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The Rules of Seven

By
Editorial Staff
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0
Socializing Your Puppy eBook from Whole Dog Journal

Pat Schaap, a Shetland Sheepdog breeder in Clarksville, Maryland, is credited for this list of experiences, people, and things that each puppy should have been exposed to by the time she reaches seven weeks old:

  1. Seven different types of surfaces: Carpet, concrete, wood, vinyl, grass, dirt, gravel, wood chips.
  2. Seven different types of play objects: Big balls, small balls, soft fabric toys, fuzzy toys, squeaky toys, paper or cardboard items, metal items, sticks or hose pieces.
  3. Seven different locations: Front yard, backyard, basement, kitchen, car, garage, laundry room, bathroom.
  4. Seven new people: Children and older adults, a person with a cane, someone in a wheelchair or walker.
  5. Seven challenges: Climb on a box, climb off a box, go through a tunnel, climb steps, go down steps, climb over obstacles, play hide and seek, go in and out of a doorway with a step up or down, run around a fence.
  6. Seven different types of food containers: Metal, plastic, cardboard, paper, china, pie plate, frying pan.
  7. Seven different eating locations: Crate, yard, kitchen, basement, laundry room, living room, bathroom.

Of course, seven shouldn’t be a limiting number. Pratt says she exposes her Golden Retriever puppies to 100 different people before they leave at 8 1/2 weeks.

For more details and advice on ways to socialize your puppy or dog, purchase Whole Dog Journal’s ebook, Socializing Your Puppy.

Dog Tracking Devices for Newbies

By
CJ Puotinen
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1
Dog tracking devices are a desired device, but rarely work as desired.
While there are plenty of dog collars and harnesses designed to hold Apple AirTags available, the company advises against using them to track your dog. Credit: Artur Debat | Getty Images

Dog tracking devices attach to a dog’s collar or harness, collect data related to the dog’s location, and transmit data to a smartphone or computer. That’s useful, but as explained in “Sorting Out Smart Collars,” some dog-tracking GPS (Global Positioning System) devices offer so many options that their features and price tags can overwhelm new users.

If you’re new to GPS technology and want a simple, affordable, reliable way to keep track of your dog’s location, here are some options.

Note that your dog’s microchip is not a tracking device. The microchip is a radio-frequency identification (RFID) implant that serves only one purpose, to identify dogs by matching chip identification numbers to veterinary records.

The Simplest and Least Expensive Dog Tracking Devices

Ever since Apple released its AirTag Tracking Device to keep track of luggage and other items, people have attached AirTags to their dogs. According to Apple, this is a terrible idea whose risks outweigh the rewards because someone finding your pet would need an updated iPhone to notify you and they might not have one, or they might not know how to use their phone for that purpose, and some dogs have swallowed AirTags, requiring emergency surgery. AirTag fans dismiss Apple’s warnings as efforts to avoid liability, and dog collars and harnesses designed to hold AirTags are widely sold.

Considering its $29 price tag, long battery life, the fact that it doesn’t require a subscription, and its ease of use, the AirTag looks like an attractive option. However, it’s far less reliable than a GPS tracker that uses satellite signals and cellular data to send your dog’s location to your phone. The AirTag uses Bluetooth technology, which works well if you’re within 30 to 100 feet of the device. Otherwise, Apple’s app depends on the proximity of other active iPhones in Apple’s “Find My” network to expand the AirTag’s range. If anyone with a modern Apple device is near a lost AirTag, they can alert the AirTag’s owner of the exact location, but if iPhone users aren’t nearby, the AirTag can’t respond..

Similar descriptions apply to the Tile Pro tracker, designed to keep track of keys, phones, luggage, and other items. Unlike Apple, Tile promotes its tracker for use on pets and even offers a Tile collar attachment for cats. The basic Tile costs $34.99 and requires an annual $29.99 (standard) or $99.99 (premium) subscription. Its 400-foot  Bluetooth range can be extended by proximity to other active cell phones in the Tile Network, which is why it’s more reliable for indoor cats than for out-of-range dogs.

The Pawscout Bluetooth Tracker relies on a network of Pawscout members and their smartphones to reunite tagged pets with owners. Its 300-foot range is expanded by proximity to other people with the Pawscout app, which makes this tag most effective in urban areas. If there aren’t any active Pawscout apps within range, the tracker can’t respond. Pawscout’s QR tag ($9.95) and Bluetooth tracker ($19.95) don’t require subscriptions.

User-Friendly GPS Trackers

If you live in a rural area, hike or camp with your dog, or if identifying your dog’s exact location matters, it makes sense to invest in a GPS tracker. Most use a combination of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to share satellite data with your phone. While ease of use is important, so are factors like reliability, affordability, battery life, whether the tracker is waterproof, and whether it’s comfortable for your dog to wear.

The Whistle GO Explore Pet Tracker attaches to the collars of dogs weighing 25 pounds and more. Praised by evaluators for its ease of use, sturdy attachment clip, and for being waterproof, the Whistle costs $129 plus an annual subscription of $99.

The Tractive GPS Dog Tracker is easy to set up, popular with users, works for dogs weighing as little as 9 pounds, and provides up-to-the-second updates of a dog’s position. The Tractive is waterproof, monitors a dog’s sleep patterns and daily activities, and costs $49.99 with a basic ($96) or premium ($108) annual subscription.

The Jiobit Smart Tag Dog Tracker is the smallest GPS tracker, suitable for dogs and cats of all sizes. The tag’s different clips make it easy to attach, and it’s easy to set up and use. The tag costs $129.99 and requires a $17 per month subscription ($8.33 per month or $100 if prepaid annually).

The Fi Smart Series 3 Dog Collar has a built-in tracker with a long battery life (1-1/2 to 2 months for most dogs) and upgraded location tracking for accuracy. The collar’s cost depends on the subscription purchased with it ($189.00 for prepaid annual subscriptions). Reviewers call it easy to set up and use.

The Cube GPS Pet Tracking Bundle uses GPS, WiFi, cell tower triangulation, and Bluetooth for location reporting, and it works nationwide off the Verizon network. This means that in areas with poor cell service, it can be unreliable. The pet tracking bundle costs $119.95 plus an annual subscription for $198.00. 

Looking for More?

Before deciding on a dog tracker, take a realistic look at your needs and visit websites and check online reviews. Compare the area ranges of different devices, their battery life, and costs. If these are of interest, look at extra features like activity monitors, built-in LED lights for extra visibility, and the ability to add multiple phones (yours, your family’s, or a pet sitter’s) to your tracker’s notification system.

For our latest in-depth review of dog tracking products see “GPS Trackers and Smart Collars for Dogs.”

Keep Your Dog’s IDs Up to Date

Even if you buy the most advanced tracking device for your dog, it’s important to keep her collar ID and microchip information up to date. There are many reasons why a tracking device might stop working, so backup identification methods still matter.

Canine Obesity: It’s a Big Problem

By
Nancy Kerns
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5
Overweight dogs can suffer many health issues due to their weight.
This is not just a “large breed dog,” she is FAT. Her backbone is indented by the excess flesh on her ribs. She’s at high risk of muscle and ligament injuries, anal gland problems, diabetes, and a host of other health problems due to being overweight.

A professional organization called the Association for Pet Obesity’s Prevention (APOP) recently released a report stating that most of the dogs in the U.S. are overweight, their owners don’t know it, and their veterinarians don’t feel comfortable talking to their clients about it.  This feels like crazyland to me!

I think I have to agree with the premise that most people really don’t recognize their dogs’ weight problem. When I attempt to have conversations with the owners of fat larger breed dogs, nine times out of 10, the owner will say, “Well, his mother and father both weighed over 100 pounds, these are just a large breed!” Or, “He’s in the weight range for the breed standard!” Ignoring the fact that the dog has no waist whatsoever and is literally covered with fat rolls.

Small dog owners often just think their dogs are cute. And as long as they can pick them up, they don’t think the weight is a problem.

My own sister didn’t get serious about reducing the weight of her little dogs until Dinah, a presumed Chihuahua/Dachshund-mix, got so obese that she couldn’t maintain the hygiene of her own nether end and developed serious anal gland issues. WARNING: This is exceedingly gross to contemplate. Skip the next paragraph if you are easily grossed out!

When lick their own butts, it helps keep the anal glands in working order. Big dogs have fewer problems with their glands than small dogs partly because they have bigger, stronger tongues, which help massage and empty the glands when they lick their butts. When dogs like Dinah get too fat to reach their bottoms with their tongues, the glands can become impacted and infected unless the owner is aware of this and makes sure to either empty the glands or take the dog to a groomer or vet occasional to have the glands checked and emptied.

Anyway, to me, the most shocking part of the report is the allegation that 84% of the veterinarians who responded to the survey said they don’t want to upset their clients by talking about their dogs’ weight. But health and weight are so linked in dogs! I think that if a vet fails to discuss a dog’s overweight it’s a total dereliction of their veterinary duty! The problems associated with or directly caused by obesity in dogs are legion!

And yet, I get it. A vet only gets so much time with a client, and it probably often feels like there isn’t enough time to talk about the dog’s more pressing health issues and the overweight condition—even if the obesity may have contributed to the problem. Even at well-pet visits, people often spend more time discussing flea and heartworm preventives, vaccines, and the like.

My friend Tim Steele, a gifted dog trainer (who broke my heart by moving from my area to Florida a couple years ago), once told me that he never talks directly to dog owners about their dogs’ weight problems; he addresses his concerns to the dog—in front of the owner, obviously!  He’ll say, “Oh my goodness, who is measuring your food? Or are you sneaking into the refrigerator at night?! I think you need to get on a little diet!” Often, he reports, the owner will join the “conversation” at that point, saying something like, “Do you really think he needs to be on a diet?” instead of feeling directly confronted. I think that’s a genius approach—and perhaps one I can recommend to veterinarians!

My appreciation to reporter Tim Wall of Petfood Industry for being the first to cover the APOP’s 2023 survey.

Common Sounds Dogs Hate

By
Kate O'Connor
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0
Vacuum cleaners and other sounds dogs hate can be a source of stress for a dog.
The noise vacuum cleaners make is among the most common sounds dogs hate. Credit: Westend61 | Getty Images

It’s no secret that dogs as a species have better hearing than humans. Exactly how much better is still a matter of scientific investigation, but studies have shown that dogs’ hearing is both more sensitive and has more range, particularly at the higher-frequency end of the scale, than our own. This can create complications when things that sound fine—or are even inaudible—to us come across as painfully loud or jarring to our canine companions.

While every individual is different, there are some noises that are more likely to make dogs uncomfortable or frightened. Among the most common sounds dogs hate are:

  • Vacuum Cleaners: Why do dogs hate vacuums? They are loud, often make high-pitched whistling noises, move strangely (if you’re a dog), create vibrations that can be felt through the floor, and smell weird.
  • Thunderstorms: Thunderstorms can be particularly hard on sound-sensitive dogs. The sound of thunder is just one piece of it—barometric pressure changes, flashing lightning, wind, and rain noise may also be part of what your dog is afraid of.
  • Fireworks/Gunshots: Loud, explosive noises that seemingly come out of nowhere—often accompanied by flashes of light and strong smells—can be terrifying to dogs.
  • Alarms/Sirens: From smoke alarms in the kitchen to fire trucks on the street, high-pitched, repetitive alarms and sirens can trigger negative reactions.

The noises listed above are just some of the standard culprits when it comes to sounds dogs hate. Lawnmowers, hairdryers, power tools, crying babies, big trucks or buses passing on the street, and car horns also regularly make the list.

When Sounds Dogs Hate Become a Problem

Dog and human alike, most of us have some kind of startle reaction to sudden, loud noises. If your dog jumps when you accidentally drop a metal cooking pot on the hard kitchen floor, that’s totally normal. Chances are, I would too. If she quickly returns to whatever she was doing and doesn’t show any signs of being further bothered by the experience, you probably don’t need to do anything other than to try not to drop too many things around her.

However, if you drop a pot and your dog runs and hides for an extended period of time, refuses to return to the kitchen on her own, or gets anxious whenever you pick up a pot, she may need some help to get through her fear of the noise—particularly if it is something that occurs regularly in her life. This kind of sound sensitivity is, perhaps, easiest to identify in dogs who are afraid of thunderstorms. A few drops of rain or a rumble of thunder so far away a human can barely hear it may send a sound-sensitive dog into a panic as she anticipates the terrible noise to come.

Fearful reactions to sounds can range from mild upset to extreme terror. As discussed in “Is Your Dog Afraid of Noises?”, there are a number of ways to help your dog deal with sounds she is sensitive to:

  • Management comes first. Figure out which sounds are upsetting your dog and find ways to remove or mitigate them. Mitigation can include taking her to a quiet, well insulated room, putting her in a covered crate if she is comfortable being crated, and a using white noise machine or music to help block out the noise.
  • Behavior modification techniques such as counter-conditioning and desensitization can be used to help your dog overcome her fear of sounds. Make sure you understand exactly what you need to do before starting a desensitization/counter-conditioning program since doing it incorrectly can make fearful responses worse.
  • Professional help can be invaluable when dealing with a significant fear reaction to specific sounds. Don’t be afraid to consult with a good fear-free behaviorist on desensitization techniques. A veterinarian may also have recommendations for medications to help keep your dog calm if she is fearful to the point of potentially injuring herself.

How to Desensitize a Dog to Sounds

Depending on the severity of the problem, desensitizing a dog to sounds that frighten her can be a challenging, time-consuming undertaking. As mentioned above, it is important to understand how desensitization and counter-conditioning function before getting started to avoid scaring the dog further. If you are at all uncertain about how to proceed, it is extremely important to talk to a professional first.

Desensitization works by gradually exposing the dog to the fear-causing noise by starting at a very low intensity and increasing it slowly as the dog gets comfortable with the sound. For a dog afraid of thunderstorms or fireworks, this usually means beginning with a recording of the noise played almost inaudibly and, over time, raising the volume little bit by little bit. Properly done, the sound should never reach a level that triggers a full fear response.

Desensitization usually goes hand-in-hand with counter-conditioning, which seeks to replace fear of the sound with positive associations. This needs to be done as a deliberate part of the desensitization program with good things—such as favorite toys, cuddles, games, and treats—coming when the dog is relatively calm in the presence of the problem sounds.

For an in-depth, step-by-step discussion of counter-conditioning and how to desensitize a dog to sounds see “Dogs With An Unhealthy Fear of Storms and Loud Noises.”

Download The Full June 2024 Issue PDF

By
Nancy Kerns
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5
  • Unplanned Weight Loss
  • Dogs Can Get Sunburn
  • Understanding Reactivity
  • Is Your Dog Depressed?
  • Physical Therapy
  • Winning Body Language
  • Leptospirosis
  • Bully-Stick Holders
  • Stop Fence-Jumping
  • Microchip Your Dog!
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Relieving Anxiety

By
Editorial Staff
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0
Separation Anxiety eBook from Whole Dog Journal

Have you ever had the misfortune of walking into your house to find overturned furniture, inches-deep claw gouges on door frames, blood-stained tooth marks on window sills, and countless messages on your answering machine from neighbors complaining about your dog barking and howling for hours on end in your absence? If so, you’re probably familiar with the term “separation anxiety” – a mild label for a devastating and destructive behavior.

Most separation anxiety behavior happens within 30 minutes of the owner’s departure and within a similar period before the owner’s anticipated return. This is one of the keys to determining whether your dog’s behavior is truly an anxiety reaction or simply a bout of puppy hijinks.

If you can leave and come back in an hour to an unscathed home but four hours puts him over the top, chances are you’re dealing with boredom, excessive energy, or a housetraining issue rather than true separation anxiety. (Some dogs will become destructive in their efforts to go outside to relieve themselves if they are very committed to not soiling the house.)

For more details and advice on ways to prevent and cure canine separation anxiety, purchase Whole Dog Journal’s ebook, Separation Anxiety.

“He Bit Without Warning!”

By
Editorial Staff
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0
Resource Guarding eBook from Whole Dog Journal

During resource-guarding, dogs exhibit components of ritualized aggression. That is, they have a fairly explicit hierarchy of warnings – accelerated eating, cessation of eating or “freezing up,” glassy/hard eyes, growling, lip lifting, snapping, biting – that they’ll run through to get a competitor (YOU!) to back away from what they have. They’re nervous that you’re there and don’t want to share.

Trainers and behaviorists take these warnings and apply a rating scale, ranging from reactions that pose no risk to humans to those that are extremely serious. A rough eight-level guide is useful for owners and trainers to assess the situation but some dogs don’t follow such a neat hierarchal scale. A dog can move from a growl to a serious bite in a matter of seconds.

Trainers often hear the cry, “he bit without warning!” More often than not, there was a warning, somewhere, sometime – we just missed it.

For more advice on how to recognize the signs of resource-guarding and ways to reduce, eliminate and prevent it, purchase and download the ebook from Whole Dog Journal, Resource Guarding.

The Eyes Have It

By
Editorial Staff
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0
Reading Your Dog’s Body Language eBook from Whole Dog Journal

There’s sometimes an occasional moment during shelter dog behavior assessments when the dog being assessed makes deliberate, direct, soft eye contact with the person performing the assessment. When this happens to me, my heart warms and I get a little teary-eyed. “This,” I think to myself, “is a dog who has had meaningful relationships with humans.”

What this undoubtedly means is that the dog has learned that there is a value in making eye contact with humans. It’s a behavior that most humans strongly value; it makes most of us feel as if the dog is communicating something to us.

If your dog doesn’t already know the value of eye contact with humans, you can easily teach him. This is an operant conditioning/positive reinforcement exercise, whereby your dog learns his behavior can make good stuff happen:

  1. Holding a tasty treat in your hand, have your dog sit in front of you.
  2. Show him the treat and move it to the corner of your eye. When his eyes meet yours, click a clicker (or use another “reward marker,” such as the word “Yes!”) and give him the treat. Then repeat.
  3. Say the cue “Watch!” just before you move the treat to your eye. When he makes eye contact, click and treat. Repeat.
  4. After several repetitions (the number of repetitions needed will depend on the dog), pause after you give the “Watch!” cue and see if he looks into your eyes. If he does, click and treat. If he doesn’t, move the treat to your eye, and click and treat when he makes eye contact.
  5. Say “Watch!” Move the treat halfway to your eye, and wait. Just wait. His eyes may lock onto the treat and follow it at first, but eventually he will glance at your eyes in order to gain information about what you are doing. When he does, click and treat. (If he never looks at your eyes, do several more repetitions of Step 4.)
  6. Say “Watch” and hold the treat at arm’s length out to the side. Wait. When he makes eye contact, click and treat.
  7. When your dog has come to realize the value of eye contact, he will sometimes offer the behavior without being cued for it. Be sure to reinforce eye contact that he spontaneously offers throughout the day, in addition to the eye contact that you cue him for.
  8. To help him be comfortable with eye contact from other humans, ask your friends and family members to play the “Watch” game with him as well. Monitor the game to make sure it’s always rewarding, not uncomfortable.

For more tips to communicate effectively with your dog, check Reading Your Dog’s Body Language from Whole Dog Journal.

Oblivious to Stress?

By
Editorial Staff
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0
Reading Your Dog’s Body Language eBook from Whole Dog Journal

Dogs tell us when they feel stressed. The more aware you are of your dog’s stress-related body language, the better you can help him out of situations that could otherwise escalate to inappropriate and dangerous behaviors. Many bites occur because owners fail to recognize and respond appropriately to their dogs’ stress signals. Even aside from aggression, there are multiple reasons why it’s important to pay attention to stress indicators:

  • Stress is a universal underlying cause of aggression.
  • Stress can have a negative impact on a dog’s health.
  • Dogs learn poorly when stressed.
  • Dogs respond poorly to cues when stressed.
  • Negative classical conditioning can occur as a result of stress.

The smart, aware owner is always on the alert for signs that her dog is stressed, so she can alleviate tension when it occurs. Owners whose dogs are easily stressed often become hyper-vigilant, watching for tiny signs that presage more obvious stress-related behaviors, in order to forestall unpleasant reactions. If more owners were aware of these subtle signs of stress, fewer dogs would bite. That would be a very good thing.

With each behavior the appropriate immediate course of action is to identify the stressor(s) and determine how to decrease the intensity of that stressful stimulus. In many cases you can accomplish this by increasing the distance between your dog and the stressor, be it a child, another dog, uniforms, men with beards, etc.

If possible, remove the stressor from your dog’s environment entirely. If he’s stressed by harsh verbal corrections, shock collars, and warthogs, those are all things you can simply remove from his existence (unless you live in Africa, in which case warthog removal might prove challenging).

For those stressors that can’t be eliminated, a long-term program of counter-conditioning and desensitization can change your dog’s association with a stressor from negative to positive, removing one more trigger for stress signals and possible aggression. Another strategy is to teach the dog a new operant (deliberate) response to the stressor – for example, teaching your dog that the sound of the doorbell means “Run to your crate to get a high value treat.”

For more tips to communicate effectively with your dog, check Reading Your Dog’s Body Language from Whole Dog Journal.

Out With the Old, In With the New

By
Editorial Staff
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0
Positive Training Basics eBook from Whole Dog Journal

Old-fashioned training methods can work. Decades of well-behaved dogs and the owners who loved them can attest to that. So why should they bother to cross over to the positive side? The short answer is that positive training works, it’s fun, and it does not have the potential to cause stress and physical injury to our dogs through the application of force, pain, and intimidation. It takes the blame away from the dog and puts the responsibility for success where it belongs on human shoulders.

In the old days, if a dog didn’t respond well to coercion we claimed there was something wrong with the dog, and continued to increase the level of force until he finally submitted. If he didn’t submit he was often labeled defective and discarded for a more compliant model. With the positive paradigm, it’s our role as the supposedly more intelligent species to understand our dogs and find a way that works for them rather than forcing them into a one-size-fits-all mold.

The longer answer is that it encourages an entire cultural mindset to move away from aggression and force as a way to achieve goals. The majority of dog owners and trainers who have fun (and success) using positive methods with their dogs come to realize that it works with all creatures, including the human species. They feel better about training and find themselves less likely to get angry with their dogs, understanding that behavior is simply behavior, not some maliciously deliberate attempt on the dog’s part to challenge their authority.

For more details and advice on positive training, purchase Whole Dog Journal’s ebook, Positive Training Basics.

Meals Versus Free Feeding

By
Editorial Staff
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0
Positive Perspectives 2: Know Your Dog, Train Your Dog Book from Whole Dog Journal
Excerpt from Positive Perspectives 2 by Pat Miller

I cringe internally when a client tells me she free-feeds her dog¬—that is, keeps the bowl on the floor filled with kibble all the time. I’m a strong believer in feeding meals for a number of reasons, in addition to the medical fact that a dog’s digestive system is designed more to gorge than to graze. There are numerous advantages to feeding your dog specific amounts of food at specific times:

  • You can monitor intake. If you feed meals, you’ll know the instant Buster goes off his feed – sometimes the first sign that he’s not feeling well.
  • You minimize your dog’s opportunities to guard his food.
  • You can utilize feeding time as training time.
  • You can take advantage of feeding time to reinforce your role as the higher-ranking member of your social group. You can’t be the “alpha dog” – your dog knows you’re not a dog – but you are a member of his social group.
  • You know when he’s full, and when he’s empty. Your training sessions are more likely to be successful if you train when Buster’s stomach is empty rather than full.
  • You can use his meals as training treats.
  • You can control your dog’s weight.
  • You may spark his appetite. People with fussy eaters often make the mistake of leaving food out constantly. The dog grazes all day never gets hungry, thus never gets eager for food.

For more feeding and training tips, read Pat Miller’s Positive Perspectives 2. Click here to purchase from Whole Dog Journal.

Without Provocation

By
Editorial Staff
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0
Positive Perspectives 2: Know Your Dog, Train Your Dog Book from Whole Dog Journal
Excerpt from Positive Perspectives 2 by Pat Miller

Almost every “Dog Mauls Toddler” headline is followed by an article that includes, among other things, these two phrases:

  1. “The dog was always good with children,” and,
  2. “The bite was unprovoked.”

Both statements make me cringe. Most people who think their dogs are “good with children” don’t realize that many dogs only tolerate children – the dogs are actually stressed in the presence of children, at least to some degree. These dogs usually show low level signs of stress that would warn an observant owner that they really don’t think little humans are all that great after all. Dogs who are truly “good with children” adore them; they don’t just tolerate them. They are delighted to see children, and, with wriggling body, wagging tail and squinty eyes, can’t wait to go see them. Anything less than this joyful response is mere tolerance.

With the very rare exception of idiopathic aggression – aggression for which there is no discernible cause – every bite is provoked from the dog’s perspective. We, as humans, may feel the bite wasn’t justified or appropriate, but rest assured the dog felt justified in biting. In many cases the provocation is pretty apparent from the news article: the dog was kept on a chain; the dog had a litter of puppies; the toddler was left outside in the back yard with a dog who had just been fed. In each case, the dog was stressed beyond his or her ability to control his bite.

Raise your stress awareness. Examine news reports about dog attacks to see if you can identify the possible stressors and provocation in each incident. Then be sure to protect your own dog from those potential bite-causing circumstances.

For more on identifying stress signals in dogs and ways to handle this stress, read Pat Miller’s Positive Perspectives 2. Click here to purchase from Whole Dog Journal.

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