Dog Puppy Behavior Training Help

To Play . . or Not to Play. . . Will Tug of War Make My Puppy Aggressive?

Australian Terrier Puppy Tug is defined “to pull hard” by Webster’s online dictionary. People play tug with their dogs by pulling on an item the dog is holding in his or her mouth. To win at tug, you take the item away from your dog. Many of my clients ask me, “Is it okay to play tug with my puppy?” Good question. I know why you ask. Tug of war is one of those controversial...

Does Your Dog Own You? Resource Guarding of Territory, Food, Items, or People

Resource guarding is when dogs posture, growl, snarl, bark,  snap, lunge, or bite for reasons we believe are efforts to keep other animals or people away from what they consider to be valuable resources. Resources include food, territory, items and persons. Food related aggression, territory aggression, and possession aggression are specific labels for different types of resource guarding. Resource...

iPhone 3Gs Video ** Ouch, My Westie Terrier Keeps Biting My Feet!

Puppies are cute, but not so cute when they attack your sock as you try to fit one on your foot! Ouch! That puppy just bit my toe!! You really cannot teach your puppy when life is happening. Sometimes, you just need to prevent that rascal puppy from perfecting nuisance behaviors. A tether is one of my favorite tools. A tether is a rope with a leash snap attached to one end. To make a tether, attach...

Amateur Shock Collar Use Starts Dog Fight

If you want to control your pet dog’s involuntary aggressive responses via force and intimidation, you are entering a spiral of blackness and doom. One day, your chosen method or equipment will fail; injuries and sadness will emerge. I’ve seen it many times. Point being, punishing the growl with a quick burst of energy via an e-collar, leash jerk, Caesar Milan hiss, alpha roll, spank on the butt,...

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...

Vacuum Chasing Dog:My Dog Barks and Attacks the Vacuum!

Does your dog or puppy hide from, bark at, chase, bite, your vacuum cleaner?  It seems there are a group of dogs who protest whenever we try to clean up! If you have a puppy under 12 weeks of age, now is the time to gently expose him or her to everyday events and noises. During the critical period of socialization, these exposures teach our dog lifelong coping skills. If you are reading this,...

Pet Dogs for Protection Dogs?

On How’s Bentley Private Services Enrollment Form, the box labeled “For Protection” is often selected as one of the reasons my clients acquire their pet dogs. I understand why people select a pet dog for a protection role. I have worked with more German Shepherd Dogs in the past year than the previous 3 years. I believe the current political and social cultures are responsible for...

Puppy Play Biting Solutions

Have you ever watched dogs play together? They are a riot! They jump, mount, growl, bite, mouth, snap, nip, bark and chase. That’s how they play. It’s normal behavior! Play-biting occurs when some of these normal, play behaviors are directed at human body parts and human clothing. Play biting is a stage of development. All puppies play bite, some more than others. Puppies mature and grow out of...

National Dog Bite Prevention Week

May 17 -23 is National Dog Bite Prevention Week. According to the AVMA, 4.7 million Americans will be bitten by a dog this year. 500,000 to 800,000 of those people will require medical attention. About 12 people a year die from dog bites. At the top of the victim list is children, followed by U.S. postal workers. More dog bites occur to children in the summer months, presumably because children...