By: Shiloh Holland
Category Archives: Animal Sense Files
Neutered Male Dogs: Can They Impregnate a Female Dog?
By Deb Haines. “Oh those neutered buggers” A neutered male can still mount and tie with the female, but there is no sperm, so no puppies! The neutering procedure only removes a dog’s testicular sack. While neutered dogs cannot impregnate a female dog and therefore make babies, they can most certainly still have sexy timeContinue reading “Neutered Male Dogs: Can They Impregnate a Female Dog?”
Shelters and Rescues
CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO ACCESS OUR FULL RESCUE & SHELTERS RESOURCE. Vet Corner Groups Shelters & Rescues file
Board and Train
By Vanessa Williams One of the most common questions we get on Animal Sense is about Board and Train, which means sending the dog away to a trainer for a certain period of time (usually 2-4 weeks) usually for thousands of dollars and promises of a perfect dog. While there are a few truly worthwhileContinue reading “Board and Train”
Fear of Men
By Vanessa Williams Fear of men is a common phenomenon in dogs, especially rescue dogs. Sometimes this manifests as the dog running and hiding, but often it causes more concerning behavior like growling and barking. It can be really hurtful when the new dog is afraid of one of the adoptive family members, but it’sContinue reading “Fear of Men”
Activities for Your Dog
By Dr. Claire Tousley Klatt DVM Things to do with your dog during COVID (and beyond)… The pandemic has made it really difficult for many people to socialize and train their puppies. Because I do much better at training my dogs when I have goals like upcoming events, competitions, and classes, I’ve made a listContinue reading “Activities for Your Dog”
The Default “Leave It”
By Maggi Burt Building a Default Leave-ItIf there are both adults and young people in the house, this exercise is to start onlyfor the adults. Not only do children have a hard time doing the exercise, the dogalso has a harder time controlling themselves with young humans than they doadults. They often think of theContinue reading “The Default “Leave It””
Litterbox: Cat Issues
By Vanessa Williams Many litterbox issues, especially if they are new issues or suddenly occurring issues, are medical. It is important that with any changes in potty habits, your cat is fully checked out by their veterinarian for things like GI upset, UTI, stones, etc. Pain of pottying due to these issues can be associatedContinue reading “Litterbox: Cat Issues”
Loose Leash Walking
By Vanessa Williams One of the most common “basic” behavior issues that trainers are consulted for is pulling on the leash during walks. In this guide, we’ll go over WHY dogs pull as well as a few ways to teach your dog to walk nicely on lead. NOTE: This guide is for dogs without otherContinue reading “Loose Leash Walking”
Reactivity on Walks: Dogs
By Vanessa Williams Dog reactivity on walks is a very common issue. Reactivity is USUALLY fear based, though excitement based is also fairly common. There are a lot of things that play a role in a dog developing reactivity and why it may occur only on walks rather than during other times. First we’ll lookContinue reading “Reactivity on Walks: Dogs”
Child Safety and Dogs
By Vanessa Williams A very common reason for dogs to be surrendered to a shelter or re-homed is that the dog is exhibiting concerning behaviors around children: growling, nipping, barking, etc. Often, the dog is placed at fault because the child was “just being affectionate”. However, MANY dogs are uncomfortable around children. Kids are loud,Continue reading “Child Safety and Dogs”
Mouthing and Puppy Biting
By Vanessa Williams Puppies, like human babies, use their mouths for almost everything. For eating, for playing, for exploring and learning about the world. Most mouthing behavior is excitement and play based and is what this guide is directed towards. Nipping and mouthing are more common in puppies that were taken from their mother andContinue reading “Mouthing and Puppy Biting”
Housebreaking Your Dog
By Vanessa Williams First, a disclaimer or two: This guide is for normal, healthy puppies and dogs. If your adolescent or adult dog is having frequent accidents, especially if they were previously housebroken, make sure you see a veterinarian FIRST to rule out issues such as UTI, IBD, etc. This guide is intended for dogsContinue reading “Housebreaking Your Dog”
Separation Anxiety: What You Need to Know
By Vanessa Williams Separation anxiety is pretty common in dogs, especially rescue dogs. It is completely NORMAL and NATURAL for puppies to be afraid of being alone. Puppies cannot survive by themselves and their biology is telling them that being alone is dangerous. If not addressed and taught in a positive manner that they willContinue reading “Separation Anxiety: What You Need to Know”
Animal Behavior and the Scope of this Group
By Vanessa Williams Hi everyone! We’ve had some really awesome questions in this group and have hopefully helped some people get some understanding as to why their pet does what they do! Animal behavior is incredibly complex. There are a ton of factors that go into what drives an animal to behave a certain way.Continue reading “Animal Behavior and the Scope of this Group”
Growl: WhatYou Need To Know
By Vanessa Williams Growling is one of the biggest behavior issues I get calls for. People want to know how to stop this aggressive behavior. But often, the conversation I have with them does NOT go the way they expect when I tell them they have a good dog who’s doing his very best toContinue reading “Growl: WhatYou Need To Know”
Dog trainers: How to choose One
By Vanessa Williams From the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists: Finding a Diplomate Near You – https://www.dacvb.org/search/custom.asp?id=4709 Finding the right trainer can be difficult to navigate. There is no oversight in dog training so ANYONE can say they are a trainer. Different facilities use different methods. A lot of correction/pain based trainers that use prongContinue reading “Dog trainers: How to choose One”
Marking (Dogs)
By Vanessa Williams Marking is a completely natural behavior for dogs and usually consists of urine, but feces may also be used. Both males and females will mark (though males mark more frequently), whether intact and fixed. There are three general categories for marking behavior. Social Dogs are incredibly social animals and their primary senseContinue reading “Marking (Dogs)”
Humping or Mounting: Dogs
By Deb Haines Why Do Dogs Hump? Humping, or mounting, is a sexual position for dogs, but veterinarians who specialize in canine behavior say it often is done for other reasons as well. David S. Spiegel, VMD, who has a behavioral veterinary practice near Swarthmore, Pa., says in unneutered and unspayed dogs under a yearContinue reading “Humping or Mounting: Dogs”
Littermate Syndrome: What You Need To Know
By Deb Haines What is littermate syndrome? The condition develops when two young dogs end up bonding too tightly with each other. It may sound ideal when dogs are such close friends, but major issues can arise down the road. The problem is that their relationship with each other can stop them from creating properContinue reading “Littermate Syndrome: What You Need To Know”
Electronic Collars (Shock Collars)
By Deb Haines Here in Animal Sense: Basic Training And Behavior, We do not recommend the use of the Electronic Collar to members. Please Do NOT suggest this tool. What is an electronic collar used for? A shock collar for dogs, also known as electric collars, e-collars, or remote dog training collars, is a deviceContinue reading “Electronic Collars (Shock Collars)”
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