The take home message here is that if you neuter your dog, don’t worry, he can still have sex – if he wants. Most likely he won’t want to. With the lower testosterone levels he won’t have a red hot libido.

Trainers often debate about the use of electronic shock collars. Some trainers find these collars unethical and unsafe. The pro-collar camp takes a different stance. Some say it just distracts the dog, calling it “tap technology” and others say it may be painful at the instant but then the dog learns to behave and there are no lasting negative effects. In 2003, researchers from the Netherlands, Matthijs Schilder and Joanne van der Borg assessed the short and long-term behavioral effects of dog training with the help of shock collars. They wanted to know three things: Do shock collars cause pain

Presidential Pup’s Trainer Has the Right Idea Back in the Spring of 2009, I remember clearly the drama preceding the announcement of what lucky dog would be appointed to join the Obama family in the White House.  As a dog-loving resident of the DC area, I too was caught up in the excitement swirling around the kind of dog they would get—puppy, adult, purebred, mixed breed, or rescue pup.  But as the president of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, I was much more interested in the kind of training the Obamas would seek for the newest member of their

Believe is or not I actually meant to post this in January but then forgot. Recently Low Stress Handling, Restraint and Behavior Modification of Dogs & Cat has been reviewed by several journals and received great reviews. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association Review Dr. Terry Marie Curtis recently reviewed my book Low Stress Handling, Restraint and Behavior Modification of Dogs & Cats in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (Vol. 235, No. 12 dated December 15, 2009). Dr. Curtis is a board-certified veterinary behaviorist and a well-known speaker and author. She’s even been on MSNBC to teach pet owners how to help

Anyone who hangs out with dogs and their owners has probably heard this or similar comments a million times-“My dog is dominant, he ignores our commands and plays too rough with other dogs.” To the general dog owner, this statement seems pretty normal. But, to researchers studying social hierarchies in animals ranging from lions to macaque monkeys to bulls, the statement is likely to solicit a pause followed by a “Huh?” That’s because while an individual in a group can have a high dominance rank, dominance in dogs, and in any animal for that matter, is not a personality trait.

For some dogs with a more aggressive personality, this life without leadership or predictable and consistent rules creates a furry monster who aggressively claims ownership to any resource – food, toys, sleeping places, access to attention – that he wants. Once Rover gets the rules you’ve conveyed to him through your actions, the weight of trying to be in charge or wondering how he should react will be lifted off his shoulders. Furthermore, once asking politely is Rover’s new habit, you’ll only reward him when you decide he should have the reward. That way you remain the one in control, but you’re doing so in a predictable and non-threatening way that helps him understand what you want and strengthens your relationship.