UPDATE: Thanks to all who joined me in the chat tonight.  I look forward to doing it again.

This Thursday at 9 PM EST, I will be hosting a live chat for you to ask me your dog behavior questions.  I am using a neat service called TinyChat.  For those of you that have dog behavior questions, but you have not yet submitted them to me, now is your chance to do it without the delay necessary for me to write an entire article addressing your question.  Please note: I may use the situations from the chat to help other families struggling with similar issues.

To participate in the chat, check back HERE at 8:50 PM on Thursday, March 12 to get the link for the chat.  Click it and join in.  It really is that easy.  My friends that use Twitter will see a tweet in my stream at 8:50 PM as well, with a link to the chat.

If you have an in-depth or uncommon question for me, please send me a short e-mail ahead of time describing the issue, so I can fully develop my suggestions to you.  My paw pals, their families, and other interested parties are all welcome to join.  I intend for the chat to last until 10 PM, but I am happy to extend it if necessary.

Lately, we have been getting TONS of questions about aggression issues.  These questions have led to some great articles on other topics, but it looks like aggression in general is a very broad and vague topic.  If you have questions about aggression, we have an excellent series about the different types, how they manifest, and how to treat or manage them.  You can find the articles that address aggression (both as part of the series and recent questions about it) here.

As a guide to help you decide whether your dog has some aggression issues, check out the questions below and keep track of how many apply to your canine family: Continue Reading

TAKE IT:

This is probably the easiest command to teach a dog, and it is certainly the easiest of these three commands.  On a very basic level, whatever you have to give him is given to him with the words “TAKE IT.”  Pretty easy, huh?

1. Take your dog’s favorite treat and close your hand around it.
2. Let the dog smell the treat as he or she sniffs around your hand for a few seconds. Continue Reading

Last week, I received an e-mail from a reader that had just adopted a pit bull puppy, but she and her son were having the problems described here:

We have a pit bull puppy who refuses to go outside. We have to drag him on a walk. Then, if we stop, he turns and runs back to our apartment. He knows the way from wherever we go. He was potty trained when we got him, but that is fading fast, because he won’t go outside.

The first thing I have to say is “Congratulations” on the expansion of your family, and I wish to extend a special thank you for choosing to have a dog of that breed.  I have always said that pit bulls are not born bad, they are just raised that way.

Unfortunately, there was no age specification about this puppy, so I will have to do some guessing.  Keep in mind that young puppies do not know what a leash is.  Continue Reading

A reader from Canada sent me an e-mail asking for help with his two Yorkshire Terriers, who have begun fighting recently.  Both dogs are intact males, and the reader figured out the first step to addressing the problem on his own.  Even with one intact male dog, there is a lot of testosterone in the room, but TWO?!

If you are not planning to have either dog “stud” to make more little Yorkies, then it is imperative that you have both of them neutered as soon as possible.  Continue Reading

A longtime dog owner wrote me recently, inquiring about a possible fear aggression issue with her pet.  Fear aggression is a scary issue to deal with, because when it does present, the provocation is typically an everyday action.  Before pursuing any behavioral or training issue, the first thing necessary is to take your dog to his vet.  It is especially important that you go to YOUR vet, as the long-term relationship will help him diagnose any issue.  Your dog needs a clean bill of health from his Doc to see if there is anything physically wrong with him before you attempt to change his behavior.  We are unable to tell you when we are in pain, so getting the vet involved is imperative. Continue Reading

TEACHING THE SIT COMMAND

Mom says that the “SIT” command is the #1 control command.  If a dog is acting out, all you have to say is SIT and the dog is back under control.  Mom said that she has noticed that the SIT command is also used in grocery stores for children.  Parents say SIT and the children SIT down in the cart!

In this post, we will only be covering teaching your dog how to SIT.  You are on your own with the kids. Continue Reading

Some folks that Mom knows sent me an e-mail about their Golden Lab, Marley (just like the movie).  Below is the text of the response I sent them.

Marley, Marley, Marley, a retriever after my own heart!  We can certainly be a crazy bunch.  Mom tells me that you are driving your Mom and Dad bonkers with your counter-surfing.  Marley, have you seen the movie “A Christmas Story”?  Did you happen to notice how unhappy everyone got when the neighbor’s dog came over and counter-surfed the turkey away?  Well, I do not want to see a fellow retriever turned into the Bumpus’ dog. Continue Reading

You should always remember that dogs are pretty much children their whole lives.   Of course, you know that as a puppy, all we know is run, play, jump and be seeking your attention.  I assume that the dogs you are concerned about are over one year of age, and they are still bouncing off the walls as previously described.

Some dogs will always have a very high energy level, and their motors are always revving.  The best thing for these dogs is a very active lifestyle with lots of exercise.  Dogs with this kind of energy REALLY enjoy things like playing frisbee, flyball, agility and some people are now dancing with their dogs!  It does not matter which activity you choose, the goal is to find an outlet for all of that unspent energy. Continue Reading

I received a question via e-mail last week about aggression.  Since there are eight different types of aggression, I have decided to break things down into an eight-part series on aggression.  Dominance aggression is the first topic I will cover, and it is included below.

DOMINANCE AGGRESSION

What is it?

With dominance aggression, everything is about control.  It is the struggle between a dog and the human deciding who is actually in charge.  Dogs are always giving communication signals.  Sometimes, humans do not pick up on the true meaning of these signals.

Some large dogs like to jump up and put their paws on your shoulders.  Most of the time, people think that this is cute because it looks like he is giving the person a hug.  While it may look really cute, the dog is thinking, “I’m in charge here!”

These are the signs of a dominant aggressive dog:

• They do not like to be stared at.
• They do not like for anyone to reach over their head.
• They act aggressive when they are corrected verbally.
• Their aggression may become worse if you physically corrected.
• They do not like to be pushed on their shoulders and back.
• They do not like to be moved from (aka demoted) from beds and sofas.
• They nudge your hand to insist that you pet them.
• They growl or bare their teeth for no reason.
• They snap at people without cause.
• They defend “their” property (food, toys, etc.)

What can you do if you find that you have a dominant aggressive dog?

• Remember that you can not train what you can not control.
• Control your dog’s access to keep him only in certain areas of your home.  Close doors or use baby gates.
• When outside, always use a head halter or muzzle.
• Avoid the things that cause the aggressive behavior.
• Supervise or confine your dog around other animals or children.
• If you are challenged by the dog, relieve the tension by sweet talking him.
• Dominant aggressive dogs can be especially dangerous.  This is a problem that does not get better on its own.  Consult a professional dog trainer or behaviorist.

SOME FACTS:

• Canine dominance aggression develops between 18 and 36 months of age.
• When a dog has learned dominance aggressive behavior, it can be very difficult, if not impossible, to change.
• Puppies should begin socialization with humans by 3 weeks of age and continue with positive situations until 14 weeks of age.  This socialization will help their future relationships with people.
• Adult dogs should ALWAYS be rewarded for their good behavior.  This does not necessarily mean treats.  Dogs love attention, so hugs, petting, and general expressions of love are also treats.  Keep in mind that these same rewards should not be given for bad behavior.

This is a reminder that this material and any material I write is for your information only. If you suspect in any way that your dog is having a problem with dominance aggression, I strongly advise you to seek professional guidance. Aggression of any sort is far too complex to understand by reading a few pages on the Internet.  I feel that humans and my fellow canines will be better served you do not try to tackle this issue alone!