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• Do Dogs Recognize Facial Expressions?

  The simple answer to a complicated, much researched question is, yes! Dogs do recognize our facial expressions which makes them wonderful family members.

• Do I Need a Trainer or a Behaviorist?

  Behavior problems with your dog may need to be addressed by a trainer, certified animal behaviorist, or boarded veterinary behaviorist. Determining what level of help you need depends on the problem and if medical issues have been ruled out. Behavioral problems can take time and patience is a must.

• Dog Behavior and Training: Cleaning Ears

  Ear and body handling are essential skills for every dog. Teaching trust and comfort for ear handling is best done before an infection occurs. Training for ear handling should be done when the ears are not painful. Using sedation and anesthesia is always a good idea for painful ears.

• Dog Behavior and Training: Dominance, Alpha, and Pack Leadership - What Does It Really Mean?

  Dogs are not wolves living in our homes. But even if they were, dominance theory and alpha theory would not apply, just as they do not apply to wolves. Dogs do the behaviors that work and using management, prevention, supervision, and positive reinforcement is the best way to create a dog you love.

• Dog Behavior and Training: Introducing a New Dog to Your Family Dog

  Before making the decision to bring a new dog into your household, there are some important factors to consider, including compatibility with your current dog, how they will be introduced, and what additional training will be required to ensure a harmonious multi-dog home.

• Dog Behavior and Training: Neutering and Behavior

  Most male animals (stallions, bulls, boars, rams, dogs, and tomcats) that are kept for companionship, work, or food production are neutered (castrated) unless they are intended to be used as breeding stock. Since castration will influence a dog's behavior, every dog owner should consult with their veterinarian about the health impacts of castration for their individual dog.

• Dog Behavior and Training: Teaching Settle and Calm

  Sometimes, what we want our dogs to do is, well, nothing! Learning to settle and be calm in a variety of environments is a life skill many owners appreciate from their dogs. Training using positive reinforcement is an excellent way to teach calm and settle.

• Dog Behavior Problems: Aggression - Children

  Dogs and children should always be supervised. Most dog aggression towards children is fear-based, though many dogs will also show aspects of food, possessive, and territorial aggression. Ideally, all dogs should be introduced to children while they are still puppies. Even well-socialized dogs can exhibit fear or aggressive behavior as they mature. If you recognize any level of aggression towards your child, even a subtle display, additional safety precautions are necessary.

• Dog Behavior Problems: Aggression - Family Members - Treatment

  Aggression toward household members can have one or more causes. Underlying medical conditions can cause or exacerbate aggressive behavior and must be identified and treated. The sooner you address the behavior, the better, as aggression can escalate in intensity over time. Aggression is rarely fully eliminated from a dog’s repertoire. The goal is to use behavior modification and management to assure safety and predictability.

• Dog Behavior Problems: Aggression - Getting Started - Safety and Management

  If your dog has threatened or displayed any signs of aggression, the problem is likely to continue until appropriate steps can be taken to identify the cause and modify the pet's behavior. A necessary first step is prevention and avoidance of further incidents. Not only is this essential to ensure safety, but each aggressive display may actually serve to increase the chances that the aggressive behavior will continue.