Behaviour

Think of it as a “doggie boot camp,” whereby the dog’s issues, rather than being addressed piecemeal, are instead dealt with farther up the behavioural stream. More often than not, bad behaviours are symptomatic of a larger issue; one related to the dog’s self-perception, its environment and history, and the way it is treated by its owners.

My dog is unpopular. When we go to the dog park, I feel she's the canine equivalent of the kid picked last for teams in gym class. What can I do to help her make friends?

What is your dog trying to tell you? Dogs have a language that allows them to communicate their emotional state and their intentions to others around them. Although dogs do use sounds and signals, much of the information that they send is through their body language, specifically their facial expressions and body postures.

When I have a party, my dog, Top Jaw, tries to knock beer out of guests' hands and then drink it. Is my dog an alcoholic or just a bad host?

My dog, Luella, has the strangest reaction to dogs on the street. From a block away, she can tell if she likes the approaching dog or not and will either try and drag me over there, all wiggles, or will instantly have her hackles up, barking at the other dog.

How do I teach my dog to walk off-leash beside me? The street kids where I live always seem to have the most well-behaved, street savvy, leash-free dogs.

My dog is not allowed on the furniture but the minute I'm not present, she's up there lounging. How do I stop her if I'm not there to catch her?

My dog used to get up and be all wiggly and cute when I returned home, but now she doesn't even bother getting up to greet me. I have to go looking for her and then she'll yawn and roll on to her back so I can pet her tummy. She's only three so it's not like she's an older dog lacking in energy. What's up?

My Chihuahua, Crystal, hates men. This is ruining my chances for romance. What should I do?

The bark stops here! How to stop your dog from barking.