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• Does My Dog Love Me?

  Dogs love their owners unconditionally and science has proven as much. Their senses of smell and hearing are intensely tied to their recognition of their family members.

• Dog Behavior and Training: Air and Car Travel

  Training your dog in advance for travel is the ideal situation. Positive reinforcement training can be used to help dogs relax so that they can travel calmly and safely. Medications can be helpful for dogs who become physically ill or experience anxiety when traveling.

• Dog Behavior and Training: Cleaning Ears

  Ear and body handling are essential skills for every dog. Teaching trust and comfort for ear handling is best done before an infection occurs. Training for ear handling should be done when the ears are not painful. Using sedation and anesthesia is always a good idea for painful ears.

• Dog Behavior and Training: Dominance, Alpha, and Pack Leadership - What Does It Really Mean?

  Dogs are not wolves living in our homes. But even if they were, dominance theory and alpha theory would not apply, just as they do not apply to wolves. Dogs do the behaviors that work and using management, prevention, supervision, and positive reinforcement is the best way to create a dog you love.

• Dog Behavior and Training: Introducing a New Dog to Your Family Dog

  Before making the decision to bring a new dog into your household, there are some important factors to consider, including compatibility with your current dog, how they will be introduced, and what additional training will be required to ensure a harmonious multi-dog home.

• Dog Behavior and Training: Neutering and Behavior

  Most male animals (stallions, bulls, boars, rams, dogs, and tomcats) that are kept for companionship, work, or food production are neutered (castrated) unless they are intended to be used as breeding stock. Since castration will influence a dog's behavior, every dog owner should consult with their veterinarian about the health impacts of castration for their individual dog.

• Dog Behavior and Training: Play and Exercise

  Play and exercise are crucial for the wellbeing of every single dog. Choosing the right kinds of play and best plan for exercise helps dogs be well-rounded and appreciated companions.

• Dog Behavior and Training: Teaching Settle and Calm

  Sometimes, what we want our dogs to do is, well, nothing! Learning to settle and be calm in a variety of environments is a life skill many owners appreciate from their dogs. Training using positive reinforcement is an excellent way to teach calm and settle.

• Dog Behavior Problems - Separation Anxiety in Dogs – Synopsis

  Separation anxiety occurs when dogs become distressed when separated from their owners and cannot relax while being home alone. Many dogs with separation anxiety follow the owner from room to room in the home and rarely spend time alone outdoors.

• Dog Behavior Problems: Aggression - Children

  Dogs and children should always be supervised. Most dog aggression towards children is fear-based, though many dogs will also show aspects of food, possessive, and territorial aggression. Ideally, all dogs should be introduced to children while they are still puppies. Even well-socialized dogs can exhibit fear or aggressive behavior as they mature. If you recognize any level of aggression towards your child, even a subtle display, additional safety precautions are necessary.