Training your dog at home is a wonderful bonding experience—especially if you are willing to be consistent and put in the work—but there are a few nuances about dog behavior and learning theory you need to understand in order to work with your dog . . .
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Common Questions and Answers about your Dog’s Tongue

Photo by Deborah, Valparaiso
Depending on your point of view, one of the most endearing—or off-putting—features of a dog is his tongue. Everpresent, busy, and often intrusive, a dog’s tongue can also be one of his most defining characteristics. Most of us have either owned or have been acquainted with a dog who insists on greeting us by planting slobbery ‘kisses’ on our hands and faces, or licking us incessantly to get our attention. And while it is commonly accepted wisdom that dog mouths are cleaner than human mouths, does this mean they can lick us with abandon, and without any negative health…
Read MoreDog Tips: How to Stop Puppies from Biting

Puppies look so cute . . . until they sink those sharp teeth into you.
Photo by Alisa, Rancho Palos Verdes
Teaching your puppy to stop biting starts as soon as you bring home your furry bundle of joy. Or, to put it more accurately: You’ll start teaching your puppy to bite the right things (e.g., her dog toys and dog treats) and keep her choppers off the wrong things (e.g., your fingers and toes).
Read MoreExplained: 10 Weird Things Dogs Do

Do you know why your dog eats grass/
Photo by https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4145/4992244374_58116249be_z.jpg
Admit it. Sometimes your dog behaves a little weird.
Of all the spots in the house to take a seat, your furry best friend chooses your foot. She raids your dirty laundry and deposits her treasure around the house. She drinks water from the toilet rather than her water bowl.
Read MoreThree Examples of Real-World Dog Body Language
Most dog owners wish their beloved four-legged friends could speak, so we could know how they’re feeling or simply what goes through their . . .
Read MoreHow to Stop Leash Aggression in Dogs
By: Sondra Wolfer

Does this sound all too familiar? Your dog is a well-mannered angel hanging around the house and back yard, and an utter charmer when running loose with his furry friends in the dog park. But . . .
Read MoreWhy Does My Dog Dig Holes in the Yard, and How Do I Get Him to Stop?
By: Jill Jones

No, I wasn’t digging in the yard. Why do you ask?
Photo by Mary Beth, Sherborn
There are few dog behaviors more frustrating than continual destructive digging in your beautiful yard, turning it into a pockmarked mess. What makes it particularly maddening is its . . .
Read MoreLyme Disease in Dogs
By: Amber Roberts

Is your dog suddenly sleepy or lethargic more often?
Photo by Kris, Yukon
Canine Lyme disease, a tick-borne illness caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, is a concern for many dog owners. Lyme disease diagnoses have been on the rise since it was discovered, . . .
Read MoreHow to Stop Your Dog from Jumping
By: Sondra Wolfer

Training your dog to sit, rather than jump, is an important step.
Photo by Kate, Newton
The reason your dog jumps on you when you walk through the door is a sweet one — she’s trying to say “hello.” Touching noses is an instinctual salutation among dogs. Because you’re taller than . . .
Read MorePro Tips: How to Talk to Your Dog, Part III—Avoiding Common Problems

Major wants to understand, and you can help him.
Photo by Kate, Newton
Dogs certainly don’t speak our language, but they can understand a lot if we take the time to talk to them. But it’s important that we don’t assume that they can understand words the way . . .
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