How Does this Dog Feel?
Looking at this dogs body language, the boxer is leaning away from his best friend, his ears are pinned back in fear, the whites of his eyes show
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3 Tips to Changing your Dogs Habit
To change your dogs unwanted habit, you first need to know what your dog loves! Determine a reward that your dog enjoys and is willing to work for. Keep in mind that the same reward may not work for all your dogs. While verbal praise works well for some dogs, it will not work for most dogs.
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Your Dog Bit Me!
Your dog has bitten a friend, stranger or even your own child and everyone is telling you to “euthanize your dog”. First, take a breath and let’s assess the situation and understand why
Dominance: Reality or Myth
Unfortunately a popular reality TV show has captured people’s attention and is talking about dogs as pack animals and again perpetuating the idea of using “calm-assertive energy” (read: fear and intimidation) to resolve issues with problem dogs. Like most “reality” TV shows
by Donald J. Hanson, BFRAP, CDBC, CPDT-KA
It was in the September of 2000 that the first version of this article appeared in Paw Prints, the Green Acres Kennel Shop newsletter. I have updated the article ten years later because sadly there are still too many people, some of them animal professionals, and some who try to play the part on TV, promulgating the dominance myth.
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Is It Just the Dogs Breed?
Does your hound constantly have her nose to the ground? Is your retriever pup a bit too mouthy? Is your Pyrenees, Chow or Catahoula mix acting a bit growly with strangers? Does your terrier like to grab and shake toys? How about your adorable herder? Ever nipped at anyones heels?
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Bite Prevention with Guests
This is the fifth of a five part segment, to help dog owners with insecure dogs that act aggressively to strangers. A practical guide to helping owners with dogs who rush and bark at people through windows, fences, at the front door and on leash.
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Teaching a Dog to Sit, Stay will Improve His Emotional Control
This is Blog #4 in helping the dog who is barking and lunging at people.
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Dog Bite Prevention
In this Blog I will teach you how to prevent your dog from biting a person by helping you understand when your dog is feeling stressed and needs more space from an unfamiliar person. Dogs will offer requests for distance, called distance cues until they learn that their requests go ignored by the human. If they are still afraid, they will simply bite as their fear overrides their ability to think.
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Dog Aggression Towards Humans
In my last blog, I mentioned that changing your dogs behavior begins with good management which prevents him from practicing the unwanted behavior.
I will now explain how to change your dog’s response when meeting a stranger, using the processes of counter-conditioning and desensitization. Counter-conditioning means changing the negative association the dog has formed about people, and replacing it with a positive, happy association using something the dog loves. Desensitization means exposing the dog to the “stimulus” (in this case, a person) at a distance, far enough away that it does not provoke a fear response from your dog, and gradually reducing the distance to the person until the dog is relaxed with the person nearby. Subsequent training can continue as your dog remains calm, and is able to accept treats or play with toys.
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How to Stop Aggressive Dog Barking at People
For shy or fearful dogs, having a human move into their space is very scary, and it takes away their personal choice. In the Treat and Retreat game, we reverse this situation. Instead of adding social pressure to the dogs, we remove that pressure. This adds to the dogs feeling of control while also giving the dog another opportunity to make a choice. Removal of social pressure should always be part of the Treat and Retreat game, as a way to check how the dog is doing and help keep them under threshold. If a dog goes over threshold, they learn that snapping works, period.
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