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Dog Aggression? Diagnosing Common Canine Behavior

One of the worst labels a dog can receive is “aggressive.”  In fact, in many states, that word can be a death sentence.  It is important for owners to understand the signs of canine aggression, and what to do in order to fix the problem. You can find some good books here on this as well. Normal Canine Behavior New pet owners may not understand that nipping, biting, and gnawing are all normal puppy and adolescent dog behaviors.  While these actions can be frustrating (and painful) they are not indicative of an aggressive dog.  Instead, this behavior stems from the fact that dogs interact with the world via their mouths (much in the same way as toddlers), and until they are taught otherwise, they will continue to behave in a way that is most natural.  Therefore, if your puppy nips at your heels, chews on your hand during play time,...
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How to Stop a Puppy from Biting

Puppies do many adorable things as they begin to grow and explore the world around them, from letting out their first bark to navigating stairs for the first time.  Young pups are able to get away with many bad habits when they small, mostly because they are not yet strong, big, or loud enough to cause any harm.  One common behavior of puppies is biting and nipping.  Although many owners may find this action cute in the beginning, if left unchecked there can be significant – and even dangerous – consequences.  Listed here is a guide intended to help you stop a puppy from biting. Why is my puppy biting? Many pet owners mistakenly believe that a puppy that is biting is destined to grow up to be an aggressive dog.  In reality, it is extremely rare for a puppy to be truly aggressive.  Instead, puppies use their mouths for...
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My Dog Thinks He’s The Pack Leader

Does he really? What makes you say that? “Well, he’s the pack leader because he walks in front of me, he growls when I get near his food bowl and he refuses to get off the couch when I tell him to.” Or maybe you can say “He’s the pack leader because German Shepherds are dominant dogs.” The answers may be very different and varied since no one really knows what a dominant dog is. In fact, every single person would give me a totally different answer if asked them to define dominance. What is a dominant dog, after all? Does your dog fit into that category? First of all, the dominance theory is just a myth. Why? Well, due to several factors. The dominance theory came up after a succession of occurrences and ideas that were wrongly applied and extrapolated. First mistake: people observed wolves living in captivity and...
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