DOG TRAINING AND BEHAVIOR

Ms. Coombs, we feel your pain. Many of us at the Cummings School love dogs who love to chase. Its a common problem, says Tufts animal behaviorist Stephanie Borns-Weil, DVM. And its why, in the old days, when people let their dogs out by themselves, so many of them were killed. When I was a veterinary student, I once saw a dog who had been hit by a snow plow and was in the ICU for several weeks.

The very best possible trainer for your dog is you. Nothing strengthens the bond between an owner and her new dog like one-on-one training sessions - sit, stay, down, and so on. But you may not be available. Perhaps you love dogs and are thrilled to have one as a companion but know you simply lack the necessary patience (and it does take patience) or worse, cant keep your temper under wraps. Or maybe you simply dont have the time to make the commitment.In situations like those, its definitely a good idea to hire a trainer.

Youve no doubt heard stories of soldiers and dogs who have forged strong bonds on the combat field, reuniting at home to become, well, family. Now, new research from Tufts suggests that the children of deployed soldiers may benefit from a close relationship with a dog as well.

Carol Goldstein of Englewood, Colorado, just didnt get why some dogs in her life couldnt have cared less about television while others have seemed positively addicted to it. My daughters dog, Frisco, a one-year-old Labradoodle, loves to watch TV, she wrote. He barks at other dogs or horses that appear on the screen and sometimes becomes upset if there is a show with violence. He will run around the room and act nervous. I myself have always had dogs, and none of them have ever shown even the slightest interest in the TV. Can you explain why this cute little guy behaves that way when other dogs do not?

Matthew Gilbert, by his own account, was that guy who rolled his eyes at people who treat their dogs like children. Dogs were dirty and scary, he says in his recently released book, Off the Leash: A Year At the Dog Park (Thomas Dunne Books). He even once spent a night sleeping in the bathroom, using a roll of toilet paper as a pillow rather than facing his college roommates dog, who was hankering for a play date with him on the other side of the door.

We believe that even toy puppies who will remain small in adulthood should be toilet trained outdoors. But there are some circumstances where indoor potty training makes sense. Here are some tips for the process.

Separation anxiety is severe emotional distress that occurs in the absence of group members. Not surprisingly, its a phenomenon of social animals like dogs (and people). Here are the most effective treatments as well as some common ones which simply do not work.

Of course you expect, and run from, your dog's full body shake-out after her bath. But what to make of the shake-offs some dogs do throughout the day? Is there a neurological component? Unless your dogs shaking is restricted to her head, the behavior is most likely strictly behavioral. In fact, if you pay close attention, it will afford you a view of her take on her world, her likes and dislikes.

Letters to the Tufts Veterinarians - The dog won't stop licking his owner; The dog won't stop licking cement; The dog won't stop sucking on his sister's ears.

Do dogs react to music? Research indicates they do not. ButtThis doesnt mean that freestyle dancing is a false form of environmental enrichment for a dog. It can strengthen an already close bond with the owner - the dog must learn to follow cues in quick succession - and is especially good for dog owners who arent very fast or athletic and dont want to throw a Frisbee or ball around, but who love music and enjoy training their dogs and giving them some intense environmental enrichment. Your dog just isnt going to have one of those days where he cant get that tune out of his head.

In addition to the most common types of aggression - conflict and fear aggression - there are four other types of aggression that some dogs need to be coaxed away from. And it is important that owners recognize them. Aggression is the number one behavior problem among pet dogs, with most owners bringing their dogs to animal behavior clinics for help in solving the issue. Herein, the other types of aggression that make living with a loved dog difficult, and how to help a canine pal from feeling that he needs to be on the attack to create equilibrium for himself.

Want to add some spice to their life and intensify the bond between you and your dog? Consider one of these nine activities. Itll require some time commitment, driving your dog to and from class if nothing else. But oh, how enriched his life will become! And the added fun may even attenuate his tendency to [insert annoying habit here]. Like they say, a tired dog is a happy dog.