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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.A lot of dogs will show mild signs of anxiety such as whining when their owners are gone or refusin …

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 he ever gets lost. Dogs should always wear their collars with ID tags, but this is even more importan …

                      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 how you teach a dog to stay!Teaching a Dog to Stay               …

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 for the first few hours. A leash allows you to directly supervise the dog at all times. I prefer t …

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 a try with your dog:1. No experience necessary.If dog agility is a new concept to you and your dog, …

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 barking?Of course, it all depends on the exact situation and the exact dog. For this post, I'm focusing …

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 to come, you are only teaching him to tune you out. He learns that coming when called is optional. It …

“Start training right away.” That’s what you’ll hear if you add a new puppy to your family. Good advice, but also overwhelming. Puppies need to learn their names and basic commands but also how to walk on a leash, where to go potty and how to interact with other pets. Where to even begin? I turned to four experienced dog trainers and asked for their tips. You can’t go wrong teaching your puppy the following concepts right away, along with some of the basics, like potty trai …

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 the sake of this post, I’m focusing on one of the most common issues – guarding the food bowl. As al …

The scruff, the loose skin around a dog’s neck, plays a vital role in canine behavior and communication. From a young age, dogs experience interactions involving the scruff, primarily through their mothers. A mother dog uses the scruff to carry her puppies, keeping them safe and under control. This natural action is instinctively understood by puppies, who go limp when carried in this manner, trusting their mother’s guidance.For humans, however, the scruff presents a more complex subject. While …