This is the overall approach to the fearful or reactive dog in a nutshell. It’s all about addressing the dog’s overall ability to look to you for guidance, and your ability to be aware of his emotional state and to reward desired behaviors and remove rewards for unwanted behaviors.

Question: Today I went to get my pup’s last set of shots. This was the third visit to the vets. Axel did some growling and tail between the legs, but, over time, he became a little comfortable with the vet and the vet tech. He was still uneasy though– ears back, tail curled, and doing a little growl. He felt more comfortable with me holding him (when I let the vet tech take over he just wanted to jump off the table). Well anyways, I was a little surprised when the vet put his face up to my 15 week

Question: Our 5-year-old Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier presents as a furry, lovable and inviting dog while he sits waiting outside the cafe for me to finish my morning latte. Trouble is, he’s taken to growling and barking at some well-meaning types, especially those who come on too enthusiastically. It’s like they invade his space. This behavior is slowly starting to accelerate. What would be the best approach short of hanging a sign on him saying “Beware, looks can be deceiving”? — San Francisco Answer: You nailed the problem on the head. While Fido might be carefree and confident with you alongside,

Being a pet columnist or a blogger is sort of like teaching 5th grade. Just when you think you’ve seen and heard it all, someone asks a question like this: “Dear Dr. Yin: Do you think it is possible that a great deal of behavioral problems in dogs may be due to constipation?” My academically honed intuition—as well as the fact that a friend had suggested I check my e-mail—told me to examine the sender’s name carefully. Just as I suspected. It was a message from my running-club friend thinly disguised under his dog’s name. Knowing that this friend was

If you wanna look cool and hip like me, check out my new favorite store, Pampering Pickle Goodies & Gifts for Dogs in Placerville, CA. I’ve never actually been there, but one benefit of having a human who travels and lectures a lot is that you get toys and surprises after each trip. A couple of weeks ago, my human, Dr. Sophia Yin, gave a presentation “Teaching Dogs to Learn to Earn: A Quick, Fun, and Safe Alternative to the Alpha Role” in the store and went shopping at the same time. Pampering Pickle was opened by Theresa Corley, a former animal healthcare

In this paper, the Brelands described a number of cases with different species where strong species-specific behaviors interfered with the learning process and caused delays in performance and delays in reinforcements. They called this phenomenon instinctive drift to describe the idea that animals have instinctive, species typical behaviors.