What’s up with the dog that eyes people who approach his food bowl or stiffens and even growls, snaps or bites if others interrupt his meal? Don’t they understand that you’re the provider of the things they want and not a threat to them? Like many dogs that are otherwise easygoing, this type of Fido has a food fetish, and he feels it’s his duty to guard each bowl as if it holds his last meal. While this behavior may seem odd for owners who provide plentiful amounts of food for their pooches, anyone who’s watched free-roaming and stray dogs

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.

It takes about 5 minutes to train a puppy to learn most new behaviors but how long does it take for that behavior to become a habit? When I started training Lucy, my Dad’s 8 week old Australian Cattle Dog I was hoping that not long. By then I had been training her for a week through the puppy learn to earn program (a.k.a. Creating the Perfect Pup in 7 Days) and she seemed virtually perfect. She would automatically sit to get petted, to get her leash on, to go out the door and come back in, and even when she greeted guests, including a

Originally appeared in SF Chronicle in 2005      

First, you’ll have to find a better way to give her the message that sitting quietly is what earns her your attention. The quickest way to do this in cats is to teach them to sit using food. By approaching this problem in a systematic manner you’ll be able to turn the meowing noise off in just several days.

Question: Perfect Puppy in 7 Days With over 400 color photos, Perfect Puppy in 7 Days is a step-by-step recipe for potty training socializing, and providing your puppy with life skills. Dr. Yin’s approach guarentees proper bonding and communication skills to better prepare you pup for life! Hi Dr. Yin, your videos are great but you’re an expert! Will it work for someone like me who does not train dogs for a living? I really liked the Pepe one with the crate. What if the dog is not treat driven? That was great!! I’m getting a standard Poodle puppy in