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...

Puppy Play Biting 7 Year Old Child – Training Forum

My 6 month-old Labrador retriever puppy, Katie, plays rough with my 7 year-old son and won’t stop play-biting. When she was younger, my son and Katie spent hours tumbling and playing, but now he’s afraid of her. He’s tried holding her muzzle shut, but she only gets more aggressive. The situation is getting worse. Now she nips at his clothes, jumps up and knocks him down. How can I teach my...

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...

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...