogs will just growl, while others will actually try to bite. The following are some ideas on how to prevent and manage this type of aggressive behavior, often referred to as resource guarding. For th…