Ask the Dog Trainer
Ain't Misbehaving, Part III: Dog Stress and What You Can Do About It
Tips for handling dog stress that manifests in frustrating habits.
Lately it seems everywhere I go, people have dog questions and since I'm known around town as "The Dog Lady," I always try to oblige with a brief, effective answer: Why does my Poodle pee when I come in? He’s so excited he scratched by face when I tried to pet him! Why does my neighbor’s dog run along the invisible fence barking at me every time I go by? What does the term "alpha-dog" mean anyway? The puzzle for me is how to explain a “dog” in three sentences or less and to leave the questioner with a better understanding of their pet. A short explanation of a complex creature can be tricky, but usually I can help people reduce their exasperation and avoid the quick-fix temptations of electronic collars or abandonment. What do barking, …
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Sarah Hodgson
5:49 am on Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Gish! One of my dogs was a stool gulper...dear Whoopsie. I always think she longed to be a Mama dog (who eat their puppies stool) though we spayed her young. She outgrew the habit by a year, without my making too big a fuss over it. When I see this in my practice I always notice a direct correlation with the grand fuss being made over the situation, the dog's anxiety rising because of the way he'… more ›