Some dogs seem to love all other dogs and will play and be social with each one they meet. At the other end of the spectrum are reactive dogs that seem to be aggressive with almost all other dogs. But most of us have dogs that are somewhere in the middle, they like some dogs but not others. If your … Read More
Does Your Dog Give Dirty Looks?
We dog owners are often accused by canine researchers of assigning human emotions to our pups. But according to Stanley Coren in his article for Psychology Today, those dirty looks just might be real. Stanley doesn’t have to convince me though. If Haley had a middle finger, she would probably use it occasionally to express her feelings. I should probably … Read More
Dog Drive Types – An Outdated Theory?
Have you ever heard someone say their dog has a strong prey drive and wondered what they meant? After reading a lot about dog drive types, I understand why some dog trainers and behaviorists rely on them to motivate their client’s dogs. But just how useful are they? Can they really help you better understand and train your dog? First, … Read More
14 Things Your Dog Hates
We all know that most dogs hate fireworks, baths, vet visits, and dressing up for Halloween. But here are some other things your dog hates that might not be as obvious to you. Could you be irritating your dog and not even know it? How many of these things do you do? Even though we humans like hugs, most dogs … Read More
3 Misconceptions About Dog Body Language
Dogs are masters of reading our body language, but how well can you read your dog’s cues? While observing a dog’s behavior, some signals are confusing and might not mean what we think. Have you ever heard any of the following statements about dog body language? Dogs wag their tails for a number of reasons. If their body is very … Read More
Do Dogs Feel Guilty?
Every time I see one of those dog shaming images with a guilty looking pup displaying their confession written on a sign hung around their neck, I wonder if any of those dogs really feel ashamed. Even though they may look or act remorseful, do dogs feel guilty? Most of the research on this subject suggests that dogs aren’t capable … Read More
Why Do Female Dogs Mark Their Territory?
When I think about dogs marking their territory, the first image that comes to mind is a male dog hiking his leg and relieving himself on every bush, pole or fire hydrant he comes across. I never associated urine marking with female dogs until Haley started doing it a few years ago. It’s common for intact males or unspayed females … Read More
What is Opposition Reflex and Why Should I Care?
Have you ever heard of opposition reflex? Maybe you’ve heard of the term but you don’t really understand how it affects dog training in a practical sense. I’ll give you a hint, you might experience it every time you take your dog for a walk. Opposition reflex was discovered by Ivan Pavlov, the physiologist who also discovered classical conditioning through … Read More
How to Make Your Dog Howl
I’m sure I’m not the only person who’s howled at my dog, hoping she would join in and howl along with me, right? Some of you might have dogs that like to howl, like scent hounds or wolf-like dogs such as huskies, but Haley’s not one of those dogs. No matter how much I sacrifice my self-respect in attempts to … Read More
How Much Sleep Does Your Dog Need?
As I’m typing away here, Haley is sound asleep at my feet. She loves my blogging days much more than other days, like house cleaning day. On cleaning days, she follows me from room to room all day long. Maybe she’s inspecting my work as I vacuum all her black hair off the white couch or maybe she’s worried one … Read More
