Responsible Pet Ownership

Remember that you and your new dog need some time to learn each other’s signals and routines. Even if he was housetrained in his previous home, if you don’t recognize his “bathroom” signal, which may be nothing more than sniffing or staring at you, you might miss his request to go out, causing him to eliminate indoors. Additionally, scents and odors from other pets in the new home may stimulate some initial urine marking.

Unwanted dog behaviors can range from those that are merely nuisances to behaviors that are downright destructive and harmful. Maybe you have a pup who loves to jump on your guests and greet them with big, sloppy kisses that they might not appreciate. Or maybe he spends his days barking.

Once you've determined that you and your pet need some professional help to keep your household harmonious, consider what kind of training or treatment you need.

Litter box issues are a common problem, and they are the number one reason why guardians relinquish their cats to shelters. Although litter box issues can be very frustrating, they usually can be solved if you are patient and willing to explore the problem and the various possible solutions.

In the teaching stage, you offer positive reinforcement whenever you ask for and get the desired behavior. No corrections are given. Once we move to the correction stage, we correct undesirable behavior. Every time you correct a dog for unwanted behavior (negative reinforcer), you must praise him (positive reinforcer) when he fixes the behavior.

Not only do pet owners have a responsibility for the care, feeding and general welfare of their pets, they have a responsibility for proper disposal of pet waste.

Anyone who takes medication prescribed for someone else puts themselves at risk of illness or even death - and this applies to your pets, too! Although there are many medications used in both animals and people, the effects, doses needed, and other things aren't always the same.

One of the first things to do while leash training your dog is to put aside all prejudgements regarding dog behavior. The misconception is that dogs who pull while walking on a leash try to be in 'control' or 'alpha' over their owner. That thought process can harm the training process and create barriers during training.

Proper training is essential for a long, happy, and safe relationship with your dog, setting the foundation to ensure your dog stays physically fit, mentally alert, socially engaged, and emotionally happy. Remember, training a dog takes time, understanding, patience, and consistency.

Dogs struggling with behavioral issues benefit hugely from simple training exercises as a means of comforting consistency – reminding them what we want them to do rather than being scolded for doing things we don't like. Here are some helpful tips for training your dog.