The Dog Aging Project (DAP) provides groundbreaking insights into the prevalence and scope of behavioral challenges in dogs. Analyzing data from over 43,000 dogs, this study found that nearly all dogs (99.12%) exhibit moderate-to-serious behavioral issues, ranging from aggression and anxiety to separation-related behaviors and housesoiling. The blog post emphasizes the importance of early recognition and intervention to address these issues. Behavioral problems often reflect deeper emotional, physical, or environmental concerns, requiring a “big picture” approach. Through tools like behavioral assessments, tailored training plans, and collaboration with veterinarians, owners can address their dog’s needs effectively.

Brachycephalic breeds, such as French Bulldogs and Pugs, are becoming increasingly popular, with the French Bulldog recently named the most popular dog breed in the U.S. While their charming, expressive faces appeal to many, these flat-faced breeds often face unique behavioral and medical challenges rooted in their anatomy.

The blog post explores the intriguing behavior of blanket and flank sucking in dogs, particularly in Doberman Pinschers. It explains that this behavior is often a self-soothing mechanism rooted in comfort-seeking. Studies on flank sucking in Dobermans show it may have a hereditary component and parallels certain compulsive disorders in humans. Drawing from research, the post highlights how genetic predispositions, early weaning, and stress can contribute to this behavior.

This blog post delves into the complexities of aggression in dogs, highlighting how stress, fear, and anxiety often underlie this behavior. Drawing on recent research, it emphasizes the importance of recognizing early stress indicators like yawning, trembling, and excessive attention-seeking as precursors to aggressive responses. The blog discusses the detrimental impact of punitive measures, which can exacerbate anxiety and escalate aggression, and instead advocates for trust-based, positive reinforcement methods.

This blog post explores how idiopathic epilepsy (IE) in dogs affects not only their physical health through seizures but also their behavior and emotional well-being. A recent study highlights that dogs with IE often exhibit heightened excitability, attention-seeking behaviors, and cognitive impairments, which can be influenced by the neurological condition and its treatments.

This blog post explores a recent study published in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior, which examined how well dog owners can identify pain-related behaviors in their pets. The study revealed that many owners struggle to recognize subtle signs of discomfort, particularly in older dogs where behaviors may be mistaken for normal aging.

When I started dog training many moons ago, the field was based mainly on the now-debunked dominance theory. The current principles applied to dog training were just mere whispers of what was to come. However, I think this goes to show how far dog training is behind other forms of behavior modification and learning. I don’t know about you, but I have never seen any zookeepers or marine mammal trainers apply corrections to their animal students and expect anything other than certain death. Why do we seem to think that dogs are different than any other mammal on the planet?

My entire life I have only owned rescued dogs with histories of unknown circumstances and problematic issues. All of my dogs essentially came to me “broken”. They all came with a plethora of problem behaviors and were “project” dogs. After working with rescue after rescue and seeing more of the same, I decided it was time for me to step outside of my comfort zone and purchase a dog from a responsible breeder instead.