DOG TRAINING AND BEHAVIOR

Listen Up! You Can Make Your Deaf Dog a Lot Safer — and Happier!

As many as one in 10 dogs is deaf in one or both ears, according to the American Kennel Club. And many dogs that are not completely deaf don’t hear as well as a dog should. People often assume it’s only white dogs that can be deaf, but a dog doesn’t have to be all white, or even mostly white, to be genetically predisposed. The merle gene, present in collies, dappled dachshunds, American foxhounds, and other colorful breeds, increases the odds for deafness. So does the piebald gene, found in Samoyeds, greyhounds, beagles, and Dalmatians.

Anxious, Fearful, or Confident?

See if you can profile the dogs in these three scenarios: 1. A dog acts aggressively toward other dogs, lunging, barking angrily, and charging forward...

Truly Hungry, Or Just Bored?

A number of years ago, the American Animal Hospital Association published a chart listing a number of things that stand in the way of...

Some Dogs Are Fools for Pools!

Indoor dog gyms are on the rise all over the country, and we’re all for the trend. In some locales, for months on end...

When Your Dog Says “No Canoodling!” with Your Human Partner

Perhaps your dog barks when you and your partner hug or kiss or show other signs of amorousness. Maybe she even tries to stop...

Teaching Your Dog That When He Needs to Go Out, the Bell Tolls For...

Some dogs have access to a doggie door that allows them to exit and re-enter at will, so they can “go to the bathroom”...

Dog won’t stop eating poop

Q: Our 3-year-old Havanese is a great leash puller and sniffer, a mostly wonderful dog except for her absolute certainty that the poop of...

Stay Calm in the Presence of a Dog-Phobic Person

It’s an unfortunate catch-22: People who are nervous around dogs are the ones who tend to bring out their aggressive tendencies. Their anxiety transfers...

Protect the Mail Carrier!

An average of almost 15 mail carriers a day were bitten by dogs last year, according to the U.S. Postal Service — more than...

The One Word Your Dog Will Never Understand

Your dog’s begging at the table has gotten out of hand. You’re happy to drop him a piece of food here and there, but...

The Dog is Embarrassing Me

Q: When I walk my dog and he sees people — or other people walking their own dog — he barks and pulls or...

The Only Time to Lock a Crate

People lock their dogs in their crates for all kinds of reasons, often to keep them out of trouble when they are not home....