We were given an older female Jack Russell Terrier and two male mutt pups. Jack Russell is a bit aggressive at times as is one of the pups. She is already a bit overweight. The pups weigh around 35-45 pounds now at 8 months. Just curious as to whether their behaviors and weights would change after we had them spade/neutered.

Weight gain is primarily due to what the dogs are being fed and the amount of exercise they get. Maybe they burn a lot of calories when the time is right to look for a mate, and so maybe their food could be cut down a little bit. The Jack Russell's behaviour is unlikely to change if she is spayed. I'm assuming she's a bit aggressive generally, and not just with the pups? If it's just with the pups, they're probably doing her head in! The pups are at an ideal stage to be neutered. It is said that neutering reduces aggression. I'm not sure about that, but certaininly it takes the stress of sex hormones running amok away from them.

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You need to look at your best friend’s behavior before deciding which style of dog collar to buy. If you are taking your dog to a special event or to a special gathering and you want them to look really good try getting a dog hound collar and leash. For small dogs a simple flat collar will suffice. For larger dogs you might try a prong collar with a wide leather band.

If your dog loves water and water sports you should buy a nylon collar. Anything else will not hold up as well to constant immersion in water. Leather is ok but it will crack and age quickly unless it’s dried and polished after each dipping.

Some Dog Collar Types and their uses

Buckle collars are usually adjustable and do not tighten on your dog’s neck once fastened. Using a rolled leather collar avoids the chafing or hair breaking that can occur using flat collars.

Leather is an advantageous material for a dog collar. It is very strong, head wearing, weather proof and comfortable for your best friend. There are flat collars for dogs with shorter hair, and rounded collars for longer haired dogs. As mentioned above this is to stop breaking the hair around your dogs neck. Try and keep the dog collar as thin as you can while maintaining the strength for your dogs comfort.

Another type of collar that can also look fancy is called the Elizabethan fancy dog collar. This type of collar is for dogs recovering from surgery. Basically it is the funnel shaped and it goes over your best friend’s head keeps them from biting stitched wounds or surgery incisions. If your best friend does have to wear this type of collar there is no need to be embarrassed, you can make the best of it by painting it, or decorating it with colorful decorations, stick on synthetic gems or even ribbons!

Electronic collars are also called remote collars or shock collars by those that don’t like them. The idea behind these collars is to deliver an electric shock to the hound as a correction. A low-level shock is given at first but if the canine continues to disobey the intensity is increased.

It has been said that using an electric shock collar desensitizes the pet to the shock but they still prove to be effective training collars. Electronic collars should only be used for training and should never be used without a professional trainers guidance. Incorrectly used, these collars can ruin a hound’s self confidence, good will and any desire to work.

The head collar is similar to a figure of eight with a strap around the neck directly behind your dog’s ears and above his Adam’s apple. The second strap fits around his nose, close to the eyes and back of the lips. The straps are connected under your best friend’s chin.

The action of the leash when correcting your best friend is very different with a head collar verses any of the other training devices. So it’s important that you receive proper instruction on its use from a qualified trainer.

Most trainers use the pinch collar as a last resort and only for very short periods of time. As with the slip collar, attaching tags, tying your pet up and general unsupeervised use of pinch collars should be avoided.

If you take your dogs hunting dog Tracking systems are very helpful in finding dogs that are lost. Certain dog tracking systems also allow the dog handler or owner to determine what your canine is doing by using certain behavior systems that form part of the collar. You will be able to tell if a hound has stopped, is still moving, if a dog is barking, or if he has treed an animal.

One of the essentials of a dog collar is to make sure that it’s personalized and has your dogs name and your contact details on it. This will make it easy for someone to get in touch with you if your dog gets lost or strays.

It can also help keep your best friend calm in a distressing situation. Your dog is lost and while he may be amongst strangers, they will learn his name from his collar and he’ll feel less threatened if called by name.

Finally pick a canine collar that suits your dogs personality and size. A giant black leather collar with studs may not suit a toy poodle, or a pink ribbon style collar a British Bulldog. After all it is part of your dogs image so pick a hound collar that fits!

There was a question asked about a dogs destructive behavior,It sounded like a pretty clear example of separation anxiety to me as well as some of the other answerers. One of the other answerers said "Your dog is mad at you and is taking revenge by being destructive" I find that absurd. revenge is a human ,not canine behavior. Though there may be times it seems our pets are acting out of vengence I believe their motivations are something entiely different. I'd like to hear your thoughts**Especially Behaviorists.I must add the asker seems to believe the 'revenge' theory.

dogs plotting revenge? Never happens. What people mistake for "spite" or "revenge" is usually separation anxiety (as you correctly believe), and a lack of exercise and training. Dogs relieve anxiety by putting things in their mouths and chewing them – the same way children suck their thumbs and adults bite their nails, chew gum or smoke cigarettes.

A dog may look "guilty" when you come home to find the house soiled and torn up, but that isn't guilt in the human sense. It's that the dog has learned that YOU are going to be mad at him when you come home. He doesn't know what else to do while you are out, since you're not there to tell him. That's why it's so important to confine a puppy to a crate so that he can't learn bad behaviors!

A well trained dog knows the rules and knows what to expect and how to please his family. He is much happier and less anxious, since he doesn't have to try to guess which behavior will get him in trouble.

These are the books that I recommend to my students; you can get them on Amazon.com
What All Good Dogs Should Know – Volhard http://www.volhard.com/
Good Owners, Great Dogs – Brian Kilcommins
Dog Tricks : Eighty-Eight Challenging Activities for Your Dog from World-Class Trainers by Haggerty and Benjamin
Don't Shoot the Dog – Pryor
Training Your Dog: The Step by Step Method – Volhard
dog problems – Benjamin
Cesar's Way – Cesar Millan
Also, watch the Dog Whisperer on the National Geographic Channel. Cesar Millan is the best trainer I've ever seen on TV.
http://www.dogpsychologycenter.com/

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You bring your cute, fun loving puppy home for the first time and of course you want your him to sleep with you. All furry, cute, warm and snuggly. But that is not the best thing to do for you or your hound. You really need a dog bed to establish correct behavior at the outset. It may be OK now, but when your dog grows to his full size at over 100 lb, will it still be fun?

Now that we have established that a dog bed is an essential item for your pet, what type do you get and what kind of things are you looking at?

How Do You Pick a Dog Bed?

First off ask yourself these questions. Does he like to be able to rest his head with a view of the entire room? Does he hang his head over the edge? Does he avoid the bed because he needs to cool off? Watch your dogs behavior and you’ll quickly learn which type of dog bed best suits him

Benefits and Features of a Dog Bed

The Indoor/Outdoor Bed is tough, water repellent and can be used inside or out. Orthopedic foam tends to provide additional warmth too so if you live in a warmer climate, your dog may prefer a cooling bed like the Canine Cooler to the traditional orthopedic bed. Using a dog bed in your home can help reduce injuries to your pet such as jumping off the couch; which is probably your canines favorite place to lie, especialy when you are away.

Picking the right dog bed will help with your allergies and even clean up. Using a dog bed provides you with one area where the majority of the shedding and/or dander is contained. Just pick up the bed, (or bedding), and put it in the washing machine. Of course make sure it’s machine washable first!

It is important for an older hound to have a comfortable rest area. Senior dogs over the age of 10 are similar to a seventy-year-old person. Can you imagine your grand parents curled up on the floor for the evening? Quality beds such as the Memory Foam Bed or the Thera Ortho Mattress are designed to relieve sore joints, bones and other problems that may arise due to your pets age or weight. They even make orthopedic dog beds now to help address this issue. Similar to humans, dogs also experience changes as they age. Their joints can stiffen, or their bones become thinner. If your older hound has slept in a kennel his entire life, it is good to learn that there are beds specifically designed for use in canine crates.

How to measure your dog for a bed: Different dogs sleep in different positions, as humans do so look at how your canine sleeps and determine the best size bed for your dog. Measure your dog when his is comfortably sleeping and add about 5 inches to ensure that he has enough room in his bed. Watch your canine sleep. Does he usually curl up or stretch out? If he’s relaxed to his maximum size, make sure the bed is big enough to support his entire body.

Spend some time determining which bed is best suited for your dog, keeping in mind that this will become a favorite resting place for your pooch! If your dog likes his head on a pillow, try a lounge bed or couch. Beware, low quality beds are easily torn and fall apart. They never really offer your hound the benefits of a higher quality bed.

Think of your dog bed as an investment, any number of high quality beds will last the lifetime of your canine, and so will their benefits!

Dog behavior training is both an art and a science. Some experts say that a dog can have up to an 800-word vocabulary. I’m not so convinced of the number of words but I can verify that many of my dogs showed an uncanny ability to figure out exactly what I was trying to communicate.

One of the best dog training tips I ever got was from a neighbor when I got my first puppy. I was about 9 years old and this was the best present my parents had ever given me. My neighbor was an old hand at training dogs and had living proof in his own dog.

The first thing I did when I got Skipper (not sure why I picked that name, it just sounded right) was to rush over and show my neighbor. His name was hard to pronounce so every one in the neighborhood just called him Mr. D. So Mr. D was kind enough to run through some dog training basics and taught me a lot about how to take care of my new puppy.

Mr. D’s dog was a Jack Terrier called Willie. Willie could do any trick and would respond to almost any request. Willie pretty much had the run of the neighborhood and was known by all. In those days people just let their dog out since there were no leash laws and no one complained. My Mom often gave Willie any leftovers or a soup bones when he would stop by for a visit.

So when I showed up with Skipper, Willie was as excited as I was to have a new playmate. Skipper was a Springer Spaniel that we had rescued from the city dog pound. Skipper was probably about 6 months old but we never knew for sure since the dog pound didn’t know when he was born.

The first order of business was your basic dog house training. I got off pretty easy on this phase since Skipper seemed to prefer going outside to do his bathroom chores. From day one Skipper would go to the door and want to be let out when he needed to go.

Mr. D explained that the two most important things about any kind of dog training were rewards and repetition. The reward could be as simple as praise or a pat on the head. And that I should spend at least 30 minutes a day working with Skipper on anything I wanted to teach him to do.

So each day I would spend 30 minutes teaching Skipper how to stay, sit, fetch, and come when I called. Willie would come over and help too. I don’t know if they actually communicated but having another dog around that already knew all these tricks had to be beneficial.

Skipper also showed a high aptitude for retrieving. Of course I didn’t know at the time that he was a natural born retriever and took credit for being a great and skilled dog trainer. Once I got the basics down I worked on teaching Skipper how to heel, play dead, and not to jump on people.

Skipper started learning on his own too. When I was at school or somewhere that Skipper couldn’t go, my mother would be his next choice in companion. In those days we had what was called a Bookmobile that was a bus from the local library that would come to the neighborhood twice a week.

Skipper figured out that when the Bookmobile came he got to go for a walk with my mother. So like clockwork, Skipper would come to get my mother when it was about 2:00 pm on Tuesday and Friday. Skipper loved to go since he got to sit at the door and welcome every one that showed up each day.

Skipper also knew when it was Saturday. Saturday was grocery-shopping day and when my mother went to the store she always asked the meat department for some bones. Skipper knew that he would get his favorite snack on Saturday afternoons when my mother came back from the store.

For the next 14 years Skipper was my constant companion and escort. Skipper was an exceptional dog in disposition, learning ability, and affection. I also had a big advantage having a helpful neighbor and watching him and his dog. Mr. D and Willie were both a huge help and positive influence.

Dog training does require some dedicated effort but the rewards are more than worth the investment. My current dog, Tuxcitto, is a 24/7 project since he is a Border Collie and full of vim and vigor. But Tuxcitto is a lot like Skipper in that he is a fast learner and extremely affectionate companion.

I adopted an American Eskimo last week that was born with one eye. Whenever she is excited or about to lie down or sit, she spins around in circles. I thought she did this to see what is around her and to prevent herself from bashing into things. However, my dog walker is of the opinion that she needs intensive therapy to "overcome this negative behavior". This dog is so sweet, non-aggressive and gets along beautifully with my other 8 year old American Eskimo. I think I should let her spin unless it gets out of hand or she makes herself sick:) And, I don't think therapy will help stop a one-eyed dog from spinning. Is spinning really that BAD?
She is NOT chasing her tail, she simply turns around in a circle about 5 or 6 times and then lies down, or sits or welcomes me home.

NO, she only spins becasue she has one eye and gets excited. Just like if you have a one eyed fish, they swim in circles until they adapt. Her problem is NOT behavioral, it's physical. When she starts spinning, it's best to just calm her down and reasure her that she's OK. Agression is a different problem If she bears her teeth and snaps out aggressively at people, then you have to work with that problem differently. Obedience training is the best thing for any dog. I highly reccomend it.

Also, a lot of dogs spin when they are excited. It's not that bad of a problem. It's just how they show their enthusiasm.

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Training sessions are a great way to play with your dog. And, just like playing numbers and letters games with toddlers, it’s a great way to teach your dog whatever behaviors you want. The payoff is terrific, too. Your dog will know what’s expected of her and become the companion you always wanted.

Dogs have enormous vocabularies for animals who don’t talk. They can understand hundreds of words. Add that to gestures and different tones of voice – your dog’s potential repertoire is limited only by your imagination.

It’s true that some dogs learn “tricks” faster than others. It depends not only on the “smarts” of the individual dog, but also on what the dog was originally bred to do. Border Collies are often called the “most intelligent” of dogs because they were “designed” to work with people, taking their cues from their humans. Other kinds of dogs, such as terriers, were bred to work independently. Once you develop a training relationship – every dog can learn new behaviors. And you’ll be able to astound your friends with your dog’s brilliance!

Training should be a game you play with your dog every chance you get. And training sessions shouldn’t be formal or lengthy. If you find yourself with five minutes to spare, grab a handful of dog treats and teach a new trick.

We have to “break down” each behavior into small bits to teach your dog. If you want to teach your dog to “play dead” when you point your finger like a gun and say “Bang!,” first he has to learn “down.” Then he has to learn “roll over.” Don’t try to link the parts of the trick together before he knows each part well. And you can add on as you go – you could teach him to roll onto his back and stiffen his paws – sure to get a laugh every time.

The same goes for any other “trick” you want to teach. If you want your dog to give you (or anyone else) a “high five” (or four, in most dog’s cases), first he has to touch your hand with a paw. Then you can move your hand up, gradually. One day he’ll be leaping into the air to deliver that “high five!”

Your dog loves you. He loves spending time with you and he adores being the focus of your attention. A couple of five-minute training sessions every day will make a huge difference in his behavior and in your relationship. Keep training sessions short. Keep them happy. End on a positive note. And be patient. She can learn if you’re willing to teach.

I have a newfoundland who is wonderful in every way. He is great with the family, with women coming and going into the house, and mostly with dogs. Yet men, who come in, he gets very agressive. And children, who run or playing, he charges, and even nip two children in three years. I need to control this. Any suggestions.

I am a canine behaviorist. If you want to email me with the name of your town, I can direct you to reputable trainers/behaviorists serving your area.

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Before choosing a particular training method, carefully examine the technique to ensure that it will communicate proper associations. Certain methods may not communicate what you intend. A dog-aggressive Akita was enrolled in a training program that his owner thought was reputable. The trainer convinced the owner that the only way to break the Akita of aggression toward other dogs was to let a more dominant dog put him in his place. The trainer’s dog displayed dominance toward other dogs, so she placed him in a room with the Akita and left the two dogs to work things out. When the trainer heard a window crashing, she opened the door to find that her dog was injured, and the Akita had been richly rewarded for his aggressive behavior with a nice victory under his collar.

If this method does not make sense to you, it probably won’t make sense to the dog, either. One trainer sent around a flyer giving free advice to the general public on how to stop dogs from digging. The trainer suggested filling the newly dug hole with water and taking the dog over to the hole by the scruff of the neck to dunk his head in the water filled-hole. The next sentence on this flyer cautioned the owner that the dunking probably would not stop the dog from digging; instead, forcing the dog down to the water by the scruff of the neck was a demonstration of dominance, a root cure-all for problem behavior. The trainer thought through the method far enough to figure out that the water would have no effect on future digging. Unfortunately, he did not explain that the dog would learn to mistrust his owner for trying to drown him. Shortly after this flyer was distributed, another trainer was indicted for animal abuse for employing this very correction technique.

Occasionally, even thinking through a method does not result in a clear understanding of how it works. One day a fellow drove up to class in a pickup with his dog in the back. The dog trainer explained to him that it was very dangerous to have the dog in the back of an open pickup. He went through the normal lecture on how the dog’s nose and eyes could be damaged from debris in the air, the danger of the dog being thrown out of the truck in an accident, etc. The fellow proudly said, “I fixed the dog from jumping out of the truck. He was jumping out and I would throw him back in. We did this for five or six times when I finally got really mad and threw him in the truck for the seventh time and stuffed a piece of horse manure in his mouth for good measure. After that the dog never jumped out again, and the next time he does something bad, I am going to use that manure trick again.”

It was really hard to determine if the dog stopped jumping out of the truck because he got tired of being thrown back in, or if he was grateful for the gourmet horse manure treat. If you are not sure about exactly how or why a method works, it is probably best to avoid the technique altogether. Even the most popular methods use techniques that may not be suited for every breed or temperament of dog. A trainer who evaluates each method based on the efficacy of the associations and motivators will be better equipped to match the appropriate obedience method with the dog’s individual temperament.

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