Showing 5 posts from November 2009
Counterconditioning
Once he’s become desensitized enough to the fear-object that he’s reasonably calm around it (so, he might be exhibiting signs of fear, but isn’t panic-stricken to the point of wetting himself or hiding), you can start counterconditioning: teaching him to associate good things with the fear-object. You can do this by dispensing treats liberally, and [...]
Parvovirus (commonly called Parvo) is a viral disease that affects dogs. It is far more common in puppies than adult dogs and can have serious ramifications for the infected animal, including death. Parvo grows best in the rapidly dividing cells of the dog’s intestines. As the virus attacks and kills these cells it causes massive [...]
Building up his confidence
Obedience training is a great vehicle for doling out praise and rewards: simply dispensing treats at random won’t do any good, since the issue here is drawing attention to achievement and good behavior (your dog can tell the difference between an earned and an un-earned reward!).
Start small, with basic obedience classes, and [...]
Numerous studies have shown that more Americans are obese today than ever before and, interestingly, we’re not the only ones. Not only are Americans fatter than ever, so are their dogs; and the phenomenon can have serious ramifications for both groups. Obese dogs run a lot of the same risks that obese people do. When [...]
How to cope with fear-biting
First of all, make sure your own attitude to the problem is realistic. While the behavior of a fearful dog can often be significantly ameliorated by careful training and acclimatization, on other occasions – and sometimes, despite your best efforts – a dog will remain fearful to the end of his [...]
