Dog Puppy Behavior Training Help

Your Choice- Obnoxious Dog or Well Mannered Pet

Every day, I speak with clients about meeting their dogs’ basic needs. Most of us assume our dogs are getting plenty of exercise and stimulation when the dogs are alone (or with other dogs) in a large fenced area. The dog is in the great outdoors, so she must be getting enough exercise, right? Wrong. This is not usually the case, unless you have a turbo Jack Russell Terrier, like the one pictured...

Changing Bad Crate Habits – Puppy Barking, Urinating in Crate

Barking in the Crate When accompanied by eliminating in the crate, drooling, or self-injury, barking in the crate can be a sign of separation anxiety. Dogs with separation anxiety have been compared to people that have anxiety attacks. Separation anxiety is an emotional condition fraught with panic and fear. Crating a dog with true separation anxiety is never a good idea. Even if your dog...

iPhone 3Gs Video ** Do it or Suffer: Your Weimaraner Needs Exercise!

Today I went with my clients, Derrick and Megan, to Shelby Farms to exercise Bimmer, their 1 year old Weimaraner dog. Scroll to the bottom of this post to watch 2 iPhone 3Gs videos of Bimmer playing fetch. I first met the clients January 2009, when Bimmer was a puppy. Derrick and Megan were model students, and it shows. Bimmer was an excellent guest at the dog park. Derrick and Meagan have a wonderful...

Signs your Dog is Not Getting Enough Exercise

All dogs need exercise. The amount and type of exercise needed varies with each individual. The perfect amount of exercise is just enough for your dog to be tired enough to be a relaxed calm member of your household. If your dog has lots of unused energy, it will emerge as annoyances. Tired pups and dogs don’t jump up excessively, bark and whine excessively, destroy everything, run away, dig for...

You Should Not Stop a Dog from Jumping Up on Counter

Forget about stopping naughty behaviors.:) Instead, spend a little time with your dog and teach him a behavior that is incompatible with jumping up on counters such as to Go-To-Place. If you focus on stopping behaviors, you are destined to make a full-time hobby out of training. For example- If you focus on stopping a dog from jumping on the counter and succeed, you really haven’t taught the dog...

Dogs and Puppies are Opportunists!

Dogs and puppies are opportunists. Dogs follow one rule – “What’s in it for me – right now?” Dogs have no concept of right or wrong, good or bad. I do not believe dogs are concerned about yesterday or tomorrow. I believe dogs are interested in the present and how they can get what they want at this instant in time. Dogs do what they do because their behaviors are instrumental in getting...

iPhone 3Gs Video ** Georgia Pit Bull Sweetie Romps in the South East

Say, Here’s a happy video of Georgia the Pit Bull terrier, romping in Memphis TN.  I used my iPhone 3Gs to make the video. Like all breeds, a very small percentage of  pit bull terrier dogs are unpredictable, dangerous or violent. Georgia is the sweetest pit bull dog ever! CLICK HERE for Video of Georgia, the pit bull terrier. How’s Bentley – Alan J Turner – Memphis TN Dog...

Separation Anxiety in Dogs is Often Misdiagnosed and Misunderstood

Separation anxiety is one of the most misdiagnosed behavioral conditions. The hallmarks of separation anxiety are:  Excessive vocalization Salivation Inside Elimination (for a house trained dog) Destructive behaviors directed at entry and exit points For separation anxiety to be considered, some or a combination of these symptoms must occur ONLY in the absence of people. The behaviors most commonly...

Barking Behind Fence or Window May Increase Territory Aggression

Barriers such as fences and windows may encourage your pet dog to exhibit territory aggression. Suppose a dog watches out the window (or runs along a fence line) for hours at a time. Suppose the dog barks and snarls at passing dogs, bicyclists, joggers, walkers, children, etc.. Suppose the dog jumps, up on the window or fence, barks and lunges, snarls and snaps. At this point the dog will not listen...

Barking Dog? Resolutions ** Danger! ** Do Not Use an Anti Bark Collar on Your Dog or Puppy, without reading this first!

Okay, so your dog is barking and you have the perfect, initial solution; buy one of those anti bark dog collars, right? WRONG! Please do not misunderstand, I agree there are situations when an anti bark collar is a good choice, but spraying a dog with citronella, sounding a tone, (or using an e-collar ) are never at the top of my list of tools and solutions for barking. Anti bark collars address the...

Experiment with Puppy Crate Location to Reduce Barking in the Crate

Dogs are social mammals. They like to be close to their people. That being said, dogs are adaptable. Some pups and dogs can learn to relax in a crate that is placed in a laundry room or basement, away from the people.  Some don’t adapt so well. My initial suggestion is to place the crate in a corner of a common area. This presents the puppy with a safe resting spot near his people. Placement depends...