**Now this site is in development. But I could not leave this page empty.
If you are having some behavioral troubles with your Rottweiler.
I am going to presume you did all your homework before you got your Rottweiler and you got your Rottweiler from a Ethical and Reputable Breeder. First, my advice is contact your breeder right away! As they will be able to guide you step by step. As they are extremely familiar with the lines they have produced.
Now, lets say you got your Rottweiler from a pet store or from somebody in the newspaper. Well sorry to break the news to you. But you are S.O.L. and on your own. Sorry for your luck.
You next move would be to do some research and possibly contact a trainer that has experience with the Rottweiler Breed.
Some of the Rottweiler behavioral issues can be associated with poor breeding, poor genetics, poor handling, lack of socialization.
Below you will find a series of very informative articles to assist you.
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THE CANINE BEHAVIOR SERIES |
Unwanted barking, jumping up on people, pulling on the leash, mouthing and nipping, not coming when called... how many dog owners haven't had to deal with at least a few of these common canine behavior problems? It's never too late to train a dog, or to work on his or her behavior problems. Bad habits can be broken, good habits can be taught, and most importantly, with a little effort and love, you can make sure your dog stays a happy member of your family forever!
Should the training articles available here or elsewhere not be effective, contact your veterinarian. Veterinarians not specializing in behavior can eliminate medical causes of behavior problems. If no medical cause is found, your veterinarian can refer you to a colleague who specializes in behavior or a local behaviorist.
If you need to change a behavior a dog is doing because of genetic heritage, your best chance is to channel that behavior into a similarly satisfying outlet for the dog’s instinctive urge. |
People commonly assume their new dogs who come with unknown histories have been victims of abuse. Though a dog’s behavior may seem to point to it, most of these dogs have not been abused. Whether or not abuse has occurred, the assumption can prevent people from giving their dogs the right support for success in a new chance at life. |
With one dog in the family, why not add another one? What are the pros and cons? When is the right time? Will it change the things you love about the dog you have now? |
The adolescent dog, like the adolescent—or teenage—human, has an immature brain in a body that’s nearly the size of an adult. The maturing process happening in the dog resembles the human teenager in several ways, and your dog needs similar guidance during this difficult life stage. |
Choosing a dog from the shelter for a successful adoption depends on knowing what you need in a dog, and how to determine which dog at the shelter can fit your life. |
Adopting an adult dog into your family has the potential for being much smoother than raising a puppy. There can be bumps in the road, or the dog may blend in smoothly right from the first. Having a good plan will help you integrate the new family member in the happiest possible way. |
Fear of other dogs is epidemic these days. People also expect their dogs to meet and greet other dogs they encounter on walks. What is this experience from a dog’s point of view? It’s often said that dogs are social animals, the idea being that they are like the type of humans who enjoy social gatherings. This is not true for all dogs. |
Does your dog growl, snap, snarl, lunge or otherwise threaten passing dogs or people on walks? Perhaps the dog has had bad experiences that make this behavior understandable. Yet it's embarrassing, and raises concerns the dog will injure a person or dog. How do you manage the dog safely while working on the aggression? |
Does the thought of having someone come into your home make you uneasy about your dog’s reaction? Has your dog put on an aggressive display at a worker or guest? Has someone actually been bitten? |
We often value protection (aggression) against intruders, and expect our dogs to make judgments beyond their experience, training or innate ability. Since a dog who bites humans may go months between bites, people tend to downplay the significance of aggression. The fear of losing your dog can also contribute to denial and failure to deal with the problem. |
Patterned after horse show jumping, agility courses are made up of obstacles the dog and handler negotiate together. Winning and placing in competition, as well as earning agility titles, depends both on correct execution of the obstacles and on the time it takes to complete the course. |
There are similarities in good and bad leaders of dog packs and humans. The same qualities that make a good human leader make a good dog leader. But since dogs have different needs, those qualities will be expressed differently when a human leads dogs than when a human leads other humans. |
There are many alternatives to training your puppy or dog to going outdoors to urinate or defecate. Some people start out training their puppies on papers or pads, while toy dogs often continue to use these methods, or litterboxes, all their lives. |
Another name for arson dogs is accelerant detection dogs, because the dogs work by detecting and alerting to even the smallest trace of petroleum-based fuel. As with other dogs whose work may be used in a court case, the handler’s role is critical to the effectiveness of the dog in finding evidence that can detect a fire’s cause and bring the criminal to justice. |
The experience, research, and hard work of assistance-dog training programs, first and foremost the guide dog schools, has brought today’s assistance dogs to a high level of reliability and safety. A disabled person needs a dog who can perform tasks to mitigate the person’s disability while not interfering with the rights of other people. Meeting the challenges involved is not easy, but the miracles that make it possible are an everyday occurrence in many lives. |
How can you train a dog if you can't get him to pay attention to you? Are other dogs, unfamiliar surroundings, noise, or even fear distracting your dog? Try these tips! |
Some dogs figure out how to take backward steps on their own, without thinking. Other dogs, for whatever reasons, don’t seem to make these movements. |
If you want to consider leaving your dog outside without your supervision—even inside a fence—please research the physical hazards beforehand, along with considering the behavior risks. Many things you can do will reduce the risks, once you know them. |
Dogs bark. Too often the barking becomes excessive, costing dogs their homes and even their lives. Solutions to barking problems come from how you manage and train your dog. |
The first thing you need to know about helping your new puppy learn to remain quiet in confinement is NOT to go to the puppy in response to noise. If noise does not work, the puppy will eventually give up that method of communication. |
Rabbit hunting with Beagles has a long history. American Kennel Club-affiliated Beagle Field Trials have been held for over a hundred years. Basset Hounds and Dachshunds also have field trials where dogs earn titles hunting rabbits. |
You are bringing home a dog soon, and this new family member will need a place to sleep. Looking through the huge variety of beds and crates available for dogs, how do you pick the best one? |
Decide how your house will be arranged to manage the care of a baby and a dog. Keep in mind the rule on which experts agree: no child under school age should ever be left alone with any dog, for even one second. Set up barriers that will keep your dog in or out of specific rooms. |
Whether you are waiting for a planned canine family member from a breeder or scheduling a trip to a shelter to look for one, you’ll want to be ready. It can make the difference between a smooth or rocky start with your new pup, or success or failure. |
Dogs beg because people make beggars of them! When a behavior works, a smart individual keeps using that behavior, and dogs are smart. To get your dog to stop begging, simply stop all the humans from responding to the begging by giving the dog food. That may be harder than you think! |
There are good and bad training classes. Ask your veterinarian, groomer and people in your community with well-trained dogs about classes to consider. Go and observe any class without your dog before signing up for it. Before, during or after you take your dog to training classes, you may need or want to use the services of a dog trainer or behavior specialist. |
Suddenly the birds in the back yard are dive-bombing the dog, and possibly the humans, too. Is this some bizarre real-life reenactment of the classic movie "The Birds?" Some birds are large enough to carry off and eat small dogs, so what can you do? |
Reading your dog’s body language is never possible to do with 100% accuracy. Compare this to humans, though. We don’t even come close to being able to read all the body language of another human. Nor do we fully understand another human’s words, even when we speak their language! |
People often insist that the new dog they adopt must come to them in puppyhood in order to bond with the family. What people don't understand, though, is that the human in the puppy's early life does not have to be you. It's the ABILITY to bond that is formed through this early experience. Dogs routinely form new bonds with humans at all stages of life. |
Does it matter what breed of dog you pick, in terms of the dog’s behavior? Yes, absolutely! Many dog temperaments are neither good nor bad, but are either right for your family or are not going to make you happy. In researching a breed, what factors will help you determine that you’re choosing a dog with the behavior potential for a good match with you? |
Do you know the ways a breeder’s decisions and actions will affect your dog’s future behavior? How do you pick the person you’re going to trust to determine your dog’s genetic temperament heritage, and to structure how your puppy will be treated in the critical early weeks? |
Most people who breed their female dog one time wind up spaying her and never breeding again. They had no idea until they did it just how much it would cost, what a huge amount of work it would be, how hard it would be on the female dog, and the other problems. It's normal for a third of the puppies to die, sometimes more and sometimes fewer. The whole litter can easily get sick. When a breeder provides proper care to the mother and pups, a profit is unlikely. |
The ability of dogs to detect cancer in humans by scent made news again in 2005. A leading medical journal in Britain published the results of a formal study demonstrating that dogs can be trained to identify bladder cancer. The overall average success of the dogs was 41 percent, higher than state-of-the-art x-ray and CAT scan machines. |
Carsickness is only one of the problems for dogs riding in a car. Some dogs leap all over the car, some create noise that impairs safe driving. Aggression toward people through car windows is dangerous. In most cases, transporting your dog in a car can be done safely and sanely if you take some basic precautions. |
Lots of puppies get carsick in moving cars, but fewer adult dogs. We need our dogs to be able to ride comfortably in cars, and no one enjoys cleaning vomit. If you have a carsick puppy, let’s look at ways to minimize stress and mess, both now and when the pup is older. |
When a cat and a dog share your home, do you live in a peaceable kingdom? Or do they “fight like cats and dogs?” The reality could turn out either way, depending on several factors. |
Your dog’s behavior has changed—but why? Perhaps the new behavior is inconvenient or even dangerous. Could there be a physical reason? Much of the time, yes. |
Chasing comes naturally to dogs, and is easily encouraged in a puppy when humans laugh or excitedly point out the “squirrel.” Many people find it entertaining to watch a dog chase things and don’t realize how serious it can become. |
A nonrestrictive chest harness is the right choice for attaching your dog to a leash in several situations. It’s a good idea to keep one of these harnesses on hand that fits your dog, because some of the uses for it arise as emergencies. Since the straps are usually adjustable at front and rear and the harnesses durable, a good one can last for years and fit a number of dogs. |
One dog expert jokingly said the Chihuahua would be a dangerous breed if large. There is some truth to this. These extremely popular toy dogs can have marvelous temperaments or they can be not nice. |
To read the newspaper headlines or watch television news these days will scare you about what happens to children around dogs. But how often does it happen? How likely is it to happen to your child? How likely is your dog to do it? Most of all, what can you as a parent, child caregiver, or dog owner do to prevent an injury to a child? |
When a parent says, "My child is good with dogs," what does that mean? Should people be pleased to observe that the family dog "will let the child do anything to her"? The huge gap between how dogs and humans perceive child behavior causes ruined dogs and injured children. |
Parents want an idyllic relationship between child and puppy growing up together. Good preparation can help make it come true. Sometimes it's better to wait until the children reach school age before acquiring a dog. |
Adding a new dog to your family means, in dog terms, adding a new dog to the pack. Dog packs are social units. Dogs are much more the victims of their own instincts than humans when it comes to relationships with their own species. |
Parents often think a puppy for Christmas or Hanukkah is the ultimate gift for a child. Perhaps it is—for the moment. Because so many people make impulse decisions to adopt dogs at Christmas or Hanukkah, there are many homeless dogs of all ages a bit later. It’s one of the peak times of year to have a wide range of choices among adoptable dogs. |
In its purest form, clicker training uses only positive reinforcement, based on research about operant learning theory. Practitioners argue about the terminology, but it is not necessary to understand all the terms in order to successfully use these techniques in training a dog. |
A disturbing problem that animal control workers, animal welfare volunteers, veterinarians and mental health professionals encounter is the person who has become a dog collector. |
Learning to come when called has saved the life of many a dog. Many innovative trainers have wonderful twists on this training, and it's wise to get involved in formal training with your dog to learn the skills. Another name for this training is the recall. |
“Show dog”! As people see more dog shows on television, the idea of showing the best dog in the world—your own!—can become intriguing. What is it like to be involved with dog shows? How is a show dog different from any other dog? |
There's pretty much nothing more frustrating than a dog who is a problem barker. What are some steps you an take to control your dog's barking? |
Exercise, training, fun, reward and a wonderful chance to observe and learn about your dog all come together in the cookie hunt game. Watching your dog play the game gives you a peek at how your dog perceives the world, and also an opportunity to observe dog body language. It’s quick, easy, and in many cases will work with multiple dogs at the same time. |
Hounds have been developed and refined to hunt the local animals under the local conditions, whatever they might be. Climates, terrain, and the animals to be hunted all vary. Thus the hounds vary, too. Several breeds are eligible for the AKC's Coonhound Bench Shows, Field Trials, Nite Hunts and Water Races. |
The use of a crate with a dog is so common that we may automatically assume it’s a good tool for all dogs. Sometimes it is, and sometimes it isn’t. |
Trying to act on good advice about training your dog, you confine your new puppy or dog to a crate. But instead of a clean and rested dog when you return to the crate, you find a soiled one. What is happening, and what can you do about it? |
Every puppy needs to learn the skill of resting calmly in a crate. This skill will be needed at the veterinary hospital, for traveling, and for restricted activity due to illness. It's also a lifesaver for many young dogs during the destructive chewing stage that starts at several months of age and can last until age 2 to 3 years in some breeds. |
Crate-training is easiest in puppyhood, but at times it’s both necessary and feasible to train an adult dog to rest calmly in a crate. It’s important to note, though, that not all dogs can be crate trained. Some will panic and can hurt themselves. |
Flying insects, squirrels, cats, snakes, gophers and all sorts of other domesticated and wild creatures can become targets for “crittering” dogs. Some dogs remain calm with the cat in the house and go nuts chasing cats outside—including the cat from inside. Dogs have savaged livestock belonging to neighbors, and are often worse predators on livestock than wild animals are. It’s important to understand that a dog has no way of equating killing with the moral judgments put on it by humans. |
Of 70 dogs tested for detection work, typically one dog is found to be suited. Dogs come from vendors, animal shelters, rescue groups, and donations by private owners. They can be of either sex, and must be between 1 and 3 years of age. |
What do dogs need from their people on a daily basis? This will vary by breed, age, health, training, and the facilities you have for your dog. Thinking ahead about these “dog days” will surely help when choosing the dog best for you. |
Laws against dangerous dogs are creating big problems for responsible dog owners. At the same time, such laws do little if anything to help solve the real problems related to dogs living in human communities. |
In many cases, a dog’s ability to tolerate things without becoming defensive can be improved. It is often possible to change a dog’s threshold of reaction by rebuilding the dog’s trust. Whatever the thing is that the dog fears, lower the level of stimulation and give the dog positive experiences of that thing. |
The REAL chewing comes after the dog has cut the permanent teeth. These teeth seem to require "setting" in the jaw by hard chewing. Dogs who don't do this chewing may have poorer lifelong dental health. But, the dogs who proceed to firmly set their shiny new teeth with robust chewing may have horrified families! |
When considering this problem, realize that digging is a powerful instinct in dogs. What options do you have? |
“My dog doesn’t listen!” “When I say ‘come,’ she runs the other way!” “He comes in from a walk and sneaks out of the room to poop where we can’t see!” Are these dogs disobedient? Defiant? Stubborn? |
Just as parents with young children must childproof their homes, people with dogs, especially young ones, need to dog-proof the premises. A child will eventually learn reasons to leave certain things alone, but the dog will never understand the value of property or the risk of getting hurt. |
What people think is dominance in a dog is usually something else. True dominance in a dog is more often a praiseworthy trait than a problem. Which dog is dominant tends to change according to the composition of the pack or family; evidently, dominance is not the trait it has sometimes been thought to be. |
What happens at your house when the doorbell rings? If you have a dog, chances are the sound of the bell is joined by the sound of barking. The dog may make a mad scramble to the door. |
Draft and carting tests are non-competitive, and every precaution is taken to make them safe for the dogs. Most actual cart-pulling by dogs these days happens in public settings such as parades, so test rules specifically state that carts can be decorated. |
Trained dogs and handlers work in school systems to detect and even more importantly deter the presence of drugs, alcohol, weapons, and explosives. Both law enforcement and private company dog-and-handler teams perform this job. |
The word terrier comes from the Latin “terra,” “earth,” because this going-to-ground function is integral to a terrier’s nature. Barking and digging are fun for these little guys and going after critters is natural to them. The AKC earthdog events allow terrier owners to put their dogs to the task they were bred for, and earn titles in the process. |
"My dog eats his own poop!" exclaims the shocked human. Or, embarrassed to come right out with it, the human says, "I need to ask about this thing my dog does. It's really strange and disgusting…" The average person doesn't seem to discuss poop-eating dogs with friends and family, so people don't realize it's a common dog behavior. |
People tend to be horrified to find their dog is eating feces from the cat litter box. Since the behavior is common even in the most well nourished dogs, the fact that they like the taste is a likely reason. |
It might seem that knowing in advance your dog is ill and having the responsibility for this hard decision is the worst way to lose a dog. But for the sake of many people’s emotional health, it may be the best way. It gives you the chance to do loving things for the dog that you will remember for the rest of your life, long after the dog is gone. It also allows you to go through much of your grief while the dog is still there to love. Then the actual loss may be much less traumatic for you. |
A dog whose exercise needs are met may rest more calmly at home and be less fretful when left alone. The modern dog-management mantra of “A good dog is a tired dog” is gospel to many people. Exercise can improve bone and joint health. Heart and lung function can improve. |
Healthy exercise engages the brain as well as the body. With goals in mind of the behavior you need from your dog, exercise adds zest to learning, while learning adds meaning and interest to the exercise. Combining the two will also allow you to greatly reduce the risk of injuries. |
If you have physical limitations, either temporarily or permanently, how can you provide your dog with a healthy level of exercise? One basic rule will help you: exercise the mind along with the body. |
Teaching your dog to give you eye contact is a special training skill. Eye contact is the fastest, easiest, and for many dogs the most humane way to develop training finesse. |
Dogs can develop fear of any person, place or thing. Considering that the same thing happens in humans, this isn't surprising. Once a dog has begun to react with fear, correcting the original trigger of the behavior is not always enough to change the dog's habit of reacting that way. The earlier you intervene, the better your chances of relieving the fear. |
A dog who has had to defend food from another animal may start defending it from humans, resulting in dog bites. Dogs who would never start fighting with each other for any other reason will often start over food. Too often, the fighting among the dogs extends to other situations if the humans don’t act quickly enough. |
It's best to feed at least two meals a day, and to have the dog promptly eat the food. In households with more than one dog, it's best not to let them get into each other's dishes during meals. Your dogs may have cheerfully shared a dish for years, but the slightest change can upset this delicate balance and lead to the bloodbath of the century. |
Many dogs are prone to getting out of fences if left outside. The ideal solution is to supervise such dogs whenever they are outside within the fenced yard. In the best-case scenario, dogs never even begin going over, under or through the fence. |
Barking at the dog on the other side of the fence, like other barking in dogs, tends to escalate. Neighbors who have to listen to this eventually become unhappy. Teach your dog to come when called in the back yard. |
Why do dogs fight? They fight for different reasons than humans do, which to us can be extremely confusing. |
Unlike human firefighters, firehouse dogs don’t receive paychecks, and formal records don’t track their service time or daily tasks. All the firefighters stationed at that firehouse contribute to the dog’s financial and other care. Whatever else a particular firehouse dog’s life entails, it will include plenty of companionship. |
Fireworks can turn holidays such as the Fourth of July and New Year's Eve into miserable nights for dogs. To some extent this fear is genetic, but it's also learned. Dogs bred and trained to flush and retrieve game for a gunner cope well with these noises, as do police dogs. Some dogs aren't capable of a comfort level with fireworks, but a lot can be done to make this fear less of a problem for any dog. |
Guarding food or toys from other animals is a normal canine behavior. Life with dogs in our homes is safer when dogs do not guard their food. |
Since dogs don’t use words, a tactic that works on a dog is a “freeze,” when you stop all of your movement. Once your statue-like appearance brings your dog’s attention, the next movement you make will have special meaning to the dog. That’s because the best time to teach anybody anything is when they are interested in knowing the answer. Your dog wants to know why you have turned into a statue and what is going to happen next. |
One of the world’s foremost working breeds, the German Shepherd Dog deserves its many fans. The GSD needs a job. The dog will keep busy, and if you don’t teach a job and make it accessible for the dog to perform, the GSD will devise one. A German Shepherd Dog is a way of life. |
When an individual, business, or government entity hires a handler to bring a dog and control the geese, dog training and care does not fall to the property owner. Instead, the dog has a trained handler and the full-time work such a dog craves. The dog handler keeps the dog in training, which also results in the most humane handling of the geese and the dog. |
It’s important to take every opportunity with any loss to come through it to peace of mind and intact good memories. This is true whether the loss is a human loved one, a job, a disability, a disaster that destroys your home, or the loss of a beloved dog. |
What does a dog experience at the loss of a beloved human? Certainly the dog shares the frequent human dilemma at such a loss, that of fear at how life will change without that person. The dog is unlikely to know the person is not coming back but may fear that, especially if the dog has lost a previous home. |
Life can change drastically for a dog who loses the companionship of another dog. We don't know how much dogs understand about death, but the experience of having a dog become lethargic, upset, or even ill after a dog companion dies has happened to many dog lovers. It can be heart breaking, just when you are also grieving the loss yourself. |
Good grooming conditions dogs to the handling that is so precious in our relationships with them. The natural reaction to being touched is defensive. We learn-and so do our dogs-to enjoy touch only when we have the right experiences with it. Puppies who are cuddled get the right start. |
What does it mean when a dog growls? What do you do when it happens? |
The dog who barks, snarls, growls, lunges and snaps at anyone approaching the car is such a hazard that soon you'll find yourself having to leave the dog at home. For necessary car trips the dog will require crating, which allows the dog to make a huge amount of noise to distract your driving, but doesn't allow the dog to protect you. |
Some behavior in dogs as well as in humans is due to instincts. In most humans and in smart, educated dogs, instincts are modified by thinking, planning and problem-solving. The humans who can’t use their brains to override their instincts and impulses are often found in prisons! Dogs, too, wind up with their freedoms vastly limited if they cannot override instincts that cause trouble for humans. |
Why do you do the things you do? Do you know? Are you sure? |
The head halter is a popular tool for good reason. Some otherwise difficult behavior problems respond to the use of a head halter with ease. An immediate improvement in safety enables the handler to focus on solving the problem. Out-of-control dogs may relax and begin to learn. Though it’s not the right tool for all situations, the head halter is ideal for some. |
Herding dogs need jobs. Misdirected herding instincts can result in dogs herding your other companion animals, family members and guests. People often find the early manifestations of off-target herding behaviors funny, but much less funny as the dog gets more and more vigorous. |
When a dog gets hit by a car, everyone feels awful. We need to keep dogs out of the street in the first place. People often ask how to teach a dog to come when called once the dog is running loose in the neighborhood. That is the wrong question. A dog getting loose one time is understandable. When it’s obvious the dog is going to try it, the task is to stop the dog from getting loose again. |
Whether you're traveling with or without your dog, boarding your dog or bringing in a petsitter, or expecting company at your home for the holidays, a little preparation can go a long way towards making your holidays safe and calm for you and your dog. |
The hound group includes dogs who hunt by sight and dogs who hunt by scent. In both cases, the hound immersed in following that specialized sense will likely fail to hear you when you call. Outside a safe enclosed area with a hound, a leash is a wise precaution. Hunting requires an active dog, and the hounds need their exercise. |
Urine marking is a normal, instinctive dog behavior, mostly in males but also sometimes in females. Like a lot of other natural dog behaviors, we need to modify it as one of the fascinating ways that humans and dogs learn to cooperate for rewarding lives together. |
When a dog starts having housetraining accidents, it’s easy to believe the dog is acting out of anger or some other defiant motive. That is rarely the case. Let’s look at reasons for housetraining accidents, and methods for improving your dog’s batting average. |
Adult dogs, whether they are adopted, rescued, or are coming indoors after living outside, often need to be housetrained. Also, sometimes adult dogs develop housetraining problems later in life. |
A list of housetraining basics for puppies or adult dogs. Get your dog off to a good, reliable start! |
When a new dog comes home, housetraining starts immediately. Training happens all the time, either training we thoughtfully direct or bad habits the dog picks up for lack of being taught good ones! Housetraining is our golden opportunity to start forming a loving bond with a new dog. |
Housetraining is more difficult than most people realize, and it’s much more difficult with some dogs than others. It’s the first complicated task most people teach their dogs, and many dogs lose their homes over housetraining problems. You’d probably be surprised just how common all the housetraining problems are. |
While a typical scenario for dog ownership used to be a house on private property that could be fenced, now many puppies have to be housetrained from households with no outdoor area of their own. Until the puppy’s vaccination series is complete, walking around on ground where dogs outside your own family also walk is of questionable safety. This is especially true of tiny breeds. |
Small dogs require different care in some respects than larger dogs. Housetraining a small dog can be very different from housetraining a large dog. |
Housetraining is sometimes the bottom line for family dogs. People may clean up urine and feces after a dog for months or even years, before something happens that makes it impossible to continue living wit |
Whether your dog of several years is aging, or you have adopted a senior dog, housetraining issues for the elderly dog are different from other life stages. Age puts new stresses on the dog’s body and mind. |
Dogs humping humans may amuse other humans, but rarely the human who's being humped. Some dogs will hump a toy or sofa cushion incessantly. We accept dogs humping other dogs in the act of mating, but in other situations it can create problems. What can we do about it? |
As much as we hope for home to be a peaceable kingdom, some animals will not be able to live together in peace. Before acquiring a new animal, consider the characteristics of the prospective new family member as well as the animals you already have. |
Does your dog jump on you or others? It's easiest to nip this in the bud if your dog is a puppy, but even adult dogs can be taught to keep four on the floor. |
How many dogs have been relegated to back-yard living because they jump all over family and guests whenever anyone walks through the door? Then when someone goes out to visit the lonesome dog, the jumping is worse because the dog is even more excited to see someone. Only now the dog is dirty, too. Not good! |
If you want to keep your dogs off the furniture, your best bet is to start every puppy and new dog in your home with "off the furniture" as the consistent rule. |
What does it mean when a dog kills another animal? While it shocks humans, killing is normal behavior for dogs. When dogs do not kill, it’s due to human management. Without humans, dogs would have to kill to survive. When people are unable, unwilling or unaware of how to manage their dogs, kills to other animals become all too common. Understanding how it happens will help you avoid the problem with your dog. |
When a dog looks at the smooth floor and stops short--unwilling to walk there--obviously the dog has learned a fear. If your dog’s first experiences with smooth floors are scary or painful, it may be difficult indeed to change the dog’s mind about these surfaces. By acting quickly, though, you may be successful. |
The Labrador Retriever has for several years surpassed all other breeds in the number of individual puppies registered with the American Kennel Club. Labradors deserve their popularity, but not for the reasons people sometimes think. |
Leashes are wonderful for dogs. Leashes mean getting to go out of the house and yard to all sorts of interesting places. Leashes mean enjoying the outside world, protected from myriad dangers. With a little training, your dog will happily greet the sight of the leash, and walk along on it easily without pulling. |
A puppy may refuse to budge while on leash one day, and try to drag you down the street on the same leash the very next day! Dogs who walk well on leash face fewer dangers and have more fun. It's well worth the time to develop this skill with your puppy. |
Livestock guardian dogs (also called livestock protection dogs) have proven they can work successfully with all kinds of livestock, but perhaps most and best with sheep. Sheep represent easy prey for wolves, coyotes, stray dogs, and other predators. |
Chances are if you have done much dog training, you have used a long line. If this piece of equipment is new to you, learning about it can improve your dog-handling skills, as well as your dog's reliable responses to your cues. |
You’re out walking with your dog on leash, and uh-oh, there’s a loose dog approaching. Too many people think it’s okay to let their dogs roam loose, not realizing what a danger this presents to other people, especially those out walking with dogs or young children. How can we cope with stray dogs? |
There is a secret to teaching a dog to walk on a loose lead and never pull. Find out this easy and fun method to train your dog! |
A lost dog is an emergency. People may get complacent when a dog has been out before and come back, but it’s not safe to count on that happening again. Acting quickly can prevent losing your dog, save your dog’s life, and in some cases save you a lot of money. It’s an emergency. |
Words can be wonderful, but they can also cause people to become terribly confused. Nowhere is this truer than in human relationships with dogs. |
Keep in mind that coursing if done by humans would qualify in the extreme sport category! The hounds give it their all, with no thought to protecting themselves from injury or overheating. Precautions to protect the dog are the handler’s job, with the strong support of the rules and the other people present. |
It might seem then, that using a Bloodhound to find a missing child would risk the child’s safety. Not so. The lost child blessed by early call-out of a man-trailing Bloodhound and handler has a vastly improved chance of rescue. On locating the child, the gentle hound will want only to be the child’s new best friend. |
Mixed breed dogs may turn out quite well, depending on their parents. The first-generation cross of two purebred dogs of different breeds is a hybrid, and may possess superior traits in terms of health and intelligence. The “hybrid vigor” as this is called applies only to the first cross of two purebreds, though. Crossing those hybrid dogs produces unpredictability in the health and temperaments of their pups. |
Animal-shelter workers' hearts are broken regularly when people give up dogs for the reason "Moving, can't take dog." Dogs are highly adaptable. It's quite possible to meet a dog's needs and live happily together in a home very different from the home you shared before. |
Dogs who live together form a pack structure. Often this structure is harmonious, but frequently problems crop up. There are special challenges to training more than one dog, and problems that arise can include disobedience and fighting. Sometimes this fighting is severe. |
If having one canine family member is great, wouldn't two be better? How about three when you now have two or four if you now have three? Are there reasons to limit the number of dogs in your family? Let's look at the advantages of living with multiple dogs along with how things change as you add canine companions. |
Does it make a difference what name you choose for your dog? Yes, it does. If you know in advance that you will be adopting a dog, take time over the choice of a name. Start using that name when you first meet the dog. Your dog will learn the new name quickly and will more easily learn how things work at your house because the new name signifies a new lifestyle. |