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When it comes to puppy socialization, the advice can be confusing: should you prioritize behavioral development or protect your puppy from potential health risks? This article explores the pros and cons of taking your puppy to public spaces like dog parks before their vaccinations are complete. We'll also provide guidance on how to balance health and behavioral considerations for your pup.
As the days grow shorter and temperatures drop, many of us feel the weight of the winter season. But have you ever wondered if your dog might feel the same way? While science hasn’t definitively proven that dogs experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) like humans, there’s reason to believe they might. Here’s what you need to know about how the changing seasons can affect your furry friend’s mood and how to help them stay content through the colder months.
Have you ever wondered why some dog trainers still cling to shock collars like they’re a magic solution for all behavior issues? I wonder about this all the time. I don’t understand it, because we now know better.
Animal behavioral science has progressed significantly in the last 25 years, especially when it comes to dogs. Decades of research—on both dogs and humans—have made one thing clear: using fear and pain to modify behavior might work in the short term, but it’s a recipe for long-term problems.
When dealing with dog behavior issues rooted in fear, two factors often stand out as the biggest variables: the dog’s territory and the things it finds scary. Let’s unpack these two and see how they impact your dog’s behavior—and what you can do about it.
Dog owners often wonder if their own stress or anxiety might be affecting their dog's mood and behavior. After all, our pets are incredibly perceptive, and many people report that their dogs seem to pick up on their emotions. But just how much of an influence do our feelings have on them, especially when it comes to anxiety?
I get a lot of questions about handling aggressive behaviors in dogs, and one thing I hear all the time is, "When I punish my dog for being aggressive, it seems to work—at least for a while. Why does the behavior end up getting worse later on?"
I understand your dilemma. You’ve got a dog that’s snapping, growling, or worse, and you’re frustrated. You just want the behavior to stop. It’s completely natural to want to step in and do something about it, and punishment can seem like a quick fix. In the moment, it might feel like you’ve solved the problem because your dog stops what they’re doing. But here’s the thing—what seems like improvement now can backfire later.
Let me explain why.
William looked at me and asked a question that most dog owners probably think about but never seem to ask out loud. He asked, “Scott, you’re the dog expert; what do dogs think about all day?”
To divine the truth in that question, you might think that we need to be able to converse with dogs to discover what’s going on in their canine craniums.
After working with thousands of clients, I’ve found there are four key dog owner perspectives that can predict the likelihood of success in working with dogs with behavior issues. I see the importance of these four elements of successful treatment in every case I work with. They’re all essential and are reliable predictors of success.
Dog bites are bad. Period. However, many people don’t realize when dogs aggressively bite humans, they almost never do so at full power.
Can dog owners communicate to their dog that they don’t need to be afraid or aggressive toward specific people? I happened to run into one of these dog owners at our Bass Pro visit.
I was sitting on one of those uncomfortable benches in the shoe department trying on a couple pairs of boots when a 45ish kinda scruffy-looking man walked his medium-sized mutt within a couple of feet. The dog had raised hackles and immediately began to pull toward me and bark. You don’t need to be a dog behaviorist to know that this doggie was unhappy being near me. Don’t worry, I’ve learned not to take these things personally.
“Scott, I don’t know what’s wrong with my dog. She’s always nipping and growling at me. She keeps me from getting on my bed, won’t let me get near her when she’s eating, and hates it when I try to pet her. But, for whatever reason, she loves my wife.”
This was what I heard when first talking to Mark (not his real name) on the phone. He sounded very desperate, and I thought I had a good idea of what was going on with his dog, but my premature diagnosis turned out to be very wrong.
About ScottScott Sheaffer, CBCC-KA, CDBC, CPDT-KA, is a dog behavior specialist. Scott specializes in the assessment and treatment of fear, anxiety, aggression and phobias in dogs six months and older. Learn More |
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Dogs jumping on people is the common cold of problematic dog behaviors. I describe it as a benign behavior problem - albeit a behavior problem nonetheless. Dogs who jump on you, your family and friends can really be annoying. Let’s quickly break down:
1) why your dog is doing this.
2) why all the things you’ve tried in the past don’t seem to help.
3) how to address the root cause of the behavior and stop it.
Dr. Ian Dunbar, who is the best-known dog behaviorist on the planet, said something that is 100% true about confident dogs at one of his seminars I attended. He said, "You will never be able to find the most confident dog on earth; it's really impossible."
What did he mean? Let me explain.
Read MoreThere are a lot of dog owners handing out bad dog behavior advice. Just because someone flies on Southwest Airlines doesn’t mean they’re qualified to jump in the cockpit of a Boeing 737 and pilot the plane. Likewise, getting anecdotal behavior advice from dog owners and the internet (i.e., Dr. Google) can get you and your dog headed in the wrong direction. Sometimes this advice can be funny because, like with most good humor, there is an element of truth in it sometimes.
Read MoreIf you have a dog-reactive-dog, your dog does one or more of the following as another dog passes by: forcefully pulls, whines, lunges, growls, barks, etc. This can be quite embarrassing for you. In an attempt to manage this behavior, you may force your dog to sit and watch as the other dog passes by.
Read MoreIf your dog grumbles, growls, barks or generally gets an “attitude” when humans or other dogs get near their food, toys, treats, favorite resting place, crate, etc. - they may have an issue with resource guarding. Resource guarding also goes by the name “possession aggression”.
Read MoreI first saw Archie about one year ago. At that time, Archie was a five-year-old Golden Retriever mix who was scared of his own shadow. When I first met Archie, he wouldn’t make eye contact with me, his tail was tucked and he urinated a little out of fear. I have to tell you that seeing dogs like this hurts my soul, even after all of these years.
Read MoreDo dogs have the capacity to love us like we love them? Unfortunately, we can't know what dogs are actually thinking, but we do understand the behavioral side of what motivates them. Dogs do things that either: a) bring them rewards, or, b) help them avoid pain.
Read MoreDog poop, it’s something you have to deal with every day if you own a dog. I like to tell people considering their first dog that if they can’t handle the idea of getting cozy with dog poop, they should consider a small aquarium instead. I’ve provided a list below of seven things to consider in the daily management of all things dog poop.
Read MoreEarlier this month I was walking one of my dogs and passed a lady walking her beautiful Border Collie. I would estimate this lady’s age to be in her mid-forties. She was wearing workout clothes and was walking at a fairly brisk pace with her dog.
Read MoreLiver. Seriously. Is there any person on planet earth who really likes liver? Covering it with an inch of gravy does not count as liking it either. There are only a few things that virtually every dog doesn’t care for either. As you read through the list I’ve prepared below, you’ll probably say “But my dog loves that!” to one of the items.
Read MoreAlmost every dog barks a little when someone rings the doorbell or knocks on the front door. My personal dogs usually give about three half-hearted barks and then immediately settle down; this is normal for most dogs and is usually nothing more than arousal. This article is not about normal front-door dog behavior. It’s about dogs with territorial aggression that typically exhibit the following when someone knocks or rings the doorbell.
Read MoreWhen Linda M. first came to see me in May of this year with her dog, I had no idea that the story behind her beautiful dog was so remarkable. Quite frankly, I didn’t believe her story at first - but it turned out to be true and moving.
Read MoreI enjoy taking my personal dogs to the dog park. Dog parks are great for most dogs, but not all. Many dog owners really like taking their dogs to the dog park. When I ask new clients what their primary behavior objective is with their dog, they frequently respond, “I want my dog to enjoy the dog park.” Truth be known, many owners enjoy dog parks more than their dogs do.
Read MoreDo dogs go through puberty and adolescence? Yes, just like humans. It is also associated with behavior changes as is true with humans. The adolescent period for dogs normally occurs around 6 to 24 months of age. This can vary by breed and size of dog but is normally in this range.
Read MoreIt’s official; AKC’s most popular breeds list is out for 2020. Dog breed popularity in the United States can be faddish depending on what celebrity owns what breed at the moment. Tracking breed popularity is almost like tracking the stock market and, like the stock market, you can frequently really overpay. I’ve listed the top 20 breeds for 2020 compared to their 2019 ranking below.
Read MoreIt’s common knowledge in the dog and animal behavior consulting profession: dog aggression of all types is increasing across America. Since almost all dog aggression is fear based, it makes me somewhat melancholy to think an increasing number of dogs are experiencing this. The most important question is, why?
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After working with many thousands of dogs and their owners, here are the top 15 things I’ve learned about dogs and their owners. These are presented in no particular order.
Barking is not the problem; it’s a symptom of an issue.
This is best explained with an example: When dogs bark at people or dogs, they’re usually barking because they want to scare away the scary people or scary dogs (scary to them, that is). The real issue is they are fearful of these things, and the fear/arousal is what needs to be addressed.