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Diamonds in the Ruff

Behavior FAQ's

Free articles & links on just about any topic!

"Dogs don’t generally have behavior problems.  People have problems with their behavior."

- Jill Marie O'Brien

*Have a question?  Is there a topic you wish was listed here?  Let us know!*

YOUR NEW PUPPY
 

PUPPY STUFF

Resources for New Puppy Owners

Your New Puppy

Developmental Stages

How early can my puppy begin classes?

How Early? AVSAB Position Statement

Management - Setting Your Dog up for Success


Introducing a Puppy to Your Adult Dogs

When your puppy won't stop bugging your adult dog - Eileen&Dogs

Introducing a Puppy to Your Resident Cat

More than one?

Living with Littermates

Navigating Littermate Syndrome: Getting Two Puppies at Once Isn’t as Easy as It Seems

Learning to Share

How to Properly Pick Up Your Dog - Whole Dog Journal

Puppy Biting, Mouthing, Teething

OUCH!  Your Puppy Alligator

Impulse Control - Impulse Control - Impulse Control

Puppies need an OFF switch - Eileen Anderson

Videos

How to Train a Puppy NOT to BITE - Zak George

Stop Puppy Biting with Handling Games - Emily Larlham

TRAIN your puppy to STOP biting your legs - Emily Larlham


Chewing / Keep away
He eats EVERYTHING!

Teach a Willing Trade

Intelligent Diversions & Creative Play - preventing Chewing & Destruction

House Training

Litterbox Training, More Indoor Freedom  & Going Potty Outside

House Training
House Training the Small & Sensitive Dog
Another great article about House Training

House Training 101 - Video Kikopup

Communication Buttons & Bells


Submissive Urination
 - humanesociety.org

 

Crate Training

Crate Training

Crate Games with Susan Garrett

Crate Games with Zelda how-to video
Another great article about Crate Training

Teach your puppy that it's okay to be alone

How I Taught My Puppy to Sleep Later in the Morning

TRAINING YOUR NEW PUPPY
How Early Can My Puppy Begin?
Why Start Early?  Is it Safe?

FREE downloads: Ian Dunbar's books:
"Before You Get Your Puppy" & "After You Get Your Puppy"

 

CHOOSING THE RIGHT TRAINER

Tips from the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists

Organizations, credentials and what to ask a dog trainer

Find Another Trainer IF ...

AVSAB Humane Dog Training Position Statement

YOUR TEENAGED DOG

You and Your Teenage Dog

Marking

The Escape Artist

The Door Dasher

Bossy Demands and Attention Seeking

Over-Stimulated Play

Living With More Than One Dog

Living with Littermates

Inter-dog Aggression - Lisa Lucas

Learning to Share

Hyper-Arousal - Hyper-activity

Over-Stimulated Play

Impulse Control - Impulse Control - Impulse Control

Puppies need an OFF switch - Eileen Anderson

Over-Stimulated, Overly Friendly, Hyper Dogs

Training an Over-Aroused Dog - Hyperactivity, Whole Dog Journal

What is Overarousal in Dogs?

Karen Overall's Relaxation Protocol in daily checklists!

Dr. Karen L. Overall: Techniques For Encouraging Dogs to Relax-video

Recommended Books:

"Too Much of a Good Thing: Over-excitement in Exercise" 
"Chill Out, Fido - How to Calm Your Dog" by Nan Kene Arthur

"Fired Up, Frantic, and Freaked Out: Training the Crazy Dog from Over the Top to Under Control" by Laura VanArendonk Baugh 

CANINE COMMUNICATION

Body Language

What is My Dog Saying powerpoint presentation on CD!

Helping Your Fearful Dog Navigate the World - Video

The 4 F's of Fear - Fear Responses

Video - dog and child danger signals

Word Buttons

Buttons, Buttons, Who's Got the Buttons?

How Stella Learned to Talk - a MUST read!

Teach Your Dog to Talk - a beginner's guide
Talking Dog Blog | Hunger For Words

Talking Dog Buttons – FluentPet

SOCIAL SKILLS

PUPPY SOCIALIZATION INFO FOR BREEDERS

Avidog - raising great puppies
Puppy Culture

 

SOCIALIZATION

Early Puppy Socialization

Puppy Socialization Guide - the BEST and SAFEST way! - Larlham

What Socialization IS and IS NOT

Socialization by Denise Fenzi, Oct 24, 2016

The Puppy Socialization Plan website

Domestic Social Dog vs Street/Stray Social Dogs

INTRODUCTION TO NEW PEOPLE

Petting Consent Test - should you pet this dog?  Video

Growling & Barking - important communication

Treat & Retreat
What Socialization IS and IS NOT

Over-Stimulated, Overly Friendly, Hyper Dogs

DOGS AND CHILDREN

Is Your Dog Good with Kids?

Family Paws Parent Education

     Resources for New Baby/Toddlers -PDFs

Living with Kids and Dogs - Coleen Pelar

Kids and Dogs: How Kids Should and Should Not Interact with Dogs - Sophia Yin

Video - dog and child danger signals

Great books for parents:

"Please Don't Bite the Baby (and please don't chase the dog)"

"Living With Kids & Dogs

DOG-DOG INTERACTIONS

All played out: Social Maturity in Dogs

Dog Park Etiquette from Petfinder

DOG PARK SAFETY

Why NOT the Dog Park?

ALL THE BENEFITS AND NONE OF THE RISKS:

A GREAT ALTERNATIVE to public dog parks: SNIFFSPOT.COM
 

I am NOT a Dog Park Advocate-AND HERE'S WHY

5 Health Risks Lurking at the Dog Park

15 things humans do wrong at dog parks

10 more things humans do wrong at dog parks

Dog Parks are Dangerous! - From Whole Dog Journal

The Dog Park is Bad Actually - New York Times

Dog Parks Can Be Great Places for Off-Leash Activity - Bark Magazine


 

BEHAVIOR CONCERNS

 

STRESSED DOGS

The Stress Factor in Dogs -book by Kristina Spaulding

The Complete Guide to Stress in Dogs (And How to Relieve It)


Fear in Dogs - Theories, Protocols and Solutions -by Lynda Taylor MSc

Karen Overall's Relaxation Protocol in daily checklists!

Dr. Karen L. Overall: Techniques For Encouraging Dogs to Relax-video

 

WORRIED DOGS
Helping Your Worried Dog

Fear and Reactivity in Adolescence
Suddenly Spooked -Secondary Fear Phase

Thresholds - Recognize & Respect Them
Growling & Barking - important communication

Treat & Retreat
What Socialization IS and IS NOT

Respect the Fear, Change the Perception

Helping Your Fearful Dog Navigate the World - Video

FEARS & PHOBIAS

The 4 F's of Fear - Fear Responses

Fearful Dogs - seeing the world in detail - Nancy Tanner

Healing the Profoundly Fearful Dog - Nickala Squire

Fearfuldogs.com - a great resource!

The MYTH of "reinforcing fear" - great article by Patricia McConnell
Can You Reinforce Fear?

Neophobia - instant fear - Canine Evolutions


SOUND SENSITIVITY/NOISE PHOBIA

Thunderstorm fear

Canine Thunder Phobia - the Bunker Protocol

Noise Reactivities & Phobias - Karen Overall
Fireworks! - Grisha Stewart

Thunderstorms and Fireworks and Noises, Oh My!!! –veterinary behaviorist Dr. Leslie Sinn - video courtesy of Your Dog's Friend


Desensitization and Counter Conditioning
Counter-Conditioning - How This Concept is So Misunderstood


Calming Products for Anxious/Stressed dogs:
Calming Products for Fearful Dogs - by Debbie Jacobs
Adaptil - Dog Appeasing Pheromone

Composure

Solliquin
Anxiety Medications for Dogs - see your veterinary behaviorist
Thundershirts

Thundercaps

SEPARATION ANXIETY
Separation Anxiety
Helping Dogs with Se
paration Anxiety - Malena DeMartini
The Separation Anxiety Top Ten List - Malena DeMartini

Behavior Modification for Canine Separation Anxiety - IAABC Journal

ONLINE COURSE: Mission Possible - Malena DeMartini

Separation Anxiety Dog

Blog: How to Help a Dog with Separation Anxiety


BOOKS on SA:

 

GROWLING, SNAPPING, BITING

If your dog is doing any of these things,

seek professional help! In-home consults

"While you may be able to suddenly reach out for your own dog and pet him roughly or put your face in his face, if you do the same thing to another dog, even one who knows you well, it may make the dog uncomfortable, even to the point where he snaps or bites.


When you think about it this makes sense. You can joke around with and even run up to and hug friends on the street, but with strangers and even with co-workers or acquaintances, those same behaviors can been seen as a threat, insult, or just plain rude. If you randomly tried to perform these behaviors with people around you, many would put up with it, but eventually someone might attack you." - Sophia Yin

Click HERE for a great article. Don't miss the PSA!

DR. IAN DUNBAR'S DOG BITE SCALE
For objectively assessing bite severity

Resource Guarding

Resource Guarding

The Truth About Resource Guarding

Video: resource guarding - WSU vet behavior dept.

Resource Guarding - Patricia McConnell, PhD

Teach a Willing Trade

Learning to Share
 

 

REACTIVITY

Thresholds - Recognize & Respect Them

YouTube video:  Help for Dog Aggression, Frustration, and Fear: Quick Intro to BAT 2.0 | Grisha Stewart

Behavioral Adjustment Training (BAT)

BAT Basics pdf
 

Engage - Disengage

Reducing Leash Reactivity: The Engage-Disengage Game

Engage/Disengage Poster

Look at That

Leslie McDevitt's "Look at That" game pdf

"Look at That" game - video by Donna Hill

Look at that!  Making the Trigger the Target - clickertraining.com

 

Muzzles for safety

The Muzzle Up Project
 

Types of muzzles:

     Baskerville muzzle
     Italian basket muzzle

     Custom fitted muzzles

     How to Fit a Muzzle

 

Videos:....

     How to accustom your dog to a muzzle - Chirag Patel

     Dog Muzzle Training and Conditioning
     Muzzle Training: How To Get Your Dog To Love The Muzzle 

     Teach Your Dog to Wear a Muzzle - Emily Larlham

PREDATORY BEHAVIOR - cats, squirrels, birds

Harnessing the Hunter - Video on Demand - Emily Larlham

Webinar: New Ways to Manage Predatory Chasing - Simone Mueller

 

"DOMINANCE" is a flawed concept
The Myth  of the Pack-Dogs are Social Animals, not Pack Animals

Why Not Dominance?

You Are Not the Boss of Your Dog - Cesar Millan popularized the idea that every pack needs a stern leader. It’s misguided—but so appealing.

Why Calm, Assertive Energy is Bullsh*t

From Dr. David Mech regarding wolf studies
Alpha Status, Dominance, & Division of Labor in Wolf Packs
, Mech
Dominance and Dog Training - APDT

Using Dominance to Explain Behavior is Old Hat

The Social Organization of the Domestic Dog

Why do so few dog trainers hold up to Cesar Millan's standard?

Beyond Cesar Milan

Debunking Dominance - the Dominance Fallacy & Our Obsession with Pack Leadership


THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN ADOPTING A DOG

Three Days, Three Weeks, Three Months Rule of Adopting a Rescue

An Expert's Guide to Adopting Dogs: What to Know Before You Go

Are You Ready for a Dog in Your Life?

How Not to Pick a Rescue Dog - an excellent article by Grisha Stewart

Dangerous Dogs! – What Shelters, Rescues, Prospective Adopters, and Owners Need to Know

Download  "Before and After You Get Your Puppy" by Ian Dunbar! FREE!

Choosing the Right Breeder

Legislation and Breed Ban links

Keeping your dog happy & healthy

 

CANINE ENRICHMENT

Intelligent Diversions and Creative Play - preventing Chewing & Destruction

Brain Puzzle Toys!

A Guide to Using Food Puzzle Toys - AVSAB
Five Go-To Enrichment Activities for Dogs

Canine Enrichment For the Real World - book, e-book

Canine Enrichment Facebook Group

100 Days of Enrichment

NORMAL DOG BEHAVIOR
Digging

Barking

Why Does My Dog Bark and Lunge?

On Leash Reactivity and Barrier Frustration


Begging

Jumping up

Jumping up - How to help your pup! - Cattledog Publishing

Teach a Willing Trade

Leave it
Counter Thieving

Resource Guarding


Dogs in the Country
(an article from the CAPPDT)

How to solve practically any annoying dog behavior problem  - by 3LostDogs.com

GAMES

How to Play with Your Dog

Good Games, Bad Games

Over-Stimulated Play

Fetch!

Tug of War?

NO LASER POINTER GAMES!

DON'T play with laser pointers!

Ditch the Laser Pointer

Canine Compulsive Disorder

IMPULSE CONTROL

Work to Earn

Leave it

WAIT for Permission

Over-stimulated, Overly Friendly Dogs

Over-Stimulated Play

 

TRAINING TIPS

Why is a Cue not a Command?

What if My dog Responds Only When I Have Treats?
The Rule of Rewards

Bribes vs Rewards

Come When Called

Does your dog pull on leash?
Coping with Distractions

What Squirrel? 10 Techniques for Training with Distractions


EQUIPMENT CHOICES - what we recommend - and don't

......Video on fitting/using Gentle Leader headcollar

      Why a No-pull harness?  Freedom harness video

......Harness reviews

......Retractable Leash Warning

Teaching your dog to "get dressed"

Training a sensitive dog to love their harness

Introducing your dog to a chest harness - from fear to enjoyment

Helping your dog love having his harness put on - Kiko pup

Efficacy of Dog Training With and Without Remote Electronic Collars vs. a Focus on Positive Reinforcement

Lucy ChinaDaniel S. Mills and Jonathan J. Cooper*

  • Animal Behaviour, Cognition and Welfare Research Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, United Kingdom

 

TRAINING DEAF & BLIND DOGS

Deafdogs.org
Clicker training a deaf dog

But how do I get his attention? Tips for Training Deaf Dogs

Clicker for deaf dogs - the "Flicker"

Teaching Your Deaf Dog to Come to You - video

Do I Need a Vibration Collar for My Deaf Dog?

"Smart Bell" - it's a button that they push that rings to alert you when they need to go out.  The plug-in sensor lights up when they press the bell.  The button can be placed under the plug-in so they can see the LED light come on when they press the button.  He can learn to make the light come on to tell you when he needs to go out.  He won't hear the sound, but you will!   


Clicker training a blind dog
Halo vest/harness for blind dogs

 

WORKING DOGS
Service Dog Training Institute - ONLINE courses
SDTI - FREE course: "Choosing a Service Dog"

Public Access Standard for Working Service Dogs

ADA Access Regs Revised 2010: Service Animals

The Difference Between an Emotional Support Dog & Psychiatric Service Dog

Article about Fake Service dogs - from Anything Pawsable

Selecting an Adult Service Dog Candidate
Study: Assistance Dog -Beh Assessment &  Standardized Eval

HUNTING
Positive Gundog Training

Blazing a New Trail: Training Gun Dogs

 

SHOW DOGS
Positive Training For Show Dogs

HEALTH

The Connection Between Health & Behavior
Spay/Neuter risks and benefits:

..When Should You Spay/Neuter to Avoid Health Risks?  UC Davis

..When to Spay/Neuter
 
Castration risks and benefits
  Spay risks and benefits

Canine Cognitive Dysfunction - Dog Dementia

Over the counter medications that are safe - & not!

CPR for Cats & Dogs

Interesting article on How & Why Different Animals Sleep

Giardia: Infection, treatment and prevention

 

Top 5 DNA Tests for Dogs

Doggy DNA testing from the comfort of home

Dog Age Calculator

EXERCISE - When & How

What is the Logic Behind Not Exercising Puppies Until the Growth Plates are Closed?

Exercise puppies carefully

Running with your dog

Too Much of a Good Thing: Over-excitement in Exercise

6 ways to Thwart an Off Leash Dog Rushing You or Your Dog

Space Etiquette for Dogs

Bike Attachments for Dogs

FOODS & FEEDING
Fit - or Fat?

Choosing Good Foods - Whole Dog Journal

The Shocking Truth About Pet Food

Dog Food Analysis website

www.dogfoodreviews.net - Find hundreds of online dog food reviews
Foiling the Finicky Fido - Teach Your Dog to Eat - Sue-Ailsby

Diet & Heart Disease

FDA Investigating Potential Connection Between Diet and Cases of Canine Heart Disease - July 2018

Update - FDA Investigating Potential Connection Between Diet and Cases of Canine Heart Disease - February 2019

Interpreting the information in the initial FDA report - July 2018

Information about DCM and why some dogs eat "exotic" proteins - January 2019

Interpretation of FDA follow up report - February 2019

POOP EATING

Why Pooches Eat Poop - Sophia Yin

Pica: Ingesting non-food items like rocks

Grooming, handling, & vet care

GROOMING

Got SKUNK?

De-Skunking Your Dog

My dog has a TICK!


LOW STRESS GROOMING AND VET CARE:

Fear-Free Veterinary care

My Dog Struggles at the Vet or Groomer's
Less Stress at the Vet for Dogs and Cats - Companion Animal Psychology - includes many great links!


Crate Rest Activities for Dogs after Back, Hip, Leg Injuries, ACL or TPLO, Heartworm treatment, etc - video by Donna Hill

VIDEOS

Teaching a dog to enjoy being handled, not just tolerate it

Helping your dog love having his harness put on

Training a dog to love their harness


Vet care / grooming / handling VIDEOS:

......Calm Collaborations: Chin Rest Tips
      Accepting ear drops - Sarah Owings

      Video - Train your pup to take a pill
      Ready, Set for Groomer & Vet 1 - Laura Monaco Torelli
      Chin Rest for Ear Care 2 - Laura Monaco Torelli
      Chin Rest: Vol Injection & Ear Care 3 - Laura Monaco Torelli

      Cone of Shame - Nando Brown
      Low stress jugular blood draw
     

Mt Spokane Vet Clinic How-to Videos

Collect urine specimens, eye & ear drops, giving meds, brushing teeth

How do I trim my dogs toenails?

      Video - Nail Trim - Chirag Patel's Bucket Game - step-by-step
      Video -
Nail Trim - The Bucket Game

      Video - Teach Your Dog to LOVE toenail trims

      Video - Nail trimming from WSU behavior dept

 

How to Bathe Your Dog the Clicker Way
.

COMMON QUESTIONS

 

Learning Dog Training From Television?

The Damage of Dog Whispering by Rachel Garner

The Dominance Controversy and Cesar Millan
Dog Whisperer: Frequently Asked Questions

 

A career with animals
I want to become a professional dog trainer

I'd like to become a veterinary technician

 

What about shock collars?

Expert Dog Trainer Robert Milner says Heck No to Shock Collars

Simply Shocking - Electronic containment systems (aka fenceless fences) may be convenient for dog owners, but they are not safe for dogs. By Pat Miller - Whole Dog Journal

Invisible Fences: The Bad and The Ugly - an article by Kasey LaPlace
Considering an electronic fence system? - By Norma Bennett Woolf

Please fence me in! - fencing facts from www.canismajor.com

Shock Collars - the Ugly Truth - by Valarie Barry,

Efficacy of Dog Training With and Without Remote Electronic Collars vs. a Focus on Positive Reinforcement

Lucy ChinaDaniel S. Mills and Jonathan J. Cooper*

  • Animal Behaviour, Cognition and Welfare Research Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, United Kingdom

 

great resources

Dogwise
ClickerTraining.com
Dog Star Daily

Pet Professional GuildPuppy Training articles

Training your deaf dog:  DeafDogs.orgDeaf Dogs Rock

Not in Spokane, but looking for a positive dog trainer?  Click here!
Pet Partners-Pet Therapy evaluations in Spokane

 

Health, Grooming & Vet Care, Handling

Behavior videos courtesy of "Your Dog's Friend"

Visit their YouTube video channel here!

"Help, My Dog is Reactive!" with veterinary behaviorist, Dr. Leslie Sinn, DVM, DACVB, CPDT-KA of Behavior Solutions for Pets

 

"PTSD in Pets" with veterinary behaviorist, Dr. Amy Pike, DVM, DACVB of Animal Behavior Wellness Center

 

"Fun, Enriching Activities for Your Dog" with Eager Beagle trainer, Karen Baragona, CPDT-KA

 

"Helping Your Fearful Dog Navigate the World" with Dog Latin dog trainer, Juliana Willems, KPA CTP, CPDT-KA

"Training tip: Polite Greetings" with Jackie Moyano, PMCT, CPDT-KA; Behavior United.

Training tip: Capturing Behavior with Juliana Willems, KPA CTP, CPDT-KA; Dog Latin Dog Training

Training tip: Attention Games with Marnie Montgomery, PMCT3, CPDT-KA; Joyful Dog

Training tip: Leash Walking with Sarah Stoycos, KPA CTP; Laughing Dog Academy

Training tip: “Leave It” and “Drop It” with Lisa Arant, Small and Tall Dog Training

Training tip: Coming When Called with Susan Sanderson, PMCT

Training tip: Targeting (“Touch”) with Michelle Mange, Right Start Maryland

Your Puppy / Normal Dog Behavior
Socialization / Body Language
Stress, Worried & Fearful Dogs
Reactivity, Resource Guarding
Separation Anxiety
Foods & Feeding
Grooming & Handling
Body language

CHANGING BEHAVIOR
1. Manage the situation to prevent what you don't want rehearsed
2. Train for what you do want
3. Be consistent and reinforce, reinforce, reinforce
4. Gradually relax management bits, testing to see if training is taking over

You have to grit your teeth and establish new habits for yourself during this process. And that might mean inconvenience on your part.
.............................................................................-- Helix Fairweather

RECOMMENDED READING

Bones Would Rain From the Sky - Suzanne Clothier

Reaching Animal Mind - Karen Pryor
Inside of a Dog - Alexandra Horowitz
Plenty in Life is Free - Kathy Sdao

The Other End of the Leash - Patricia McConnell

Dog Sense - John Bradshaw

Great Blogs:

Nicole Wilde
https://wildewmn.wordpress.com/


Patricia McConnell, PhD
https://www.patriciamcconnell.com/theotherendoftheleash/

Eileen & Dogs
https://eileenanddogs.com/blog

EMERGENCY AND PET SAFETY

EMERGENCY!

Pet Emergency Clinic - 326-6670
E. 21 Mission (between Division & Ruby in Spokane)

 

Animal Poison Control Center

Plants that are poisonous to dogs

Essential Oil Safety With Pets - Perfume and Cologne

Emergency & Disaster Preparedness

In case of emergency, volunteers are always needed! Contact
HEART - Humane Evacuation Animal Rescue Team

CAR SAFETY

Traveling by Car or Truck with Pets
(thanks to Caroline from the P2E Youth Club and Beth Pawlicki for recommending this page!)

Tips for Safely Driving with Pets

How to Keep Your Dog Safe While Driving - Suggested by Natalie at Learninghaven.com

 

FLYING WITH YOUR DOG

Flying With Pets - Federal Aviation Administration

Emegency & Pet Safety
dog-anatomy-infographic-banner.png

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