A dog owner’s worst nightmare is losing her dog. But accidents can happen. Your dog can slip past you when you open the door; slip out of his collar while on a walk; or dig or climb out of your fenced yard. What Should You Do if Yours Gets Loose? Stay calm, even though your […]

Your dog has spotted a squirrel and is running after it in the direction of the road as a truck is barreling toward him. You yell, “Come!” as loudly as you can. What happens? Does your dog pivot and run back to you, avoiding a potentially life-ending injury? Or, does he make the ultimate mistake […]

Header photo: SheltieBoy/Flickr Your puppy is growing up, and by now you've established the house rules and routines. If all has gone well, you've been consistent and patient while teaching your dog what is and is not acceptable behavior. He's on a feeding schedule, is on his way to being house-trained, is happy in his crate, […]

Did you know that an AKC survey revealed that 21% of dog owners stated the reason they let their dogs sleep with them at night is to keep warm?  And in the case of who—or what—occupies most of the bed space, 44% of respondents admitted their dog takes up the most room. If you do […]

Any dog lover knows there is no greater relationship than that between dog and owner. We love our dogs! We love playing with them, cuddling with them, and having them to come home to everyday. Owning a dog, however, is no easy responsibility. While owning a dog will be filled with love and happiness, it's […]

Socializing puppies has traditionally been considered the responsibility of the new owner. Breeders instruct their puppy buyers to take the puppies to classes and make sure they are exposed to a variety of people and situations. But research shows that encouraging a stable temperament can start even before puppies are born. Breeders can do a […]

  Your new puppy has been home for two days, and you are already wondering how you are going to keep her from tearing the house down. Shouldn’t she know better? First, remember that this is a baby dog, no different than a human toddler. Don’t expect your puppy to understand that she should not […]

  Socializing puppies has traditionally been considered the responsibility of the new owner. We instruct new owners to take the puppy to classes and make sure they are exposed to a variety of people and situations. But recent research shows that encouraging a stable temperament can start even before puppies are born. Breeders can do […]

  Just like human children, puppies love to play. But since they don’t have opposable thumbs, they use their mouths for most games. Virtually all puppies play this way. It’s normal, and it is not a sign that your pup will become an aggressive dog. Your puppy does not mean to hurt you when he […]

"Female dogs are moodier; males are more playful." "Females are more dog-aggressive; males are more human-aggressive." "Males are more loyal." "Females are sweeter." Everyone, it seems, has an opinion on sex differences in dogs—these are just a few I collected in an informal poll. But is there any truth to these distinctions, or are they […]