The dos and don’ts on feeding your dog or cat fall and holiday foods

Generally, when jumping up on people is a chronic problem for a puppy, it will continue to be problematic as she grows older and larger. Puppyhood is the best time to nip this behavior in the bud.

Does your dog jump all over you when you come home? Do you think it’s just because you dog is happy to see you and has “spirit”? Do you look at this behavior as your dog’s “personality”? It’s not spirit or personality. Hyperactive energy - overexcitement - isn’t natural for a dog. It’s not healthy.

Just because your puppy has great social skills within his own pack of humans or dogs doesn’t necessarily mean he knows how to interact with strange dogs. Do you honestly know that all the dogs at your neighborhood dog park are balanced and stable? Are you absolutely certain that your dog is?

Tug-of-war seems to be a game that all puppies like to play, so what’s the harm in it, really?

A mother dog’s “training” is done through connecting. She has a real relationship with her pups, expressed through constant calm-assertive leadership. That is why I advise all dog owners to establish connection and communication with their dog before attempting training.

An adolescent dog is seeing and reacting to the world around it in a fresh, new way, and may not find you as endlessly fascinating as you seemed to him back in the days when he was working his hardest just to keep up with you.

Being able to set and communicate boundaries is one of the most important roles that you play as your dog’s pack leader. It is very important to start supervision and setting limits early as a preventative measure against creating a dog that snatches and destroys forbidden objects throughout your home.