Training

(Picture Credit: Getty Images) Growling is one of the many ways dogs communicate, and it’s important for humans who interact with dogs to understand what it means and the proper way to react. You might be surprised by your own natural ability to interpret growling. In a study on humans’ ability to understand dog growls,

(Picture Credit: Getty Images) Training is usually a great thing for dogs. It keeps them well-behaved, mentally and physically stimulated, and bonded with their humans. However, too much of a good thing isn’t always a good thing. There are several circumstances where over-training your dog can be harmful and even undo all the hard work

(Picture Credit: Getty Images/jarih) Even though many of us pet parents have loved dogs for our whole lives, few of us have actually used a dog whistle before. What are dog whistles, exactly? What do people use them for? Do they whip dogs into a frenzy like in cartoons? A dog whistle, known also as

(Picture Credit: Christina Reichl Photography/Getty Images) You might consider your dog to be an especially clever and smart creature. But have you ever found yourself wondering how conscious and self-aware your dog is? Are dogs highly sentient? Well, the short answer is maybe. You probably feel like your dog is at least as sentient as

(Picture Credit: SolStock/Getty Images) Congratulations on taking up running with your dog! Canicross, as it’s known to lovers of the sport, is a great activity for dogs of all sizes, from little Jack Russell Terriers to larger breeds such as German Shepherds and Labradors. One of the most important considerations when you decide to take

(Picture Credit: mark atkinson / Getty Images) Gaining a dog’s trust is one of the most important factors in any relationship between a human and a canine. This is especially so if you’re meeting a rescue dog who might have been mistreated before, or one who hasn’t been correctly socialized. But by using tips like

(Picture Credit: Getty Images) You’ve got a new furry addition to the family, and you can’t wait to start training your pup to do all kinds of tricks. You’re going to have the most well-behaved, happy, friendly dog on the block! But hold on before you jump into it. There are lots of mistakes that

(Picture Credit: Getty Images) Is chewing a destructive behavior? Here’s the simplest answer: Only if your dog is chewing on the wrong thing. So give them something that’s okay to chew. Your dog’s chewing might not just destroy your home and belongings. It could also be dangerous, as many objects present choking hazards, cause gastrointestinal

(Picture Credit: quiLie/Getty Images) Dogs don’t come with instruction manuals, but the best dog training books from famous trainers and authors can certainly help you figure out how to teach and bond with your pup. The books on this list have helped thousands of people train dogs over the years, and they’re some of the

(Picture Credit: Getty Images) We all want to be good dog parents, and part of that is training our dogs to be well-behaved. Training is meant to be a positive bonding experience between humans and their pooches. Few people intend to make things unpleasant for their dogs during training, with one notable exception: when punishing

(Picture Credit: Getty Images) There are so many popular dog training methods out there that it can be frustrating to find out which is which and what method is going to be best for both your dog and you as a pet parent. If you find it overwhelming and confusing, you’re not alone. There is

(Picture Credit: merc67/Getty Images) January marks the official start of National Train Your Dog Month, but you can teach your dog new things at any time of year. We all love our pets, but sometimes it can feel like your dog is incapable of learning any tricks. While it may feel impossible at times, with the right techniques

(Picture Credit: cmannphoto/Getty Images) Potty training a dog can be a daunting task if you’ve never done it before, but dog parents can tell you quite a few things they’ve learned from experience. In fact, dogs are usually pretty quick learners, and housebreaking might not be as difficult as you think, so long as you follow

(Picture Credit: Getty Images) As the holiday season wraps up, it’s time to work on those New Year’s resolutions. Since January is National Train Your Dog Month, why not use the opportunity to start some good habits and strengthen your bond with your pup? Training can seem daunting for people with no experience, and it

(Picture Credit: Westend61/Getty Images) Just barely into the New Year, people are hard at work trying to keep their New Year’s resolutions. They’re working out, or making a tighter budget, or maybe creating an online dating profile. But this January is also National Train Your Dog Month, so make a resolution to learn something new with

(Picture Credit: Photo by Rick Hebenstreit/Getty Images) Imagine the end of a long and tiring day. When it comes to finally getting some time to rest or sleep, we can simply collapse into our beds or couches and drift to dreamland. But our beloved dogs, on the other hand, might not simply just plop into

(Picture Credit: JMichi/Getty Images) Winter is usually a sedentary time for you and your dog. With fewer physical activities to try with your pet, winter time can become quite a challenge, exercise-wise. If you happen to have a high-energy dog who loves to pull, plow, and play through and around snow, then skijoring may be

Winter starts on December 21st and lasts until March. It’s time to bring out the doggy boots, coats, and cold-weather gear to keep your pup from being miserable on those chilly walks. But some dog breeds aren’t miserable in the snowy weather at all! To them, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. They’re

(Photo Credit: Shutterstock) Many adult rescue dogs come with imperfect housetraining skills – or none at all – and even dogs who were potty trained in their previous homes sometimes need a refresher course if they didn’t get regular walks at the shelter. The good news is it’s fairly easy to teach an old dog

(Picture Credit: Getty Images) According to the National Sleep Foundation, our dogs spend roughly twelve to 14 hours per 24-hour period snoozing. Often, dog parents think those little leg twitches or tiny “yips” that comes out while their pups are sleeping have to do with the things their dogs are dreaming about. But do dogs

(Picture Credit: Jacobs Stock Photography Ltd/Getty Images) Dogs like sticking their heads out of windows during car rides. Why exactly do they like to do this? Maybe it’s the wind blowing on their faces making their mouths form smiles, or maybe they just love the feel of the air moving through their fur. Our pups

(Picture Credit: Shutterstock) Some dogs will let you know when they’re in pain in obvious ways, but others act more stoic. Dogs are generally thought to have a higher tolerance for pain than humans, and some dogs will try to hide their pain as a natural survival instinct. Many of the signs that a dog

(Photo Credit: Shutterstock) Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday, November 1st, 2020 at 2:00am. For humans, the extra hour when Daylight Saving Time comes to an end is a great way to catch up on sleep. But for dogs, the effects can be very different. Animals don’t set their routines by the clock that we

(Picture Credit: khamlaksana/Getty Images) This year marks the 51st anniversary of Neil Armstrong’s first small step on the surface of the moon, leaving the first human footprints on some place other than our home planet. But that big, glowing rock in the sky is just as perplexing as ever for our canine friends. Howl At

(Picture Credit: Getty Images) Believe it or not, our canine companions get stressed. The circumstances and degrees of this can vary from dog to dog since no two are exactly alike, but it’s still something all dog parents must be wary of. Also, like humans, dogs can show their stress in different ways. To be

(Picture Credit: Getty Images) Some dogs nip when they feel startled. While it may not be your dog’s fault that they bite in response to surprises, it is a behavior that you probably want to stop. The startle reflex is instinctive in animals, and it’s not uncommon for a sleeping dog to bite when awakened

(Picture Credit: Getty Images) Biting everything that moves is normal puppy behavior, but that doesn’t mean it’s fun to live with. Puppies explore their world with their mouths, just as toddlers touch everything they can reach with their hands. So it makes perfect sense that your pants wouldn’t escape your pup’s curiosity. So what can

(Picture Credit: Purple Collar Pet Photography/Getty Images) Whenever we’re sad or depressed, we try to find things that will make us feel better. We’re also lucky enough to be able to communicate and vent out our issues to others who care about us when we need to. The same can’t really be said for our

(Picture Credit: Andrea Calzona/Getty Images) When it comes to our beloved dogs, we often think of how happy-go-lucky they are. We tend to think of them at their best, tongues out while running and playing in the backyard and having a great time. But sometimes things happen in life and we, as pet parents, are

(Picture Credit: Getty Images) Cars, squirrels, cyclists, skateboarders, cats, and joggers — they’re all would-be targets, any one of whom could lure a chase-obsessive dog into a potentially dangerous situation. The behavior can also trigger understandably hostile reactions from people who see it as aggression when a strange dog comes bounding after them. Until you