How can I determine if my dog is just acting like a puppy or is too excitable or disobedient? Many excitable and rowdy behaviors that we see in puppies will diminish with time and proper early training. The unruly dog is one that continues to be difficult for the owner to manage past puppyhood or 6 – 9 months. Up …
Dog Behavior Problems — Marking Behavior
What does it mean if my dog is urinating on upright objects? Dogs “mark” by urinating on upright objects. Leaving a scent mark with urine is a normal dog communicative behavior. Marking is most likely to occur on or near new or novel odors, especially the urine left by other dogs. The volume of urine used for marking is usually …
Teaching Your Dog to Stop Barking on Command
Barking is one of the most common complaints of dog owners or their neighbors. Although barking is a normal behavior for dogs, when it is excessive or uncontrolled it becomes unacceptable to the owners or neighbors. The consequences of the dog’s barking (the response that the dog gets) may then aggravate the problem. For example, if barking is an attempt …
Dog Behavior Problems – Stealing and Stay Away
Why does my dog “steal” things? Most puppies and many adolescent dogs love to explore and chew, so it should be no surprise when they steal household objects. When you try to get these items back from your dog, a chase ensues because the game is fun, because the dog enjoys the attention and because the dog is reluctant to …
Teeth, Teething and Chewing in Puppies
My puppy has started biting my hands, my legs, my children’s legs—pretty much any object he can get his mouth on. What is going on? Your puppy is teething, the same way that human babies and children grow new teeth during their development. Like a human, your pup first grows a set of baby teeth (also called primary or deciduous, …
Dog Behavior Problems — Submissive, Excitement and Conflict Urination
Why does my dog urinate when he meets new people or when I come home? In this type of house soiling, the dog appears to lose control of its elimination in a number of situations: 1. When the dog is fearful, anxious, or overly submissive about being approached and takes on a submissive posture with ears back, retraction of lips, …
Dog Behavior Problems — Soiling in the Crate or Kennel
Although using a crate to help with house training is generally very successful, there are instances where it fails. Those situations can involve dogs that never had an opportunity to eliminate anywhere other than where they eat, sleep and live and have damaged the instinct to eliminate outside their living quarters. Examples include dogs and puppies from high volume breeding …
Dog Behavior Problems — House Soiling
Why is my dog soiling the house? There are numerous reasons that a dog might soil the house with urine and/or stools. Determining the specific reason is essential for developing a treatment program. Dogs that soil the home continuously or intermittently from the time they were first obtained may not have been properly house trained. Dogs that have been previously …
Dog Behavior Problems — Greeting Behavior — Jumping Up
How can I prevent my dog from jumping up on others and me? For many dogs, jumping up on people is part of their greeting routine. Often, owners have tried to discourage this behavior using methods such as squeezing the front feet, stepping on the dog’s toes, or kneeing the dog in the chest. Yet the behavior continues. For some …
Destructive Behavior in Dogs – Digging
Why do dogs dig? Digging behavior in dogs can have many motivations. Some breeds, such as the Northern breeds (Huskies, Malamutes) dig cooling holes and lie in them. On a very hot summer day any dog may dig a hole to cool off. Breeds such as the terriers have been bred to flush out prey or dig for rodents. With …
