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.

Question: Hi Dr. Yin,My female 18 mos old ACD is getting better and better about responding to my commands when off leash. The biggest problem is her chasing of bikes (and sometimes runners). I think they startle her and then move so fast that she goes immediately into prey mode. How can I learn to…

The Center for Disease Control estimates that 4.5 million Americans are bitten by dogs every year. Nearly 20% of those bitten seek medical attention and approximately 1000 victims per day require a visit to the hospital emergency room. Of those bitten, the most at risk are kids between 6–9 years of age. One way to prevent…

Question: I am crate training my 4-month old Yorkshire Terrier to hasten his potty training. I take him out on schedule and he was responding during the first couple of weeks. I subsequently added an exercise pen into the mix so he can play safely without supervision. Lately, however, I noticed he no longer wants…

“I was running in the bike path and my boyfriend was riding his bike next to me,” says Lisa Wells, an avid runner who has run the Boston Marathon. “All of a sudden a big Rottweiler came running out of a house towards me. I stopped and tried to stand completely still but he jumped…

As Dog Bite Prevention week is being recognized across the United States, experts agree that one of the contributing factors to the 4.7 million dog bites that occur each year may be owners mimicking what they see on T.V. Dr. Jennie Jamtgaard, an applied animal behavior consultant and behavior instructor at Colorado State University College…