The same thing can apply to our household pets. As much as they're members of our families – and as much as we as humans have bred them to be more adapted to household living rather than running wild – they still have mental and physical needs.

It's our duty as pet parents to provide for those needs. The trouble is, modern society forces most of us to work 9-5s, spending a good portion of our waking hours away from the home and away from our canine companions.

That's where enrichment comes in. What can we do to provide enrichment for our pups, even when we're not around? Let's talk about it.

All About Enrichment for Dogs

Before I get into toy recommendations, I wanted to talk a little about what enrichment is in the context of dogs.

What is enrichment, specifically?

Any animal has needs. These needs come in different categories: physical, mental, and emotional.

When you examine each of these categories, you can further break them down into a bunch of different kinds of needs.

• Health needs, like disease prevention, parasite treatment, and pain management.

• Hygiene needs, like ear cleaning, tooth cleaning, and fur brushing.

• Dietary needs, including both regular food and treats.

• Exercise needs, usually focused on meeting physical fitness goals.

• Sensory needs, including stimulation for all five senses, as well as preventing undue stimulation.

• Safety needs, including environmental safety.

• Security needs, including both physical and mental security.

• Social needs, like being able to play with people or other dogs.

• Behavioral needs, which are often breed-specific, like herding or foraging behaviors.

• Mental needs, like mental stimulation, tricks, and puzzles.

Technically speaking, meeting all of these different kinds of needs is enrichment. However, these days, when you talk about enrichment, you're mostly talking about the "more than bare minimum" activities: letting your greyhounds run, letting your hunting dogs forage, and the like.

Think of it like cabin fever. Being cooped up in a small space like a home or apartment with nothing much to do will leave you bored and can lead to anxiety, neurotic behaviors, and more. It goes just as much for people as it does for dogs.

Why do dogs need enrichment toys?

Enrichment is critical to keep your pups happy and healthy. Enrichment toys are a way to help do that, either because you don't have a good way to allow a behavior and need to simulate it or because you aren't around enough to provide that enrichment yourself.

It's a sort of self-serve enrichment option, basically.

There are all manner of benefits to enrichment, but they all basically come back to one thing: keeping your dog healthy. Dogs that lack enrichment can develop behavioral issues like anxiety, destructive tendencies, neuroticism, and other issues.

Enrichment can also help extend the life of a dog. Bored and anxious dogs end up stressed out, and stress causes all sorts of problems and can make other issues – like diseases – worse.

Types of Enrichment Toys to Consider

I'm not going to give you specific toy recommendations because the market is huge. Instead, I'm going to talk about specific kinds of toys and leave it to you to decide what specific toys within that category you want to get.

Lick and Chew Toys

First up are some of the most common kinds of enrichment toys, which are toys meant to be licked at and chewed.

Often, these hide a treat inside, like a dab of (xylitol-free) peanut butter, which your dog can spend time getting at. The chewing helps keep their teeth clean, the licking gives them a sensory experience, and the toy can be a source of excitement when you bring it out and give it to them.

Chew toys need to be resilient, but even the most resilient toy can eventually start to break apart under continual chewing, so make sure to inspect it each time you use it and replace it if it starts to break up so your dog doesn't eat or choke on something they shouldn't.

Snuffle Mats

Snuffle mats are sort of like very plush rugs. They're meant to mimic the experience of rooting around in a fairly deep lawn, looking for anything interesting hidden in the grass.

Many different dog breeds love this kind of foraging behavior, and a snuffle mat helps you encourage it. Hide a couple of treats in the mat and let your pooch root around in it, looking for the nugget of tasty reward.

Snuffle mats need to be cleaned and, often, replaced as they start to fall apart. Fortunately, they're relatively cheap and easy to find, so you don't need to worry about their longevity too much. Just make sure they're made of a pet-safe material.

Lick Mats

Lick mats are a sort of cross between snuffle mats and lick toys. They're textured mats that you smear something like wet food or peanut butter in and let your dog go wild on trying to lick it all out.

It takes time because of the texture hiding the goodies in the nooks and crevices, but it's not quite the same kind of behavior as snuffle mats.

As an added bonus, these tend to be more easily cleanable and more durable. On the other hand, if you're not proactive with cleaning them, they can get really smelly really fast.

Puzzle Toys

Puzzle toys are usually made of fairly durable plastic with little compartments you can use to hide kibble or treats.

Your dog knows the treats are there – they can smell it – but they need to figure out how to get past the doors or mechanisms hiding them. It's sort of like a puzzle box for your canine child to figure out.

Simple puzzle toys are just sliding covers over compartments. More complex puzzle toys can be interlocking mechanisms that need to be moved in a certain order to access later treats.

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of different designs, so you may need to go through a few before you find one that is complex enough to keep your dog entertained but not so complex that it leaves them frustrated.

Hide and Seek Toys

Hide-and-seek toys can honestly be just about anything you designate as a dog toy. Many people do things like take a dog's plushie and hide it under a pile of pillows or blankets or just hide it somewhere in the house and then ask their dog to go find it.

Dedicated hide-and-seek toys are a combination of toy and hide. For example, a big fake eggshell with a plushie chick inside. You place the egg somewhere and have your dog go find the chick. It's the same concept, just without having to risk sacrificing pillows or blankets for the cause.

These are excellent toys for dogs that love to go seek out something, especially those who are bred to be hunting dogs or have a strong drive to dig. Uncovering a hidden treasure is a pleasure they love.

Scent Toys

Scent toys are somewhat similar to hide-and-seek toys, but they work primarily on specific scents to help your pooch find them.

Usually, they come with some kind of little scent spray or scent card that provides a unique scent to track, which you hide for your dog to locate when you call for it.

Agility Toys

Some dogs can't get enough of running around and jumping, and if they could, they would have you play fetch with them for 18 hours a day.

Agility toys and courses are a good way to help stimulate this drive while also adding an intellectual element to it so it can tire them out and leave them more satisfied.

I've written about setting up basic dog agility courses before, including what kind of agility elements work well and how you can lay out courses to get started. The only caveat is that you need the space to do it, but if you can get it rolling, it's a wonderful option.

Toys for You Too

There's also a category of enrichment toys that you have to take part in as well. Agility toys fall into this category, but there are also simple versions like durable balls for fetch, knotted ropes for tug-of-war, and other simple activity toys that work great, too.

On top of this, one of the best forms of enrichment is training. Teaching your dog new tricks and variations on older tricks helps to engage their brains. When those brains get working, you have a very satisfied dog at the end of it.

How to Pick a Good Enrichment Toy

Let's finish things off by talking about how to pick the right enrichment toys for your dog.

First of all, you'll never be able to just buy one or two toys and call it good. Dogs will get bored of the same toys over and over all the time, so you'll want to rotate the selection in and out.

You can do this when they start losing interest, on a set schedule, or even seasonally; it all depends on your dog and your selection of toys.

Secondly, you need to pick toys that address the specific needs of your dog. Different dogs of different breeds will have different proclivities.

Some won't take well to agility. Some prefer the more cognitive puzzles rather than physical activities. Some have a huge drive to hide and seek and aren't going to be interested in the more straightforward tug-of-war and other activities.

This will all change over time, too. It can depend on the breed of your dog, but also their age, their personality, and even their experience. Puzzles, in particular, tend to escalate as your pooch gets used to the simpler options and wants something more complex.

When it comes to selecting the toys specifically, there's a lot to consider.

• Make sure the toys are made of durable and non-toxic, non-dangerous materials. Expect your dog to be licking, chewing, and otherwise tearing at the toys. If it has something like a woven fabric or a filling, you need to make sure that if your dog swallows some, it won't hurt them. Long strings are a common failure point here and can cause intestinal blockages.

• Size them appropriately. Getting a toy that's too large for a small dog can be frustrating for them to use. Getting a toy that's too small for a large dog can also be frustrating in different ways, plus it can be a choking hazard.

• Don't overlap the same enrichment too much. Even if your dog is primarily food-motivated, using only food-based enrichment can get stale over time.

With so many options available, it's hard to pick anything to be the best, so expect to experiment until you find what your dog enjoys the most.

Dog Enrichment Toy FAQ

Let's answer a few questions you might have before I let you go.

I have two dogs that play with each other: do I still need enrichment toys?

Yes! If your dogs have to rely on one another for enrichment, things go wrong when one is ill or tired, and there's only so much of the right kinds of enrichment involved.

You still need to meet other needs beyond the social.

How much do enrichment toys cost?

It all depends on the kind of toy and the brand, but most enrichment toys will cost somewhere between $10 and $40.

If you're paying much more than that, ask yourself what you're getting for the money; similarly, if it's much less, wonder what they're cutting for the savings.

What if my dog isn't very food-motivated?

There are all sorts of enrichment toys that don't need food to be successful. Scent toys, hide-and-seek toys, and agility toys all fall into this group.

Every dog will have something they love; you just need to find it!

So, what are your favorite enrichment toys for your dogs? Let me know in the comments!

There are many large breeds of dog, but one stands above the rest – literally. It's the Great Dane, the current holder of the world record for tallest dog ever recorded. The specific tallest Great Dane is one named Zeus.

What is the truth behind Zeus? Don't worry; there's no dark secret, no "allegations" or doping involved here. Just a very large, good boy.

All About Zeus, the World's Largest Great Dane

Zeus was the official record holder for the world's largest Great Dane and, consequently, the world's largest dog. He was also a very good dog; despite his huge stature, he was a loving lap dog when given the chance. He liked nothing more than to hang out in the laps of his parents while they spent time on the porch.

He was also a certified therapy dog, often visiting hospitals and schools around his hometown in the Kalamazoo, Michigan, area. His gentle demeanor and immaculate training helped him ease the anxieties of students, hospital patients, and many more people besides.

Zeus was a huge dog, and huge dogs have huge lives. At his peak, he weighed 155 pounds (more than some people!) and was tall enough that he could drink from a kitchen sink without having to work for it. He ate a whopping 12 cups of food a day to sustain his massive frame.

When measured, from his front paw to his withers (the front shoulder of a quadruped), he was three feet and eight inches tall. When standing on his hind legs, he could stretch up to seven feet and five inches.

Remember those wolves I mentioned in the intro? The average wolf is only 2.5-3 feet tall at the shoulder. Great Danes stand as tall or taller than wolves! Of course, wolves are bulkier and fluffier than Danes, so it's hardly a fair comparison.

Unfortunately, Zeus passed away in 2014, at the age of six, from symptoms of old age. This is one sad and unfortunate truth: the larger a dog is, the shorter their life span is going to be. Smaller breeds (without health complications) can live to be 14 or older, but giant breeds like Great Danes often only live to be around six, up to 10 at the oldest. For a dog as large as Zeus, six was on the shorter end of expected but still within expectations.

Zeus held the title of the world's tallest living dog while he was alive. After his passing in 2014, his record was taken by a dog named Freddy, also a Great Dane, from Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, England. Freddy was slightly shorter than Zeus, but since the record was for the world's tallest living dog, it naturally had to move on.

Freddy passed away at the age of 8 in 2021. His successor was another dog named Zeus, this time from Bedford, Texas. This Zeus was also a hair shorter than the previous Zeus, though he came closer. He has passed as well; a diagnosis of bone cancer led to the amputation of his leg, and complications from that surgery caused pneumonia that led to his end.

The current tallest living dog is named Kevin, after Kevin McAllister from Home Alone, and stands three feet and two inches from foot to withers. He's from Des Moines, Iowa. For now, anyway, he holds the record until another tall dog comes along to challenge him.

For fans of the original Zeus, don't worry; he still holds a world record as the tallest dog ever recorded, which even his successors as the tallest living dog don't match.

Everything to Know about Great Danes

If you love the idea of a giant canine by your side, there's a lot to know about them. Giant breeds like Great Danes are definitely larger-than-life, but the reality of caring for one as a pet parent needs some grounding before you go find a puppy to adopt.

As a giant dog breed, Great Danes fortunately have a very pleasant temperament. They're fairly good with children and other dogs, though sometimes their size can cause problems just out of sheer bulk and scale. Luckily, they're also very affectionate and loving; otherwise, they could be very scary creatures.

The Great Dane was officially recognized as a breed by the American Kennel Club all the way back in 1887. They're known by a bunch of different names around the world, including German Mastiffs, Boarhounds, and Grand Danois. Once upon a time, they were commonly seen as guardian dogs for the German nobility and were often used as hunting dogs when pursuing prey like boar, deer, and even bears.

Most Great Danes aren't as large as Zeus and his successors. The breed is usually around 32" tall at the shoulder (where Zeus was 44"), with some smaller and some larger. They're still massive, but they're also fairly lean dogs. They aren't as chunky or as fluffy as other huge breeds like Newfoundlands, Saint Bernards, or other mastiffs. In fact, their coats are generally short and sleek, almost similar to horses in a way.

The Health of the Great Dane

As a giant breed, health is extremely important. Danes are susceptible to a variety of illnesses, but the number one cause of death for Danes is GDV, Gastric Dilation-Volvulus, also known as Bloat. This is an awful condition, also known as "twisted stomach," wherein the dog's stomach is excessively stretched, rotates due to excessive gas, and gets cut off. It's an illness that can affect dogs primarily, but in rare cases, it can even affect cats and guinea pigs. It's simply more common the larger and deeper-chested the breed or species is.

Since GDV is such a risk and has such a high mortality rate, some Dane parents get a prophylactic surgery that can help with some of the worst aspects of it and buy more time if it does occur.

Danes can also develop eye issues, hypothyroidism, cardiac problems, autoimmune thyroiditis, and hip dysplasia, especially as they get older. Great Dane breeders screen for conditions as much as possible, and responsible pet parents make sure to get Dane-specific medical examinations regularly.

Caring for a Great Dane

Taking care of a dog the size of a Great Dane is no easy feat. Fortunately, since they're affectionate and loving, they're also fairly easy to train and aren't going to be too headstrong, at least in general. Individuals, of course, can vary.

Danes have short coats and don't shed much, but even a little bit of shedding in a dog that size is going to be a lot of fur. Moreover, they do have an annual shedding season, where they shed a lot more. You'll need to brush them at least once a week and possibly daily during shedding season. Otherwise, their coats are fairly easy to care for, and you only need to give them a bath occasionally.

Definitely make sure to keep their nails trimmed. Since their feet are huge and they have a lot of weight behind them, over-long nails can cause pain, they can scratch your floors, and they can lead to problems with walking and even joints down the line.

Dogs the size of Danes need some amount of exercise to stay healthy. Fortunately, they aren't as active or as demanding as some of the more energetic breeds like Aussies and Greyhounds. They're fairly sedate, in fact, and are often happy just to hang out near you.

A couple of good walks every day is still good for them. You can bring them on more fast-paced jogs or runs, but only when they're older, so you don't risk damaging their joints as they're growing. Danes under two years old should be treated with care as they develop.

Danes are also fun dogs to teach agility to, though your average tunnels are going to be too small for them, and they're tall enough that the jumps might be steps. A course tailored to their size can be an impressive sight, though.

While I've said that Danes are loving, fairly obedient, and good with other dogs and children, you still need to make sure they're well-socialized when they're young, or they can cause problems. The larger a dog is, the harder it is to wrangle them if they're being disobedient. You especially want to make sure they're aware of themselves and their surroundings.

Despite it all, they respond well to affection, and you may not even need treats to train them; praise and loving are good enough for most.

Food is also critical for Danes. They require great nutrition, both so you don't stunt their growth when they're young, and so you don't hurt them and shorten their lifespans as they age. Overweight Danes put a ton of stress on their joints and will very quickly develop pain while walking.

• Give them high-quality food. Yes, they'll eat a lot of it, and yes, it will be expensive, but that's part of having a giant breed.

• Avoid table scraps. Anything with cooked bones can be deadly, and anything with high fat content can cause GDV.

• Give them more frequent, smaller meals throughout the day. This helps prevent overeating and stretching the stomach, which can also cause GDV.

It's a lot of work to care for a Great Dane, but the rewards are a huge, loving, and fiercely loyal dog who will be with you for many years.

How to Adopt a Great Dane

If all of this sounds like a burden you're willing to bear, adopting a Great Dane can be a great option.

This is where things can get a little tricky, though. I'm a firm believer in the "adopt, don't shop" ethos. There are simply far too many loving dogs stuck in shelters while people seek out purebred puppies from breeders.

Great Danes are huge and a lot of work to care for properly. That means a lot of people buy Dane puppies but end up surrendering or abandoning them when they get too big to handle. This is devastating for these loyal and loving dogs, but it's also a good opportunity for you.

Seek out a respectable and reputable rescue, first and foremost. Generic rescue services like Petfinder can help, but you're more likely best off going with specific regional rescues.

For example, Great Dane Rescue is a nonprofit group that was founded in 1993 as a way to help care for and re-home relinquished Great Danes. They cover parts of the Midwest and Ontario, Canada.

Another great option is Save Rocky, a Great Dane Rescue and Rehab organization. They're also a reputable nonprofit organization based out of Texas. Their name comes from a Dane who was euthanized needlessly despite offers to save him, and his mark is carried forward by the rescue organization. Save Rocky is based in Texas but operates nationwide, so the further away you are, the more you'll need to travel to adopt.

Others you can check out include:

• Regal Dane Rescue, serving Arizona and parts of New Mexico.

• Great Dane Friends, in North and South Carolina.

• One Dane At a Time, based out of Southern California.

• The Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League, operating along the East Coast from Virginia to New York.

If you know of other reputable Great Dane rescues, feel free to mention them in the comments below, as well! These gentle giants deserve loving homes, and there are enough of them out there that – in my view – there's no reason to get one from a breeder.

While the Dane you adopt isn't likely to grow to be a world-record holder like Zeus, you're sure to have a giant friend with a giant heart making a giant mark on your life when you adopt one.

When The “Natural” Claim Isn’t Enough—Choose Third-Party Certified Raw Materials for Your Dog Supplies

It’s veeeery easy to fall for pet products that claim “natural,” “safe,” or “eco-friendly” properties—until you realize those words mean nothing without proof. And when it comes to your dog’s health, happiness, and longevity, guessing isn’t good enough.

At toe beans, we make products for dog parents who double-check labels, follow recall news, and know better than to trust mass-market promises.

We fondly like to call them “the well-informed dog parents.” If you are one of those, keep on reading.

We Don’t Just Say It’s Safe—We Prove It

Unlike almost all overseas-made pet products out there, often white-labeled and loaded with cancer-causing chemicals, all toe beans items (with a few exceptions) are made here in the USA by us in our own facility, or by thoroughly screened and vetted American artisans who share our values and believe in the superiority of American manufacturing, small batch production, full raw-material traceability, and supply chain controls and oversight.

We unapologetically reject the pet industry’s pervasive practice of cutting corners in their raw materials to increase profits. Rather, we only use the highest quality of raw materials the world has to offer to meet the most stringent third-party certifications standards —like USDA Organic, USDA Bio-based, GOTS^®, Oeko-Tex^®, and FSC^® certifications amongst others.

Hey, we get it, we ain’t cheap, but we are not meant to be either. The market is already infested with enough cheap options, we are just not one of those. You’ll find that same level of commitment to quality and radical transparency in every single product we make and sell, whether it’s:

• Our USDA organic dog paw balms (no sulfates, dyes, or artificial fragrances)
• Our eco-conscious chew toys made from renewable materials
• Or our USDA Organic Dog Treats, made in the USA with zero fillers or toxic preservatives

Because Your Dog Supplies Labels Shouldn’t Lie

As pet parents, we know the guilt that creeps in when something you trusted for your dog turns out to be harmful. That’s why we’re radically transparent from the ground up —no hidden ingredients, no overseas factories, no “globally sourced ingredients”, no games.

Our promise? Products you’d use on your own body if you had fur and four paws (or three). Not joking here.

Ready to upgrade to truly clean? Explore our full line of American-made dog supplies and make the switch with confidence.

In the past, I wrote about excessive licking in dogs – what causes it, why they do it, what it means, and why it can be a problem. For the part, that post was focused on licking other things, like the floors, the walls, or you. I did briefly mention the side effects of licking at themselves too much, but it wasn't the focus of the post.

Today, I wanted to talk a little more about self-licking. Sometimes, dogs end up seemingly fixated on licking themselves, particularly their paws. This can cause a bunch of issues, but the most common are "lick granulomas", which is just a fancy name for an open sore caused by excessive licking. It can also cause infections in cuts and scrapes they get naturally, and irritate other problems, making it take longer to heal.

While a little licking and chewing at their feet can be grooming, excessive licking can cause all sorts of issues. Obviously, if it's causing problems, you want it to stop. The question is, how? I'll get to that, but there's some ground to cover first.

Why Dogs are Licking Their Paws

To solve a problem, you first need to know what is causing the problem. What causes a dog to lick their paws excessively?

Grooming

The first option is grooming, and it's probably the least likely cause on this list, just because it generally won't be excessive. Grooming is just how they clean their feet, getting bits of dirt off of their toes and working out sand from in between them.

Excessive grooming can happen, but it's generally caused by something else, like some of the other options we'll get to later.

Injuries

Probably the most common cause of excessive foot licking, by far, is injuries. If they stepped on excessively hot pavement and burned a paw pad, if they stepped on a thorny plant and got a sticker in their paw, if they cut their paw on something rough or sharp outside, if they got stung or bit by an insect, it doesn't really matter.

What matters is that their foot hurts or is irritated, and they don't have very many ways to deal with that. The best option their furry little minds can think of is to soothe it with licking, so lick they do.

The problem, of course, is that licking isn't actually going to solve any of those issues. Worse, it's just as likely to keep irritating them, and their dirty little mouths can even cause an infection.

Injuries can range from small irritations that will heal in a day or two to serious problems that need a vet trip. It depends on the scope of the injury and the likelihood of infection, so make sure to check their paws!

Dermatitis

Dermatitis is the fancy medical word for skin irritation and inflammation. If you ever get a rash from poison ivy or an allergy, that's dermatitis. Dogs can get dermatitis from bacterial issues, from allergic reactions, and even from food sensitivities.

They can also develop it because of chemicals on the ground they walk on – it can be especially common in winter due to road treatments and other chemicals, or when lawn treatments or pesticides are used – and can even be caused by plants they walk on.

Fortunately, while this can be annoying to diagnose, it's relatively easy to treat. The trick is figuring out what is causing it specifically and avoiding letting your fur baby walk on whatever it is.

Parasites

Another semi-common cause is parasites. In particular, fleas and mange mites can cause your fur baby to be very itchy, especially around the paws.

Obviously, parasites are a known and solvable issue, so if they're what's causing excessive licking, it's a quick treatment away from relief.

Generalized Pain

One of the more difficult to address causes of excessive licking is very similar to the first: pain, and an attempt to soothe that pain. The trouble is, what happens if the pain is internal? Something like a fractured or broken toe would be obvious and solvable, but something like arthritis or a slowly growing tumor might not be obvious without testing.

This cause generally requires diagnosis and treatment from a vet, so if you've ruled out all of the easier causes, you will have to bring them in.

Behavioral Issues

This is one of the major elements I focused on in the previous post I linked up at the start. Behavioral issues, ranging from compulsive behaviors to boredom or anxiety, can cause your pup to lick at themselves just out of a need for stimulation.

Sometimes, this might be treatable with medications, while other times, it might mean you need to give them something to redirect their behavior or keep them entertained. It depends on what kind of behavioral issue is cropping up, really.

Other Health Problems

Sometimes, if your pooch has another health issue, they might be sore or stressed or irritated in ways they don't know how to express, so they lick to try to soothe themselves. Things like yeast infections, bacterial infections, and other illnesses can all cause this behavior.

Generally speaking, you'll notice other behavioral issues as well if this is the case, like lethargy, a lack of appetite, odd-colored stool, and so on. As you might expect, it's time to talk to a vet if your doggo is sick.

How to Get Your Dog to Stop Excessively Licking Their Paws

Now that you have some idea of why your pup is licking at their paws constantly, how do you solve the problem?

Step 1: Diagnose the Cause

The first thing you need to do is figure out which of the causes above is the one that's occurring.

Generally speaking, the first step is to look at their paws and see if there are signs of injury or irritation. If it's a surface-level injury or signs of topical irritation, it's easier to solve than if it's arthritis, a behavioral issue, or something more internal.

If you can't figure out what the cause is, it might be time to talk to your vet. As long as they aren't licking themselves raw and bloody, it probably isn't emergency vet material, but a regular vet visit isn't a bad idea.

Step 2: Treat the Cause

Once you have identified the cause, treat it if you can.

• If it's an injury and it's minor, see if it needs antiseptic or just cleaning and bandaging.

• If it's an injury and more major, have the vet handle it as necessary.

• If it's an infection, medication may be provided to deal with it.

• If it's inflammation or irritation, soothing creams and potentially steroids can be used.

• If it's pain or behavioral-related, talk to your vet about what may be necessary.

• If it's parasites, antiparasitic medications are easily accessible.

• If it's boredom, play with them more or give them an outlet when you're not available.

All but the most serious causes can be handled either at home, with over-the-counter treatments, or with a phone or video call with a vet to diagnose and prescribe something. The most serious issues need a vet examination and potentially other tests, like blood tests, to figure it out.

In rare cases, other kinds of treatments may be necessary. For example, if they end up having a cyst or small tumor, it may need surgery to remove.

Sometimes, irritated skin won't heal on its own, and cryotherapy may be necessary to remove it and start from a fresh wound for healing. And, of course, sometimes all you need is an anti-itch cream.

Step 3: Prevent the Licking

While you're waiting for a treatment to work, you'll want to do what you can to prevent your pup from continuing to lick at their paws and making the problem worse.

For temporary, short-term, day or two healing, an e-collar can be perfectly effective. If all you need to do is stop them from licking long enough for some irritation to heal, that's a fine option.

You might also consider something like dog booties or other foot coverings. You want something they can't easily pull off, and that won't hinder their ability to move around.

And, of course, you want something that isn't going to irritate their feet. Fortunately, there are a lot of potential products out there you can use.

In more extreme circumstances, you might need some kind of treatment that makes their feet taste bad to them, so they stop because it's gross. Bitter apple or citrus juices can do the trick, though something too strong might make their life unpleasant even when they aren't licking.

Be careful not to use these kinds of treatments on open wounds or irritated skin, as it can be painful for them.

Step 4: Remove External Factors

External causes of excessive licking generally come down to things like a food allergy, an irritation due to a chemical you're using somewhere inside or outside the home, or just boredom or anxiety.

You can try to remove these as factors.

• Change their food if a food irritation may be causing the problem.

• Remove plants from places they walk – or take them to other places to walk – to avoid irritation.

• Give them more things to do to alleviate their boredom or separation anxiety.

You won't always be able to fully control the environment and keep them from stepping in something that irritates their feet, but as long as you have ways to deal with it before they lick themselves raw, you're ahead of the curve.

Step 5: Paw Cleaning and Paw Balm

Two things worth mentioning as additional options are paw balms and paw cleaning.

Paw cleaning is a simple, but sometimes annoying, habit you'll need to get into. Basically, just keep a bit of water and a towel near the door.

Whenever they go outside, whether you're just letting them run around the yard, or you're taking them for a walk, or they've been out with you shopping or to the vet, make the entryway a checkpoint.

All you need to do is give their paws a quick rinse and wipe down. This helps remove anything, like chemical residues and dirt, that could irritate their paws.

Even if they aren't irritated right away, that irritation can develop later in the day as the residue lingers, and then comes the licking. Dealing with it right away is a great option.

The downside is that it's just One More Thing You Have To Do when you get home with your pup, and it's a hard habit to build and keep. Once you get it going, though, it's not too bad.

The second is a paw balm. There are a variety of kinds of paw balms – we sell three – but they all serve more or less the same purpose.

They help keep your dog's paws supple, soft, and healthy. They're often hydrating and moisturizing to prevent dry and cracked skin.

They can provide a small barrier against chemicals and residues, though hot pavement will still burn. They can even help speed up healing when your pup ends up with an irritation or inflammation.

Once the problem has been solved and the causes have been addressed, you should be good to go. It's fairly rare for excessive licking to be any sort of emergency, and if it is, you'll definitely notice other signs, whether it's bleeding, serious behavior changes, or something worse.

Have you ever experienced a dog that wouldn't stop licking their paws, seemingly no matter what you did? If so, what did the cause turn out to be, and how did you solve it? I've seen all sorts of things, but I'm curious what else may be out there.

Choosing Safer, Healthier Dog Products Starts With Knowing Exactly What's in Them

If you’ve ever lost a dog to illness—or spent nights worrying over what might be hiding in that overseas-made treat—you’re not alone.

Many of us trusted the packaging, only to learn too late that some overseas-made pet products contain cancer-causing chemicals, toxic dyes, and mystery ingredients we can’t even pronounce.

At toe beans, we believe pet parents like us deserve better, much better.

Why "Made in the USA" Isn’t Just a Label at toe beans

Many dog supply brands out there are quick to make the “made in the USA” claim, while failing to disclose that the raw materials in their products actually come from the same mass-production, low-cost labor countries overseas you're trying to avoid.

Oftentimes, such brands will claim "made in the USA with globally sourced ingredients/raw materials" as the country of origin designation for raw materials they don't really want you to know the true origin.

We believe every pet parent has the right to know exactly what went into the products they buy and what country they were produced in. Knowing such information can make the difference between long and short-living dogs as well as the quality of life they live.

That's why, we take a totally different and radical approach. With a few exceptions, all pet supplies on the toe beans catalog are crafted either in our own facility in the USA or by carefully vetted small-batch American artisans we know and trust.

It’s in our DNA to keep the strictest controls and oversight in our supply chains to source only the cleanest raw materials the world has to offer—organic, sustainable, toxin-free, and third-party certified.

Our products are manufactured using raw materials backed by trusted certifications including USDA Organic, USDA Bio-based, FSC^®, GOTS^®, and Oeko-Tex^® to ensure the highest safety standards from end to end. Learn more about toe beans raw materials certifications here.

So whether your pup is stretched out on our orthopedic dog beds, enjoying a handful of our Momma Knows Best Organics^® USDA Certified Organic Dog Treats, or burning off energy with one of our eco-friendly dog toys, you can feel confident you’re giving them the healthiest care possible.

You Shouldn’t Have to Guess What’s in Your Dog’s Products

That’s why we are obsessed with transparency and making dog supplies any pet parent can trust — clean, honest, and radically transparent.

Every product in our catalog comes with a datasheet that we fondly call the product’s anatomy. In it, you can learn what exactly went into your products and where all raw materials come from – from the threads to the main components.

Sometimes we even disclose our raw material suppliers, such as in the case of our leather dog collars, where we clearly tell our customers where exactly our leather comes from.

Lack of transparency is, in fact, the main tool many dog supply resellers out there use to get away with baseless claims such as organic. Here is what we think when it comes down to buying products claiming organic status:

“If it claims organic but it's not third-party certified, don’t let it fool you, it's not bona fide.”

Just some food for thought. Discover what safe, non-toxic, and organic really looks and feels like. Browse our collection of USA-made Organic Dog Products and give your pup the cleanest clean the world has to offer — no compromises.

Obviously, there are differences between breeds; a tiny breed isn't going to be able to pull a dog sled, while a huge breed will have trouble running an agility course, and some are better trackers or hunters than others.

Beyond that, though, we have to think about physical disabilities. Just like people, dogs can be born with congenital defects that hinder their abilities. Others might contract illnesses or suffer injuries when they're very young.

Blindness is not a common problem in young dogs, though it can still occur. Those puppies deserve just as much love and affection as any other, but many people may be unwilling or unable to provide them with the care they need. Training a blind puppy can present a lot of challenges, but with dedication, time, and love, they can be overcome.

If you're willing and able to care for a blind puppy and train them in all the things they'll need to know when they grow, I salute you. To help, I've put together this list of ten of the most useful tips I can find, backed by expert dog trainers and behavioralists.

Let's get right to it!

1: Understand Differences

One thing that can be worth thinking about is when your dog lost their sight.

Some dogs are born with either very limited or no vision. These dogs don't know anything different, and while those around them might act as though they can see, the blind puppy doesn't know that. Your puppy will adapt to not having sight with relative ease as long as you're there to help care for them.

For puppies who lose their sight early to injury or illness, don't lose heart. They will still be able to adapt, and probably quickly, too. They just won't adapt quite as fast, because they were learning how to navigate the world with sight, and they lost it and have to learn to compensate.

At the same time, these dogs have some advantages in having some basic idea of what the world is like and what scents might represent, even if they haven't really interacted with it much. They'll probably lose this over time, but it can help overcome some initial hurdles.

As for dogs that lose their vision later in life as mature adults or seniors, there is a whole other array of challenges to consider. Since you aren't as likely to need to train them, though, that's somewhat outside the scope of this post. Some of the tips can still help, though, so keep reading!

2: Be Gentle and Patient

The Browns from Alpha Paws Training recommend being patient and gentle when training a blind pup. Blind dogs may be slower, more hesitant, and less confident in their explorations of the world around them.

They will still be receptive to learning new things, but the usual dog training schedules might not apply. You'll probably need to take longer to train them in certain things and be kind and gentle if they're having issues or accidents.

This is one of the greatest challenges of training a special needs dog. It can feel like they're stuck in their training or they aren't making progress fast enough, and it can be disheartening. Many people have a crisis around this time and consider giving up their pups to someone who has more time and ability to train them.

In my view, as long as you aren't neglecting them or made a promise to do something you couldn't, there's no shame in giving up a special needs pup. They deserve love and care, and if you can't provide it, it's better to hand them over to someone who can instead of struggling in a way that hurts both you and the puppy in the long run.

3: Create a Household Scent Map

Jennifer Mauger, a contributor to Chewy, says one of the most important things you can do is build a household scent map.

A household scent map is a fairly simple thing to build; all you need to do is get something like a bottle of vanilla extract or a lavender essential oil. Rosemary, Cedarwood, and Frankincense are all also good options. These are all scents dogs like and are pleasant enough to people that they won't be unpleasant.

A scent map just means you take that scent and dab a little bit of it on various parts of your home where your dog should know something is there. Corners, doorways, the legs of furniture, even walls.

Since your dog will have a keen sense of smell even though they're blind, they can use this to build a mental map of where things are. This helps them avoid running into walls or furniture, so it's both safe and enjoyable for your pup.

You can even dab some scent on their toys so they know where to find them! You don't need to use different scents for everything (though you can use different scents for different categories of objects, like one for walls and one for toys); just one or two will serve the purpose.

4: Use Clicker Training

Susan Gary of Top Dog Pet Sitters highly recommends clicker training. A clicker is just a small, sharp noisemaker with a button that makes a click when you press it. It's an auditory signal that a blind dog can learn and hear; critically, it's unique enough that your dog won't mistake other noises for it, which is essential for reliable training.

The click alone doesn't mean anything. Your first task with clicker training is to associate the click with a positive outcome, usually a treat. Just click and offer a treat periodically throughout the day to associate the noise with the reward.

Once that's in place – and it won't take long – all you need to do is use the click to identify a specific behavior you want to reinforce. So, say you're teaching your blind puppy to sit; when you say sit, and they sit, the instant their butt touches the ground, click and reward. Eventually, you can drop the reward aspect; the click is enough to reinforce a behavior.

You can read more about clicker training in this guide from the American Kennel Club.

5: Teach a Stop Command

Another important element of training a blind dog is training them to stop on a dime. You can't afford a dog that will run wildly and ignore your commands; there are all kinds of things they can run into or encounter that can be dangerous.

Moreover, there's only so much you can do to dog-proof everything around you. In your house, sure, you can keep things out of head level or away from their common paths, as well as scent-mark things that can't be removed. But other things can change or can't be marked. The edge of a pool or a pond, the trailer hitch on a truck, road traffic, the list goes on.

In these cases, having a firm command that your dog always obeys and that gets them to stop no matter what is critical.

6: Teach Step Up

Another useful command to teach your blind pooch is "step up" or "step down." These are simple commands that serve to warn your pup that a step like a curb or other short stumbling block is just ahead. This can help prevent tripping up or down that step.

While a single misstep is unlikely to cause an injury, it can lead to them being more cautious and hesitant because they don't know when the ground is going to jump out at them (or drop out from under them.)

If you've ever been leaning back in a chair and felt that jolt of almost falling or missed a step when climbing the stairs, imagine how they feel with the same experience but no eyesight.

7: Consider Household Safety

Lara Shannon of Pooches at Play recommends taking some serious time to make your household as safe as possible for your dog. Get down on their level and look at anything that could be head level or below that could cause an issue.

Consider things like:

• Adding corner protectors to doorways and other corners so that even if your dog gets excited and runs into one, they don't hurt themselves.

• Baby gates at the top of staircases so that your dog can't trip and fall down them, potentially injuring themselves in the tumble.

• Adding rugs or other surfaces to slippery floors and other footing hazards.

• Removing fallen branches and other low hazards in your yard where they could run into them while playing or doing their business.

• Adding markers around trees and other outside objects that can't be reliably scent-mapped; a simple ring of a different surface a foot or so out from the trunk of a tree can help warn your pooch something is coming up.

How much you do and what you need to focus on will depend on where you live and what your dog is like. Consider things from their perspective and make them as safe as possible.

8: Don't Rescue Them

Gillian Young, from the Wonder Dog Institute, says one thing you need to do is avoid "rescuing" your pup from common obstacles. It's one thing to snatch them up from a dangerous situation; that's fine. What you want to avoid is "rescuing" them from things that are just a little hard for them.

For example, if your blind dog is having trouble climbing stairs, your goal is to train them to be more confident going up and down the stairs. If you just pick them up and bring them up the stairs in your arms, it can hinder their training and even disorient them.

Blind dogs rely on their other senses to get around, and a big part of that is building and maintaining a mental map of your home and the things in it. Picking them up and putting them down somewhere else means they have to spend time figuring out where they are, and that isn't always easy. Scent maps help, but it's still better not to do it to them in the first place.

Guiding and helping them remain independent is better in every respect.

9: Don't Do Too Much At Once

This is less of a specific tip and more of a story you can take a moral from. Mardi Richmond of Whole Dog Journal tells the story of Orbit, a blind dog who was well-trained and socialized by his parents. One of the biggest challenges he faced was sound, particularly ambient noise.

Blind dogs use scent to map the area around them, but they also use sound to build that awareness. They can hear quite well, too, and can get a lot of information from ambient noise.

The challenge is that we people often tune out a lot of that noise or take it for granted. Things like crowds, traffic, loud machinery, and other noises can be disregarded because we know what they are.

The trouble is, for a blind dog, that's all potentially relevant information. Suddenly being immersed in it can disorient and overwhelm them, especially if they aren't used to it. So, when you're introducing them to new circumstances, be mindful of the noise.

10: Work on Socialization with Well-Trained Dogs

Another tip from the Orbit story is to be slow and careful when socializing your blind dog with other dogs. Since your pup is blind, they won't be able to see the visual cues that other dogs give and expect to be received. Whether it's play bows, social hops, attempts to sniff, or just a wagging tail, it just won't be seen.

So, if the other dogs your dog is learning from are rambunctious, aggressive, or unlikely to recognize a dog without the right social cues, it can cause a communication issue.

The ideal is to make sure you're socializing your pup with stolid, calm, and unflappable dogs that can be just as graceful to a social faux paw as you will be.

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to let me know! I'd be more than happy to help however I can!

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Your dog is family, and at toe beans, we treat them that way. That’s why we’re obsessed with creating products that keep your furry companion healthy, happy, and safe—without compromises or shortcuts.

Looking for treats that are as healthy as they are delicious? Check out our USDA Organic Dog Treats, crafted with 100% organic ingredients to nourish your pup without harmful additives. Grooming is easy and gentle with our Organic Dog Shampoo and Dog Brushes, both designed with the premise that, just like you, your dog has delicate skin too.

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Now, we've all been there, right? Everyone has that moment as a kid where they eat too much cake and feel sick, or gorge on holiday candy and treats, or just go too deep on whatever it is they're fixated on at the time. However, we don't usually eat until we actually throw up. And, critically, we're doing it with something we enjoy.

So, do dogs just really like eating grass? Is this a behavior we should be worried about? Let's talk about it.

Why Do Dogs Eat Grass Until Vomiting?

First up, let's talk a bit about why dogs eat grass in the first place. Then, we'll get into whether or not you should be concerned and what you should do about it.

Before getting into the actual reasons, I wanted to mention a common myth: that dogs are intentionally gorging themselves on grass to induce vomiting.

So, you know how when you have nausea, and you feel the bile rising in your throat, and your mouth starts to salivate a lot? It's a biological reaction to get you to swallow a lot of liquid to try to settle your stomach, or at least coat your mouth and throat before you vomit to protect it from stomach acid.

In dogs, the same sort of thing happens, but they don't really know how to deal with it. Most of the time, they start licking or chewing on anything nearby. If they're outside in the yard or on a walk, they'll start eating grass in an attempt to settle their stomachs, but since grass isn't really part of their diet, it can trigger their gag reflex and make them vomit.

Basically, they aren't intentionally making themselves vomit, but that's what ends up happening, and since vomiting often alleviates whatever was causing the digestive upset in the first place, it kind of works out.

Another common reason people think dogs eat grass is out of boredom, but that's not really accurate either. Dogs, when they're bored, are more likely to be destructive than consumptive. They might eat things like grass, cardboard, furniture, pillow stuffing, and whatever else they can get their paws on, but it's more of a side effect of just tearing it apart. They aren't doing it to eat grass; they're doing it as part of just doing something to get your attention.

What are the actual reasons dogs eat grass? There are basically three main reasons.

Reason #1: They just like the taste.

The first reason dogs eat grass is just because they like how it tastes.

You and I eat vegetables and (usually) enjoy them, right? Whether it's some lettuce in a salad, some broccoli or cauliflower roasted in the oven, or a nice pile of carrots and potatoes on the side, vegetables can be quite delicious.

And, of course, we all know that dogs love eating things they find tasty. Whether it's their kibble, a treat like a bit of cheese, or a pile of something weird and gross on the ground, they'll dig right in. Their tastes might not make sense to us, but to them, and the way they see the world, it's delicious.

Grass can be tasty in its own right. Even plants you might not think you would eat can be tasty in the right preparations, and to dogs, that right preparation might be as simple as "still wet from morning dew or a rainstorm" or "covered in the scent of other animals that ran through here."

It also ties into the second reason; after all, when you evolve to do something, you probably evolve to at least find it palatable.

Reason #2: It's an instinctual behavior.

Dogs are a distant offshoot of wolves, and wolves also eat grass. They do it for many of the same reasons, but also, it's just part of hunting. Sometimes, they need something moderately nutritious to fuel them while they hunt prey. Sometimes, when they take down prey, as they eat the meat, they end up with mouthfuls of grass as well. They can't necessarily afford to be picky eaters, so they take what they get.

A lot of times, dogs just have this need to eat grass as they pass by. There doesn't really need to be a deeper meaning to it at all; it's just something they do because their little goofy brains tell them it's a good idea.

Reason #3: They have an upset stomach.

I already covered this one above in a roundabout way. Dogs don't really have the drive to eat grass to satisfy an upset stomach, but if they're feeling nauseous, they might want something to try to keep it down. If they don't have access to grass, maybe they'll just start licking the carpet, or they'll go and drink a bunch of water.

And, truth be told, sometimes it works. In fact, while the experience of a dog eating grass and then throwing up seems universal, studies have shown that only around 10% of dogs show any sign of being ill before they eat grass, and only a quarter of them vomit after eating grass. You might even be able to attribute the vomiting to over-eating in general or to eating something on the grass that disagrees with them.

In a way, it's a lot like how we can settle our stomachs with neutral crackers or digestives or something else that can soak up churning stomach acid and help the system move a little faster.

Should You Worry If Your Dog is Eating Grass?

Honestly, probably not!

It's fairly natural for dogs to eat grass from time to time. Some of them will want to eat grass pretty often, maybe on every walk or every chance they get. Others might only think of it as a sometimes snack, taking mouthfuls of a tasty grass they find along the way but generally leaving it all along.

There are a few good reasons why you might want to do some redirection training and help keep your dog from eating grass too often, though.

• If they eat too much grass, it can fill them up, so they won't eat their normal food and can end up deficient.
• If they eat too much grass, it can cause an upset stomach and lead to problems.
• They might eat things along with the grass that they shouldn't, whether it's sharp bits of wood, stinging plants like nettles, plants like poison ivy that can cause a bad reaction, or things like stinging insects that can cause other problems.
• The grass they eat might have chemicals or other nastiness on it that can be dangerous for your dog, even if the grass itself is not.

Overall, if your dog is eating grass, you should look at the situation and figure out why they're doing it and if it's cause for concern. If it's sporadic or occasional and doesn't seem to cause them any problems, you can leave it be.

If they're eating grass while also doing things like digging holes or tearing up the carpet, it probably means they're bored. They might also do things like eat your houseplants, which is also obviously not something you want them to be doing.

Boredom means that training isn't likely to work since it doesn't address the cause of the problem. You'll simply need to find ways to keep your dog entertained and engaged, even when you're not around. That might mean hiring a pet sitter for the day, or a dog walker, or getting friends to hang out and care for them. Alleviating boredom and the anxiety that comes with it is the key.

If your dog seems to have a compulsion to eat grass and they seem to be fixated on it whenever you take them out, there are two things you can do.

The first is to take them to the vet to see if there's actually something wrong with them. It's pretty rare for this to be the case – your fur baby isn't going to be eating grass as their sole symptom, so you'd be able to recognize if they're sick in other ways – but it's possible. A rare disorder called pica, or disordered eating, can lead to dogs trying to eat just about everything they see, including grass. Other medical issues, like gastric reflux, IBS, or pancreatitis, can also lead to eating grass. It's a good idea to rule these out.

The other thing you should do is try redirection training. Redirection training just means that whenever you see your dog start to lean over to eat grass, you give them a call or command to distract them and reward them for not eating the grass. I find that a "drop it" command can be pretty effective.

If you do this consistently enough, they'll attach the reward in their mind to the act of refraining from eating grass, and they'll stop. You do need to be consistent and proactive with it. It will take some time, just like all dog training, but it's not actually all that hard to do.

Overall, though, unless your dog has accidentally poisoned themselves, gotten themselves sick or parasitized, or is eating so much that they cause problems, you probably don't need to worry about them eating grass. Sometimes, the things dogs do are just things dogs do, and they aren't a sign of anything worse.

Another thing you can try is changing their food. There was one recorded example of a dog that ate grass to the point of vomiting every day for years, and it turned out to be something with their food that disagreed with them. When their parents changed their food, they stopped eating grass, and everything was good. That might not be the case for your dog, but it might be worth a try.

Dog Grass Eating FAQ

Now, let's round things out with a few questions you might have that didn't fit into the main sections.

Do dogs like eating grass?

Maybe! Like most things, your dog is an individual, and they have their own preferences. Some dogs don't care about grass one way or the other. Some prefer to avoid it when they can. Some like the texture or the taste of the grass. Some might not actually be going after the grass itself, but rather, some kind of chemical or fertilizer or a specific plant in the grass, like clover. If you notice that your dog eats grass a lot more in the spring, that's likely it; fresh grass shoots and wildflower sprigs are sweeter and more tender, while later summer and fall grasses are rougher and more likely to be bitter.

Is grass bad for dogs to eat?

Only in excess. Dogs are omnivores just like we are, so just like we can eat some vegetables in our diet, dogs can have a little grass as a treat if they like. Cats are the same way, though they aren't quite the same kind of omnivore.

That said, if they eat too much grass, it can cause problems, so you should probably try to train away that behavior as much as you can. You don't need them to fully stop; just not eat to excess.

More importantly, though, even if the grass isn't bad for your dog, you never know what's in the grass. There could be toxic fertilizer, pesticides, roadside chemicals, and even parasites that can come along for the ride. If you keep your yard free of contaminants, you may be fine, but it's best to be safe.

Is eating grass a sign of nutritional deficiency?

While this is a pretty common myth, it's actually just that: a myth. For one thing, if you're feeding your dog right, they won't be nutritionally deficient in the first place. More importantly, if they are deficient in some nutrient or another, they'll have symptoms of that deficiency, usually weight loss, lethargy, loss of coordination, or another sign of illness.

Overall, you generally don't need to worry about your dog eating grass, even if they vomit after doing it. It's only if they do it over and over and over that it might be an issue, but even then, it's unlikely to be an emergency. Just mention it next time you bring them to the vet, and work on some training along the way.

As always, if you have any questions about anything I covered in this article, be sure to let me know in the comments section!

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They're still babies, so they're still learning how to exist in this wild world of ours, and it's our job to make sure they're set up to succeed as best they can.

Potty training isn't necessarily easy. You need to keep track of their needs and their progress, make sure they aren't suffering from an allergy or dietary sensitivity, and they aren't getting into things they should that lead to accidents.

It also requires you to be very consistent, to make sure your pup knows when you take them to potty, it's for potty, not for play or socialization. While you can potty train a dog of any age, it's easiest and most effective when they're very young.

Sometimes, unfortunately, your pup may regress in their training. If they're still a puppy and they're still in the midst of training, a regression might just mean accidents you need to deal with. If they're an older dog, incontinence can be a greater concern.

So, what can cause potty training regression, and what can you do about it? Let's talk about it.

What is Puppy Potty Training Regression?

Potty training regression generally refers to your puppy having accidents they shouldn't be having. Say, for example, you've been taking your puppy out to potty every couple of hours, but they're getting better at holding it, and you're able to let them go for 4-5 hours at a time instead.

For a few weeks, they've been good, with no indoor accidents, going outside when you bring them outside for it, and all seems well.

Then, out of nowhere, they start having accidents inside again. It's not necessarily even just a single accident, but a series; it seems like you're going to have to go back to every two hours, and the broken sleep once again.

This is potty training regression: a return to an earlier point in the potty training schedule, accidents when there weren't accidents before, and the frustration of seeing things go awry.

Are There Different Kinds of Puppy Potty Training Regression?

While a regression is a regression, the age and level of training of your puppy can mean different things.

If your puppy is regressing when they're around four months old, it's probably the most common kind of regression, which is just progressing training schedules too much, too soon.

We like to think that our puppies are more or less fully potty trained around this age, but that's really just optimistic. Most puppies take a little longer, and a regression at this point is normal.

If your puppy is regressing when they're closer to seven or eight months old, it's also a very common reason: training tends to lighten up. You don't want to have to give your pup a treat every time they go to the bathroom, right?

So, you're probably lightening up on the training and the positive reinforcement, and that can make training regress. Basically, you just have to stick with the training – and the rewards – a little longer.

If your puppy is regressing when they're around 10 or 11 months old, there are a handful of reasons why it might be happening. This is a time when puppies are starting to reach sexual maturity, which causes a lot of changes.

Male puppies are more likely to start marking their territory – which isn't quite the same as an accident – and female puppies are dealing with floods of hormones and distractions.

If your puppy is regressing when they're a year or more older, it's less likely to be a training regression, and more likely to be something like a medical issue. I'll talk more about that in my list of possible causes.

If your dog is much older – into their senior years – and they're having accidents, it's regression in another sense. Sadly, it's a sign of doggy dementia. Again, more on that in a bit.

What Are the Different Causes of Puppy Potty Training Regression?

There are a ton of different reasons why potty training regression can happen. Some of them are behavioral, some of them are reactionary, some of them are medical. Let's talk about them!

Regression Due to Overestimation or Overeating

One of the first – and thankfully, least bad – causes of regression is that your puppy simply can't hold it in any longer. One of two things happens here.

The first is that you've overestimated how long your puppy can hold their bowels, and you're not taking them out as often as they need to go.

Young puppies only have so much ability to control themselves, and when you're training them, your goal is to extend that amount of time. But, just like we people, if they go too long without having the chance to go, they'll experience cramping, pain, and, eventually, involuntary incontinence.

The solution here is simply to keep track of how long they can go without going, and don't push too far, too fast.

The second possibility here is that you've overestimated your puppy's capacity for food and water. When you drink a lot of water, you have to pee a lot sooner than you would if you don't drink much water. You can't deny your puppy food and water, of course, but if they overeat or drink too much, they'll have to go sooner rather than later.

This is particularly common when you're getting them more exercise, playing a lot to tire them out, and then bring them back in and let them drink until they're restored. You'll probably need to take them back out right away, but if you don't think about it, you might not realize that, which leads to an accident, and a regression.

Fortunately, this is just another case of vigilance. You need to pay more attention to the situation and take them out when they need it.

Regression Due to Medical Issues

Another common cause of potty training regressions – and accidents as your puppy gets older – is medical problems.

All sorts of medical problems can cause regressions. Some of the most common include:

• A urinary tract infection, or UTI, which causes irritation and pain as well as a loss of bladder control.
• Diabetes, which is rare in young puppies but can occur due to genetic or congenital factors, and needs to be appropriately managed to prevent incontinence.
• Inflammatory bowel disease, which is a chronic condition characterized by bowels that don't work quite right and get inflamed easily, leading to incontinence and other symptoms.
• Kidney disease, which can be caused by a bunch of different factors, including undetected UTIs, and cause more accidents.
• Medicine side effects. Sometimes if your puppy is on another medication, they can have side effects including incontinence. Your prescribing vet should tell you about it, so you can prepare, and it should alleviate once they're off the medication.

If you're taking your puppy out on a tight schedule and they shouldn't be having issues, but they're still having regressions, you might consider taking them to the vet as soon as you can.

It's not "rush them to the emergency vet" dangerous, but you should still schedule a rapid consultation if you can. UTIs and other infections are no joke, and chronic conditions need to be managed to prevent problems down the line.

In some cases, a simple medication or a change in diet is all you need to solve the regressions. Other times, you may need more long-term treatments.

Regression Due to Stress or Anxiety

Another cause you might consider is significant sources of stress and anxiety.

Some dogs get separation anxiety, which can manifest particularly when you're away at work or you're asleep at night.

Whether it's night crying, accidents, barking, whining, or other behavioral issues, it's a kind of anxiety that needs to be handled before it becomes a huge disruption.

Other times, it might be because of a change in lifestyle or routine. If you recently had to move to a new house, for example, a whole unfamiliar place can be very stressful and can lead to regressions. Similarly, major life changes can do the same.

Similarly, if you're getting another new animal, uncertainty with the new pet might also cause problems. A particularly sensitive puppy might relieve themselves out of submissiveness, or they may be bullied, or they may just be anxious and scared. This usually alleviates with proper socialization.

Regression Due to Allergies or Sensitivities

As you might expect, the cause of incontinence might not actually be a regression in training, but rather, a problem with what your puppy is eating.

Allergies can cause stomach upset, which can lead to diarrhea and incontinence. Sensitivities are the same, but are broadly less dangerous.

A sensitivity can be disruptive to the digestive system and is definitely unpleasant, but an allergy can be both very damaging to their systems and even, in some cases, fatal.

If you've switched to a new food or a new treat recently and regressions have started happening, check to see if there's an ingredient your puppy might be sensitive to or allergic to. You might also talk to your vet about allergy tests. There are some tests, like a RAST test, which can help identify allergies.

Regression Due to Faulty Training

Unfortunately, one of the other common causes of potty training regression in dogs is faulty training.

If you're not consistent enough about it, or you stop giving rewards too soon, or if you just hit a point where you assume they should be trained and treat them as if they are, they can regress because they aren't being given the constant feedback. While this is definitely a pet parent mistake, it's at least easily fixable by buckling down and taking training more seriously.

Even if your dog seems like they're very good at letting you know when they need to go, they aren't always actually aware of it themselves, and you might not always recognize the signals they're giving you, especially if you're distracted. Similarly, if you're co-parenting, your partner might also not be on the same page as you, and that can cause problems as well.

Puppy Potty Training Regression FAQ

Let's wrap things up with a few of the common questions I get about puppy potty training and training regression.

Is potty training regression dangerous?

Usually, no. It's annoying for you to have to clean up the mess when it happens, it's stressful for your puppy if they're stuck in a crate with that mess and can't distance themselves from it, but it's not itself dangerous.

The danger comes from if the root cause of their regression is medical. Medical issues like infections or allergies require diagnosis and appropriate treatment, and if you don't get them, they can get worse and have disastrous consequences. If you're at all unsure of why a regression is happening, call your vet!

Is puppy potty training regression normal?

Unfortunately, yes. There are a lot of possible causes of potty training regression, almost all of which are fairly common. In a way, it's almost rare to have a puppy that doesn't experience at least one regression. That's really just part of the training process.

Does regression mean you did something wrong?

Maybe, but not necessarily. If it's something you did, it's either because of a lifestyle or schedule change that stressed out your puppy, or it's because you're rushing their training when you should be taking more time to make sure it's reinforced. Either way, it's relatively easily corrected; just like your puppy, you need to learn and grow.

At the end of the day, the biggest thing you need to know is that potty training regressions are normal and can happen for a lot longer than you might think.

Don't take it as a personal failure, and definitely don't take it out on your pooch! You both want what's best for each other, so act with kindness and keep up the training. I promise things will work out.

If you have any additional questions that I haven't covered in this article, be sure to let me know in the comments section! I'd be more than happy to help however I can!

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The idea that they're natural enemies has a foundation in reality, though, so it's something you need to know and account for when you're introducing the two.

If you have a household with established cats, and you want to bring a new puppy into the fold, you need to do so very carefully. If your cats get the wrong first impression, it can set the tone for their whole relationship, and the last thing you want is antagonism between your beloved furry children.

So, let's talk about what you need to do to successfully introduce a new puppy to your cats!

Why Cats and Dogs Don't Get Along

Cartoons may have you believe that cats and dogs do nothing but fight, but there are also plenty of adorable photos showing the exact opposite, and that copacetic relationship is what you really want.

But why is it that cats and dogs so often don't get along? Well, it comes down almost entirely to behaviors.

The dog prey drive.

For example, dogs have an engrained prey drive instinct. This is the same instinct that compels dogs to play fetch, chase squirrels, and – in the case of herding breeds – round up livestock or even people.

So, when they see something smaller than them, like a cat, they're likely to try to chase it around. For a cat, of course, that's incredibly stressful and terrifying; they feel like they're being, well, chased and hunted.

Even if the dog doesn't do anything to them but say hi, lick, or play when they catch them, the cat is likely going to be very stressed about the whole process.

Dogs are also usually larger than cats, so it's a lot easier for the cat to feel threatened by them, even if the adorable doggo is just a huge puppy.

Body language of cats and dogs.

There are also fundamental differences in body language. In a dog, wagging a tail is a sign of happiness; for a cat, a swishing tail is a sign of agitation and irritation. So, a dog seeing a cat's tail swishing around might interpret it as a time to play and be social, while the cat just wants to be left alone.

Eye contact is also a big one. Cats lock eyes and stare when they're afraid or hunting; dogs lock eyes and watch when they're having a good time. Cats that are comfortable and happy tend to do long blinks and look away; dogs don't.

When you're bringing a dog into an established cat household, it's also important to realize that this feels like an intrusion on their territory.

Cats are pretty territorial and like to lay claim to their areas, and when a dog is added to the mix, it's another animal – another predator – taking over some of their space.

Depending on how defensive your cats are, this can be a huge source of stress and defensiveness.

How to Introduce a Puppy to Established Cats

If you want to bring a new puppy into a household with established cats, you need to go about things the right way.

Otherwise, you're going to have a lifetime of stress, fighting, and vigilance to make sure they don't hurt one another. Fortunately, this isn't uncommon, and introducing the dog as a puppy is the best option.

It's even better if you can have the cats socialized with dogs when they're kittens, but that's not always possible.

So, how do you go about the process?

Laying the groundwork for cats and dogs to coexist.

The first thing you need to do is make sure your cats have a lot of freedom they can use to escape the dog. Cats, when they're stressed and have had enough, prefer to retreat and hide to chill.

If they don't have a place they can go to relax and feel safe, they'll get more and more stressed until they lash out.

First, make sure there's a room where your cats can access, but your puppy isn't allowed. This might be a bathroom, a bedroom, or even a closet, but it needs to be a hiding place the dog can't get into so the cats can feel safe there.

Make sure they have the essentials in that room, including a litter box, food and water, toys, and a scratching post. This ideally won't be a permanent arrangement, but you definitely need it as long as your animals aren't comfortable with each other yet.

It might also be a good idea to set up some high perches and shelves where your cat can retreat to and your puppy can't.

Cats also like high places, and they can provide a bit of sanctuary from a rambunctious and energetic puppy, as well as a place your cat can go to watch this new creature without having to fully hide.

And, of course, remember that you're going to have to supervise every interaction between your new puppy and your cats for at least the next few weeks, if not months, until you're sure they're on good terms with each other.

Start with a barrier.

Just like when you're introducing two cats to each other, introducing a puppy to cats means you're going to need to keep them separate. You can't just bring a new puppy into the house, let them run wild, and expect things to work out.

Generally, you will want to designate one room or space for your puppy to be their sanctuary room, just like your cats have one. This is where your puppy will be confined outside of times when you take them on walks, to the vet, and for puppy training.

This will likely last for at least 3-4 days, and more likely for a week, depending on how the animals react to knowing each other is there.

To help foster some faint interactions, feed them on opposite sides of the same door, where they can smell and hear each other but not interact with each other. This helps them get used to the presence of the other animal in small doses.

Train your puppy early.

Speaking of puppy training, you definitely want to be working on the basic commands ASAP. In particular, you need them to be able to obey commands like "sit," "stay," "come," and "leave it" so that you can control them when they're interacting with your cats.

If you notice your puppy is harassing your cats and your cats aren't enjoying it, you need to be able to separate them, and a command is the easiest way to do so.

Start face to face meetings.

Once your critters are more comfortable with one another on the other side of a door, you can start to let them meet face-to-face.

It's best to avoid using either one of their sanctuary rooms for this, though some people prefer to set up something like a baby gate to keep the dog in theirs while the cats can see them.

Another option is to put your puppy in a harness and on their leash, and hold them by you while you allow the cats to roam as they want.

They'll likely be skeptical and skittish, but when they realize the dog can't chase them down or go after them, they'll feel a bit better exploring and watching from a distance.

For your part, this is where you really want to have managed some level of obedience training. If you can keep your pupper calm at your side, despite their instincts to go say hi to the new friends, it helps keep the cats calmer and friendlier.

Generally, you want to keep these meetings pretty short. It also helps if you have a friend or family member who can help supervise the cats, as well.

Finally, you want to have treats for both creatures on hand. Treats will help keep your puppy calmer and distracted from staring at the cats, and treats for the cats can help teach them that they're safe to eat and enjoy space and time despite the puppy being there.

If either side exhibits aggression, make sure to redirect that aggression, usually with a treat or a toy. It's all part of animal training, using positive reinforcement to distract away from problematic behaviors and reinforce better behaviors.

Progress to more unfettered social time.

Once your cats and your dog are more comfortable with each other's presence in the same room, you can start letting your puppy off their leash and allowing the two to interact.

You want the leash still attached, so you can stop them if a problem occurs, but ideally that won't happen.

If all goes well, you can continue to perform these meetings for longer and longer amounts of time until there's no need to keep supervising them.

If there's a squabble or a problem, you'll need to dial back and spend a bit more time on socialization.

It's still a good idea to keep the fuzzy babies separated when you aren't there to supervise, at least until you're sure they get along, so no problems happen when you're not available to redirect.

Puppy and Cat Introduction FAQ

Let's wrap things up with some common questions you might have.

Why do cats and dogs not get along?

It's mostly a matter of body language, honestly! Cats and dogs have similar body shapes and similar actions, but they interpret those actions in almost completely opposite ways, so when a cat is signaling, "Don't come close, I don't want to deal with you," your puppy reads it as "Come play with me!" and when your puppy is staring at the new friend in excitement and playfulness, your cat reads it as aggressive and hunting behavior.

Once your furry friends are familiar with each other, they get to know how to deal with these things, but the socialization process takes time.

How long does it take to socialize a puppy with cats?

This can depend a lot on the personalities of both the puppy and the cats. Some cats don't care much and take to any new friend almost immediately.

Others are very standoffish and will be defensive for a long time. Expect at least a month or two of socialization before you can let them be, and possibly more.

One thing to be aware of is that if you have cats that were strays or have had bad experiences with dogs in the past, it's going to be even harder to socialize them.

It should be possible, just time-consuming, so know what you're getting into before you sign the paperwork to adopt the puppy. There's nothing worse for the puppy or the people than having to surrender a puppy back to a shelter when they don't fit in with your existing household.

Does the breed of the puppy matter?

A little, but not as much as you might think. Different dogs of the same breed can have very different personalities, after all.

Dogs with more of a prey drive will have a harder time with initial socialization, and dogs with high energy levels will be more difficult for a cat to get used to. Larger puppies can present more of a challenge to cats as well, though small breed dogs can be more defensive.

Every dog presents their own challenges, though, so don't assume a rigid schedule is going to work. Adapt to the interactions you see!

What should you watch out for?

The biggest is when one animal bullies the other. We usually think of dogs as the dominant in these relationships because they're larger, but cats can be aggressive enough to counteract that and harass the puppy into submission.

Unfortunately, this stresses out the puppy and can lead to them lashing out when they're larger, which can injure or even kill a cat. Definitely make sure you're an advocate and mediator for both sides so they can't build up this kind of relationship.

You should also make sure that you feed them properly, in ways that they can't steal each other's food. Defensiveness over food is one of the biggest causes of problems between cats and dogs, so make sure to mediate it.

Do you have any other questions that I didn't cover in this article? If so, be sure to let me know in the comments section! I'd be more than happy to help you out.

The theory is that dogs, as descendants of wolves, are social pack animals. This has a lot of repercussions in dog training, or so the theory goes.

I want to talk a little about this today, and give you some tips to help you keep your dogs well-trained and under control.

The Problem with Alpha Theory

First, I want to talk a bit about where this theory is coming from, and why we can safely disregard it.

The theory is that in a pack of wolves, the social group needs to be dominated by the strongest and most competitive, usually aggressive, wolf of the group.

Less aggressive, weaker wolves are dominated, and as long as this social order is maintained, the pack can exist in harmony.

This theory comes from a study produced by David Mech and Rudolph Schenkel several decades ago. Unfortunately, there are a bunch of reasons why we should ignore it, even though a lot of people today even still promote it.

First of all, it was a study of captive wolves in an environment where food, space, and other resources were limited. In nature, wolves don't stay in situations like that.

They'll break up a pack, or they'll move territories, or the resource scarcity will "thin the herd" until an equilibrium is maintained.

There's on need for a dominant "alpha" wolf in nature, because it's a reaction to constrained environments and what was essentially forced conflict.

Moreover, the original studies ignored a lot of other wolf behaviors. Wolf packs are often a lot more social, collaborative, and mutually beneficial than they're often portrayed.

They form complex bonds and social relationships based on kinship, mutual assistance, and cooperation for things like raising puppies, hunting, or defending a den.

While there may be an "alpha" wolf, it's not a firm position and is more like a project leader; one wolf takes up the mantle for whatever needs doing and cedes it to another when another task is at hand.

There were also some serious flaws in the original research. For example, you probably know that a dog rolling on their back and exposing their belly is a submissive behavior, showing vulnerability; the original study actually attributed this as a dominant behavior!

And, of course, there's one very important detail that needs to be acknowledged: dogs aren't wolves!

The behaviors and social dynamics of ferocious predators roaming the forests of the country are very different from the behaviors and social dynamics of our adorable little fur babies, who would have trouble intimidating a fly and only have to hunt for your location when it's dinner time.

In case you still want to hold onto it, it's also important to remember that Mech and Schenkel, the original researchers, have even admitted that they got things wrong and have tried to retract the alpha theory, though it persists in popular culture despite their efforts.

Why Alpha Theory Doesn't Work for Dog Training

The biggest issue with alpha theory isn't necessarily that it's based on old research that is inaccurate and discredited. It's that the things it asks you to do to train your dog are generally a bad idea.

For example, if you train a dog using alpha theory, the idea is that you're trying to position yourself as a dominant "alpha" in your pack of two. This means:

• Depriving your dog of things like pets, attention, or even food if they aren't obedient.
• Depriving your dog of stress relief like toys and taking them away if they try to guard their limited resources.
• Using physical punishment as a warning for violating the "rules."

Many, many studies into dog training and decades of evolution in training processes have firmly covered this ground.

Deprivation and punishment simply don't work. Deprivation doesn't work because your dog is generally fairly simple-minded and isn't going to attach the cause to the effect.

Punishment doesn't work because dogs aren't as avoidant as they are motivated, so all you really end up teaching them is that violence is okay.

Moreover, all of these "training" methods end up stressing out your dog, making them less social, making them more prone to lashing out, and hindering socialization and friendliness. They may be more appropriate for a guard dog, but they certainly aren't effective for a beloved family pet. You end up with a dog that doesn't trust you, only the threat you represent, and that's not what I advocate for here on Toe Beans.

Five Tips for Proper Dog Training

Instead of relying on punishment and dominance, which are proven to be ineffective and actively harmful to the relationship you have with your fur baby, what can you do instead?

Here are my five tips for appropriate dog training. If you want to know more, here are a few other resources you can read as well.

• The Ultimate Guide: Teaching 20 Essential Dog Commands
• The Beginner's Guide to Off-Leash Training for Dogs
• What is Dog Recall Training and How Do You Start?
• Dog Parenting 101

If you're ready to abandon the idea of the "alpha dog" and learn how to really form a social bond with your pup, read on.

#1: Use Positive Reinforcement

We tend to think of reward and punishment as two sides of a coin, but in terms of classical conditioning, they only represent half of the spectrum.

There are two factors you control: beneficial and non-beneficial stimulus and the addition or removal of that stimulus. In other words, adding a good thing, adding a bad thing, taking away a good thing, or taking away a bad thing.

• Positive Reinforcement is like giving a dog a treat when they do something good.
• Positive Punishment is like kicking at a dog when they do something bad.
• Negative Reinforcement is like turning off an annoying noise when a dog does something good.
• Negative Punishment is like stopping petting a dog when they do something bad.

While technically, all of these have the potential to work, three of the four really don't. Trying to add an aversive stimulus – that is, like trying to hit a bad dog – is abusive and ineffective.

Meanwhile, the removal of a stimulus, good or bad, isn't itself an action that a dog is going to interpret properly.

By far, the most effective way to train a dog, or any other animal for that matter, is by rewarding them when they do what you want.

What most people don't realize is that you can even train away behaviors you don't like with this method through consistent observation.

If you want your dog to not bark at noises outside, you don't punish them when they bark; you watch them, and if they're about to bark, you distract them and reward them for not barking.

When they realize that barking means nothing but not barking gets them a treat, they'll stop barking.

The best weapon in your arsenal for training a dog is a bag of high-value treats, like bits of sausage or cheese. It really doesn't take much!

#2: Consistency is Critical

The second most important thing about dog training is consistency.

Consistency in:

• Your expectations. If you want a dog to learn not to jump up on people, don't let them jump up on you even though you don't mind it. Likewise, don't encourage them to sit on the couch if you don't want them to jump up onto other furniture.
• Your enforcement. If you reward them some of the time when they do something but not other times, they might not learn correctly. You won't need to reward them every time they do something you want forever, just until they've fully learned the behavior.
• Your family. Until a dog is fully trained, you need to make sure everyone who interacts with them for any length of time understands the training. That way your dog isn't getting mixed signals.

All of this is true, regardless of whether you're trying to train a new puppy to come when you call, or train a show dog in a more advanced series of tricks or commands.

#3: Pick the Right Rewards

Most of the time with dog training, what you need is a high-value treat, but what works best for one dog might not be the best for another.

For example:

• Small cubes of cheese are great for some dogs but upset the tummies of others.
• Small bits of sausage are usually a good option.
• Some dogs don't need a high-value treat, and a kibble or two is good enough.
• Some dogs aren't very food motivated and respond better to praise, pets, or a quick play session.

The tricky part is if you get a dog that isn't food-motivated. It can be harder to find a specific toy or bit of praise you can use as a reward, distinct from normal interaction with your pup. Keep at it, though; there's always going to be something!

#4: Keep Training Sessions Short

Another important tip for dog training is to keep training sessions short. This isn't like cram school where you're teaching a whole certification program in a few weeks of long days; it's more like life experience, gathered over time.

Most experts, including the American Kennel Club, recommend keeping training sessions short.

For dedicated training sessions, where you're trying to teach a dog a specific command, keep the sessions to no more than five minutes.

Dogs don't have very long attention spans, so the longer the session is, the more likely they are to get distracted, and that's when the chance for learning is over.

A lot of training isn't something you do in dedicated training sessions, though. It's something you address when you see it to sculpt behavior over time.

You aren't really doing dedicated sessions here; instead, everything is done as you see it. That's why it's important to keep the relevant treat on hand, at least until they age out of needing treats for training.

#5: Don't Bite Off More Than You Can Chew

One of the biggest stumbling blocks with dog training is trying to train too much, too fast. Puppies are fast learners, but you still need to start slow and train in the basic behaviors, especially if you want to get into more advanced training.

Think about those dog agility courses where an energetic pup runs through tunnels, in between poles, and over jumps.

That's not one course of training! Each of those obstacles is trained separately and built up into whole routines over time.

The same goes for any other dog training, even if all you're training is "come," "sit," and "fetch." The more you want them to learn, the longer it takes, and the more you should focus on a narrow set of commands before building into others.

Dog Training Tips FAQ

Let's wrap things up with a round-up of some common questions about being "the alpha" and dog training in general.

Is the alpha dominance training method effective?

Absolutely not. In fact, if you're trying to play for dominance, you're likely stressing out your dog and making them afraid of you, which makes them more likely to run, be defensive, snap at you, or turn mean.

Many poor dogs have even been put down because of this "uncontrollable" behavior, which is just a natural reaction to what amounts to abuse.

What should you avoid with dog training?

Dogs aren't very good at understanding the concept of punishment or negative reinforcement. If you're doing something negative to encourage or discourage certain behaviors, chances are it isn't going to work very well.

The only exception is something like taking away a toy when they get too rough with it. Most of the time, instead, you should redirect their behavior and reward them with a treat when they leave what they were doing behind.

How long does dog training take?

Good dog training is a lifelong commitment. But, training individual behaviors and tricks doesn't have to take more than a few weeks of dedicated effort. On the other hand, ongoing behaviors like night barking may take longer just because you can only train them when they would happen.

Do you have any other questions? If so, let me know in the comments!

Since they don't have hands, their mouths are their primary way to interact with objects. That's why they chew things, lick things, bite things, mouth things, and generally put things in their mouths.

This isn't a learned behavior. Puppies, from the moment they open their eyes and can start moving through the world, will start to bite and nibble on things.

Whether it's a plush toy you give them, a disc or ball you use to play fetch, or a cool stick they found, they're going to use their mouths to figure out what it is, carry it around, and possibly even give it to you, whether you want it or not.

Of course, having a puppy that chews on everything isn't necessarily a good thing. It's one thing if they chew on a toy meant for chewing. It's quite another if they're chewing on your kid's homework, or your shoes, or the cables to your computer.

There are a lot of things in the world that, when chewed apart, can be harmful. Sometimes, that harm is to you and your life; sometimes, it's to your puppy, who can accidentally swallow things they shouldn't or get objects lodged in their throats.

Naturally, you want to know how to train your puppy not to chew on things. But can you really do so, and is it ethical to do so? After all, in a sense, it would be like training a child not to touch things with their hands. Is that kind of behavior even possible?

Let's talk about puppy biting and chewing, what's normal, what isn't normal, and how you can manage it.

Why Puppies Mouth, Chew, and Bite

Biting behaviors from puppies start early. In fact, even before they're old enough to open their eyes, they feel around with their paws and their mouths. That's part of how they find their mothers, so they can eat, after all.

As they get old enough to explore and interact with you and the rest of the world, biting will be one of their main behaviors. This serves two purposes.

The first is that they're telling you they want to play. Play biting is usually soft – they aren't trying to attack you, naturally – but puppies often don't know their own strength or how sharp their tiny little teeth are.

This plays into the second reason, too. Puppies bite and nibble and chew and mouth things, including your hands, because they're still figuring out how their mouths work.

If they bite hard enough to break the skin and hurt, you need to react appropriately because that's how they learn how much force is too much force.

There's also the fact that they are, very likely, teething. This is painful for children and puppies! When teeth grow in, they have to work their way out through the gums, and that leaves the gums swollen, tender, and painful.

Teething by chewing on things helps relieve that feeling, even temporarily. It's why we give teething toys to our children, and it's why we should do the same thing for puppies.

What Biting and Chewing is Normal?

Puppies will bite, chew, and nibble just about everything, just about all the time, when they're very young.

When they're under two months old, they won't be biting as much, just because they're barely active creatures at that point. As they get older and explore and learn about the world, the biting and chewing ramp up into high gear.

It's best to think of this as a phase. As they get more experience with the world, they'll start to learn that they shouldn't be biting and chewing on everything.

Their teeth will have come in, and they won't need to teethe to alleviate the mouth pain. They'll have learned that some things are hard, some things are soft, and some taste really bad, and they'll associate the sights and scents with the tastes and the feelings.

By the time a puppy is 5-6 months of age, they'll be doing a lot less biting and chewing. They'll still probably chomp on things a little too hard from time to time (especially if they're an energetic working breed), but they'll be more selective about it.

What triggers a puppy to bite and mouth?

So far, I've mostly said that biting is a natural behavior, and that's entirely true. At the same time, there may be some triggers that make your puppy more likely to bite and chew on certain things.

Think about:

• Are there big, fluffy objects your puppy will find very compelling to bite? Dressing gowns, fluffy slippers, housecoat ties, curtains, puffy jackets; these are often similar to the objects you allow a puppy to chew on, and sometimes can even be infused with delicious (to them) scents and flavors.
• Are they nervous and use biting and chewing as a coping mechanism? Often, you can identify sources of stress and remove them, or just put more time into tiring them out so they don't have the energy to chew.
• Are they teething? If they're usually chewing on objects that are stiffer and more resilient, they may be trying to soothe their gums. There's not much you can do to stop this, but it doesn't last too long as a phase.

Regular exercise, regular rest, and regular meals all help as well. Heck, sometimes your puppy chews just because they're hungry and want to eat, but they don't know how to otherwise express it.

Can You Prevent Puppy Biting?

No, not really. It would be like telling you not to move your tongue. Not only is it an unconscious and entirely necessary behavior, it's essentially impossible if you want to live and enjoy living.

That's not to say you can't manage puppy biting, though.

The goal isn't a complete restriction on the behavior. Rather, it's to redirect it away from things they shouldn't chew, to teach them that some things are bad to bite, and to teach them self-control.

The official name for this, by the way, is " bite inhibition training." You basically just want to teach them to think twice before biting something.

How to Train Bite Inhibition in Puppies

Training starts early, and there's a lot you can do to help train a puppy not to bite on things they shouldn't.

If your puppy has other puppies to socialize with, they naturally learn some bite moderation.

When they play, they bite at each other, and when they accidentally bite too hard, the negative reaction of their playmate teaches them that it was too strong of a bite.

If they don't have a playmate, then you have to work on that yourself.

This is where things get tricky. Advice differs, and different authoritative sources (the ASPCA, the American Kennel Club, and others) have different advice!

For example, some people say you shouldn't play with a puppy with your hands. If you do, you're basically teaching them that it's okay to play with people by biting at their hands, and once they're older, that can get them in a lot of trouble.

On the other hand, other sources claim playing with your hands is the best option. That way, if they bite too hard, you can yelp and scold them, which teaches them they went too far, just like if they were playing with another puppy.

However, still other sources say you shouldn't do the yelp and scold because sometimes that kind of reaction has the opposite effect.

Some puppies realize they did something bad and stop, but others might find the noise encouraging, and you really don't want to teach them that people make funny noises when they're nibbled!

Navigating tricky training.

So, what's the truth?

The truth is, it varies by dog and by age.

The older a dog is, the less you want to play with them with your hands directly. When they're very young, you can play with your hands and use feedback if they go too far.

Over time, start to replace your hands with toys like tugging ropes or plush toys. These can take more abuse and are better for your dog to chew on.

Should you yelp or not? That depends on the dog as well. If you try it and they just get more excited, it's obviously not going to work, so you need to stop.

On the other hand, if it makes them back off and cuddle or lick at you instead, then it's an effective way to help train them to be more controlled in their nibbling.

Playtime is over.

The biggest thing you need to do, regardless of how you play or whether or not you yelp, is to reinforce that if they go too far, playtime ends.

While scolding them verbally can be a deterrent, if you keep playing with them afterward, it's not a very strong deterrent.

On the other hand, if you stop playing altogether – or even put them in another room for a time out – it teaches them in no uncertain terms that there are lines they cannot cross.

Redirecting behaviors.

As your puppy gets old enough to stop teething and return to just biting and nibbling as a way to play and interact with objects, you can start redirection training.

When you're playing with your pooch, and they start chewing at your hands, it's best to have something like a stuffed toy on hand to replace your hand and get them to chew on that instead.

What Not to Do

When trying to train your puppy to be more regulated with their chewing and biting, there are some things you should avoid.

Don't roughhouse and encourage biting. Yes, flipping a puppy over and scratching their belly while they try to nibble at you is adorable, but it also encourages them to go overboard and bite when they don't even really want to. Be careful with any over-play that encourages biting, especially if it's something that "traps" your puppy.

Don't use physical deterrents. There are distressingly many people who still feel like the best way to stop a behavior is a bop on the nose, but that kind of physical reaction doesn't actually work when training animals like dogs. There's no way to be light enough to not hurt them and still act as a deterrent, and being hard enough to hurt is abuse.

Don't just blindly follow advice from the internet. Every puppy is different and will respond differently to different actions and reactions. If your puppy immediately understands that a yelp is crossing a line, then yelp. If walking away and ending playtime makes them think that it becomes a game of chase – or their unsupervised time is a chance to chew on something else – don't use time-out as a solution.

The goal really just comes down to finding what works best for your pupper and using those options. Just remember to take it slow; a brand-new puppy isn't going to be well-disciplined and well-behaved right away.

Puppy Biting FAQ

What are some of the biggest questions about puppy biting and how to stop it? Let's look.

How much biting is normal?

Puppy biting is pretty much the only thing they can do for several months of their puppyhood. If they're biting a lot and they're under six months old, it's perfectly normal. If they're reaching a year old and are still biting and chewing on everything, then you have some work to do.

Do bitter sprays work?

There are some sprays you can use on objects like furniture that taste awful, so if your puppy tries to chew on it, they get a mouthful of unpleasantness. These can work as long as they're refreshed enough to stay effective. Just don't make sure to spray too much that they end up stressed out because of it.

Can you train a puppy to stop biting entirely?

No, and you really shouldn't try. No matter what, your dog needs to be able to use their mouth to interact with the world around them, and if you're trying to stop it entirely, it's never going to happen.

What's the most important part of puppy training?

Positive reinforcement! When training a puppy not to bite, it's not about discouraging the biting; it's about rewarding the times they don't bite. This can be tricky to identify, but the rewards don't need to be big, either; just a little praise can go a long way.

Do you have any other questions? If so, ask me in the comments! I'd love to help.

If your canine companion is wetting the bed, you want to stop it, but how? Here are the top dozen tips I've gathered from my many years as a pet parent, along with some common questions at the end.

Tip #1: Take Them to the Vet

If your fur baby is peeing where they shouldn't and there's no obvious reason why, like a huge sudden change in lifestyle or schedule like the addition of a new baby to the family, then there's a pretty good chance there's a health problem going on.

A lot of different health issues can cause potty issues in dogs. The most common is a urinary tract infection or UTI. These very frequently cause accidents, but fortunately, they're easy to test for and easy to solve with some antibiotics.

Other kidney and urinary tract problems can also cause bedwetting in dogs. These can include kidney disease, kidney and bladder stones, cystitis (which is an inflammation of the bladder), and tumors in the bladder and surrounding area. Diabetes is also a common cause of bladder problems later in life, so if your dog is getting older, that could be a possibility.

All of these can be evaluated and diagnosed by a vet, so make sure to bring them in ASAP if they start having bladder control issues.

Tip #2: Make Time for Potty Breaks

Sometimes, potty accidents are caused by a dog really needing to go and not being able to. If you notice their accidents tend to happen when you're at work for a long day, and it seems fresh enough to have happened relatively recently before you get home, it's possible that they'd just done the deed because they couldn't hold it any longer.

The best solution to this is to make sure you're available to take them out when they need to go. Especially for younger or senior dogs, that might be every couple of hours. You may need to make sure you can take routine breaks from work to get home and take them out or have a friend or family member who can do it for you if you aren't able to (or if you work too far away for it to be feasible.) If all else fails, a trustworthy dog walking service might be the way to go.

Tip #3: Reduce Excitement for Younger Dogs

Puppies and younger dogs, especially those still going through their potty training, might be prone to letting a little urine go when they're really excited. A lot of the time, this is going to be when you're playing with them, taking them to a park, or taking them somewhere new and fun. Unfortunately, sometimes it's just because they hear a fun noise or they're bored and want to make their own fun. If that's the case, and they end up having that fun on your bed, well, that's where they dribble.

You might want to consider taking some steps to reduce the ambient levels of excitement your pooch can experience when you aren't around. It's not super likely that this is the cause of issues on your bed specifically, but it might be, so it's worth considering.

Tip #4: Reduce Fear and Stress in Older Dogs

Letting go of some urine is also a sort of defensive mechanism and natural reaction to fear, anxiety, and stress. Older dogs, especially dogs that are well-trained, might respond with stress-peeing if they're shocked, afraid, or stressed.

There are a bunch of different ways this can crop up, and a lot depends on the dog. Something like moving house can cause it, for example, so they might take to someplace they're comfortable (like your bed, saturated with your scent) and end up cuddling in fear. Loud and unexpected noises can trigger it as well, like nearby construction or fireworks.

Anything you can do to reduce their ongoing stress, fear, and anxiety is generally a good thing. This is also helpful to prevent things like night barking and other behavioral issues.

Tip #5: Check for Signs of Submission

Urinating is also a bit of a submissive behavior. This might occur if your dog is afraid, particularly if they're afraid of you and you scolding or punishing them. Even if you particularly don't do that, if your dog was formerly under someone else's parentage and they weren't treated as well, those habits might have been developed against your best interests.

What might happen then is that your pooch does something they know they shouldn't, or even just is scared by the aforementioned stress and anxiety. Then they either go to you to be submissive, or they go somewhere they know you would be and leave "proof" behind. It's sad to see but the only good way to handle it is to reduce the reasons why they might be submissive, and try to train them out of the behavior.

Tip #6: Change and Clean the Sheets

We all know that dogs have a very keen sense of smell. Urine carries unique scents that are sort of like a smell-based fingerprint for a dog. Dogs can tell not just that another dog left urine in a spot; they can tell which dog did it. They also can tell when they've marked a space, and they will frequently go back and check it out, possibly re-marking if they feel the need to.

Unfortunately, this means that just tossing your sheets in the wash might not be thorough enough to remove all of the little enzymes that soak into the fabric. It's even harder when it comes to the mattress. You'll want to use a stronger detergent and possibly an enzymatic cleaner that can break down those scent compounds more effectively than just soap and water.

Tip #7: Deep Clean the Mattress

Similar to the above, you need to deep clean your mattress to get rid of the scent so your pooch doesn't come back to repeat their accident. Mattresses are harder to clean, unfortunately, so you'll need to get really deep with your cleaning, clean multiple times, and keep your dog away from the bed and bedroom entirely for quite a while as you do it.

I would also recommend getting a mattress cover that isolates the mattress from the bedsheets so that if they do repeat, it can't soak back into the mattress itself and will be easier to clean. It's still a pain, but less of one.

Tip #8: Consider Replacing the Mattress

If you can't successfully clean your mattress well enough to stop your dog from doing the deed, you might consider replacing the mattress. Be careful if you decide to do so, though. You don't want your dog to immediately soil the new one because you put old sheets on.

Usually, you might need to make sure they can't be in the bedroom at all, and that means no sleeping with you at night either. It's sad, especially if you're used to it, but it's probably better for both behavior and health.

Tip #9: Train Away Territorial Marking

If your fur baby is marking their territory, you need to train the behavior away. First, though, how can you tell the difference?

Territorial marking is usually a relatively small amount of urine, enough to smell but not enough to soak the area. They tend to mark new objects, so they might go some time in between "accidents" while the scent lingers in their sensitive noses and then re-mark when it fades. If you have more than one dog, it can also trigger another to either avoid the area or counter-mark, causing more problems.

Cleaning is the same, but training can be tricky. You may need to work on "leave it" commands, and watch them to catch it in action so you can stop and redirect the behavior. If you can't watch them that closely, your only option might be crate training instead.

Tip #10: Get Rid of Pee Pads

Puppy pads can be useful when a puppy is too young to control themselves, but as they get older, it just teaches them that there are soft objects they're allowed to pee on, and to a dog, your sheets or pillows might look a whole lot like pads.

Wean them off of the pads as soon as you can and teach them that it's never okay to go in the house.

Tip #11: Keep Your Door Closed

If your dog is marking or having accidents on the bed, but they don't anywhere else, just keep them off the bed and out of the bedroom. There's not a whole lot more to it than that, right?

You might have to deal with them whining and begging outside the door, and you won't be able to let them sleep with you, but that's better than having to clean your mattress and sheets every other day when they can't hold it in.

Tip #12: Be Kind to Doggy Dementia

I put this one at the end because it's kind of sad. Incontinence is an issue that starts to crop up in elderly dogs when they start to develop "doggy dementia" and either forget their training or just aren't able to control themselves.

There's no amount of added training, scolding, or behavioral redirection you can do to solve this. It just means your companion is nearing the end of their life, and you need to do what you can to make it comfortable for them. They can't help it, but don't hold it against them.

Common Questions: Dogs Peeing on the Bed FAQ

Now, let's wrap things up with answers to some of the more common questions I see when we're talking about dogs going where they shouldn't.

What health issues can cause bed wetting in dogs?

Dogs, unless they're poorly trained or not trained at all, generally have pretty good control over their bladders. They aren't going to widdle just anywhere. That means there's potentially something wrong, and you'll need to check it out.

Talk to your vet to check for and rule out:

• Urinary tract infections.
• Cystitis, an inflammation of the bladder.
• Bladder and kidney stones.
• Kidney disease.
• Diabetes.
• Urinary tumors.
• Cushing's Disease

Any of these can lead to accidents, and in fact, accidents can be one of the first signs for some of them. Mostly, they can be cleared up with the right medical care.

What behavioral issues can cause bed wetting in dogs?

A well-trained and housebroken dog isn't going to go on your bed, but they can do so if they have behavioral problems.

These can include:

• Poor or incomplete training.
• Poor bowel control when excited.
• Poor bowel control when fearful or anxious.
• Territorial marking habits.
• Submissive behaviors.

These can usually be trained out of your fur baby, but it will require dedicated effort and attention, especially if they're already aged out of being a puppy.

Will I need to replace my bed if my dog is peeing on it?

When dogs pee somewhere, among other things, they're leaving scent markings in that space. This is important for territorial marking even when that's not their original intent. Unfortunately, dogs are prone to returning to the "scene of the crime" and becoming repeat offenders if they still smell lingering scents.

Sometimes, you can clean your bed well enough to eliminate all lingering scents. Other times, no matter how deep you clean, some of those little doggy enzymes will linger. In these cases, you might consider replacing your mattress since there's no real way to clean it more deeply. Just in case, a protective, waterproof cover on a new mattress is a great help.

So, it's not required, but in some situations, it might be helpful. Mattresses are expensive, though, so I get wanting to do everything you can to avoid it.

Do you have any questions about anything we went over in this article? If so, I'm always more than happy to help however I can, so be sure to leave a comment down below, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible!

I don't blame you! Packing away your fur baby and sending them on a plane without you is hugely stressful, and that's even before you read the horror stories.

The simplest alternative is to drive with your dog or dogs to your destination. It's easy to say that, though, and it can often be a lot harder in practice. It's one thing to drive for an hour or so to visit family across the state, but it's a whole other issue if you're trying to manage a cross-country trip. So, whether you're moving for a job or just going on a vacation and needing to bring your pups, how can you do it the right way?

How to Train a Dog to Enjoy the Car

The first and largest hurdle is training your fur baby to enjoy a car ride. Some dogs love it, but others don't, and the last thing you need is a dog with anxiety, nervous energy, or fear huddled in the back, whining for dozens of hours of driving.

The key, as it so often is with dogs, is proper training. Dogs that have anxiety or fear in a car are either very young puppies who aren't used to the noise, motion, and new experience, or are dogs that have been conditioned to find car rides unpleasant. A dog that only ever goes in a car when they're being abandoned at a shelter or taken for an invasive procedure at the vet is a dog that will definitely not enjoy the car.

If your furry friend is fine with the car, you can skip this part entirely.

Step 1: Figure out how averse your pooch is to the car.

The first thing you need to do is determine how averse your dog is to the car in general. If they're fine with short rides but get anxious on longer rides, you have a much easier job ahead of you than if they won't even get near the car in the first place.

Step 2: Work on accommodation.

Your goal, no matter how averse they are to the car, is to work on getting them more comfortable with it. As with most dog training, this just involves exposure and reward. Bring them to the point where they're comfortable, and then push them slightly further and reward them when they sit there. That might mean bringing them to sit next to the car, or sitting in the back seat when it's stationary, or taking them on a short trip around the block or to the local dog park.

Step 3: Extending the trip.

Depending on how long your trip is going to be, you may need to train your dog to be able to lie down and even sleep in the car for a longer journey. It's already stressful to stay on a highway for hours, but if your dog is anxious, fearful, or crying the whole way, it's going to be even worse. It also definitely helps if you can have someone along for the ride who can hang out and comfort your pooch, too.

Training this will generally involve going on longer and longer car rides. Even if all you're doing is driving circles around the city, there's no real way to acclimate a dog to a long ride other than simply taking them on a long ride.

Preventing Motion Sickness in Dogs

One of the biggest risks of a long car ride with a dog is motion sickness. This tends to impact puppies more often than adult dogs, but some dogs just don't have a good time in a car simply because of the motion, making them nauseous and upset. The same thing can happen to people, after all, so it's not surprising that it can happen to dogs.

If your fur baby gets motion sickness – especially if they vomit because of it – you'll need to do what you can to prevent it and prepare for the issues that occur if they do.

• Keep the temperature in the car on the cooler side. While you might end up a little chilly, it's easier for you to wear warmer clothing than it is for your dog to suppress their stomach.
• Make sure there's some air circulation. Depending on the kind of driving, you may be able to open a window, or you might need to turn the car HVAC on higher and aim it towards the back.
• Limit food and water before the trip if you can. For longer trips, you can't really avoid feeding and hydrating your pooch, but for mid-length journeys, you can make sure they go before you go and can delay feeding until you've reached your destination.
• Take your dog on a walk and play with them for a while, at least 20 minutes before your trip, so they're a little tuckered out and are more likely to stay calm or even nap.

You can also talk to your vet about anti-nausea, anti-anxiety, or motion sickness medications for dogs. Medications like Maropitant, anti-anxiety medications like alprazolam and trazodone, and even CBD tinctures may be viable options, but talk to your vet about it first.

Preparing for the Trip

When it's time to actually go on your trip, you need to make sure you have everything you're going to need.

The exact list can vary depending on whether you're moving or just going on vacation, but here's a decent checklist to get you started. If you can think of anything I forgot, let me know in the comments!

Travel Food and Water

For longer trips, there's a pretty good chance you're going to be stopping at just about every rest stop along the way, either to give your fur baby some food and water or to let them stretch their legs, do their business, and relax a bit from that particular leg of the journey.

Speaking of doing their business, you'll also want bags to clean up after them (most rest stops ask that you do this but don't provide their own bags the way a dog park might), wipes to clean up if there's a mess, and possibly even puppy pads for the car if there's no convenient place to stop and there's an emergency.

Pre-Trip Vet Checkups

One important thing to do before you embark on your trip is to take your fur babies to the vet to make sure they're in good health. You can talk to the vet about anxiety and motion sickness, as well as pain, general illness, and other considerations. Your vet will probably have some advice that can help, as well.

If you're moving and this is the last time you'll see that vet, you may also want to make sure you get physical copies of important paperwork, health certificates, vaccination records, and similar records. All of this should be available electronically at whatever other vet you pick at your destination, but having hard copies can smooth the way to setting up at your new location. If you're not moving, having copies of important documents like vaccination records can be good in case an incident happens, and you need to prove good health.

If you've been putting it off, this is also a good time to make sure they're up to date on their vaccinations and have a microchip with accurate information on it. The last thing you want is to lose your pup at a rest stop or overnight stay and have outdated information on that chip!

Plan Your Journey

For shorter trips, you might not have to stop overnight somewhere with your pooch. For longer trips, you might need accommodations that allow pets. Depending on the kind of trip you're planning, you may need to call a hotel ahead of time, or you might need to make sure your Airbnb or VRBO or whatever kind of short-term rental you pick allows them. Unexpected fees, cancellations, or denials can throw a huge wrench into your plans, so make sure to prepare ahead of time.

You'll also want to make sure you have all of the relevant supplies you'll need. Things like:

• Collars and tags, with spares, just in case.
• A leash or harness for whenever you need to bring your fur babies to unfamiliar places.
• Paperwork, medications, and grooming items to keep them comfortable and happy.
• Toys to keep them occupied and distracted as necessary.
• Food and treats for longer trips and stops. A water bowl is also helpful.
• A bed they're familiar with so they have a place to curl up and sleep.

Your exact list of items will depend on the kind of trip you're taking and where you're going to be staying, so customize it as necessary.

Extra Tips for a Smooth Road Trip with Dogs

Now, let's cover a handful of additional tips that can make your road trip smoother when you have a dog – or several dogs – to bring with you.

Bring a doggy first aid kit. Your human first aid kit – which you should also have in your vehicle at all times – can cover some basics, but a dog-focused kit can make sure you're prepared for anything. These kinds of kits can be found online for as little as $30, so it's easy to pick one up and keep it with you.

Consider a doggy car seat. These are raised, secure, and comfortable platforms your pooch can use to watch out the window without getting in the way, risking hitting buttons with their paws, or otherwise being a bother. They're also more comfortable than a normal car seat or the floor of the vehicle. If you buy these ahead of time, you can also make sure they smell like home and are more comforting for your fur babies.

Make sure to plan your route. The unexpected can always happen, from road delays and construction to accidents, so make sure you know where the rest stops are along your route and have some idea of where you can pull off the highway to a park or even just a fast-food place to get a break if an emergency happens. Similarly, make sure you know about pet-friendly lodging along the way.

Don't forget to leave time at these pit stops. You might only need a couple of minutes to hit a restroom and have a snack, but your fur baby will probably take a good deal longer to get comfortable enough to do their business. Make sure you aren't on a tight schedule that forces you to hurry this along.

Dogs in Cars FAQ

To wrap up, let's answer some of the most common questions about traveling with a dog or dogs, especially long distances.

Do dogs dislike car rides?

That depends a lot on the dog. Some dogs are perfectly fine or even excited to go on car rides, even longer trips. Others are initially excited but get tired or bored being cooped up in a vehicle for more than an hour. Others are fine for short trips but get motion-sick on longer trips. It really comes down to the individual.

How often should you stop for a break with a dog?

Generally, the average is every couple of hours, which is coincidentally often the distance between rest stops across America's highway system, though this does tend to vary regionally. If you have puppies or older dogs who may have incontinence or other issues, you'll need to stop more frequently.

Is it better to drive or to fly with a dog?

This depends on a lot of factors. Flying is a lot faster for long distances, but it can be more expensive. And if your fur baby is a larger breed, they'll need to fly through a pet cargo service and can't fly with you on a plane. Most dogs handle car rides a lot better than plane rides, though. In the end, it's up to you and what works best for your needs.

So, did I miss any important questions you may have about traveling in a car with your dog? If so, be sure to leave a comment down below, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible with an answer!

Effective crate training isn't all that difficult. In fact, I've written a whole guide to effective dog crate training, and it doesn't take very long at all! But there are always going to be issues along the way.

One common issue is puppies that can't seem to stop chewing on their beds. Crates are harsh and uncomfortable when they're empty, so it's good practice to put a bed in there for your pup to enjoy while they're sleeping. But some dogs just can't stop themselves from chewing their bed apart.

This isn't just a matter of annoyance when you find bits of fluff and foam on the floor in the morning and the expense of buying a new bed for them whenever they destroy the old one. It can also be a health hazard! Dog beds are meant to be safe for a dog to sleep on, but not for them to eat. Those bits of foam, fabric, fiber, and more can all cause problems if they swallow any of it,

Why Do Puppies Eat Their Beds?

When you get your puppy a new bed, they're probably going to be excited. They hop on and off of it, they roll on it, they curl up and doze, and yes, they probably give it a nibble or two. A lot of this is just expressing their excitement, but it can calm down once they're used to the bed.

Sometimes, though, that chewing never stops, and they just keep on biting, ripping, tearing, pulling, and generally destroying that fancy new bed. But why?

It's part of their nesting instinct.

First of all, it might be part of their overall nesting instinct. You might not think of dogs as having nests, but they actually do, though we don't usually call them nests. You've heard of a "wolf den" before, right? It's the same concept: a dog or a set of dogs working to make a specific place where they spend their time as comfortable as possible.

Dogs "nest" in a bunch of different ways. They dig at the ground to create small hollows where they can lay comfortably. They arrange padding and other materials to create a softer bed for themselves. They can even drag and wrap things like fabric around themselves, which is why some dogs will curl up in a blanket to nap.

With a new bed, your dog is probably trying to break it down into a more comfortable form for themselves. That might mean scratching at the bottom, chewing at the rim, or just pulling it apart to make it into a form they find cozier and more comfortable.

While all dogs can express a nesting instinct, it's strongest and most common with pregnant mother dogs, especially in the week or so before they're due. It's an important part of creating shelter and comfort for their pups.

It's part of marking their territory.

Another reason a dog might chew at their crate bed is as a way to mark their space. This can be especially common in dogs that spent some time as strays and in dogs that have spent a lot of time with other dogs and want to carve out a space of their own.

A huge part of how dogs identify territory is through scent. Moreover, dogs have scent glands in their paws, and they can identify the unique elements of their breath and other smells they produce. All of this means that when they're chewing, scratching, pawing, and otherwise damaging their bed, it's really more about infusing that bed with their scent.

This allows your dog to create a space fully their own. You might notice that the chewing behavior is worse with a brand new bed (which smells like a factory, like off-gassing foam, and other smells) or in the immediate hours and days after you wash it.

It's a nervous tic.

Another common reason why puppies chew at their beds is as part of separation anxiety. This is especially common if you notice that they only seem to chew up their beds when you're asleep or away from home at work, and they're stuck in their crate. It can also be related to night crying.

Puppies have a lot of energy, and they're forming a lot of attachments and bonds, especially when they're young. They want to spend time with you since you're their parent figure and packmate. When you're not around, they may be worried, scared, nervous, or anxious. With very little space to maneuver and very little to do, they might start expressing that nervousness by chewing on their bed.

In a way, it's kind of the puppy equivalent of human fidgeting. They have nervous energy and anxiety, and they find a behavior that soothes it.

Some dogs that have separation anxiety develop it due to a lack of socialization. Others have it because of a quality of their breed (especially small breeds), and still others are simply too young to feel secure on their own just yet.

This can also be caused through an excess of energy. We often describe this as having "nervous energy" but it can manifest in any dog that is cooped up too much and doesn't have an outlet for all of their energy.

Your poor pooch is teething.

Another common reason why your puppy is chewing on their bed is because they're chewing on everything. When your pup's teeth are coming in, it's going to be sore and painful, just like it is for human children. In order to help their teeth come in and alleviate some of that pain, they chew on anything they can wrap their lips around. During the day, that usually means chewing on toys, though they may also chew on pillows, table legs, sticks, stray toes, and whatever else they can find.

At night, in their crate, they don't have access to much else, so they chew on what's available: the bars of the crate, the bed, any toys you put in, and so on. Usually, this is a temporary behavior once their mouth stops aching, though.

Other reasons your dog might chew:

There are a handful of other reasons your dog might be chewing on their bed in their crate.

They might just be curious. Some dogs have an innate drive to "try it and see what happens" and that can manifest in the form of chewing on things. This tends to abate as they get older and know more about how the world works.

Another reason is hunger. A hungry dog might be attempting to forage around the space they can access, and if they're in their crate, that means in their bedding. This can be especially true if you ever give them treats in bed or if they bring food there, so their bed has lingering scents of food.

It can also be due to illness. A dog that is sick or in pain – even if it's just the equivalent of a puppy cold – might be seeking something to soothe themselves, and chewing can be an outlet, even if it's not a very effective one.

How Not to Stop a Dog from Chewing Their Bed Apart

Before getting into specific ways that you can address bed-chewing behavior, let's talk about the one thing you don't want to do: engage with them positively.

This is a tricky line to walk. You can't punish your dog for chewing on their bed because they won't associate the behaviors, so they won't learn. You need to address the behavior, but without giving them the kind of attention they might be seeking. They want to engage with you and have fun with you, and if they find that you're normally distracted (or not home) but you give them attention when they chew, well, they're going to chew more.

Basically, you just always need to be aware of how your interactions with your dog are going to be perceived and what behaviors you're reinforcing.

One other thing is that you don't want to take away their bed, at least not for long. If they're chewing on it when you're around, you can take it away, but if you're going to be putting them in their crate overnight, they need something comfortable. You don't want to make the crate an unpleasant place to be; otherwise, you damage crate training routines!

How to Stop a Dog from Chewing Their Bed

Now, let's talk about what you might be able to do to stop your pooch from chewing apart their brand-new bed. You have a couple of options.

Start with redirection training.

The first thing you want to do is start with redirection training. Redirection training is fairly simple. When you see your dog start to chew on their bed, scold them a little (just say "no!") and then hand them a more appropriate chew toy. When they chew on the toy instead of the bed, praise and reward them.

You can also do other minor forms of training. When you see them resting on their bed without chewing on it, praise them. When you see them chew on a chew toy rather than their bed, praise them. Simple reinforcement is all you really need.

Address other causes of chewing.

If your pooch is sore, sick, anxious, nervous, or scared, you can address these issues in various ways. Calming scents, CBD tinctures, and your own presence can help alleviate the stress of being alone. That's why I spent so much space on why your pup is chewing, so you can figure out the reason and address it directly.

Sometimes, too, all it takes is time. As your puppy gets older and calms down, they'll be less likely to chew their bedding into shreds.

Puppy Crate Bed Chewing FAQ

Now, let's answer some of the most common questions you might have about puppies who chew up their beds.

Why do dogs chew on their beds?

There are a bunch of different reasons why your pooch might be chewing at their bed.

Here are some of the most common reasons:

• It's part of their nesting instinct to create a safe and comfortable place to sleep.
• It's a scent-marking technique to help them firmly claim the space as their own.
• They have separation anxiety and are chewing as an outlet for their feelings.
• They're teething to relieve the pain of new teeth coming in.
• They're sick and are seeking some form of relief.
• They're hungry and are seeking something to eat in the middle of the night.

There are other possible reasons as well, but again, these are the most common.

What are some ways you can stop your dog from chewing their bed?

You have a few options here.

Some options include:

• Implementing redirection training to get them to chew a toy instead.
• Using a protective cover to make it unpleasant to chew.
• Making sure to tire out your dog and address anxiety issues.

Essentially, you want to figure out why they're chewing and get rid of those issues.

What should you avoid?

For the most part, you want to avoid anything that punishes your pup. Don't take away their bed for long periods of time or make their crate an uncomfortable place to be.

Don't attempt to punish them directly, either. Most forms of punishment don't work because the association doesn't exist, so it just adds stress and makes behavioral issues worse.

Should you try a chew-proof dog bed?

This one is up to you. Chew-proof dog beds advertise being extremely durable, so even if your pooch chews at them for hours, they won't rip them apart. They tend to be pretty expensive, though.

It's often better to address the behavior, however, because if they're prone to destructive chewing, it won't stop at the bed.

Have you ever had to stop your furry friend from chewing up their crate pad? If so, what did you do to stop it? Let me know in the comments section! I'd love to hear all your stories!

So, say you've decided to adopt a dog from your local shelter or even snagged one that someone abandoned or one that has been living feral in your neighborhood and was finally wrangled.

These are some of the most challenging dogs to socialize and train, but also some of the most rewarding, most loving, and most emotionally engaging relationships you can form with a pup. Taking a dog from a disadvantaged and difficult scenario, and bringing them to a state of love, contentment, and happiness, is so incredibly rewarding it's difficult to describe.

Among the many behavioral issues you'll need to work on with your new rescue is housebreaking, also known as housetraining.

Step 1: Assess Your Dog's Current Abilities

Different rescue dogs have different amounts of socialization and training, depending on where they came from. Some of them might be almost entirely housetrained already, and just need a reminder of their training. Others, especially feral dogs, may never have had that training at all.

So, your first step is to determine how much they can do. Do they know any commands? Do they naturally "hold it" when they're in the house? Do they mark their territory?

You should establish a few baseline pieces of data.

Data to keep track of with your pup

Consider writing down information like:

• How long your dog goes before they need to go.
• How often they have "accidents" when you're not around.
• If they can sleep through the night in their crate without incident.
• When and where accidents happen, if they happen.

You'll also want to perform a basic assessment in conjunction with a vet.

• Are they fixed? An intact pup is more likely to have issues and less training.
• Do they have any illnesses? Things like worms and infections can cause bowel issues.
• Are they on any medications that might have incontinence as a side effect?

All of this gives you a baseline you can use to know what's normal and what isn't for your new rescue pup.

Step 2: Monitor and Control Your Dog's Diet

The second major step is to make sure you're feeding your new pup a relatively bland and inoffensive diet.

I'm not saying you need to go full upset stomach chicken-and-rice meals. Those are useful for a sick pup, but they aren't always a healthy baseline. But, a diet made to be as easy to digest and as simple as possible will help you identify if they have any food allergies or sensitivities.

The last thing you need if you're trying to train your dog to have better bowel control is feeding them something that makes them need to go all the time, right?

Make sure you're also controlling:

• The amount of food you give them, so they aren't over-eating and causing problems.
• The speed at which they eat, so they don't eat too fast and give themselves an upset tummy.
• The timing of when they eat, so you have a consistent pattern built into each day.

Feeding your dog a bland diet at the same time every day gives you a strong foundation you can use to build upon over time.

Step 3: Take the First Steps Slowly

Even if your rescue dog was housetrained originally, there's a chance that they've lost their control and habits over time.

This can happen for a few different reasons.

• They've been stuck in a rescue kennel for too long and haven't been taken out often enough, causing accidents.
• They were abandoned or on their own for long enough that no reinforcement kept them from abandoning their training, so they just do their own thing now.
• They're wild enough that the odors of a new environment and potentially other pets in the home drive them to mark their areas.

So, when you adopt a new pup, you need to figure out if they had training initially or if you are going to be starting from scratch.

Step 4: Set the Ground Rules

Before you can embark on potty training a rescue dog, you need to set the ground rules. And no, I don't mean sitting your pup down and telling them how it's going to be. I mean understanding yourself how you're going to have to handle the training.

Consistency is key.

Everything needs to be done at the same time each day, on the same schedule. If you can't get the breaks off work to come home and do it, you need someone else who can do it for you. If it means setting an alarm for every couple of hours throughout the night, so be it.

When I say everything, I do actually mean everything. Get up at the same time each day and take them out. Feed them at the same time each day. Take them on walks at the same time each day. Consistency is absolutely critical for successful potty training, especially if you want to do it as quickly as possible.

Use praise.

A key part of training any dog is praising them when they do the behavior you want them to do. It's called positive reinforcement, and it's really the only way you can successfully train an animal. Primarily, that means praising them when they do their doo outside appropriately.

This may also mean praise indoors if you see them go to mark, and they stop. It's all about rewarding them for their actions in the right environment.

Add a verbal component.

While it's often not strictly necessary for a dog to have a command to do their business once their training is in place, it can be helpful to reinforce what you want them to do in a given environment.

This is helpful, especially if you have different kinds of outings. Taking them out to play, taking them out for recall training, taking them out for an exercise walk; these can all have different purposes, and you may not want them to potty just anywhere. So, saying "go potty" when you want them to potty – and saying it again when they're actually doing it – helps build that association.

Use confinement.

It can feel bad, but any time you aren't around to directly supervise your dog and make sure you're enforcing the rules of potty training, they need to be confined to a crate or other small, enclosed space.

One fact about dogs is that, unless it's an extreme emergency, they will be very averse to relieving themselves too close to where they are spending their time. Fear, anxiety, and illness can all cause it, but if they're just not trained, they won't do it because it's unpleasant.

Step 5: Putting it All Together

Once you have all of the ground rules down, for yourself and your dog, all you need to do is put it together.

While regulating their time and behavior, watch what they do. Praise them when they do what you want them to do. Don't punish them when they act up – it doesn't work and it can make behaviors, anxiety, and fear worse.

If there's an accident, clean it up. It's going to happen, and that's unfortunate, but there's not a lot you can do about it after it happens. Again, punishment doesn't work. You just need to figure out why it happened and adjust your training to account for it.

That might mean taking your pup out more often, changing their diet or medication, or working with them to feel safer so they don't fear the unknown as much. Whatever the case may be, it takes time and dedication, but it can be done.

Housebreaking a Rescue Dog FAQ

Now, let's go over some of the questions that come up when talking about housebreaking a rescue dog.

Can you housetrain a rescue dog?

Of course! Rescue dogs are almost never a "lost cause," but you need to be prepared for accidents, smelly cleanups, and a lot more difficulty in training than you would have with a brand-new puppy.

Once you get the ball rolling, though, it can be extremely rewarding to see an unruly dog start to take commands and learn to be a better companion. Just like any other difficult but ultimately satisfying endeavor, it takes time and dedication, but you can definitely do it if you put your mind to it.

Is there a difference between housebreaking and housetraining?

Not really!

Some people claim that there is a difference and that housetraining still includes things like using a puppy pad, whereas housebreaking means never going inside the house at all. Other people don't recognize the difference.

Personally, I'm pretty sure the only reason we use housetraining instead of housebreaking is the connotations. "Breaking" is such an aggressive word, isn't it? It implies things like punishment, animal abuse, and a broken pup, and even if the results are very different, it's not the kind of impression we want to give as animal lovers.

How important is diet to potty training?

Somewhat! Diet on its own isn't going to have a huge impact, and as long as their diet is healthy enough that it's not causing problems, you're fine.

The issue comes when your rescue dog is eating something that upsets their stomach and leads to unpleasant side effects and accidents.

What are the most common reasons for a potty accident?

There are a handful of reasons why your pup might be relieving themselves where they shouldn't.

You'll want to consider the context and situation when an accident happens.

• Lack of training. A completely untrained dog won't have the foundation to know where they shouldn't go and might just find a corner in the living room as good as a corner of the yard.
• Submission. Some dogs are habitually submissive and may release their bladder a bit when they get too excited or as a form of submission to another dog they're greeting. It's only urine, and it's not much, but it's still a habit to fix.
• Territorial marking. When your pup leaves urine on the furniture, door frames, or anywhere around the home – and sometimes feces, as well – it's because they're scent-marking their territory.
• Fear and anxiety. Separation anxiety, loud noises, and threats – perceived or otherwise – can lead your dog to lose bowel control.

Depending on the cause of the accident, you may need to focus your training on different ways to solve the issue.

I just took my dog out, but they had an accident as soon as I got back inside!

This isn't a question, but that's okay. This happens a lot if you're trying to rush the process. Dogs often need to spend a bit of time investigating the area to make sure it feels safe for them to go. If you're impatient – and especially if you're trying to use a command and they're ignoring you – it feels like they don't need to go and are just messing around.

Then, you bring them back inside, where they know it's safe, and they immediately find a place to go.

The key is two things. First, make sure you give them plenty of experiences in your yard to make sure they feel safe there. Second, give them plenty of time to investigate before they do their deed. They probably do have to go; they just aren't quite comfortable yet.

So, there you have it: a guide to housetraining a rescue dog. Do you have any questions? If so, leave them in the comments, and I might be able to add them to the FAQ! Meanwhile, do you have any experience housetraining a rescue dog? Do you have tips or advice I haven't covered? Let me know!

A lot of the time, this won't be an issue. After all, you're there, and you're keeping them safe and secure, training them to come when called, sit and stay, or seek out specific objects (all of which are part of the 20 essential puppy commands.)

Other times, though, your puppy will feel the loneliness and isolation that comes with not being part of a pack. Even if you have other dogs, they may not take on a parental role, and your new pup might spend their evenings anxious and crying.

"Night crying" is a common problem with young dogs, and it's honestly heartbreaking. Few of us can go to sleep and rest peacefully when our new puppies are crying and whining and begging for attention and comfort in the dead of night from their crate in another room, where they can't see you. And all of that is just the tip of the iceberg; an anxious puppy is more likely to have a night accident or hurt themselves pawing or chewing at their crate.

How can you help your puppy make it through the night and deal with night crying? Fortunately, there are several things you can try.

Night Crying vs. Night Barking

In the past, I covered night barking in dogs. Night barking and night crying are similar! Puppies whine more than they bark, while older dogs are more likely to bark because they know it's louder and gets more attention. Some of the same causes are behind the issue, too, though it's not entirely the same.

In adult dogs, night barking can be caused by:

• Separation Anxiety
• Fear or Alarm
• Boredom
• Pain or Hunger
• Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome
• Responding to Other Dogs

When you're thinking of a new puppy specifically, several of these aren't going to apply. CCDS, for example, is primarily a disease affecting elderly dogs, so it's not something your puppy is likely to experience. Others, though, like separation anxiety, can be primary drivers.

It's important that you recognize the difference between night crying in puppies and night barking in dogs because the same techniques aren't going to work between the two.

What Causes Night Crying in Puppies?

A new puppy crying at night is going to be, primarily, whining, grunting, and maybe some growling. In certain breeds, you may get some barking, yipping, and baby howling, but whining is the most common vocalization.

The biggest question is, why is your puppy crying at night? You can't treat the issue without first knowing the cause.

Fortunately, there aren't many reasons, so it's fairly easy to diagnose:

• They need to go potty. New puppies don't have a lot of control over their bowels and bladder, so they're more likely to need to go in the middle of the night, where an adult dog will be able to hold it longer.
• They're seeking comfort. Being isolated and contained in a crate is anxiety-inducing for a new puppy. They're probably used to sleeping with a parent and a pile of littermates, so being kept alone in a cold, dark box isn't comfortable for them.
• They have too much energy. When you're stuck indoors with a bunch of energy on a rainy day, you can go a little stir-crazy; your puppy is the same way. They have energy, they took their nap, and now they want to do something, but you're trying to sleep, and it's dark out, and they're stuck in that crate, and HELP!
• They're uncomfortable. Your puppy doesn't have a lot of ways to problem-solve and may not even be able to recognize why they're feeling uncomfortable. Even something as simple as a draft chilling them out in a colder house in the evening can be enough to make them whine all night.

There are always a few other possible issues, like something scaring them, an illness or injury causing them pain, or something distracting them all night, but these are less common.

Priority #1: Don't Give In!

Alright, before we get into the nitty-gritty, we need to discuss the biggest point of contention: do you suffer through it and ignore the problem, or do you provide comfort and aid to your puppy? There are arguments in both directions.

For one thing, the "cry it out" method has been used throughout history for both animals and people. Studies have shown that it doesn't really work for human babies and can lead to emotional trauma and anxiety as they get older.

It's similar in dogs; when they're seeking comfort and reassurance in the evening, and they don't get it, they fail to build trust in you, and that can mean they keep crying all night, every night.

On the other hand, training is training. If your puppy cries at night and it gets you to get up and give them comfort, play with them a little, or otherwise engage with them and make them feel happy and loved… you're effectively rewarding them for their crying, and that just further encourages them to cry at night.

So which is it?

Truthfully, it's both. It comes down to why your puppy is crying. If they're having toilet issues and need to go, ignoring them all night is going to be miserable for everyone involved. On the other hand, if they just have some anxiety and they're trying to fish for comfort, providing that comfort reinforces the fact that it works.

Here are some of the things I'm going to cover:

Fortunately, a couple of the solutions will help you address both points at once without conflicting signals.

Embark on Proper Crate Training

Proper crate training requires a lot of work, effort, and setup. You can't just put a crate in a corner, put your puppy in it, and close it up. How would you feel being closed in a room with no bed, no carpet, and nothing to keep you entertained?

I have a whole guide to proper crate training, which you can read over here. It goes through all of the major elements of crate training, including routines and more. Give it a look!

Beyond that, it's important to make sure the crate is a comfortable, safe place for your pooch. You want them to feel at ease, safe, and happy in that space, and you want it to be a place just for them.

A blanket, a favorite comfort toy, and even using treats to encourage them to enjoy their time in the crate are all good ideas. Of course, you can't exactly give them treats to stop them from whining unless you want to be whined at any time they want a treat.

Also, one of the biggest issues with being stuck in a crate all night is temperature. We people tend to like our houses a little cooler in the evening than during the day, but that can lead to a drafty, cold, and uncomfortable space in a crate, and since it's closed up, your puppy can't simply find a nicer place to be.

This is why the bed and blankets are a good idea, and you might also consider a cover or a blanket to drape over the crate for more insulation.

Make Sure They're Potty Trained

Young puppies need potty training, and the younger they are, the more frequently you'll need to escort them to the yard where they can do their business. For very young puppies, expect to have to do this every couple of hours.

Part of the key here is to make sure that, when you get up and give them attention for potty purposes in the middle of the night, that's all you do.

Don't talk at or coo at them, don't play with them, don't praise them unless they go, don't pet and engage with them. Give them praise and rewards when they go, then return them to their crate and leave them until the next time it needs to happen.

You want this to be brief and entirely potty-focused because otherwise, you're encouraging them to act like they need to go so they can get rewards. That's why it's critical to make sure they're actually doing their business before rewarding them and why you can't play or otherwise engage with them.

Consider the Crate's Location

If the main reason your puppy is crying is because they want to know you're nearby and have the reassurance that they're safe and cared-for, you have a few options.

One of the easiest is to put the crate in your room with you. Sometimes, your pooch doesn't need to be right there with you, in your lap or in your bed; they just need to be able to see, hear, and smell you.

Putting the crate in your room gives them the opportunity to know you're nearby, and they'll likely be able to sleep better.

If you don't want their crate to be in your bedroom, for allergy, odor, or noise reasons, you can gradually move it further from your bed every night, eventually moving it outside of your bedroom and towards its final space.

They'll be more used to knowing you're there, and can handle greater distances.

Give Them a Piece of You

Dogs are very scent-driven, and your new puppy might not be as comfortable as you'd want them to be without some element of you nearby.

One of the easiest options you have is to put a shirt or other item you've worn in their crate with them so they have a nearby scent source to snuggle with and feel comforted by.

There are also training aids you can use. One of the more effective options is a heartbeat toy. These are plush dog toys that include a small device that puts out a nearly inaudible heartbeat noise.

They can also have a way for you to stuff a shirt or something into them for the scent and even a heat pack for warmth. All of this tells your puppy they aren't alone and gives them that added comforting presence when you're not there with them.

Wear Them Out

A big part of crate training is making sure your pupper is all tuckered out at the end of the day. The more exhausted they are when they go to their crate for bed, the more likely they are to sleep without issue and sleep through the night. That means plenty of play and activity throughout the day, especially a little while before bed.

Just make sure you don't work them too hard right before sleep because they'll want to drink to recover, and then they'll need to go. That's not terrible, but if you want to avoid nighttime interruptions, it's a reasonable concern.

Make Sure They're Healthy

Everything above assumes that your pooch is in good health and is just crying for attention, bathroom needs, or out of anxiety and discomfort. Once you solve those issues through training and habits, you're good to go.

If you address those concerns and your puppy still won't sleep through the night without whining, you may need to look for underlying causes.

Young puppies aren't immune to health issues, so if they're sick or uncomfortable from some kind of internal pain (be it teething, an injury, or an illness), they'll have a hard time at night. If you suspect anything strange, talk to your vet.

With luck, consistent training, and good behaviors, you can help make sure your fur baby sleeps through the night in their crate without issue. Ideally, it will only take a couple of weeks at the most to get them trained for their bedtime. Just make sure everyone is on the same page with the training and you're good to go.

Have you ever had to help your puppy with their night crying problem? If so, what did you do in your particular situation? I'd love to hear all your stories, so be sure to leave those in the comments section!

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Read More Dog Behavior Guides

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While no one wants to lose their pooch, if it's going to happen anyway because you have a furry escape artist, you want some way to be able to track them down.

One of the most popular forms of tracking is the Apple AirTag. In fact, the AirTag is often even marketed as a way to track down lost or stolen goods, including animals that escape. But does it work? Is it a good option, or should you pick something different? Let's talk about it.

What is an AirTag and How Does it Work?

Apple's AirTags are small discs about the size and shape of a poker chip; a little larger than a quarter and a bit thicker to boot. They're very simple devices, with a battery and a circuit board that allows it to connect to nearby iPhone devices, which it can use to ping Apple's servers and broadcast its location.

AirTags are surprisingly elegant in their design. Because they rely on the widespread market share of Apple iPhones in pockets all around us, they don't need heavy-duty batteries, GPS signal monitoring, or active broadcasting technology. They're basically just passive emitters that do a ping phone home when a nearby iPhone detects them.

With a dog, the idea would be to attach the AirTag to their collar alongside their other tags and let Apple do the rest. It's a great way to track down lost items, but is it effective for a moving object, like a lost dog? Well, let's dig a bit deeper into that.

Can You Use an AirTag to Track Your Dog?

Ostensibly, yes. AirTags can be used to track anything they're put on. Attaching it to a small keychain-style mount and putting it on their collar alongside their normal tags just adds one more little thing to jangle around their necks while they're out and about.

AirTags are moderately water-resistant, so if your pooch is playing in puddles, caught out in the rain, dives in the local water fountain, or ends up in a pond or stream, the AirTag will continue to function.

They rely on a single small watch battery to keep them powered, and their battery life is around a year, if not longer. They're entirely passive, too, so you don't need to worry about turning it on before your pooch escapes and runs off.

You might note, though, that I didn't say yes here. I don't think AirTags are a good option for tracking a dog, and there are a few major reasons why.

Why AirTags Aren't the Best Option for Tracking a Dog

There are a handful of very compelling reasons why you probably shouldn't use an AirTag to track your doggo.

They only ping home when an iPhone passes nearby.

This is a pretty big drawback. AirTags are Bluetooth devices, and they're part of the Apple ecosystem. That means two very important things.

• They can only ping home when an iPhone or other Apple device passes within their Bluetooth range, and
• The device that passes nearby needs to have Bluetooth enabled.

In a world where privacy-conscious people are disabling Bluetooth and other forms of tracking, and in a world where only around 28% of smartphone owners have Apple devices, that means a good portion of the people walking by aren't going to be able to interact with your AirTag.

In fact, your pup could walk right up to someone, and the AirTag might not phone home because they don't have an Apple device.

The "passes nearby" part of this is also critical. The range on an AirTag is only around 10 yards at the most, and that's in clear conditions without obstructions. Realistically, the iPhone has to get a lot closer than that to tag the tag.

The location ping can be on a significant delay.

If you were hoping that the AirTag could provide a real-time feed of where your pooch is and has been going, unfortunately, that's not the case.

AirTags only phone home when a device gets close enough, and real-time tracking isn't available. In fact, some people have reported that the AirTag pings can be on as much as a 15-minute delay!

Basically, the AirTag is meant to be a tool for if you accidentally drop a wallet or your keys and want to know where it is in general so you can search for it.

It's not super precise – though it's close enough that you could try to get your dog to come when called from that range – but it's best used for stationary targets. You'd be able to see if your keys got lost on the side of a trail or if they were moved and turned into a nearby lost and found.

Meanwhile, if a phone pings your dog's location, and it doesn't report to you for 15 minutes, you then mobilize and head out to that spot, which takes an additional 10 minutes; your pooch has already been gone for nearly half an hour. It only really works, then, if your doggo was found and stashed away in someone's yard or home while they try to track you down.

They're relatively easily exposed and can be chewed on.

AirTags are just small disc-shaped devices, so they need a mount. For dog tags, that mount is usually a keychain-like hanger, and that's often exposed enough that your pooch could pull it off or chew it up. It depends on how much your dog likes to mess with their tags, but it could be a consideration.

You really need to be an Apple user to make AirTags worthwhile.

While the AirTag relies on the people around you to have iPhones to make it track worth anything, it also requires you to have an Apple device to manage it.

The AirTag will automatically ping and beep if it doesn't detect its home network in a couple of days, and if you don't have any Apple devices for it to sync to, it's going to cause those problems constantly. This is a common question, and people on Reddit have even suggested opening up and removing the buzzer just to get it to stop.

You can track an AirTag using just an Apple account on their website, but that doesn't get around the phone-home device limitations. So, while you can technically use it without an Apple device, it becomes a massive hassle.

That's a lot of drawbacks! So, if AirTags are out, what other choices can you try?

What Alternative Tracking Options Do You Have?

First, let's talk about another option that doesn't do what you want, and that's the Ring Pet Tag. Ring is almost as prevalent as Apple, so having something that connects to Ring devices would be handy, right?

Well, it's even worse in this case. The Ring Pet Tag is actually just a piece of metal with a QR code on it that alerts your Ring app if it's scanned. That means someone needs to find your dog, scan the code, and ping Ring to let you know.

So… why not just have a tag with a phone number on it? Same deal, except instead of funneling the info through Ring, they just call you directly. The only reason to avoid it, really, is privacy; if you don't want people to have your phone number, you might not want your dog to have it, either. Who knows who they're sharing it with, right?

There's no real tracking on the Ring tag, so don't even consider it.

Now, let's talk about some of the real options available to you.

Option 1: Tractive's Dog Tracker

Tractive is one of the leading brands of dog tracker in the world today. The tracker is a relatively large plastic box that attaches securely to a collar, without dangling or leaving itself exposed to chewing (unless your pooch can get their collar off, but at that point, all bets are off.)

The Tractive tracker has a few benefits. For one thing, you can set a home zone and get automatic alerts if your dog roams outside of that home zone.

You can let them out in the yard unsupervised and be secure in the knowledge that if they escape, you'll be notified right away.

Tractive also has real-time GPS tracking, so if your dog gets lost, you can see the path they take, the place they are, and the direction they're moving.

It makes it way easier to track them down. And, since it's GPS-powered, it doesn't rely on nearby Apple phones or other specific devices or people.

There are a few downsides to Tractive, though.

• You have to pay a subscription fee. It's relatively inexpensive, ranging from $5 to $13 per month depending on the kind of package you buy, but any subscription fee is a fee.
• It requires decent cell service in the area. GPS trackers like Tractive use cell service to phone home, so coverage can be spotty in rural areas or areas where cell service is disrupted.
• Since it's an active tracker, you have to charge the battery a lot more often. The small version for smaller dogs has a tiny battery and needs charging about once a week, whereas the larger version for big bois can last up to a month between charges.
• It may be limited to the US. You have to pay for a premium plan to access their tracking outside of the US, so keep that in mind.

Overall, Tractive is generally considered one of the best, but they aren't the only option.

Option 2: Jiobit Trackers

Another option is the Jiobit tracker. These are tags similar to an AirTag in form factor, but they have GPS real-time tracking and geofencing the same way as the Tractive, and even has a full history of where your pet has been.

Jiobit isn't just designed for dogs, though. It's actually a general-purpose tracker, and has a bunch of features your dog is unlikely to use, like an alert button to call for help. It can also connect to local open internet signals!

Otherwise, Jiobit has a fairly high initial buy-in at $130 for the device, and a subscription fee ranging from $9 to $15 per month. It does have a lot of different accessories and connection options, though, so it's easily customized to the best way to attach it to your pooch.

Option 3: Fi Collars

The Fi collar is similar to both Tractive and Jiobit, except it's much smaller and is built directly into the collar itself. That means it's one less thing to have to attach to an already-laden collar, though it's not as useful if you're using a different collar for fashion or sentimental reasons.

It's also reportedly better than Tractive or Jiobit at using actual satellites and not just cell service to track locations. I can't verify whether it's outright better or not, but it does claim to have a longer range.

The collar itself is $100 and the subscription starts at $20 per month. It also has a one-time activation fee of another $20.

Other Options

There are other GPS trackers available as well. For example, the PitPat tracker is a little smaller than Tractive, a bit more expensive, and limited entirely to the UK. It's a pretty good tracker, as far as I know, but since it's only available in the UK, it's not part of the main list.

You can also consider something like Link, which is a combination tracker and training tool. It facilitates training by allowing you to use noises or buzzing to assist with training activities.

There's also the Halo collar, which is the most fully featured out of everything on this list, but it costs way, way more. The basic collar is $600, and the membership is $10 per month after that.

I'm sure I've only scratched the surface of the options available, so here's where I turn it over to you. What is your favorite dog tracker? Let me know in the comments!

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Young or old, if your pooch is digging holes, there's a reason for it, and it's not just to annoy you or in some vendetta against the landscaping. You can get them to stop, but it's important to understand why they do what they do. So, let's talk about it!

Why Do Dogs Dig Holes?

In cartoons, dogs dig holes because they want a place to bury their bones for later, or they're searching out that buried treasure, or sometimes because it's a prison break. None of that is really accurate to real life other than the fact that dogs will dig holes. Why do they do that, though?

Digging is an instinctive behavior of many kinds of canines. Even wild wolves will dig, sometimes enough to form whole dens for their pack. Modern dog breeds vary in how strong this instinct is; the "earth dogs," breeds like terriers, were historically bred to be small enough to chase problem rodents to their dens and even dig out those dens to get at the pests.

Back when pest control was more of a matter of keeping predators around than it was mechanical devices and chemicals, that was just how it was done, and some dogs were bred to be better at it.

Other dogs might not have been historically bred to be mousers or hunting dogs, but they still have some instinct to dig. Sometimes, it's because they hear or smell underground prey like moles. Other times, they smell something interesting under the surface. But these aren't the only reasons.

Another common reason is simply that the earth is cool beneath the surface. On a hot day, your dog gets overheated and wants to seek a cooler temperature to relax. They might find a shady spot in the yard to lie down, or they might seek out a puddle from last night's rainstorm.

Or, some dogs recognize that if they scrape away a layer of hot sun-heated dirt, the dirt beneath it is cooler, and they can lie down and let the ground absorb some of their heat. This is especially common with certain breeds like malamutes and huskies, who both love being cold and love being active.

And, to go back to those cartoons, the "dog burying a bone" image actually isn't as far off from reality as you might think. Dogs like to keep their valuable items safe, and while in the wild, that's usually excess food, in our house pets, it's more likely to be a chew toy or other beloved item they don't want to get stolen.

You're more likely to see this in breeds with a bit more anxiety and self-defense behaviors, where they're worried about other dogs in the house stealing what they have.

The jailbreak idea isn't too far from the truth, either. If your dog really wants to explore beyond the borders of your yard, but you have a pesky fence in the way, well, if they can't jump the fence, they can certainly try to dig a tunnel under it.

In some cases, it's not curiosity but anxiety that drives this behavior. A dog that is anxious and fearful might want to escape your yard so they can find a calmer and more isolated space.

And, hey, let's be real here. Digging holes is pretty fun. A bored dog with energy to burn can only do so much running in circles and barking at the trees before they try to find other behaviors, and those behaviors are often things like digging. This goes double if you've been gardening recently and they've seen you digging holes; they're just helping!

It's one thing to know why they're digging holes, though, and quite another to stop it. So, what can you do?

Ways to Stop Your Pup from Digging Holes

Knowing how to stop your pup from digging requires knowing what is leading them to dig in the first place and finding ways to redirect the behavior.

Keep your pup busy.

If your fur baby is bored and has excess energy they need to burn off, and they've decided digging is the way to do it, then you're going to need to find ways to spend that energy that don't involve digging.

Some of your potential options include:

• Playing fetch. Active toys engage their body and their mind, especially if you make a more complicated game out of it than just grab and return. Some dogs have endless energy and need their mind occupied more than their body, so coupling the fetch with other tricks, like getting them to hold before chasing, can be a good option.
• More walks. Especially for active breeds, you may need 2-3 walks per day, long enough to engage them and burn some energy. If you take them to frolic in a dog park, they may have more active time spent per walk and won't need as many, but it's contextual to the breed, age, and kind of activity of each walk.
• Keeping engaging toys around the yard, especially for less supervised time. Make sure they're toys that are mentally engaging and safe enough that your dog isn't going to hurt themselves by chewing on them when you're not watching them. Change out toys regularly so they don't get bored with them.

Generally, you just need to give them something to do with their boredom and nervous energy other than digging. It's not always possible without direct supervision, though.

Disincentivize digging.

There are a few options you have that can help disincentivize digging. You might notice that your pup is often digging in the same spots over and over. They also tend to like sniffing and exploring the dirt they're digging through.

A common option to try to stop this behavior is to make it unpleasant to keep digging. Some people recommend, for example, using a bit of their poo and burying it at the bottom of their holes. Then, the next time they go digging, they find their leavings.

A lot of dogs love exploring and even eating poo, but more the poo of other creatures and dogs, not their own. They generally don't like going after their own leavings, so finding it at the bottom of every hole they dig is going to become unpleasant and teach them not to dig.

If poo doesn't work, a couple of other options are lemon or cayenne. A bit of lemon juice at the bottom of the hole can be unpleasant enough that they stop digging, though it's tricky in that it won't last too long, so you need to get the timing right.

Cayenne, red pepper, or any capsaicin-containing spice can work too. It's not toxic to dogs, but it's irritating; putting a small sprinkle in the hole before you let them out will leave them reeling, unhappy with having sniffed it. Just don't use too much!

Make a dig pit and redirect the digging.

One of the best options is redirection. Digging is, as I mentioned above, a natural behavior for dogs. It's practically impossible to fully train out an instinctive behavior like that, so it's an uphill battle.

The actual best way to handle digging is to accept that digging is going to happen and just try to redirect it to a place where it won't bother anyone. A sandpit or sandbox, a corner of the yard you don't care about, wherever it is, it's a place you teach them it's okay to dig.

Then, when they dig anywhere else, redirect them to the digging place and away from your garden or the fence line or wherever else it is they're digging.

The tricky part with this kind of redirection training is that it takes a lot of direct supervision and fast reactions with rewards. Stay close to the digging area, and if they dig anywhere else, call them over. Reward them only if they dig in the digging area and not if they dig anywhere else.

You can help make this more interesting by burying treats or toys in the digging area so they have something fun to unearth and play with. If they dig anywhere else, they won't find anything rewarding, so they'll be more likely to dig in the digging area because they know they will find fun things there.

You definitely need to be consistent and intentional with this kind of training. If you have to leave them alone, either have someone else watch and train them or have some kind of very enticing toy that will hold their attention until you return. Consistency is critical for any training like this.

Try to ward off pests.

If your fur baby is digging explicitly because they hear, smell, or otherwise notice underground critters like mice and moles, no force in the universe is going to override their hunting instincts and keep them from going after their prey.

Unfortunately, there aren't too many ways you can ward off these critters. Sometimes, fencing that reaches a bit underground around your yard can help. Sometimes, certain plants or scents can keep them away. It's very hit or miss.

What you definitely shouldn't do is try to put out poison or another chemical to try to keep the smaller creatures away. Anything dangerous or deadly to a rodent is dangerous to your dog, whether they encounter it directly or they dig up and chow down on a poisoned rodent.

Try a ground cover.

If your fur baby is trying to dig under a fence or other barrier and get out of the yard, there are two ways to stop it.

The first is to figure out why they're trying to escape and remove that cause. Maybe there's something very attractive outside the fence that's harder to handle, but you may be able to collaborate with a neighbor to adjust schedules or otherwise avoid letting two dogs out at the same time. If, on the other hand, there's something in the yard they don't like, try to figure it out and remove it. You don't want to drive them away, after all.

The second is to make it unpleasant to try to dig around the base of a fence. Something like a ground-covering roll of chicken wire or chain link can make it uncomfortable and unpleasant for your fur baby to walk across and can keep them from approaching the property line to dig.

You can also use large, partially buried stones along the bottom of the fence line so they can't dig there, or even just a border barrier of something like gravel or lava rock that they'll find unpleasant both to walk on and to try to dig through. It can be a bit of a landscaping project to put these down, but once they're in, they should only require some ongoing maintenance.

Note: be very careful with chicken wire in particular. Since it's made of a thin wire that can break, rust, and be sharp, if your poor fur baby tries to walk over or dig through it, they can cut their paws. You will, generally, need to replace any chicken wire every year or two, depending on the condition, and you need to make absolutely sure the sharp ends of the wire are folded back and away from anywhere your pooch can access.

Your Ideas

Do you have any ideas on how to stop a dog from digging? Punishment is right out, of course. Never use punishment to try to train a dog; it doesn't work, and it's inhumane.

Other than that and the ideas I've mentioned above, do you have any? If so, feel free to let me know in the comments! I'd love to hear from you about your experiences with a pup that wants to live underground.

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They learn by playing with one another, they learn by watching their parents and being scolded or praised accordingly, and they learn when someone like you comes in and teaches them a behavior that otherwise might not be a natural part of their lives.

If you're fostering, raising, or adopting a new puppy, it's important to know what you can train them and when, as well as how long it's likely to take. So, what does a puppy training schedule look like?

Age 0 to 8 Weeks

From the moment they're born, puppies are learning. The trouble is, the things they're learning when they're under a week old are things like "how to breathe", "how to walk", and "how to eat", so they aren't really trainable behaviors.

At this point, they're too young to do much more than eat, sleep, grow, and gradually learn how to be living creatures. You aren't going to be training them much of anything.

In fact, if you're adopting a puppy rather than raising the puppies your current dog had, you won't even have them when they're this young. The vast majority of rescues and adoption services don't allow adoption until at least 8 weeks of age.

Age 8 to 16 Weeks

For adoption, this is the earliest you can get your puppy. Otherwise, this is the earliest you can start training them in behaviors beyond simply existing.

The first and most important thing you should be working on at this age is familiarity and comfort. Puppies learn best when they're in a safe and secure environment, so the more stress they're under, the harder it will be.

They'll need to get used to things like traffic noises, car rides, visitors, other dogs, and being handled, especially by the vet.

Tip: Many vets have special puppy visits you can schedule at this age, where they don't do any handling or invasive testing; all they do is sit with and play with the puppy, and reward them for their time. This helps train them that a trip to the vet isn't always going to be unpleasant or bad. If your vet offers these, look into having a few scheduled.

A lot of the early training you do with your puppy will be bringing them to new places, showing them new things, and helping keep them safe. That's not the only goal you have with training at this age, though.

The second goal is impulse control. This includes all of the most basic obedience commands, such as Sit, Come, and Drop It.

Some of these are to help keep the puppy safe – you don't want them running to and fro when you're waiting to cross a street, and you want to be able to get them to let go of an item they're chewing on that could be dangerous – but in general, it's all about teaching the puppy to obey you rather than their instincts.

Another bit of training to work on during this time is potty training. Potty training a new puppy is a complex task and it requires a lot of firm behavior on your part, but if you do it right, it really doesn't take very long. You can read more about the intricacies of puppy toilet habits in my guide here.

Other training you can work on during this time includes:

• Chewing and mouthing behaviors. Puppies use their mouths to explore the world around them, but you want to keep them from chewing on things they shouldn't. Two reasons for this. The first is to protect your furniture and other items from those sharp little teeth. The second is to protect your puppy from chewing on something that can harm them, like a toxic plant, a sharp item, or something they could choke on. You can't fully stop chewing, but you can redirect it to chew toys and other safe items.
• Socialization. If you've ever met a dog that gets really defensive at other dogs or other people or is scared of seemingly everything, it's likely because they were poorly socialized and have had bad experiences in the past. When they're young puppies, this is the best time to teach them that most things aren't dangerous and that you'll keep them safe.
• Leash training. Getting your puppy used to wearing a leash, even if they're mostly just pulling at it, is also important during this time. Leash training is best done in short bursts to start, potentially without even leaving the home, just getting them used to having it on and the feeling of being restricted.

A lot of the early training is just about laying the groundwork for future easy training and healthy behaviors.

Age 16 Weeks to 6 Months

At this age, you're essentially just continuing all of the things you've been teaching up to this point, and adding in the occasional more advanced version of them.

For example, a big goal of training during this time is polite play. Polite play is all about enforcing boundaries, understanding stop commands, and learning what is and isn't available for play.

Your puppy will likely be teething during some portion of this time, and that's a miserable experience, so they'll be chewing on a lot of different things; be sure not to punish them for it, just redirect it to acceptable chew toys.

House training should be going smoothly at this point. Potty training a new puppy is never an entirely smooth and easy process, but you should be able to address any issues that come up quickly and easily.

Leash training, as well, should be going smoothly. You can take them on walks with the leash now – even if it's just around the yard – and they should be learning more about how to stick close to you instead of constantly pulling in every direction to explore their boundaries.

Another bit of training to introduce and increase during this time is leaving your puppy alone. If you're too attached to your puppy, they'll never want to leave your side.

That means when you need to go to work, go to bed, visit a friend, or go shopping, your puppy is going to be anxious and miserable. Separation anxiety is also a big part of night crying. This "reverse socialization" in getting your puppy to learn how to be comfortable alone is critical.

Crate training should be ongoing as well. You'll likely have started this earlier, but dedicated crate training is its own beast, it's also part of a lot of other forms of training. Good crate training ends up being integral to a healthy lifestyle with your pup.

In your pursuit of more advanced training, your puppy will have already mastered basic commands like Sit, Stay, and Come. To layer on top of this, you'll want to get deeper into recall training. I have a whole guide on dog recall training, which you can read here, so give it a look!

Tip: If you're interested in getting into dog agility training – you know, the fancy running courses, weaving between poles, and jumping over gates – this is the time to start. Agility training isn't necessary to have a happy and well-trained dog, but it can be a good way to increase your bond with your pup, as well as give you new social outlets and exercise of your own. If you're interested in agility training, check out this post.

Any advanced training you want to do can be learned over time, as well, and you never have to go all the way. It's only in cases where you're training a dedicated service dog or other top performer that you need to be aggressive and rigid with training early on.

Age 6 to 12 Months

As your puppy gets older and more obedient, and you get better at learning how they react to various forms of engagement and praise, you can build up more advanced versions of everything we've listed.

If your dog is going to be a working dog of some form – whether it's in agility competitions, animal herding, or a service dog – you can work on more of the advanced commands and techniques they'll need to know.

A lot of your more advanced tricks and sequences of tricks can be taught during this time. A lot of the basic obedience commands can be really tested here as well, such as the sit and stay combo or the come/heel command in a place with significant distractions.

You'll also be validating their current training. Make sure recall training works while off-leash when there are distractions (like a friend with something tasty on hand) so you can trust that they'll come when called no matter what.

Missing Milestones

So, what happens if you're adopting a dog that is already older than the puppy stage, was poorly socialized, or was otherwise not treated properly during their formative months?

The answer is that you have a challenge on your hands.

Older puppies and adult dogs that have had a hard early life are going to have bad behaviors they need to be trained out of, and they are likely not going to be obedient to the common commands because they never learned them or had them reinforced.

Training an older dog is entirely possible, it just takes longer and requires more care. You need to be prepared for the challenge or leave it to someone who can dedicate themselves to it because it won't be easy. Still, older dogs deserve love, especially if they've had a hard early life, so please, if you can, take that time.

Tips for Smooth and Effective Puppy Training

Puppy training requires consistency, reward, and positive reinforcement.

One of the best tools you have at your disposal is your puppy's food. Food – and sometimes, high-value treats like bits of cheese – is one of the best ways you can motivate a puppy and reward them for their behavior.

When using food as an aid in training, make sure you're only giving it to them when they successfully do what you want them to do. If you reward them regardless, you aren't training them, you're just feeding them.

Unfortunately, there's no shortcut to training. You need to put in the time and effort, and you need to practice. You can't show a dog a trick once and assume they'll have picked it up. You need to start small and build up.

Even something like the "sit" command isn't something they'll have the self-control to do indefinitely. Teach them to sit, reward them when they do, and let them go. Gradually increase the amount of time they need to stay sitting before the reward, to build up patience. The same goes for pretty much all forms of training. Start small, start simple, and build up.

Consistency is critical, and I can't say it enough. Consistency in rewards, consistency in commands, and consistency between people. A common issue you see in puppy training is that one pet parent is on the ball and keeps track of a behavior, but the other ignores it or rewards the wrong thing, and it muddles the waters.

I've also mentioned this many times before, but don't use punishment. Dogs don't respond well to punishment and negative reinforcement. Plus, it makes them more fearful and anxious of you and of other people, and can lead to a defensive, or even aggressive, adult dog. Nobody wants that if they can help it, and it's a lot of work to undo the damage caused by punishment.

Finally, don't forget that different dogs, and even different breeds, learn different things at different paces. A working breed like an Aussie is going to have a lot more energy and be more intent on herding behaviors than a larger and lazier breed.

Some take commands very well, while others are less self-confident or more anxious. Every dog goes through the same kinds of training and experiences, but they may learn in different ways or at different paces, and you need to be able to accommodate that.

When all is said and done, though, you'll have a happy, bright-eyed, and well-trained pup to keep you company for many years to come.

So, now that we're at the end of this article, do you have any questions? As always, I'd be more than happy to help you out however I can. Be sure to leave me a comment down below, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible!

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There's one thing that pretty much all of these have in common, though. Can you guess what it is?

That's right; it's all beginner training. These are the kinds of training you do with a puppy to keep them safe, happy, and groomed. Sure, you can train older dogs that haven't been well-socialized or trained in the past, but it's still basic concepts and entry-level dog training.

What about more advanced kinds of dog training? Sure, there are all sorts of complex tricks you can teach your pup, and watching that furball go through a whole routine at your command can be pretty exciting, but that's not what I'm here for today.

Because, you see, there's a certain kind of pinnacle to dog training. Two, in fact. The peak performance of a pupper can be expressed in one of two ways.

The first is as a working dog. A great example of this is sled dogs. Sled dogs have a job to do, and make no mistake, they love doing that job. They want nothing more in life than to be inside that harness and drag a sled in tandem with their best buddies in all the world. Herding dogs, hunting dogs, and other kinds of working dogs are all the result of a lot of consistent training to do a specific kind of task, usually a task that the dog was bred to love.

The second pinnacle of a trained pup is a show dog. Dogs that compete in agility contests are some of the most well-trained, excited, lovable, and loving dogs you can find. But agility training isn't easy; there are a bunch of tricks that need to be performed in sequence (and often in a sequence that changes), and it's all about not just doing those tricks but following your lead as you guide them through those tricks.

Of course, you don't need to go all-in to competitive agility performances. Training your pup on a few agility tricks isn't very hard; it's fun to do, it's a good way to make sure they're disciplined and obedient, and it's an excellent way to tire them out. Plus, agility course props like jumping gates, tunnels, and see-saws can be pretty cheap and easy to set up, move, and store away when you don't want to use them.

Are you interested in agility training? If so, keep reading, and I'll tell you everything I know.

Is Agility Training Right for Your Dog?

Agility training often seems like an exclusive sport for dogs bred for speed, endurance, and, well, agility. You often see border collies, Aussie shepherds, and other similar breeds in competitions. And sure, that's true if you're hoping to reach a competitive level.

The truth is, pretty much any dog can even reach a competitive level in agility, though it's not exactly fair to put a chihuahua up against a mastiff in competition. It's all part of why divisions are important.

Your dog doesn't need to be an agility breed or even a pure breed. There are even special competitions just for older dogs, with lower jumps that won't put stress on their joints.

Your dog needs to be physically healthy and obedient enough to obey commands, but that's pretty much it as far as the requirements to get into the sport. Even then, those are the requirements for competing; if all you want to do is get into agility in your backyard, you can do that too, and you don't even need anything special to do it.

Consider getting into agility if:

• You want a unique and exciting way to get your dog to exercise.
• You want to give your dog a sense of purpose.
• You want to strengthen your bond with your dog.
• You want to build teamwork, trust, and communication with your dog.
• You want to open the door to social groups and friendships with other trainers.
• You want to get some exercise of your own, above and beyond simple dog walking.

Dog agility training and performance can be fun, rewarding, and exciting, and if you choose to pursue competitive-level agility, there can even be tangible rewards as well. Who doesn't like a little prize now and then?

Foundational Training for Dog Agility Training

You can't get a new puppy, so bring them to your backyard where a bunch of jumps, hoops, and tunnels are set up, and get started on agility training. There are a bunch of other commands and forms of training you need to do first.

• Basic obedience. Your dog needs to know at least the basic commands of Sit, Down, Stay, and Come. All of these are critical for managing a dog off their leash, particularly in exciting, high-pressure, and novel environments like competitive arenas or parks where other dogs and people are everywhere.
• Eye contact. You need your dog to be able to pay attention to you and nothing else because once they get distracted, it's all over.
• Crate training, especially if you're traveling to competitions and shows, since your doggo will generally need to be in their crate for a lot of the time for their own safety and that of others.

After that, you can start building up intermediate tricks and coordination activities.

One very useful trick, for example, is nose targeting. Nose targeting is a kind of focus training where you get your pup to touch their nose to your hand or to a specific target you're holding.

When you see dogs running an agility course, and their trainer is running ahead holding their hand out to guide them through obstacles, that's what they're doing; guiding their dog with the hand they want to touch.

Teaching your dog to walk backward is also a good and useful trick. It's great for bodily awareness and can help in training agility tasks if they miss something or get stuck in a tunnel and need to back up.

Tricks to Start With for Building Agility

Once your dog has a good grasp of being obedient and following your cues through various obstacles, you can train them in additional tricks that can lead up to learning the specific agility obstacles.

There are many different tricks you can try, each with their own levels of difficulty:

The most popular ones to start with are:

• Hoop jumping. Training your dog to jump through a hoop held close to the ground is a lead-in to training for tire jumps higher off the ground or when combined with other obstacles.
• Figure-8s. Training your dog to spin in circles in both directions and to weave through your legs, table legs, or other poles in a figure-8 pattern is good training for flexibility and for the pole-weaving tricks commonly seen on agility courses.
• Simple jumps. Dog agility jumping can be both through hoops and above poles and with varying heights. Jumping is a core competency for agility dogs.

All of this helps you build up towards a robust and full understanding of how to behave when faced with various obstacles on a course, in your backyard, or anywhere else in life.

Getting the Obstacles

There's one thing I haven't touched on yet, and that's the obstacles themselves. If you want to train your fur baby to run through them, you kind of need them, don't you? Well, fortunately, you can set up some pretty decent obstacles with some DIY materials or repurposed children's toys.

Before getting into specific obstacles, one thing to keep in mind is that your course should be customized for your pup. Older dogs should have lower jumps and more spacing.

Tunnels need to be big enough for your dog to get through without getting stuck. Dogs of different sizes need different scales of objectives. If everything is the wrong size, it won't be fun for either of you.

First you have the jumps. Simple gate jumps are poles with adjustable heights that your dog needs to jump and clear without knocking the pole over. Agility sets generally have at least six jumps, and often have more.

The simplest way to set up jumps is with some PVC pipe. PVC is resilient, easy to buy, cut to size, and put together like puzzle pieces with various poles and joints.

The main things to keep in mind are that they need to have adjustable heights so you can train different difficulties of jumps and that the bars need to be able to be knocked loose, both as a sign your pup didn't clear the jump and to prevent them from either knocking over the whole apparatus or hurting themselves running into it. Here's a simple example of a homemade jump gate.

The second kind of obstacle is the tunnel. Tunnels are great because they show your dog doesn't need your guiding hand every second of the course. You can also curve and bend them however you like to make simple S, C, or other bends.

Tunnels can be tricky because when a dog barrels through it at top speed, it risks tearing or breaking, especially if they slip, lose control, and tumble against the side. Fortunately, tunnels are cheap; you can get dog agility tunnels for anywhere from $25 to $250, depending on how long, how much, and what construction the tunnel has. If you're working on a budget, there are also cheaper tunnels made for children to play in that you can repurpose, at least until you've decided you're into agility enough to get more equipment.

A commonly forgotten but also useful obstacle is the pause table. These are raised platforms your dog jumps up onto and, critically, pauses for a moment. It's part of a demonstration of obedience and gives both you and your dog a chance to catch your breath for a second and refocus on the next sequence.

You really don't need much for these, just something that is sturdy enough to support your dog's weight and won't wobble or tip over when they jump up onto it.

One of the most iconic obstacles is the weave poles. They're also one of the easiest to set up; all you need are poles and ground soft enough to stick them in. Alternatively, you can build a frame with adjustable spacing to hold poles, but again, you don't even need that until you're sure you want to get deeper into agility.

How to Set Up a Course

This is where things get interesting. Putting it all together! Obviously, you want to start slow. Your dog knows the basics, but you'll want to walk them through how to put each bit together, with course markers to go around, poles to weave through, jumps to make, and so on.

How do you arrange your obstacles? At first, it really comes down to how much space you have to set them all up. There are defined course options, like the Birgitta Hermansson sequence or other more general sequences, but you really don't need to get into anything that well-defined, at least not right away.

Just put together a few obstacles, train your dog on how to recognize and go through them, and gradually work on doing it faster and in more complex ways. Change things up, slowly raise jump heights, and you'll be agility-trained in no time!

Setting Your Goals

Finally, the one remaining piece of the puzzle is goals. Broadly, you probably fall into one of three categories.

1. You just want agility tricks in your repertoire; you don't plan to take it seriously, but think it's fun to have a dog obedient enough to make it through a course you set up.
2. You want to take agility somewhat seriously and maybe participate in local clubs, but you aren't really going to compete or make it a serious hobby.
3. You want to go all-out on agility dogs and raise a champion.

Knowing your goal gives you something to work towards and, more importantly, some idea of how seriously you want to take things, how much budget you can dedicate to it, and how much time you want to spend on it.

Agility is a lot of fun, but it's important not to take it too seriously and keep it fun. Hopefully, getting into it will give you a good experience and open the doors to a whole new world of people, dogs, and tricks!

Have you ever attempted dog agility training before? If so, what was your experience like? I'd love to hear all your stories, so be sure to leave those in the comments section!

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Since most puppy parents go through this nibbling phase, I decided to put together a Q&A for the ten most common questions I see about it. If you have a question I didn't answer here, feel free to ask it in the comments! I'm always here to help.

#1: Is Puppy Biting and Nibbling Normal?

Absolutely! As I mentioned in the intro, dogs don't have hands, which is something we all know, but it can sometimes not quite sink in what that means for how they interact with the world around them. They can bark. They can sniff and smell. They can paw at and dig and scratch with their toes. But, most of the time, they're going to use their mouth. They bite things, nibble and chew on them, even suckle on them if they're deep in puppy mode. Even adult dogs do this, which is why we always give them toys to play with that involve chewing and nibbling. Whether it's rawhide, a Kong filled with peanut butter, or just a plushie they can't put down, they're going to be using their mouths to handle it.

Well, puppies are the same way. The only difference is they're still babies, so they're still learning what is and isn't acceptable. They know they have to use their mouths to interact with the world, but they don't know what does and doesn't taste good, what is and isn't allowable to chew on, what can hurt them if they bite it and it sticks or pokes at them, and so on. They'll eventually figure out some of it – and your training and reinforcement handles the rest – but it takes time.

It's also worth mentioning that some breeds are more prone to chewing and biting than others. Cattle dogs and other working dogs, for example, tend to be a little more bitey. Anxious breeds might have a bit of an oral fixation to calm their nerves as well.

#2: Can You Train a Puppy to Stop Biting?

Of course! In fact, it's right up there, along with basic commands and potty training, as something you should get to work on as soon as you can. Puppies can be receptive to training very young, and it only takes a couple of weeks of consistency to teach them a behavior that will last their lifetimes.

Here's the thing, though: you aren't teaching your puppy not to bite. I can't stress this enough: dogs need to interact with the world, and trying to prevent biting fully is going to be impossible. What you want to stop is inappropriate biting. It's one thing to nibble on a toy; it's quite another to bite at any hand coming near that toy.

Chew training is about redirecting biting to the appropriate kinds of items. Whenever you're interacting with your puppy, and they're likely to be biting, keep a toy or chew of some sort nearby and put it at their mouth when they try. Doing this consistently to redirect their behavior is almost all you need.

It's also a good idea to recognize when biting is happening because your pup is overstimulated and it's time for a nap. The more they're taking nips at you, the more likely they just need to calm down.

#3: Is Your Puppy Biting Out of Aggression?

Almost definitely not. Puppies are energetic and rambunctious and, more than anything, innocent. They may feel scared and posture to try to scare off whatever is bothering them. They might try to mimic defensive or aggressive behavior from older dogs around them. But generally, they aren't trying to be aggressive, defensive, or territorial. They're too young for all of that.

Now, this isn't always the case. Sometimes, puppies can show actual aggression, especially if they were born and raised feral and haven't been socialized before. You'll generally be able to recognize their behavior, but it's also possible that you will need to talk to a professional about it.

#4: Why is Your Puppy Suddenly Biting?

If your puppy wasn't much of a biter to begin with, but recently they have started biting more, there are a few possible reasons.

One of the biggest is because they're teething. Puppies develop their primary teeth – the needle teeth they have as babies – around three to six weeks of age. These are sharp and usually come in without much issue, and they're the sharp and painful teeth that cause problems when you're playing with young dogs. Even then, your puppy may or may not be very mouthy at this age.

When they reach around 12 weeks old, their primary teeth will start to fall out, and their permanent teeth will start to grow in. This can be an irritating and bothersome process, and your puppy might seek things to chew on simply to have something to alleviate that discomfort.

It's also occasionally possible that they're suffering some other medical ailment that is causing them pain and aggravation, which is, in turn, driving them to seek some kind of stimulus to distract or alleviate. They might also nip and snap at you out of an instinctual defensiveness. In these cases, you'll need to bring them in for a checkup to see what might be causing problems.

#5: Does Yelping When Bitten Help?

This one is a tricky question. A common piece of advice for when your puppy bites you is to make a yelping noise and pull back. Supposedly, this teaches your puppy that what they did hurt you, and since puppies are empathetic and social creatures, they don't want to do something that hurts you, and they learn that it's a bad thing to do.

The trouble is, not all puppies interpret it the same way, and a lot of it depends on the context around the noise you make. Some puppies can recognize your yelp as a cry of pain and will stop. Others might interpret it in the same way they would a squeaky toy: an interesting, compelling, and fun noise that actually encourages more biting.

As with most dog training, what you actually want to do is pick a denial word. Even something as simple as "no" or "stop" is enough, and it works doubly well if you're already using that word to disincentivize other behaviors.

Part of the trick with this kind of training, though, is that you have to actually remove yourself from the situation so they can't just ignore you and keep biting. Whether that means putting them in a pen, behind a gate, or on the other side of a door, you're just clearly signaling that playtime is over because they bit.

#6: What Kinds of Toys are Appropriate to Redirect Biting?

Part of training a behavior you can't stop, like biting, is to redirect it to something that it's acceptable to bite. So, what kinds of toys are acceptable, and what aren't?

Avoid anything that is too hard and could break teeth, anything that doesn't bend or flex when bitten, or anything that can break into sharp edges or shards. Unfortunately, since this encompasses practically everything, you're going to have to maintain supervision. Many dog toys and chews are edible and soft, but sufficiently large bites can still cause blockages and problems. Other chews may be resilient but can be a choking hazard once your pup reaches a large enough size. Talk to your vet about what they recommend, as well.

The biggest risks of an inappropriate toy are accidental swallowing, leading to blockages in the throat (that suffocate), blockages of the bowel (leading to impaction and surgery), or perforation. All of these are obviously terrible, so be careful to watch what your puppy is chewing on, no matter how safe it claims to be.

#7: Do You Even Really Need to Train Away Biting?

This is a bit of a contentious question. As I said above, chewing and biting is how a dog learns and interacts with the world, so you can't get rid of the behavior entirely. It's just the inappropriate and excessive biting that causes problems. But here's the thing: most of the time, that's a teething thing, just a phase they go through when their mouth is changing and they're irritated. In a lot of cases, you might even think your training is working, but it just coincides with them aging out of that phase.

Training is necessary when a puppy is excessively biting everything, but otherwise, it's often not as important as other kinds of behaviors.

#8: What Other Options Are There?

If you've tried the stern commands, the walking away, and the waiting it out, and nothing seems to work, what can you try when all else has failed?

One of the biggest revelations of puppy behavior is that, much like human children, puppies don't know how to regulate themselves and their emotions. When they're tired, cranky, overstimulated, exhausted, or they want something, they have a feeling, but they can't necessarily recognize what that feeling is or how to express it in a way that gets what they want. Biting is one of their only means of expressing themselves.

So, consider. What have you been doing, and what does your puppy need? Are they hungry or thirsty? Are they cooped up and energetic and need some outlet? Are they overstimulated and need to settle down for a nap? Sometimes, the best thing you can do is put them in a dark room where they can curl up for a nap and let them doze off.

#9: Is There Anything to Know in Multi-Person Households?

There sure is! One of the biggest challenges with training a dog is consistency. You're looking to reinforce behaviors with rewards, but to do that, you need vigilance and consistency across the board. If you are encouraging a particular behavior – or rewarding not performing a behavior, like biting – and another member of your family is just letting it go, it becomes an inconsistent and ineffectual training method.

Mixed messages make it much harder to effectively train any behavior, whether it's potty training, a trick, or anything else.

It can be difficult to get children to play along, but the worst is when another adult is subverting your control and training. Everyone in the household needs to be on the same page. Otherwise, you're going to end up with a troubled and difficult-to-control dog as they get older.

#10: What's the Most Important Advice for Puppy Biting?

Everything is contextual. Every puppy is different. Some breeds have predilections for biting, while others are calmer and won't nibble as much. Some are much more energetic and prone to all manner of such behaviors, while others are more content to nap in between play sessions.

It's important to learn what your puppy's attitude is and how they respond to different kinds of stimuli and training. Sometimes, the tips you find online work perfectly, and sometimes, your puppy ignores them. Finding what works for you and your pooch is a big part of training, and learning what most motivates your puppy will help throughout their life.

As always, though, make sure you're never physically punishing your puppy for biting or other behaviors. Physical discipline doesn't work and creates a less social, more aggressive dog.

There you have it! Ten of the most common questions I've heard – or ways to answer them anyway. If you have any other questions, feel free to let me know! You can also check the rest of this blog for a lot more dog and puppy advice, cat advice, and more. And, if you need toys, brushes, or treats or are interested in my eBook on dog training and grooming, by all means, check out my store! There's something in there for every pet parent.

There's a whole range of training, too. Some people train their fur babies for the bare minimum – the commands like sit, heel, come, and stay – so they can keep control over their unruly pup and maybe give them a few tricks they can perform.

Other people have very well-trained doggos who faithfully stay at the side of their designated pet parent, seemingly unconcerned with the cool smells, squirrels to chase, or distractions in the world around them. We think of these pups as well-trained, but even they aren't as trained as they could be.

The extreme end of training is service dogs. Whether they're the local K-9 unit, trained to sniff out drugs and catch bad guys, or they're disability service dogs who can do everything from fetch a beverage to perform specific kinds of first aid. It's crazy what you can teach a dog with some dedicated effort and training!

If you want your fur baby to be able to do just about everything short of holding down a paying job, it's all about the training. Training requires consistency, a keen understanding of how dogs work and what their reward system encourages, and patience. It also helps to start when they're young, but you can keep adding more commands over time. You can actually teach an old(er) dog new tricks if you do it right.

So, let's talk about the 20 best commands you can teach your pup. This encompasses everything from the most basic, common commands to more complex and nuanced commands, but once you have the full roster down, you'll have a dog that is better-behaved and more capable than a lot of people you and I know.

Before we dig in, though, I'll note that these are commands, not necessarily generalized behaviors. As such, things like training your dog to let you clip their nails aren't on the list because they are not commands. What are commands? Let's get started.

1: Come!

One of the most important commands to teach a dog, and often one of the first you teach them, is how to come when you call them.

This is such an important behavior that it's the foundation of recall training, and I wrote a whole guide on just this one command. You can read that guide to dog recall training here.

2: Sit!

Sit is an essential command that ensures your pup can stay in one place calmly enough to avoid being a disruption while keeping themselves planted on the floor.

It's a good way to keep them from jumping up or onto people, and it's useful in a ton of different situations. Here's how to teach it.

3: Stay!

Teaching a dog to stay where they are is one of the most important commands you can teach.

It keeps them out of trouble while you do something they shouldn't be part of, whether that's stepping into the bathroom, waiting to cross the road, or just testing their self-control before giving them a reward.

4: Potty

Potty training is important for every pooch, but relatively few people actually teach a potty command.

I recommend it, though; it can be a good way to make the distinction between "we're going out for a walk" and "we're going out for potty," which can be a pretty significant difference, especially when you're waking up at three in the morning to deal with your pooch.

5: Lay Down

Often, "lay down" is the follow-up command for sitting, and it's a way to get your dog to get themselves comfortable where they are. It also often forms part of a trick chain, where you get them to sit, lay down, roll over, shake, speak, and more, all to show off how well-behaved they are.

Laying down is relatively easy to teach, though getting them to stay laid down is another matter.

6: Drop It!

Dogs investigate the world around them with their faces. Since they don't have hands, there are only so many ways they can interact with an object, and the most common is with their mouth. That's why they chew on pretty much anything, after all.

Well, if you want to keep them from chewing on something valuable or important – or, critically, something potentially harmful to them – teaching them to drop it is critical.

7: Go To Bed

The "go to bed" command can be a very useful one, and not just for the evening when you want to go to sleep. It's also a good way to get your fur baby to settle in when you and the family are having a meal, or when a guest comes over and you want your pooch out of the way until they're settled in.

It's part of crate training and definitely something you should teach.

8: Find Your X

Sure, an entire breed is called the "retriever," but that doesn't mean retrieval is limited just to our dopey goldens.

Retrieving an item can be useful for any number of circumstances, such as:

• Grabbing a toy or pillow to present to a guest to keep them calmer.
• Grabbing a specific toy to play with.
• Grabbing designated household items as part of service training.

The key is to make sure every distinct item you want them to get has a specific name they can attach to it in their adorable doggy minds.

9: Heel

Heel is another very important command when you and your fur baby are out on the town. The goal isn't just to get them to come to you but to keep them at your side as you walk.

A well-trained pooch sticking to their parents' side while they walk, even without a leash, can be impressive to witness. Fortunately, it's just like any other trick and isn't all that hard to train.

10: Down

Some dogs are extremely excitable and love to hop or stand up, especially if they're trying to get a closer look and closer sniff of whatever it is you have in your hands. Or maybe they just love you and want to lick your face, but your face is all the way up there and they're down here and just let me up!!!

Many people don't enjoy being jumped on, though, so teaching your furry child to stay down is always a good option.

11: Leave It

Similar to "drop it," "leave it" is the command you give to your pooch when you see them about to get into trouble.

Whether they're about to try to steal another dog's toy, take a nibble of that delightful roadkill, or just pick up a big gross stick you don't want them carrying around, getting them to leave it alone is a great command to teach.

12: Paw

Another great command you should teach your fur baby is to hand you their paws. It's sort of like "shake," except that instead of just being a parlor trick, it's a useful command for grooming.

You need to check paw health and trim nails, and if you have to fight your pooch to do it, it's going to be worse for everyone involved.

13: Speak

Interestingly, a lot of the time we pet parents try to teach our pooches not to bark. So, teaching them to speak on command seems like it runs counter to the plan, right?

Well, it actually works together with keeping quiet. You can even teach them different volumes of barking for different commands, like whispering. Sadly, no matter how much you try, you aren't going to be able to teach them English words; they still only speak their native canine!

14: Hush

Dogs bark all the time for just about anything. Teaching them to bark on command doesn't necessarily teach them not to bark at other times. That's a whole other process and one I've written about before.

The goal of teaching a hush or quiet command is to try to get your fur baby to be quiet when their barking is otherwise disruptive. They still might let out some boofs when they see a squirrel they'd love to chase or an unexpected visitor shows up at the door, but

15: Under

Unlike the tricks above, Under is a service dog command. It's not one you're likely to be using in casual life with a dog, but if you have a service dog that accompanies you when you're out shopping, going to restaurants, or otherwise engaging with the world around you, it can be very useful. The main use is to instruct your fur baby to position themselves under something, usually the chair you're sitting in, so they're out of the way and as minimally disruptive as possible. Unfortunately, despite society allowing and normalizing service dogs, plenty of people still find them disruptive even when they aren't.

Your pooch doesn't need to be a service dog to learn service dog commands, though, so if you find that this behavior would be useful to train, there's no reason not to give it a shot!

16: Find Todd

Another potentially useful command is teaching your dog to go to another member of the household. Maybe it's "go find daddy" or "go find mommy," or maybe it's a more robust list of people you know that you can teach them to find.

You can even accompany this with another command to get them to bring an object to someone else. It's a more complex command, though, so you'll likely want to teach this one after a lot of the rest on this list are already learned.

17: Open

This is perhaps one of the riskiest commands you can teach a dog. It's essential for service dogs, but if your dog isn't extremely well-behaved, it can be very dangerous.

Open is the command you teach to get your dog to open a door. It's usually accompanied by special tools to help your pooch open a door, and it's a very useful service command if your hands are full or you have trouble opening doors on your own, but left to their own devices, a dog with freedom of movement can be risky.

18: Back Up

Another potentially useful command is to train your dog to walk backward.

Taking a few steps back is useful for a bunch of different situations, including keeping your pooch away from something dangerous, from another dog, or from a person who is afraid of dogs. Teaching them to walk longer distances backward, meanwhile, is a fancy trick you can use to show off.

19: Sit Pretty

Sitting pretty is another word for beg and is just an advanced form of sitting.

You're not actually teaching your dog to beg – they're more than happy to do that without training – but it's a fun display command.

20: Car

Car can be a useful command to get your doggo to hop up into the car when it's time to go somewhere, like to the park or to the vet.

It's tricky, though; you need to use it all the time and avoid poisoning the command by only using it when you're taking them somewhere unpleasant. You may also have a unique command specifically for longer car trips where they'll be chilling in the back seat for a long time.

21: Post It

Did you know that with a little dedication, you can teach your dog to write whole blog posts? It's true!

Well, okay, it's not actually true. As much as I love my fur babies, their command over the written word leaves much to be desired. Kind of everything to be desired, actually. They can't even write their own names. Wouldn't it be cool if they could?

On that note, there are tons of different commands and variations you can teach, and dedicated service or working dogs have specialized commands as well. You really can teach a dog just about any behavior, as long as you find a way to reward them for doing it in a way that associates the behavior with both a command and a reward.

What are your favorite dog commands? Have you taught any of your fur babies anything particularly unique or useful that I didn't cover here? If so, tell me all about it in the comments below! There's nothing I love more than hearing the stories of adorable fur babies and their antics.

Among the many different kinds of vocalizations a dog can make is the growl. Growls aren't necessarily all bad, but they can be off-putting and, for many people, enough to warn them away. A growling dog could be a dangerous dog, and for anyone who doesn't know how to listen to their language, there's no real difference between growls. And, for that matter, sometimes the difference is in the body language that accompanies the growl.

If you have an unruly or poorly socialized puppy, or you're trying to help reign in a lost or stray dog, or you're just concerned about a neighbor's pooch that doesn't seem to like anyone, knowing what those growls mean can be very important. There are eight main kinds of growls a dog can make, so let's go through them.

The "I'm Scared" Growl

First up is one of the more common growls, particularly if you're dealing with a stray dog or a dog that has been abused or neglected. These growls are long, low, rumbling growls made with a closed mouth. The pooch in question won't be having a good time, that's for sure. When a dog is scared, most of the time, their first instinct is to run and hide. But, when you're trying to contain a dog that keeps escaping or has been lost for who knows how long, you're going to try to corner it, and that's when this kind of growl shows up.

Dogs with fearful growls are warning you that they're uncomfortable and scared and hoping that the growl will warn you off and keep you away. They may escalate to other, more aggressive kinds of growls if you approach them. This can include snapping, barking, and more angry growls, depending on the dog.

Body language is important here as well. A dog making this kind of growl is probably also cowering, presenting their side, hunched over, and maybe even shaking. They'll keep their mouth closed and might be afraid to make eye contact as well. They're trying to keep the situation from escalating, but as a cornered animal, they don't have many options, so they're avoiding the things dogs use as threat displays, like bared teeth and staring.

Sometimes, your doggo might make these kinds of growls when they're leashed up, and you're bringing them into a new situation. Dogs with anxiety and self-confidence issues tend to feel cornered when they're on a leash and are confronted with whatever is scaring them, be it a vet, a stranger, another dog, or something else.

The "I'm Angry" Growl

Angry growls are the most terrifying growls a dog can make. They're not just a noise; they're a threat. Anything that persists in approaching them or their territory is liable to be in for a world of hurt. These kinds of growls trigger something primal, even in us, and they hearken back to the primordial period when the only thing standing between that angry, hungry wolf and your tender flesh might be a campfire.

Angry growls are also fairly familiar to all of us because they're the growls you hear dubbed over wolves and angry, mean dogs in all kinds of movies and TV shows. They're a sign of an aggressive animal ready to lunge and attack.

In a way, anger growls are similar to scared growls. They're long and low and rumbly. The difference is that a dog making these noises is not cowering, hiding, or trying to run. A dog making these growls is standing its ground, preparing to lunge, or straining against a leash. The growls may be interspersed with sharp barks. In terms of body language, the dog is tense, aimed at you, and baring their teeth in a clear threat display.

No matter how much you love animals, and no matter how much you're used to animals loving you, a dog making these kinds of noises is a threat. Keep yourself safe, don't approach, and if necessary, put a barrier between you and the dog, and call a professional to handle the situation if it's the kind of situation that needs handling.

The Anxious and Defensive Growl

This growl is best summed up with a demonstration, helpfully provided by NatGeo here. This growl is a combination of two things: anxiety and defensiveness. In the case of the example above, the dog is not anxious and defensive itself. Rather, as a faithful companion of his parent, he's feeling her nervousness and reacting to anything nearby in a defensive manner. He's anxious, yes, for her, not for himself.

You can see it in the way the barks and growls aren't really aggressive or angry, like an anger growl, but the dog himself isn't cowering and trying to hide the way he might be if he was truly scared. It's all based on the energy of his pet parent, and that's why even a brief demonstration in a two-minute video shows how a change in demeanor can change the attitude.

Of course, not all dogs with anxiety growls are going to be so easily placated. Many times, an anxious dog is anxious about a lot of different things. They might be anxious because you moved the space their crate was in. They might be anxious because your hours have changed or you got hurt. They might be anxious because they're in a strange location when you travel, or because you changed their food, or because a neighbor moved in and they have a new dog, and while the two have never met, they can smell each other.

Anxious growls are usually short, and while they're low-pitched, they're more like growly barks than longer growls. It's kind of a cross between growling and barking and is often accompanied by bodily flailing; your pooch isn't really sure what is making them uncomfortable, just that something is, and the growl-barks make it feel a little better, if only for a moment.

The Frustration Growl

If an anxiety growl is a growl at the world for the injustices it heaps upon us, a frustration growl is the same thing, directed at the source of that injustice.

Frustration growls are one of the most common kinds of growls and vocalizations a dog will make. You probably hear them all the time, and they're always directed at something. Maybe you gave them a puzzle feeder, and they can't get the last few kibbles out, so they're growling at it. Maybe they're trying to make themselves comfortable, but the corner of the pillow keeps popping back up, so they growl at it. Maybe you've been playing fetch for an hour, and you're getting tired and stopping tossing the ball, so they growl at it and you because obviously they can't throw it themselves.

Frustration growling is almost in the same vein as an anger growl, but even your dog knows how unreasonable it would be to get angry and growl at an inanimate object. It'd be ridiculous! Frustration growls are two things: an expression of emotion that makes them feel a little better and an indication that they have a problem they can't solve themselves.

Unfortunately, frustration growls are often rewarded; when your pooch is growling in frustration at some problem, there's a decent chance you'll notice and solve the problem. In their fuzzy little minds, they'll associate problem-solving with growling.

Unfortunately, this kind of growling can be a problem; if your pooch growls like this in public, other people or other dogs might misunderstand why they're growling. This can set off a chain reaction of, well, reactions and can even lead to conflicts, though often those conflicts don't last too long.

Play Growling

While frustration growling is very common, the actual most common growl you're likely to hear out of an otherwise well-behaved pup is play growling. Play growling comes up between dogs playing with one another and dogs playing with you. If you've ever grabbed one end of a knotted rope and played a rousing game of tug-of-war with your pooch, you've almost definitely heard play growling.

Play growling is definitely playing, and it's hard to misconstrue it. It can include bared teeth, posturing, and almost aggressive-seeming displays, but it's also accompanied by happy body language and posture, perky ears, a wagging tail, and none of the signs of real aggression.

These growls are also more like grunts and, sometimes, even just like ragged breathing. Different dogs have different kinds of play growls, too. It's usually higher pitched and can stray almost into whines or barks and chuffs, and it's breathy as well.

Growls of this kind are messages as well. If you're playing with your pooch and they bow down, front low and rear high, making a brief growl while they look up at you, they're asking for a chase, a mock attack, some kind of play.

In rare instances, play can go too far, and playful growls turn into more defensive or aggressive growls. This can happen particularly between dogs playing with one another when they otherwise don't know each other. Different dogs have different kinds of socialization, and if they aren't trained to recognize the same signs in the same way, they can misinterpret the noises they're making. Fortunately, this rarely leads to significant scuffles; our puppers are smart, and they figure things out.

Pained Growling

Growling can also be an expression of pain. If a dog hurts itself or is trapped in some way, they'll make one heck of a ruckus, barking and growling and snarling and generally lashing out. Sometimes, if they're being attacked by another dog or a predator, that can drive them away. Other times, it calls in a nearby human for aid. And sometimes, if it's a pain they can't handle, like a broken leg trapped under a heavy object or caught in a hole, the growling is more of a visceral reaction.

The most obvious sign of this kind of growling is everything else. An injured dog, a dog in pain, is going to be yelping and barking and growling, and it ends up pretty obvious.

In less obvious cases, or in cases where the pain is milder but triggered by touch, the dog might only growl when the affected area is touched. For example, a dog with an injured leg might be fine if you scratch their ears, but if you pet too close to the leg, they'll growl at you for it.

The "That's Mine" Growl

Territorial and possessive growling is growling used as a kind of defensiveness behavior. You've probably seen those funny videos of a dog sitting with a paw on a bone or with a treat in front of them, where they growl if you reach for it. Sometimes it's more playful, sometimes it's more threatening, but either way, it's all because of the same instinct to defend.

This is actually somewhat similar to the anxiety and defensiveness growls mentioned above but tends to apply to specific areas, rooms, people, or objects the dog loves the most.

The Happy Growl

Also known as the purr, this kind of growl is a noise a dog makes when they're happy and experiencing pleasure. If you've ever managed to scratch that itch just right and your pooch is in absolute doggy bliss, the noise they make might sound a little like a cross between a growl and a cat's purr, and that's what this is. It's about as far away from any sort of aggressiveness as you can imagine, and if you hear it, you know you're doing something right.

So, that's it! The eight different kinds of dog growls, all here in one place. So tell me, what growls does your fur baby make? Do you have any fun or funny stories? Or others, the stories of an irate stray you properly read and were able to wrangle? Whatever the case, let me know! I love to hear your stories.

The reality is that while the use of crates can be inhumane, it's all in how you use them. Properly training a puppy to make use of a crate is a huge step towards having a well-behaved and obedient pup. You just need to do it right and avoid the pitfalls that make a crate more of a punishment than a home.

Dog Crate Training Basics: What You Need to Know

One of the biggest factors in how well you can use a crate, how well your doggo can get used to it, and how humane it is comes down to having a crate of the right size. Far too often, people buy a crate that fits a given range of dog, but don't account for comfort, or don't account for their puppy growing larger as they get older. Sometimes, people even buy crates to fit in a particular place in a room rather than a crate sized for their dog.

How do you make sure your dog crate is the right size for your pooch?

• They should be able to fit in and out through the door easily without having to contort, crouch, or otherwise squeeze into it.
• They should be able to stand up easily inside the crate; it should not restrict their ability to stand comfortably.
• They should be able to turn around easily inside the crate.
• They should be able to sit comfortably in the crate with at least two inches of clearance over their heads so they aren't forced to duck awkwardly.
• When they lie down, including lying on their side, they should have plenty of room to sprawl out.

Basically, the crate should never restrict or compress them. This is easy for small dogs, but larger breeds – and particularly the giant breeds – are going to be a lot more difficult to find a properly sized crate for them.

At the same time, the crate can't be too big. If it's so big that they can wander around it almost as freely as if they were loose in the room, it leaves them room for things like potty accidents. If your pup can find a corner to go in, then curl up comfortably in the opposite corner and not feel too enclosed with their leavings, it isn't a disincentive to using that corner to go, and that's unpleasant for everyone involved.

You can find general ideas of what size of crate you should get, based on the measurements and breed of your pupper, on resource guides like this one from PetMD. Some of the odder sizes for dog crates are probably going to be harder to find locally, and you may need to order them.

What about a growing pooch? Puppies go from tiny potatoes to full-size dogs in a relatively short amount of time, but to properly size a crate for them at each stage of their growth means buying a new crate every other month! The solution here is a removable divider, which many dog crate brands offer as an accessory. You buy a crate sized for your dog's full expected size and divide it down to be smaller while they're still young. If your crate doesn't have dividers that fit, you can stuff part of the crate with bedding and pillows to effectively make the crate smaller.

Some dogs prefer enclosed crates, while others want to be able to see and breathe freely. Most dog crates are a simple coated wire that is strong and durable enough to be secure but safe for a dog that paws and chews at the wires. If they need to be enclosed, a crate cover is a great option. Fully enclosed doghouse-style crates are harder to clean and manage and don't generally collapse for storage or travel as well.

Crate Training and Canine Psychology

A lot of people feel like a dog crate is a prison for dogs and should only be used as a punishment or containment for unruly dogs. If that's the situation you've reached, you've failed with crate training, and there's no easier way to phrase it.

A crate, with proper training, is a safe haven. It's a comfortable bed and a place to lounge, a place to sleep, and a place to hang out when company is over. Some dogs are excitable and can't help but jump up, but if they're well-trained and can go lay down in their crate, you can keep them there while company is over and the initial excitement dies down.

The crate is not a punishment. The crate is not containment. The crate is a safe haven, a comfort zone, and even a place to go to calm down anxiety. A well-trained dog will use a crate much the same way you might use your bedroom or bathroom when you need to de-stress from an over-stimulating situation.

A huge part of your goal with crate training, whether you're focusing on a new puppy or trying to crate-break an older dog, is to build a positive association with the crate. If you're at all familiar with other forms of dog training, you know the number one thing to do to build this association is to use treats. I'll go into more on how to do that in a moment.

You'll also need to associate the crate with relaxation and even sleep. The crate is where their bed is and where they sleep at night. It's where they relax during the day. Don't try to put them in the crate when they're excited and playing because they'll just want to come back out and keep playing, that sort of thing. It's all about the mindset.

How long will crate training take? It depends. Generally, you should be prepared for around six months of consistent effort before you can confidently say your dog is trained to their crate. Young puppies can learn a little faster, especially if they haven't had time to build up bad habits, and you're working on other forms of training as well. Conversely, older dogs or dogs with a learned aversion to crates from past abuse will take much longer.

Don't leave your dog in their crate for too long. For young puppies, that might mean no more than 3-4 hours at a time; for older dogs, it means no more than six or eight. When your dog is old enough, you might not need to close them in at all, but when they're still being trained, closing the door is an important part of ensuring compliance. But, if you leave them closed up too long, they might get anxious or need to go potty, and that causes problems.

Don't forget to train your humans, too. When you've properly trained your dog to treat the crate as a safe space they can go to be calm and cozy, it's important that it's treated that way by the people in your home as well. No one – other adults, kids, or otherwise – should try to engage the dog when they're in their crate. Make sure everyone respects the training!

Building a Dog Crate Training Routine

Now, let's get down to the details. What does the actual training process look like?

Start with introductions.

The first step is to introduce your dog to the crate. This is a new large object you've put in your home, and while a young puppy might not see anything odd about yet another new experience in their life, an older dog might be skeptical.

Generally, you want to put the crate somewhere you and your family spend a lot of time so it's a comfortable and familiar place for them. Put something soft, like a blanket or a dog bed, in the crate, and keep the door off; you aren't going to be closing them in there one way or the other, and you don't want them to accidentally do it to themselves.

Let your dog explore the crate at their leisure, sniffing it and looking it over. Some dogs will take to it immediately and find it a good place to sleep; others will avoid it. For the avoidant dogs, bring them to it and encourage them with happy talk and praise.

For further encouragement, use small treats your pup likes. Start by dropping a couple near the crate, and once they're used to it, put some near and just inside the entrance. If they refuse to go in, keep at it; once they do, you can put treats further in. Eventually, your pup should be more comfortable going all the way in the crate for their treats.

Keep this up until your dog is comfortable going inside the crate (with the door secured open or removed entirely). This might take a few minutes or a few days, depending on how avoidant your fur baby is.

During this process, you can add voice cues you want for in and out of the crate. Something as simple as a "crate" for stepping in can be good enough. Just pick a distinct phrase you will use for this purpose and unlikely for others.

Mealtime in the crate.

Once your pooch is more willing to at least step inside the crate, if not get all the way in, you can up the ante by feeding them their meals in the crate. If they won't go all the way in, put their food bowl just far enough inside that they can reach it at about their limit of comfort. If they're willing to go all-in, put it in the back of the crate for them. They'll be more comfortable getting inside and distracted by food.

Your goal here is that once they're comfortable eating inside the crate, you start closing the door behind them. Start by just closing it for a minute while they eat, opening it once they're done eating. For each meal, keep it closed for a little bit longer. Your goal is to reach about ten minutes after they're done eating with the door closed.

Keep an eye on their behavior. If they're anxious, fearful, or whine to get out, you may be trying to go too long, too soon. You want them to be comfortable, not anxious about being trapped.

Extend the timer.

Now, your goal is to extend the timer for them being in the crate and come up with times when you can put them in the crate without a meal as the main driver.

For example, you might give them the cue to enter and encourage them to step inside, give them a treat, and close the door. Then, just sit there with them, being a comforting presence but trying not to rile them up for 5-10 minutes.

Over time, you'll add other steps, like stepping outside of the room for 5-10 minutes while they're in the crate. Your goal is to teach them that the crate is a safe space; they'll be let out, but you won't always be there to comfort them while they're in it. This is how you can train them to be in their crate while you're asleep at night or when you're at work during the day. Expand this to errands and other reasons why you need to leave them unsupervised.

Nighttime is the hardest part. Combined with potty training for a new puppy, you'll probably need to get up and let them out periodically. Once they're old enough for full bowel control, though, a full overnight can be achieved.

Specific Schedules for Crate Training

It's difficult to pin down a specific schedule because dogs of different ages, breeds, and attitudes will all respond to crates and training differently. You can find schedules online – this one from Care is a good example – but keep in mind that your dog very likely won't adhere to it.

They learn at their own pace, and your job isn't to enforce a specific schedule; it's to respond to their attitudes and behaviors appropriately. When done right, you'll have a well-trained dog that is comfortable with their crate! It just might take a little time, that's all.

Have you ever established a crate training routine for your dog? If so, what was your experience like? Did your canine companion take to it well, or was it a bit of a challenge? Let me know in the comments section! I love hearing about all your stories and experiences!

Let's consider a scenario. You have a happy household with a pair of rambunctious dogs. You love every minute with these furballs, all the ups and all the downs, and you've never really thought about adding more to your household.

Then, one day, you're out doing some yard work, and you hear a plaintive cry from the bushes. A single, cartoonishly long, high-pitched whine. Then, from out of the leaf litter and debris comes a cat. She's clearly young, a runt maybe, and she's not doing well. One eye is a little crusty, her fur is matted, and she's all skin and bones.

You can't just leave her there, right? Of course not. This cat, who has been through so much, nevertheless worked up the courage to come into your life and ask you for help. Despite her ills, she's purring as she rubs your legs.

So, obviously, of course, you bring this poor creature to your vet. You get her cleaned up, fed, checked for a chip (none, of course), and vaccinated. Now you're just left with one big issue:

What will the doggos think?

Alright, so this is a bit of an emergency situation. You don't have a lot of time to prepare, but you can still introduce a cat to your dog-first household without too much issue. With a little care, attention, training, and watchfulness, you can introduce a cat to a dog family and end up with a happy family in no time.

Set Up a Safe Room

The first thing you need to know is that there's essentially zero chance that this is going to go well if you just put the cat in your living room and let things sort themselves out.

Cats and dogs have different kinds of body language, different ways of interacting with one another, and different kinds of signs to back off. They don't necessarily understand one another, and one creature's curious investigation might be coming on a little too strong.

It's also important to remember that our animals have much better senses of smell, taste, and hearing than we do. That's why our dogs can get up and bark at the sounds of a raccoon in the yard in the middle of the night or why they can smell that one gross pile of garbage half a mile away and make a beeline for it when you let them out of your sight.

So, here's what you do. Your dogs have the run of the house, but you need to pick a room to designate as your cat safe room. This should be a place with a door that closes and that your dogs can't open (and yes, some of those little Houdinis can get into all sorts of places they shouldn't, so you need this to be secure.) A baby gate won't do the trick. At most, you want the barest gap under the door.

Before you bring the cat into your home, pull your dogs aside and put them in, oh, anywhere. A garage, a closet, another bedroom, the basement; the point is, somewhere they aren't going to be at your feet and trying to investigate the now-terrified cat in your arms.

You can let your dogs back out in a few minutes. You just want to bring the cat to the safe room without your dogs catching sight of her – and without her seeing the dogs. They'll definitely know one another are there, from the scents and the sounds, but keep sight out of the picture for now.

Make sure the cat safe room has everything your cat will need.

• A cozy spot to hide.
• A litter box.
• Food and water bowls.
• A bed and bedding with several blankets or other objects.
• A toy or two.

You're going to be spending some time in this room, both helping the cat feel more comfortable and making sure your dogs don't bother her too much.

You will be keeping your animals out of sight of one another for at least three days, and more likely closer to a week. Remember, cats are creatures of habit, and you've massively disrupted the habits of this poor suffering stray (or, you know, a fresh new adoption you found, or a friend's cat they can no longer care for, or whatever.) Your goal is to shrink her world to something she can feel safe in, something she can control. If you just let her have the run of the house, there's a decent chance she'll bolt out the door the first chance she gets.

Exchange Scents

Now, you're going to be spending time with both the cat and the dogs, but that's not really enough of what you need here. This is where the bedding comes in. Your goal is to get both creatures used to each others' scents.

So, after a day or two of using the bedding, take one or two of the blankets from the cat safe room and put them out in the wider house for the dogs to explore and investigate. At the same time, bring something from the dogs – a stray toy, a blanket, a pillow – and put it in the cat's safe room. Make sure the cat still has their own bedding to use, and don't put the dog's object in the cat's safe space; just make it part of the room.

Open the Door

Once the cat is a little more used to this situation and is doing less hiding and more exploration, you can move on to the next phase of introduction. Your next step is visual introductions. You need the safe room to still be a safe space, but you want to introduce the animals to each other visually. A baby gate is usually ideal, but if you have dogs that are likely to try to jump it or push past it, you'll need to keep them close and supervised.

Basically, your goal is to let the animals see each other. They already know each other by scent, but now they can "put a face to the name," so to speak. Unless all parties are very friendly and used to other animals, chances are there's going to be a good amount of anxiety and staring.

This is one of the primary differences in body language and why cats and dogs sometimes don't seem to get along. In cat language, staring is a challenge. The "slow blink" and look away works on cats because it's the body language they use when they're comfortable with one another. Dogs, meanwhile, are just curious and will stare at that cat like there's no tomorrow. Your dogs don't mean anything by it – certainly not a challenge – but it will probably make the cat wary and uncomfortable.

This is why supervision is important. Make sure the two are still separate but can see each other. If there's hissing and barking, try to calm your dogs or end the session and try again in another day or so.

Explore the Floor

Once the critters are more accepting of each others' presence, it's time to let the cat explore more of your home. After all, it's going to be her home, too, right?

You want to set aside some time, like half an hour, for the cat to explore. Close off some of the trickier rooms or places where she could get into trouble (for example, if you have a basement with crawl space access, just keep the basement door closed.)

What do you do with the doggos during this time? Put them somewhere else. You can close them in a different room (not the cat's safe room), or you can put them outside if you have a yard, or even have a friend or partner take them for a nice long walk. This is the cat's introduction to the house, not to the dogs.

You'll probably want to do this a couple of times, and when the cat seems to have had enough, bring them back to the safe room and bring the dogs back in. Remember, this can be a long process, particularly if your furry children don't quite know how to get along yet.

Full Introductions

At this point, your cat is very likely hoping to get out of that tiny enclosed space and is much more willing to brave the presence of dogs to explore. Meanwhile, your dogs are still excited and curious, but they aren't going ape trying to get a glimpse of this elusive feline.

Basically, you want to leash up your pups and keep them at your side, but arm yourself with a bag of treats. Meanwhile, let the cat out of her safe room and let her roam. She's going to explore, but this time, the dogs are there to watch.

This is where training on the part of your doggos comes in very important. If they aren't very well-behaved, this is going to be a long and tricky process. If they're obedient, though, you can sit them by your side and let them watch as she explores. Reward them when they relax and look away, and if they get a little too curious and start to get up and go, sit them back down.

Now, you're just gradually removing barriers between them. As your new cat family member starts to get more comfortable around the dogs, and the dogs get a little less curious about the cat, you can start giving them a longer lead, letting the cat get closer, and eventually removing the leashes entirely.

This might take a few days with friendly and calm animals, or it might take a couple of weeks with a nervous cat and excitable dogs. Over time, the barriers will be completely removed, and within a month or so, they'll be able to coexist without more than the occasional scuffle. Your cat might still need her place to go and hide and will probably want to keep her personal space dog-free, but she'll let them get closer.

What if They Don't Get Along?

There are two cases where a new cat won't get along with your dogs.

The first is if you've proceeded too fast and are trying to rush the introductions faster than your cat is willing to accept. She'll be anxious and scared, will hide, and will likely hiss and possibly even bat at the dogs. This is a sign that you're pushing things too hard and too fast and will need to back off, reestablish barriers and the safe zone for the cat, keep the dogs further away, and generally slow down the pace of introductions. The better you do with introductions, the happier your household will be.

The second case is where you have a cat that is very frightened of dogs, or vice versa; dogs that are either very scared of or very aggressive towards a cat. For one reason or another, your animals aren't going to get along, and while it's potentially possible for them to eventually feel comfortable in one another's presence, it might take a very long time, and it could be dangerous in the interim.

You can try to redirect aggression between the two and keep going with treats and training to try to supersede the aggression with discipline, but it's occasionally just an irreconcilable difference. In these cases, unfortunately, you either have your work cut out for you, or you might just not be able to keep the two together. You can still find a loving home for this poor feline fur baby, but it might not be viable to keep her in your home. It's a tough decision, but it's one you'll need to make.

Fortunately, nearly all anxiety and aversion short of true, unchecked, unrestrained aggression can be trained away, and your animals will get along with one another when it's all said and done. Just be prepared to take the time you need to get them off on the right paws together.

Have you ever had to introduce a new cat to your dog or vice versa? If so, what was your experience like? Was it a challenge, or was it actually quite easy? Let me know in the comments section down below! I'd love to hear all your stories!

If your furry friend is aggressive toward other dogs, it can be a dangerous situation. Maybe your fur baby is a huge softie and is all bark and no bite. Or maybe, the moment they get loose, they'll do irreparable damage to the target of their aggression and anyone who tries to stop them. Dog attacks are unfortunately all too common, but they don't have to be inevitable.

When a dog is aggressive towards other dogs, there are a few things you can do to try to solve the problem. Here are my tips on handling the issue before it becomes a problem.

Understand Why Your Pooch is Aggressive

The first step to solving any problem is understanding why that problem occurs. While some people have a fear of "aggressive dogs," the truth is that dogs are rarely entirely aggressive. All dogs are sensitive to stimuli – just like we are – and they have their own set of reactions to different situations. Just like some dogs get aggressive, bark, and snap, others will whine and cower, and some (as we all know from our favorite neighborhood chihuahuas) might even be doing both simultaneously.

When your dog is aggressive, you should ask yourself, "Why?" so you can think about what might be causing that aggression. Generally, these reactions come down to a few root causes.

• Fear. When your dog is scared of another dog, it's likely because they've had bad experiences with other dogs in the past. Maybe they're bullied a doggy daycare. Maybe when they were in a shelter or a stray, they were harassed, intimidated, or attacked by other dogs. Maybe they're just a naturally fearful dog, and they react with aggression and bravado because they've found it works better than hiding and cowering and being submissive.
• Anxiety. This one often comes with a change of scenery or lifestyle. If you make big changes, whether it's to your schedule, to the layout of your house, or even where you live entirely, the anxiety and uncertainty can express itself in a bunch of different ways. Some dogs lash out when they're uncomfortable.
• Pain. Dogs who are in pain – those poor puppers – react in some way to that pain. Dogs that have spent time as strays or shelter dogs often act aggressively when they're in pain because pain is weakness, and weakness is danger. Aggression warns off others that might take advantage of their pain.
• Territorialism. Some dogs identify either places or people as "theirs" and become fiercely protective of those areas or people. Some might be aggressive when it comes to protecting your yard and your home but are fine in other contexts. Some of them are aggressive simply when it comes to protecting you. Another dog encroaching on their territory can be warned off with aggression.

One thing to mention here is the idea of a dominant dog, the "alpha" of the pack or the neighborhood. Many people think aggression is a dog's way of establishing their dominance. Truthfully, while there is a social hierarchy in dog packs, the "alpha" theory of canine behavior was skewed by captivity and terrible conditions and isn't reflected in healthy populations of dogs. It's debunked, in other words, and treating aggression as a sign of dominance is likely to reinforce bad behaviors, not help you cure them.

The best thing you can do is pay attention to what triggers aggression in your fur baby.

Are they aggressive when they're startled or surprised? It may be fear or anxiety. Are they aggressive when another dog gets too close to them, to you, to a beloved toy, or to a particular space? It may be territorial aggression. Are they aggressive only when someone or something gets close enough to make them move or interact with them? It could be pain-related.

Understanding why your fur baby gets aggressive is the first step to solving the problem. The actual solution – like it is with so many other problems, whether it's barking or grooming – comes down to training.

So, here are my top tips on training aggression out of an aggressive dog.

Check for Medical Problems

While training is usually the way to solve these kinds of problems, you can't train away pain. A dog that is in pain from a medical issue is going to be resistant to training and could even take their aggression out on you.

If their aggression came on suddenly and unexpectedly, it's possible that they've developed an illness or an injury. Sudden and unexpected aggression might warrant a trip to the vet to make sure they don't have something like a painful infection, fractured bone, or tumor that has started to become painful. Older dogs might also have pain from tooth infections or arthritis that can make them miserable. All of these can be handled by the vet and don't necessarily need training to cope with them.

Work on Increasing Socialization

A lot of times, aggression is caused by fear, anxiety, and the unexpected. When it's expressed as aggression towards other dogs, there's a good chance that one of these is the trigger. It might have come from previous bad experiences, or it might just be because of anxiety, but either way, exposure therapy is one of the primary ways you can help deal with the problem.

To do this, you want to expose your pooch to different situations and circumstances while ensuring that they're safe and protected. You might bring them near – but not into – a dog park, take them on walks to unfamiliar areas, or bring unfamiliar dogs to them.

The key here is that you need to keep this socialization only as lengthy as your fur baby can handle. You don't want to force them into a situation that makes them anxious, as that will only stress them out and make their reactions worse. You want to expose them, but when they've had enough, give them somewhere to retreat and bring them away. 

Slow, iterative, growing exposure therapy can help teach your pooch that it's safe to be around other dogs in general and that they don't need to react with aggression.

Focus on Positive Dog-on-Dog Experiences

On a more small-scale form of the same idea, you may be able to arrange positive experiences with other dogs. 

The simplest option is to have a large, friendly, very calm dog on hand, ideally the dog of a friend or family member, so there's familiarity across the board. This large dog can be a chill, calm presence near your dog, and your dog can try aggression, which won't work because of the chill and obedient nature of the "intruder" dog. All you need is a few minutes before taking the dog away.

You can repeat this process, iteratively getting more and more intense with it. Bringing the other dog closer, allowing them to interact and even play together. The idea is that this friendly dog won't make any actions that could be perceived as a threat and that your dog will see that aggression not only doesn't work but also is not necessary.

Through a series of experiences like this, you can help teach your dog that aggression isn't the solution to every problem.

Never Force the Issue

One key to both of these kinds of exposure training is to never force the interaction. Your dog has boundaries, and when those boundaries are crossed, the aggression comes out. Your goal is to shrink and soften those boundaries, but they will always be there. If you try to go too far too fast, the aggression will come back.

Furthermore, forcing that kind of interaction can make everything worse and, in extreme cases, can even lead to an altercation that can be dangerous for the people involved.

Give Your Fur Baby Space

Depending on where you're trying out this exposure training, you want your fur baby to have somewhere they can retreat to so they can feel safe. Doing this training in your yard, for example, can ensure that they can go inside when they have too much.

Doing it inside, designate a room for them to retreat to. Doing it in a public place, make sure they can retreat, possibly to a car or out of a park. One of the worst things you can do is keep them on a tight leash, refusing to let them retreat, which makes them even more stressed.

Be Consistent with Expectations

As with any form of training, you need both positive reinforcement and consistency to be successful. Rewards are a key part of training; when you train your fur baby to be exposed to other dogs, reward them for their good behavior. You also want to make sure you're as consistent as you can be.

Sure, you can't reward them for not being aggressive at a dog walking by if it happens while you're at work, but by reinforcing their behavior as much as possible, you can help cut out the aggression wholesale.

Avoid Punishing Reactive Behavior

Punishment, meanwhile, is one of the worst things you can do. For one thing, punishing a dog for their behavior doesn't work.

They might not make the association, or they might make the association between other dogs and the punishment coming from you, which can even make them turn their aggression towards people or even to you specifically. Punishment also adds pain or stress to the situation, making everything worse.

Aggressive Dog FAQs

I'm sure you have questions, so I've answered the common ones here. If you have a question about a dog-aggressive canine companion and I haven't answered them below, feel free to ask them in the comments!

Is there such a thing as an aggressive breed?

Some breeds are stereotyped as aggressive, either in general or specifically to other dogs. The thing is, that's all it is: a stereotype. Aggressive breeds are just breeds that have often been trained to be aggressive, as guard dogs or as working dogs like police dogs.

That said, some dogs may be more prone to aggression than others by their nature. Smaller dogs like chihuahuas don't have as many options to protect themselves and may be aggressive because of it. After all, their world is very large and scary. Other dogs may be more prone to anxiety, and some proportion of those anxious dogs might be aggressive. Others are much more territorial than average or have much higher average energy levels, both of which can be expressed as aggression if they're stymied. 

Can an aggressive dog be cured?

There's no such thing as a "cure" for aggression. What you're aiming for is a combination of socialization and self-control through training.

An aggressive dog will always have that urge to be aggressive; you're just training them that it's not the appropriate choice. 

When is professional help necessary?

Professional help may be necessary to help train an aggressive dog. Primarily, it's a good idea when you either aren't sure how to handle it yourself or you simply don't have the time to do so. A professional dog trainer with experience with aggressive dogs can help you train them appropriately.

The key here, though, is that you need to maintain and continue the training. A professional canine behaviorist can only give you the starting point. Otherwise, they may be perfectly behaved with that person in that situation but wild at home.

Are there medications that can help?

Possibly! Generally, there are three ways that an external substance might be able to help with an aggressive dog.

The first is through pain relief. If a dog is old, tired, and sore, they may be aggressive because of that ache, and ways that reduce their pain – whether it's doggy Tylenol, joint supplements, or something else, removing that source of stress can help reduce their aggression.

The second is through general anxiety relief. Some natural substances and vitamins may have a calming or regulating effect on your dog, and it can be worth experimenting with different substances to try them out.

The third is through direct calming. For example, many people swear by the effects of CBD oil and tinctures as a way to reduce anxiety and promote calm in their fur babies. You might consider giving it a try yourself.

Whatever the case may be, a pill isn't going to truly solve the problem; training will always be involved, and positive reinforcement is a must. With time, though, any dog can have their aggression minimized and can become a loving canine companion.

After reading this article, do you have any questions? As always, I'm more than happy to help you out however I can, so be sure to leave your comments, questions, and concerns in the comments section down below!

Puppies are very receptive to training, and it's often only a matter of a few weeks to teach them tricks that they'll use to wow crowds, solicit a chorus of "aww!" from your friends and family, and help you keep them under control when times are a little tougher.

Tricks are really just commands your puppy has learned to follow, and with time you can start building on learned commands to make them more impressive to friends and family.

What You Need to Teach a Puppy a Trick

If you want to teach a dog any trick, you need four things.

First, a high-value treat. This should be something they're very interested in, usually a bite of some kind of tasty snack or treat they aren't usually able to get. It can be a bit of cheese, a bit of meat, or a specially designed dog treat is just fine. Other dogs respond better to toys than to treats, so find out which your puppy prefers and stick with it during training sessions.

Second, you need to pay attention. Yep, I said you. The key to any dog training is to watch for when they perform the specific behavior that you're looking for and to reward them immediately upon performing it so they associate the performance of that behavior with the treat they're given.

Third, you need a distinct command. We tend to think of dog commands as fixed – that "sit" works on any dog that has been trained to sit – but that's not actually true. You could, if you wanted, use a completely different command for any trick. You could say "barrel roll" for roll over, or "perch" for sit, or pick a funny German or Finnish word, or whatever you like.

With that said, I don’t recommend picking unusual words for the basics. In the event that someone else needs to control your dog when you're not available, common commands are important.

The good news is common terms aren’t as important for performative tricks like shake or roll over, but it's very useful to use common commands like "sit" and "heel" for commonly expected actions.

Fourth and finally, you need consistency. You're basically trying to create an association in your puppy's mind between the behavior (the trick), the reward (the treat), and the command. Eventually, you remove the treat from the equation, so they are simply responding positively to the command because they know it's a good, rewarded behavior.

Consistency is especially important for training away bad behaviors, like constant barking, that you would want to address before they become problems. Having a dog that obeys and is under control is not actually difficult or unattainable; it just requires consistent effort.

While your pup is a sponge waiting to learn new things, it’s important to master one trick before moving on to the next. Once each trick is performed with command and no treat, move on to the next while continuing to reinforce the earlier trick.

Sit

"Sit" is probably one of the single most important tricks to teach a puppy. It's extremely useful for keeping them in place, whether they're being a hyperactive nuisance to the neighbors or a visitor, or they're chasing critters and smells outside, and you want to keep them safe when a car passes by. Thankfully, it's also very easy to teach and is one of the simplest tricks for a new puppy to learn.

How do you teach a dog to sit?

Start with your high-value treat in hand. Get your puppy's attention and hold it in front of them but out of their reach. Slowly move the treat up and over their head toward their rump. Your puppy will naturally look up to follow the treat and try to get at it.

Here's the cool part: as part of lifting and moving the treat back, your puppy will try to go for it, and most of the time, they'll sit for more stability while they do. When they sit down, say "sit" (or whatever command you want to use) and give them the treat and some praise.

Repeat this periodically until you eventually no longer need the treat. You can initially start by still moving a finger above them in the same way, and eventually, you can stop the motion entirely and just tell them to sit. It won't take long at all!

Stay

Second to Sit, Stay is probably one of the most important tricks any dog can learn. Often accompanied by the Sit command, Stay ensures that they'll stick to one spot rather than following their impulses to be distracted and run off, follow you, or do something they shouldn't.

Stay is a very important trick for two reasons. The first is impulse control. It helps you keep control over your dog when a visitor, a mailman, a distracting animal, or something else is around, and you don't want your dog raising a ruckus over it. Second, it's for safety; by ensuring that they aren't going to run off at the drop of a hat, you can keep them sitting next to you before you cross a busy street. It's also useful if you need to step away for a moment, somewhere your dog shouldn't follow.

How do you teach a dog to stay?

As I mentioned early, you’ll need to build on previously mastered tricks, in this case sit. This is because sitting can prime your pup for other training; they'll be more receptive when they're sitting and know they shouldn't just maintain their location but also their position.

Next, leave them sitting for a few moments, or a bit longer, if you can. Young puppies are easily distracted, so they won't stay in place for long; when they stand, say their release word and reward them. Gradually increase the amount of time you leave them sitting before giving the release command and reward, and they'll learn that they can stay for a longer amount of time and be rewarded for it.

"Expert dog trainers often use release words to let dogs out of a command. Introduce a release word to tell your dog they are finished with the trick. Common release words for dog tricks include:

"O.K." "Release" "Go" "Break" "Free"

Your release word can be whatever you want. Be sure to practice the full "stay" command until your dog perfects it. Then, introduce the release word. Repeat this process until your dog stays put until you say their release word." - Petfriendly.

Once you believe your puppy has mastered the art of sitting in place, you can start to make it harder on them. Wave a toy around, add distractions, or even leave the room for a few moments and reward them when you return, that is, if they stayed.

Potty

While evacuating waste is a natural process every puppy is going to do, training them to focus is actually a good idea. You aren't actually training them to pee or poo on command, though; rather, you're helping provide context for their late-night trips around the block or out to the yard. Since a big part of potty training a dog is teaching them when not to potty, it's very helpful to train them when it's okay to go, as well.

This is a great skill for your pup to have to understand when you’re going for a leisurely walk and sniffing everything in sight is permitted vs when time is limited and when s/he needs to do the deed and head right back inside.

As you might expect, training this is pretty easy. All you need to do is, on your normal walks, just add the "potty" command when they go, and reward and praise them when they're done. Over time, they'll associate the command and action, and they're more likely to restrain themselves in situations when you haven't given it – and be more free when you have.

Come/Heel

Another extremely important trick is to teach your pup to come to you when you need their attention or presence – or want them to stay away from someone or something else. It's extremely useful if they get distracted and run off, especially if they're off-leash, and it's one of the most "impressive" tricks you can have. If you want friends, family, and neighbors to remark about how well-behaved your fur baby is, teaching them to come and stay by your side is an easy and effective way to do it.

Fortunately, this is also one of the easiest possible tricks to teach a dog. All you need to do is be some distance away from them, with a treat in hand. Get their attention and show them the treat, and chances are, they'll come rocketing right up to you for it. As soon as they start moving in your direction, say your command word and reward them when they arrive.

You can expand this trick over time. Start from further away, add on a sit or stay command, or start from a sit/stay and call them over. The more complex you make the chain, the more you test how well your fur baby is obeying your commands.

Lay Down

A natural extension of sitting, laying down is another useful trick to keep a dog from begging, jumping up at you, or otherwise bugging you or a guest.

Teaching "lay down" or just "down" starts with sitting and is trained the same way. Once your pup can sit, use the same treat to lure their head to the ground. Make sure they keep their rump down, lower their head, and lie down to follow the treat. When they do, give the command, and the reward and praise.

Bonus trick: Once they can lay down, you can pull the treat further away from them and encourage them to crawl towards you. This "army crawl" can be another fun trick to teach, but it's more advanced and less practically useful than other tricks, though adorable to watch.

Drop It

Another very useful trick to teach a puppy is to drop or let go of whatever they're holding in their mouth. Whether they're getting into some garbage, holding an item like a toy that you don't want them to have, or just playing fetch poorly, having a command to get them to let go of whatever they're trying to hold onto can be useful for both play and for their health.

This is also a good command in the hopefully rare instance where they pick up something valuable or important that they really shouldn't, like a fragile item, someone's wallet, or a kitten they don't know how to interact with. Getting them to let it go immediately is very critical.

If you've ever tried to get a puppy to let go of something, you know they can be very obstinate; that's why you need those high-value treats. The key here is to have something they can swap to and enjoy; they need to drop whatever they're holding to get at the treat, after all.

Find X

A variation on fetch, Find X, or "Go Get X," or some other variation is a great way to distract a dog that is otherwise getting into trouble. It’s also a great enrichment exercise to get them thinking.

You can make X anything you want and, over time, build up a library of different things for them to go get. This can be toys (go get your stuffy, go get your blankie, go get your bear), or it can even be people (go get mommy!)

This is a two-part training. First, you need to associate specific names with specific items or people. Having a selection of items is important, so you know they can pick the right one and aren't just grabbing the only item present. After that, you need to teach them to retrieve it and drop it for you, which can itself be a two-part trick. Reward them when they identify the item at first and later when they bring it to you.

To teach a dog to go to a particular person, have that person reward them, rather than rewarding them on returning to you; that way, they won't try to drag the person to you every time.

This is a trick you'll keep building up over time and will change as you get and replace items.

Bedtime

Another great trick to teach a puppy is to know where their bed is and to go to it. This is particularly useful in those early months where you might be doing crate training until your pup is fully potty trained. It's also useful for getting them to settle down at night, but it can also be great for giving them a place to go when you don't want them disrupting some other event, like dinner or a party.

Just like the other tricks, it's all about creating the association between the word and the behavior: go to a specific place identified by name and sit/lay/stay in that place.

What are your favorite tricks to teach a puppy? I picked these because they're useful and practical, but there are a bunch of cute tricks you can teach as well. Let me know all about them!

Sure, they aren't worried about the same things – bills, the kids' soccer schedule, what's for dinner – but they still have their worries. And, for a puppy with weeks or months of life experience, their fears could very well be the worst things to ever happen to them in their entire tiny lives.

Why Do Puppies Get Anxious?

Why do puppies, some of the world's most carefree creatures, get anxiety? Well, consider life from their perspective.

They're tiny new bundles of joy introduced to the world, and they're soaking up everything. Anything they encounter could be a new source of joy and fun… or it could be a terror, a hazard, a source of pain and fear.

Sometimes, it's that buzzy bug in the sky that suddenly hurts a whole lot when a stray snap catches it. Sometimes, it's a sudden loud noise in their space, which you're using to clean up their messes. Sometimes, it's strange people, and they don't know how those people are going to act around them.

Sometimes, it's just loneliness; it's been MINUTES since they last saw their parents – canine or human – and that's an un-fur-givable amount of time.

They don't have the life experience to know what's minor and what's major, what's safe and what's dangerous, what's normal and what's abnormal. They yelp and yip and whine at anything, for any reason, but when that anxiety starts to get to them, they might take to more detrimental behaviors.

And, in cases where separation anxiety is in play, you might not be around to teach them that everything's alright and that they shouldn't be gnawing on that pillow.

Why is Anxiety Dangerous in Puppies?

Puppies, especially young puppies, are still learning, growing, and building up their experiences. Those experiences will become the foundation of their entire lives. You've heard that you can't teach an old dog new tricks – and you've heard that you actually can, of course – but it can be quite difficult to change two things about a dog: their breed predilections and their early learned behaviors.

Anxious puppies start to do things, either out of fear, worry, or an attempt to soothe themselves. Behaviors that you don't want, like:

• Chewing on things they shouldn't chew on, like furniture, cushions, electronics, books, or other household items. Sure, they're already probably chewing on everything, but anxious chewing is altogether more thorough and destructive.
• Constant barking. Whether they're calling for a parent, calling out to hear something other than the silence of a house they've been left alone in, or just barking because it gives them some kind of way to express themselves and they're out of other options, incessant barking is a sure sign of anxiety for many dogs.
• Having accidents. Whether it's a puddle of piddle on the rug or an altogether smellier pile left under a couch or in the middle of the carpet, puppies often have trouble controlling themselves early on, and anxiety makes it worse.
• Health issues. Just like in people, anxiety can cascade through their system and affect other bodily processes; they can end up with gastrointestinal problems, reduced immunity, sensitivity, and even allergies.
• Distraction and sadness. An anxious puppy isn't the carefree bundle of joy you want it to be, and that's really just the saddest possible thing.

While a dog is unlikely to perish or otherwise suffer extremely from anxiety, it's still not good for them, and it's not good for you. So, you want to do anything in your power to assuage the anxiety and help your puppy grow up to be a strong, confident, and self-fulfilled doggo. I've put together five options to help you calm down an anxious dog, no matter their age.

1: Training Away the Bad Behaviors

No matter the age, condition, or severity of the reaction, usually, the number one thing you can do for any behavioral problem in a dog is to work on training with them.

When it comes to anxiety, though, training isn't necessarily a solution. Training exists to help redirect your dog's behaviors away from negative, destructive behaviors and towards positive or neutral behaviors.

For example, instead of chewing on the furniture, you might train them to cuddle and chew on a specific anxiety toy.

"Mild cases of separation anxiety can be addressed with a counter-conditioning program, where, over time and through positive reinforcement, we change the dog's negative reaction to a situation (being left alone) to a positive one," says Erin Katribe, DVM and medical director for Best Friends Animal Society. "This is usually achieved through associating the situation with something really positive that the dog enjoys, like really delicious food or engaging toys. It's also helpful to start the training process by providing these positive items while you're gone for only a short period of time — the goal is to avoid the fear and negative association all together." - HGTV.

Training puppies is a lot easier than training older dogs, but dogs of nearly any age can be trained. The older a dog is, the harder it can be to train them, but it's still possible right up until they reach a point where they're no longer capable of retaining new information, which is usually end-of-life.

It's important to remember that training is only part of a solution. You should still try to figure out what is causing your fur baby to be anxious and remove or mitigate that cause. Sometimes, it's easy, like removing a stressor; other times, it's hard, like dealing with separation anxiety.

2: Too Tired to Worry

One of the solutions to anxiety in people is exercise. Exercise serves two purposes. First, exercise releases endorphins in dogs that can help counteract things like cortisol, the stress hormone, and fight off the bad brain chemicals that make a dog anxious in the first place. Secondly, it wears them out; a tired dog is more likely to be able to calmly go to sleep or relax rather than worry about whatever was bothering them before.

Some dog breeds are trickier to wear out than others. Some dogs seem to have endless energy, and you have to do more than just play fetch with them for an hour. Most dogs can benefit from an exercise that involves both physical and mental stimulation, some kind of enrichment that engages them so they get mentally tired as well as physically tired.

If your dog only sleeps for a few hours and wakes up with hyperactivity and anxiety at night, you may need to adjust schedules to wear them out more during the day. Every dog is different, so you'll want to experiment to see what works best with your furry child.

3: Try Calming Treats

Just like we might reach for a bit of chocolate or a soothing cup of tea when we're feeling stressed, you might be able to give your dog a treat that can help calm them down. Not chocolate, though, never chocolate.

Calming treats for dogs are generally going to include ingredients like hemp oil, valerian root, chamomile, or CBD. It's always tricky to use herbal remedies properly, though, so be careful not to go overboard with dosages; if your dog gets sleepy or bleary after a treat, there's probably too much in it. All you want is to help take the edge off, ideally while you're doing other things to help them calm down and learn that whatever is making them anxious really isn't all that bad.

Some people also recommend aromatherapy. Aromatherapy makes sense – dogs experience the world largely through their noses, after all – but you have to be very careful with it. Their sense of smell is a lot better than ours, so something we can barely detect might be nearly overpowering to them. Moreover, certain scents – certain essential oils, that is – are toxic to dogs. Do your research before starting any kind of aromatherapy, and consult with your vet if your pooch shows any side effects other than being calmer.

4: Use Other Calming Products

Depending on the dog and the source of the anxiety, you may be able to use one of a variety of different products to try to combat it.

You may want to consider trying:

• Contact and massage. Close contact with your fur baby can help calm them down, which is good if their anxiety stems from something like fireworks or a thunderstorm that they'll live through and that isn't always present.
• Music. Some studies have shown that calming music at a low volume can be beneficial and relaxing for both people and dogs. Harps, classical music, and "new age" soundscapes can all be good options. There are even dog-focused albums made for just this purpose.
• Safe spaces. If you have the space in your home, give your dog a place they can go where they'll never be bothered, and they'll always be comfortable. If you don't have room to have a dedicated space, you can also try products like the ZenCrate, a sturdy, enclosed, thick-walled crate container that provides protection and a cozy spot for your pooch.
• Shirts. Similar to both a safe space and contact, a calming shirt, coat, or sweater can be a sort of mild pressure that helps your fur baby feel like they're being held, even when they aren't. One of the most popular brands is the ThunderShirt, made specifically for thunderstorms, but there are other options out there as well.

Most of these options are best in cases where you're traveling, when you're bringing your dog somewhere unfamiliar, or when you're bringing someone unfamiliar to your home; in other words, ways that you can react to the anxiety. They aren't as useful for things like separation anxiety since, by definition, you won't be there to swaddle them.

5: Desensitization Training for the Anxiety Trigger

To wrap this back around to training, one of the most long-term solutions to anxiety in your dog is to work with them to figure out what is causing them anxiety and to desensitize them from it. This can only be done with certain kinds of anxiety triggers, so be careful with what you're trying to work on. You should also start slow, progress slow, and only do one trigger at a time.

For example, if your dog is afraid of car rides (maybe because every time they end up in the car, they end up at the vet, and they're scared of the vet), you can start by playing out and around your car. Exposure to the car when it's off can help get them used to the sight and scent of the vehicle. From there, you can open the car up and play with them inside and out of it, so they're more used to being in it without going anywhere. Rewarding them all along helps them associate it with good times.

Eventually, you can work up to riding in the car. Take them around the block or to a dog park, somewhere they can enjoy, so there's no dread or negative end result.

"Lead by example throughout the process. Use body language to show your furry friend that everything is ok. Your pup is a loyal friend, so he or she will follow your lead and react to the trigger with less anxiety." – Pet Honesty.

You can also take them on trips to the vet even when there's no vet treatment, and they don't even need to see the vet. In fact, many vets even offer puppy wellness visits when they're young specifically just to bring the dog to them, get a few treats and some affection, and send them home, solely so they don't develop vet anxiety.

Often, the hardest part of dealing with anxiety for dogs is simply figuring out why they're anxious. Sometimes, it might be something you don't even notice or recognize – a strange smell from an animal nearby outside, a beeping you can't even hear, but they can, or even a bad vibe they get from a neighbor. In these cases, you may even consider hiring a professional to help diagnose the issue so you can handle it. Good luck!

As always, if you ever have any questions, I'd be more than happy to help you out however I can! Just leave me a comment down below, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible!

With dogs, those rambunctious furballs full of energy and love, lameness can show up suddenly. Usually, it's due to some kind of injury, but that's not always the case.

How can you diagnose it, how can it be treated, and what do you need to know? We’ll answer those questions and more in this post.

Let’s find out more.

How Lameness is Presented in Dogs

Lameness is usually just limping. Your fur baby favors one leg, keeping the foot raised when they aren't using it to move or even hopping to avoid putting weight on it.

In some cases, they can't even control it and end up dragging the leg on the ground, which sadly can cause more injury.

Being lame or limping can come suddenly, or it can be a gradual issue. There are a lot of different causes for "doesn't want to put weight on the leg" that can range from minor or even funny all the way up to serious.

Here is a list of symptoms, most of which will be pretty obvious, but some of these are surprising:

• Refusing to walk or place weight on the affected leg.
• Limping when moving.
• Inability to run or walk normally without pain or limping.
• Difficulty jumping into the car or onto a chair or climbing up or down stairs.
• General signs of pain and discomfort.
• Knuckling (pointing the toes downward so the knuckles touch the ground instead of paw pads.)
• Swelling or other abnormalities around the joints of the leg.
• In extended cases, loss of muscle mass and tone in the area.

Often, you'll notice your fur baby seems to have less energy and is favoring a leg, though in the case of an acute injury, it's a lot more obvious that something is wrong.

Limping also isn't always constant.

"Some limps come and go.

Osteoarthritis may worsen in cold and damp weather. Injuries to muscles, tendons, and ligaments will often improve with rest but may return once a dog's activity level increases again.

Immune-mediated polyarthritis, tick-borne infections, and panosteitis (a developmental disease seen in young dogs) are sometimes associated with lameness that seems to move from leg to leg." - PetMD.

So, depending on how the limping and lameness presents itself, it may be more or less of an issue than it first seems.

How Much of an Emergency is Lameness in Dogs?

Unfortunately, the answer is, it depends.

The more common gradual lameness is not an emergency, but it is something you should get treated ASAP because leaving it untreated can further damage muscles, risk pulling other muscles, or cause other kinds of damage due to compensation for the lame limb.

This is usually the kind of situation where you can call your vet and schedule the next available appointment rather than bringing them to the emergency vet.

"Most often, limping is something that can wait until the next business day to be diagnosed by the veterinarian. If your dog's limping goes away entirely, you may not need to see the veterinarian right away, but do mention it at your next appointment and continue watching for other signs of an injury." – Emergency Vet Hospital.

Acute and severe lameness is likely the result of an injury, which needs to be seen by a vet as soon as possible.

The most common reason you'd want to bring your dog to an emergency vet is suspicion of a broken bone or a set of other symptoms that indicate a serious injury.

What Is Causing My Dog to Limp?

As we just discussed, determining the cause of the limping with help you determine how quickly a vet visit is needed.

They injured their foot.

If you get a cut on your foot, you don't want to walk on it, right? Well, neither does your fur baby. But unlike us, they aren't wearing shoes all the time, so they're susceptible to a bunch of different kinds of foot injuries.

Some foot injuries are simple and will heal on their own. Things like bug bites or stings, small cuts or scrapes, a scalded toe bean from hot pavement or a stray coal from a bonfire, skin irritation from a winter walk, or even just bruising from roughhousing can all cause your fur baby to limp.

Usually, the first thing to do if your pup is limping is inspect their foot.

Pro Tip: Don’t forget to check between their toes.

Usually, the first thing you do if your pooch is limping is inspect their foot. Something like a cut or sting can be soothed easily, burns can be addressed with soothing creams, and so on. If they have a thorn or rock stuck in their toes, it can also cause enough pain and irritation that they'll limp until it's removed.

Case in Point: Last week a neighbor was walking their dog when she suddenly started limping and wining. A quick foot inspection showed a wad of gum stuck to her paw. Prompt removal was done once they got home, and all was well again.

They've developed a joint problem.

We all have times when we stress a joint, and it aches for a while. Maybe you strain a knee, maybe you get tennis elbow; whatever the case is, it hurts to use that limb, so you start to favor it in order to let it rest. The same goes for dogs with joint problems.

Joint problems can be either chronic or acute. Acute joint problems are things like dysplasia, luxation (a dislocated knee, for example), or a pulled/strained/torn tendon or muscle in the area. These don't tend to get better without some attention, so the vet needs to see them; otherwise, it can cause other systemic issues.

Other joint issues can be chronic. Arthritis, particularly in older dogs, is common. Ligament diseases, intervertebral disk disease (IVDD), and osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) can all be long-term issues. Unfortunately, many of them don't really have cures, so you just have to manage them.

Tools like CBD may be able to help, as can pain medications, certain kinds of exercises, and occasionally other meds. Again, talk to your vet about management as their ailment progresses.

Read More Dog General Wellness Guides

• My Dog's Back Legs are Weak and Quivering: What Do I Do?
• 6 Reasons Why Your Dog's Breath Smells Like Fish
• A Pet Parent's Guide to Caring for a Dog After a Hike
• What Is Dog Recall Training and How Do You Start?

They're feeling it in their bones.

Bone problems can be similar to joint problems in presentation but tend to be different disorders. Chronic issues can include hypertrophic osteodystrophy and panosteitis. Both of these disorders primary affect young dogs that are either large or giant breeds.

“Hypertrophic osteodystrophy is an uncommon orthopaedic disease that affects young, growing dogs... Affected animals often present with varying degrees of lameness, lethargy, pyrexia and/or distal metaphyseal swelling of affected limbs.” - Selman J, Towle Millard H. Hypertrophic osteodystrophy in dogs

Dogs may also develop osteosarcoma, a kind of cancer of the bones. While more common in older dogs and large breeds, this disease can impact a pup of any age. Osteosarcoma is one of the most common canine cancers, and while treatments are available, sadly a study showed 80% will die from the cancer metastasizing in the lungs

Your fur baby was injured.

Injuries and trauma are common reasons why your fur baby will limp. These can range from a sprained muscle or ligament to a tear as less serious injuries, up to more severe problems like fractured or broken bones, dislocated joints, or even spinal cord injuries.

Most healthy dogs aren't going to just randomly develop an injury. Usually, they occur because of some kind of hazard they encountered while playing.

More serious injuries can have internal problems you can't see. Internal bleeding or bruising and other internal fractures can cause more pain and damage and need treatment to heal properly. In some cases, they can be severe enough to be life-threatening.

If your pup has sudden lameness with swelling, bruising, or bleeding, it’s time to head to the vet.

They're faking it in sympathy or for attention.

There's one cause for limping that resolves itself quickly, and that's fakery. Yes, that's right; dogs are clever creatures, and they both understand your behaviors and have empathy for you.

There have been numerous cases on the internet of instances like:

• A dog whose parent injured their leg and limps; the dog mimics the limp to show solidarity.
• A dog who was injured in the past and was pampered during the recovery. Now, in a bid for more attention and pampering, they fake the same injury.

I've linked example like this one before. It's adorable and hilarious once you know nothing is wrong, but if your fur baby has never done such a thing before, it can be stressful (and expensive!) to bring them to the vet for what turns out to be nothing.

Read More Dog General Wellness Guides

• 6 Reasons Your Dog Barks at Night (And What To Do)
• How to Keep Dog Paws from Getting Burnt on Hot Pavement
• How to Control and Calm Down a Hyperactive Dog
• FAQ: Is It Ever Too Late to Socialize an Adult Dog?

How is Lameness in Dogs Treated?

If your dog has a limp, the first thing to do is assess whether or not there are other symptoms, as mentioned above, that make it an emergency. If so, you’ll obviously need to take them to the emergency vet.

If not, you should call your normal vet and get them in for a visit as soon as you can. Even if their limp clears up, your vet can do some tests and imaging to see if there's anything wrong.

Your vet will likely ask you about the history of the limp, so be prepared to answer questions like:

• How long has your fur baby been limping?
• When did it start, and were they doing anything in particular at that time?
• Does the limp come and go, or is it static?
• Does it seem worse in the mornings?
• Are there any other changes?

Your vet will also perform an examination feeling for lumps, swelling, or signs of injury. They may do bloodwork to check for signs of an infection.

They will also likely take X-rays and possibly other kinds of imaging to see if there are bone problems or soft tissue issues. In some cases, joint fluid analysis and other more advanced tests might be called for as well.

At this point, treatment depends on the cause of the injury. It may include:

• Pain medications like carprofen, deracoxib, etodolac, or meloxicam, which are NSAID medications safe for pets (and better for them than things like aspirin or Tylenol.)
• Joint supplements like glucosamine, omega-3s, or methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) which can promote joint health.
• Behavioral recommendations, like keeping them away from heavy activity, having them wear a brace, putting on a cast in the case of broken bones, and so on.
• Life changes like weight loss; dogs that are overweight are more likely to injure a limb when they have to maneuver that bulk, especially if they're running and playing. Extra weight can also irritate arthritis, so shedding a few pounds can make a big difference in the pressure on those joints.

Similarly, if there are specific problems like osteosarcoma involved, there are entire treatment plans for just those issues. Obviously, no one wants to hear the big C word about their fur baby, but sometimes it's unavoidable, and you just have to make the best of the situation.

There are also some issues that could require surgery. Torn ligaments can sometimes require surgery to correct, for example.

And, of course, sometimes the limping seems to clear up before the vet visit, and the vet can't find anything wrong. In these cases, the only injury you need to triage is the one to your wallet, and just keep an eye on your furry friend and see if it happens again.

Fortunately, many of the most common causes of lameness in dogs are, if not easy to solve, at least solvable. It's rare that your fur baby will need serious surgery, ongoing medications, or a significant treatment plan.

Have you ever had to deal with a dog with a limp? If so, what was the issue, and how did it get handled? Tell me your story in the comments section down below! I'd love to hear it.

So, when your fur baby is feeling a little under the weather, you're naturally going to be concerned. Is it minor, or is it serious? It can be hard to tell sometimes, but taking action quickly can be very important in some situations (or an overreaction in others.) So, how do you know when you should take your dog to the vet, and when they just need rest, water, and love?

Here are 12 signs you should bring your fur baby to the vet ASAP.

1: Your Fur Baby Isn't Interested in Food

Dogs love food, so when your fur baby turns their nose up at it, halfheartedly licks it, or takes a few bites and can't handle more, it's probably cause for concern.

Loss of appetite can be caused by a wide range of problems, some of them much more serious than others.

• General infections and illness. Just like we feel under the weather and can't eat much more than soup, our fur babies are the same way and won't have the energy to eat when they're not feeling well.
• Stomach issues. Ulcers, bowel obstructions, and other issues can make it painful to eat or make them feel full, so they don't want food.
• Dental problems. When your fur baby has a toothache, abscess, or other dental issue, the prospect of eating can be too painful.
• Stress. Changes in environment, emotional stress, changes in routine, and other problems can make your pup less interested in food, but this will usually clear up in short order.

Generally, if your fur baby refuses to eat for more than a day or two or if loss of appetite is coupled with other signs on this list, you should take them to the vet.

If your pup has a subtle decrease in appetite over time, chat with your vet at their next appointment.

2: Your Fur Baby is Throwing Up

Vomiting and diarrhea are both symptoms of gastrointestinal distress. Sometimes, it's as simple as eating something that doesn't agree with them, usually when you're out on a walk, and they get into something they shouldn't, or when they get into the pantry unsupervised. Other times, it can be something like a stomach bug, a parasite, a cleaning product, or a disease.

Vomiting is usually not a cause for concern if it’s only happening when you get in the car. Younger pups and those that are more on the anxious side may feel nauseous during a car ride leading to vomiting and/or diarrhea.

Taking regular short trips can help an anxious dog get used to the car and there are some changes you can make (such as withholding food beforehand) to reduce your pup’s motion sickness. If all else fails talk to your vet about medications that can soothe a car sick tummy.

Check out this 2 min video for tips to help your car sick pup:

Vomiting is also pretty common as a one-time reaction to eating something bad. Your fur baby might love the idea of taking a bite of that roadkill, but their stomach won't like it and will send it right back up. One-off instances of loose stool or vomiting aren't usually a cause for concern, but if you notice blood, if your pupper is lethargic, or if they have other symptoms on this list, consult your vet and see if you need to bring them in.

3: Your Fur Baby Doesn't Have Much Energy

Lethargy is the scientific name for having a lack of energy or being disinterested in their normal day-to-day routine. You might find that your pup is weak, sleeping more, and not interested in their favorite stuffy.

Lethargy is not when your pup collapses on their bed after a long day at the beach or an extended session of fetch.

Unfortunately, lethargy is a frustratingly non-specific kind of symptom. On the one hand, it can be as simple as a bit of a puppy cold or a side effect of a medication. It can be a symptom of pain or as a result of a fever or infection.

On the other hand, lethargy can be a symptom of something more serious, like diabetes, hypothyroidism, hypoglycemia, anemia, organ dysfunction, or a serious injury. Please bear in mind that these health conditions have other symptoms that may also be present.

Lethargy can also be a symptom of acute poisoning or a severe allergic reaction. If your pup hasn’t gotten into anything unusual, you can likely rule this cause out. If you suspect your pup has consumed something unusual, reach out to pet poison control for guidance.

4: Your Fur Baby is Having Trouble Breathing

Trouble breathing is one of the scariest symptoms you or your pup can experience. The air is right there, but somehow it isn't enough. What's going on? Not getting enough oxygen can also lead to other problems, including collapsing.

Look out for different types of difficulty breathing. Rapid breathing is normal for a dog on the run, but once they catch their breath, it should slow down. If it doesn't, that's a cause for concern. Shallow breathing can be a sign of something going wrong with the lungs or with general pain in the abdomen. Nostrils flaring and your fur baby extending their neck out to try to open their airways can be a sign of an obstruction.

Sometimes, your fur baby is just having an allergy attack and can get over it quickly. Other times, it could be something serious like heart conditions, heatstroke, injury, or a growing tumor in the chest putting pressure on the lungs. Any severe, sudden, worsening, or dramatic trouble breathing is cause for a vet trip.

5: Your Fur Baby Can't Stop Coughing

Coughing can be related to trouble breathing and can cause trouble breathing, but it's usually its own thing.

Dogs with a cough can have different kinds of coughs, too.

• Dry coughs are harsh and hacking, but nothing comes out. Kennel Cough is a kind of dry cough and is the most common cause of coughing in dogs.
• Productive coughs are coughs that "produce" mucus or phlegm. They're gross, wet, and usually indicate some kind of infection such as canine influenza or a lung problem.
• Honking coughs are loud and almost comedic since they sound like a goose honk each time they happen. Unfortunately, they aren't funny at all and can indicate a tracheal collapse, which needs immediate attention.

Sometimes, all you need is to call your vet for a prescription and give your fur baby some medicine, but other times, you'll need more detailed intervention, so consider that vet trip when you hear coughing.

6: Your Fur Baby is Limping or Favoring a Leg

Limping, lameness, and mobility issues can come from a lot of different sources. Most of the time, if your fur baby is limping, they've probably injured themselves.

Maybe they strained or sprained a muscle when they were running around and playing. Maybe they stepped on something sharp and cut a paw or pulled out a claw. Maybe they fractured or broke a bone. All of these are acute issues that need attention but can be solved with care and time.

On the other hand, there are some more serious, slower, and more insidious causes. Some infections can attack the joint and cause arthritis-like symptoms. Arthritis itself, of course, can affect older dogs and lead to limping and mobility problems.

There are also a few common types of canine cancers that cause tumors in and around the joints, which can also lead to mobility problems.

If you're lucky, your fur baby is just faking an injury to get some attention or to sympathize with your own injuries.

7: Your Fur Baby Isn't Acting Like Themselves

It can be very scary when your dog isn't acting the way they usually do. A chipper, happy dog suddenly acting aggressive, a friendly and outgoing pup suddenly hiding from strangers, a calm dog being restless; any dramatic, sudden shift in behavior can be a sign that something is wrong.

Watch out for signs of sudden aggression, fear, withdrawal from normal behaviors, restlessness, anxiety, destructive behavior, irritability, or aversion to touch. These can all be caused by things like pain, injury, stress, fear, or neurological problems. Your vet will need to perform an exam to figure out what's wrong.

8: Your Fur Baby is Drinking a Ton or Needs to Pee Constantly

Two related issues here are called polydipsia and polyuria (PD and PU). They're just the fancy medical names for excessive thirst and excessive urination.

Drinking a lot can be fine, like when your fur baby is playing a lot or spending a lot of time out in the heat. And, of course, peeing a lot comes with drinking a lot. All that liquid has to go somewhere!

On the other hand, there are a bunch of different issues that mess with the body's equilibrium and can cause it to desire or expel excessive amounts of liquid. Kidney disease, unchecked diabetes, urinary tract infections, some medications, and stress can all cause both PD and PU.

Often, this isn't cause for concern on its own. But, if it's sustained over multiple days, or if it's accompanied by any of the other issues on this list, call your vet. You probably don't need to rush them in for an emergency visit, but a close appointment is a good idea.

9: Your Fur Baby is Bloated

In us people, bloating usually just means we ate a lot of beans or something we have a sensitivity, and the result is the excess production of gas in our bellies. In dogs, that's not really how it works. Swelling and bloating of the abdomen can be a lot more dangerous in dogs than it is in people.

Bloat in dogs is formally called gastric dilation-volvulus (GDV). The exact cause of this condition is unknown, but it can be life-threatening.

A distended or swollen abdomen is the more common and concerning sign. They may also be restless, drooling, and have difficulty breathing. Additionally, they could be trying to cough or vomit without success.

This issue is most common in large dogs with deep chests, like Boxers, German Shepherds, and Great Danes. It's also usually caused by a "twisted stomach," a problem where a gassy stomach twists in the abdomen and cuts off the tubes leading to and from it, which is an emergency and may need immediate surgery to correct.

"It is estimated that 40% of Great Danes will develop GDV at some point during their lifespan; prophylactic gastropexy significantly reduces this likelihood." – VCA Animal Hospitals

If you have a breed that is at higher risk of developing GDV, your vet may recommend a preventative gastropexy surgery often called “stomach tacking” where the stomach is sutured to the abdominal wall to prevent it from twisting. My sister has had Great Danes for many years, and this is a surgery she always has done to help reduce the risk of GDV.

10: Your Fur Baby Can't Stop Scratching

Scratching excessively can be caused by anything from a mild allergic reaction or contact with something like poison ivy to parasites like fleas or mites to hot spots and other skin issues. Also, sometimes hormonal issues and even some rare cancers can cause excessive itching and scratching.

Usually, this isn’t something you would need to take your fur baby in for an emergency visit, however you'll want to call your vet, describe the problem, and ask what they think. Check out another post I wrote if you want to learn some of the most common reasons why your pup is scratching.

11: Your Fur Baby's Face is All Gross

By gross here, I mean they've got runny or sticky discharge coming out of their eyes, nose, and/or mouth.

Eye discharge can be allergies, infections like pink eye, more severe infections, or tear duct issues. Nose discharge can be infections, allergies, sudden changes in humidity and temperature, excitement, infections, or even trauma if they got their nose injured by sticking it somewhere they shouldn't have. Mouth discharge could be anything from excessive drooling to foaming.

If the color is something other than clear, and especially if there's blood in the discharge, a vet visit is needed. If it gets worse over time, or if it's accompanied by other items on this list, speed up that visit.

12: Your Fur Baby is Losing Weight Fast

When weight loss is not planned as a part of a monitored diet, it is a cause for concern.

Sudden weight loss can be a sign of disease or parasites that interfere with absorbing the nutrients in food. It can also be a sign of infections, digestive issues, or injuries. In extreme cases, it can also be a sign of a severe metabolic disorder or cancer.

Rapid weight loss deserves a rapid trip to the vet, though again, it's probably not emergency vet material. Save that for acute injuries and life-threatening problems, and just schedule an appointment as soon as you can.

Keeping Your Fur Baby Healthy

One of the many great things about dogs is that when they aren’t feeling well, they'll show it. They aren't like cats, who hide their symptoms until they're so bad they can’t hide it anymore. Dogs with sudden issues may need a trip to the emergency vet or just a call and an appointment sometime in the next week or so.

Ensuring your pup has a full annual exam is the best way to stay on top of any lurking health issues. Periodic bloodwork can tell you a lot of information before symptoms develop, so follow your vet’s recommendation when it comes to testing.

Have any questions? If so, I'm always more than happy to help you out however I can. Just leave me a comment down below, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible!

Of course, it makes sense. Dogs don't have hands, and their primary senses for interacting with the world involve smell and taste as much as eyesight and hearing. Getting a mouthful of anything is how they interact with the world around them.

The trouble is what ends up in their mouth isn’t always doggy safe. Dogs can end up with something lodged in their throat or the back of their mouth, and it can go from playful fetch to an emergency situation in an instant. Every single dog parent out there should know how to deal with a choking dog ASAP, as well as any related first aid. By the time you pack your pup up and take them to an emergency vet, it may be too late.

Today we’re going to help prepare you on how to respond in the event your pup begins choking. We’ve included two great videos that demonstrate the techniques needed to help save your pup’s life.

Okay, let’s get started.

How to Prevent Your Dog from Choking

Let’s start by talking a bit about prevention. There are some basic rules that you can follow to reduce your pup’s risk of choking. These include:

• Don’t leave small objects around your house that your pup can access and potentially try to eat.
• Choose hollow ball toys instead of solid ones like tennis balls.
• Choose ball toys that are too big for your dog to fully put in their mouth.
• Inspect your dogs’ toys regularly and toss out any that are in poor condition to avoid having a chunk break free.
• Avoid giving chew toys that can splinter.
• Choose size appropriate toys, in other words don’t give a Great Dane a chew toy meant for a Yorkie.
• Feed dry food that is the appropriate size for your pup. Large round kibbles should not be fed or accessible to a small dog.
• If your pup likes to woof down their food, buy a slow feeder dish to reduce their pace.
• With small dogs, be mindful of anything you drop, things like a rouge nut or hard candy can be choking hazards.

While choking can’t be fully prevented, following the above recommendations will remove the risk associated with some of the common items that cause pups to choke.

What Are the Signs of a Choking Dog?

In order to act quickly in an emergency situation, it’s important to first familiarize yourself with the signs of choking.

If your pup has gotten something lodged in their mouth or throat they're likely going to panic about it. They'll retch and try to get it out of their throat. They'll pace or run back and forth in obvious distress. They may paw at their head, mouth, or neck in an attempt to get at what's causing the problem. They may also whine or try to in an attempt to get your attention.

The worst case is when they aren't making any noise at all. That means a complete airway obstruction, and that's when you have only moments between life and death. You have to think quickly, spring into action, and be decisive to have the best chance of saving your furry friend's life.

Outlining the Process

We’ll get started with an overview of what you should be thinking and doing the moment you identify your pup is choking. Ideally, you'll have a bit of first aid knowledge (or even have taken a canine first aid class offered by a local vet or pet rescue), and you can rely on that knowledge. You can also visit sites like First Aid For Pets for a free dog choking course.

Step 1: Stay Calm

Sometimes it’s easier said than done, but in an emergency, a clear mind and calm demeanor will help you act safely and deliberately.

Dogs are pros at reading body language and if you’re freaking out because they’re freaking out, it’s only going to increase their frantic behavior and make it harder for you to help.

So, if you see your dog is choking, act fast, and take deep breaths to help yourself remain calm.

Step 2: Identify and Attempt to Remove Obstruction

If you feel confident you can safely use your hands to inspect your pup’s mouth, the next thing to do is see if you can dislodge whatever is stuck. We’ll dive deeper into the exact process to use in the next section.

If you can see your pup is still able to breathe, spend no more than 1-2 minutes trying to dislodge whatever is causing the blockage.

Step 3: Head to the Vet

Whether you’re able to remove the obstruction or not, the next step is to head to your closest vet.

The further away you are from an emergency vet, the less time you have at home to remove the blockage. If you live further away, you might need to immediately head to your car while a friend or family member helps try to dislodge the hazard.

Pro Tip: Always know your closest vet who can help in an emergency and have a backup in mind if the primary option is closed for the day.

If you’re able to get the object out, your dog may still be in panic mode. They may try to snap or bite just out of sheer distress, so be careful not to get yourself injured in the process.

Handle Your Dog Safely

As pet parents, no matter how much we love and are loved by our canine friends, there is always a risk of being bitten or injured by a panicking dog. Remember, while choking, your fur baby isn't rational. They're struggling, and if you try to reach into their mouth, they may bite or shy away. You're trying to help, but they don't know that.

You'll want to restrain your fur baby gently to prevent them from running away, struggling, or making things worse. A second set of hands is always helpful, so one person can restrain while the other attempts to remove the object.

Removing the Object

For partial obstructions, larger obstructions, and cases where you can safely open your dog's mouth and see the object stuck in their throat, you may be able to reach in and grab it. If you have a set of tongs, long tweezers, or another gripping tool, this can make it easier to reach into your fur baby's throat and remove whatever object is caught there. If you don't, your fingers may be enough, but be VERY careful not to accidentally push the object in further.

If you're not sure if you can reach it, or if you don't think you can get a grip, don't try; move on to the next option immediately.

Note: Be exceptionally careful of anything that could be sharp, like a chunk of bone. Things like toys and balls are designed to not be sharp and won't puncture the mouth or throat, but something like a broken piece of bone or a stick can lacerate the inside of the mouth or the throat. You don't want to cut or scrape them removing it if you can help it.

Labradors and a few other breeds have a cavity in the top of their mouths where an object can become stuck. This cavity makes it less likely that the lodged object is going to hinder their breathing, but it still causes distress, and the object will still obviously need to be removed.

"Some dogs, such as Labradors, have an additional cavity at the top of their mouth where objects can become lodged. If a solid object is lodged at the back of the throat (e.g., rawhide or a pig's ear), one person should hold the mouth open extremely carefully (try to press their lips over their teeth to protect your fingers) and another reach into the dog's mouth with tweezers or forceps to grasp the item and remove it. Do not push at the object with your fingers as you may lodge it deeper – it may be possible to dislodge rawhide with tweezers. Do not stick your fingers down the throat or finger sweep to try and locate an object, as this is likely to cause damage to the delicate tissues at the back of the throat." - firstaidforpets.com

A second option for all breeds, if the object is large, like a chunk of rawhide or a tennis ball, is to do an external extraction technique, when you push the item out by doing a maneuver on their throat.

You’ll begin by laying you pup on their back, then using two thumbs at the base of their throat, press upwards, looking to find the object and force it up and out of their mouth.

Check out this step-by-step demonstration of this saving technique:

Performing the Canine Heimlich Maneuver

The Heimlich maneuver is a way of dislodging something stuck in a person's throat. Also known as abdominal thrusts, in humans, you perform it by slapping the person on the back between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand and, if that alone doesn't work, grasping them from behind and firmly squeezing their stomach to provide force from beneath the lodged object and get it free.

Canine abdominal thrusts or doggy Heimlich is a similar but different procedure.

Here's how to perform the Heimlich maneuver based on your dog’s size:

For small dogs:

• Hold the dog upside down by the legs and shake downwards gently but firmly 3-4 times. This feels cartoonish, like you're shaking money out of someone's pockets, but it's effective.
• Alternatively, hold the dog firmly with their back to your stomach. Grasp them such that your hands are below their rib cage, and pull in and up firmly. Your goal is, again, to create internal pressure and force the object up and out.

For large dogs:

• Hold your dog's backside up with their head downwards and their hind legs up towards you. Lift their hind legs like a wheelbarrow.
• Use the same basic procedure to put pressure on their abdomen, forcing the object up and out.
• Alternatively, lay them down on their side, with their back against your knees. Pull in on their abdomen; the same procedure as above, just from the side instead. This is most useful for giant breeds.

Check out this great video demonstration of the Heimlich technique:

If this works, great! If not, make sure to rush your dog to the vet ASAP. They have tools that can make it easier to remove a stuck object, the training to do so quickly, and additional facilities to help resuscitate your dog if they've stopped breathing entirely.

What If Your Dog Stopped Breathing?

If you’ve been able to remove the obstruction, but your dog has stopped breathing, you should immediately begin CPR.

Canine CPR involves repeated compressions on the chest of the dog to stimulate the heart and lungs into operating again. You need to be hard and fast, at 100-120 compressions per minute (which is just under two per second), making sure your dog's chest springs back fully after each compression. Perform 30 of these – so, fifteen seconds – before giving rescue breaths.

Rescue breaths are a way of using your lungs to force air into theirs. Close their mouth, cover their nose with your mouth, and exhale into their nose until you see their chest rise. Do this twice.

Alternate between 30 compressions and 2 breaths while heading for the emergency vet. Don't stop unless your dog starts breathing again on their own.

Here's a guide from the Red Cross on pet CPR for more detailed instructions.

If You Got the Object Out, Do You Still Need a Vet?

Yes.

Having something stuck in your dog's throat is a traumatic experience. Not only mentally, but physically too.

In the best cases, there's no lasting internal damage. There may be some soreness in their throat, and they may feel uncomfortable while the inflammation subsides, but often no additional action is needed.

In other cases, though, the item that was lodged may have done damage on the way going in or coming out.

• Your dog might have a cut, laceration, puncture, or other wound inside their throat that needs attention. This could need stitches, or it could need emergency surgery in the worst cases.
• If your dog was stuck without oxygen for too long, they may need additional attention to help nurse them back to health. This isn't usually the kind of attention you can give them at home.

In any case, always take your dog in for a vet check-up after a choking incident to make sure nothing is wrong. They'll do an inspection, and they can help repair any damage that occurred, administer painkillers if necessary, and even fluids and other treatments if required.

There's nothing quite so stressful as a choking dog, but with the right training and quick thinking, you can save their life.

If you ever have any non-medically-urgent questions or concerns, please feel free to leave me a comment down below! I may not be a vet, but I'm always more than happy to assist you and your furry friends however I can.

Some are highly trained service animals, attentive and clever, anticipating needs and carefully, cautiously guiding the person who relies on them.

Others seem like hellions, attention-seeking creatures who demand every bit of time from their poor, frazzled parents.

It doesn't matter if you want to spend a few minutes reading, watching the latest episode of your favorite TV show, answering some emails, or chatting with a friend.

Princess there notices that the attention isn't on them, and so they react the only way they know how to get it back: bark, bark, bark.

If the latter example sounds like your pup, you’re in the right place. Today we’re going to talk about how to address the problem of attention-seeking barking.

As usual I’ve thrown in a great educational video. This time on anti-bark dog shock collars and why you should never use one. Believe me, if you are considering one, you won't anymore, and if you are using one already, you will most likely stop using it.

Happy learning and sharing!

What is Demand Barking?

Demand Barking is the official name for the behavior of a dog that barks in order to get something they want, no matter what it is they want, what time of day it is, or how feasible it is to get.

If they want food, they bark. If they want to go on a walk, they bark. If they have an itch they want you to scratch, they bark. If they see a toy they want to play with, they bark.

If they experience an epiphany about the nature of the universe and, with their new cosmic viewpoint, need to express what they see to their parents, guess what? They bark!

Dogs are Smart Learners: The Two-Way Street of Training

Demand Barking is just one of a spectrum of attention-seeking behaviors. Dogs are smart!

We train them, but at the same time, training is a two-way street, they train us too.

Yep, that’s right, you may have been trained by your pup and you don’t even realize it, but think about it:

• When your fur baby needs to go potty, how do they let you know? They've developed a specific behavior that trains you to take them out. A bark? Perhaps a scratch at the door?
• When they're hungry, what do they do? They probably have a behavior that lets you know it's mealtime.
• When they want to play, what do they do? Maybe bring a toy to you, maybe go sit by the toy box; a behavior they know will eventually catch your attention and get you to play.

The Connection between Attention-Seeking and Mental Fulfillment

Attention-seeking behavior comes from dogs that are generally not mentally fulfilled as much as they want to be.

While the above behaviors are all legitimate needs for a dog, if your pup doesn't actually want to go out or eat but they know they get your attention by acting like they do, they might start doing so just to seek your attention.

Your dog may be simply bored and trying to get your attention for some stimulation.

“Make sure she’s (your dog) getting enough daily exercise and has opportunities to spend time with you. A bored or lonely dog will bark out of a desperate need for more connection.” - Oregon Humane Society

Your Response Shapes Your Pup’s Behavior

Consider how you respond when your pup barks for seemingly no reason.

For example, if you just went on a walk and it’s not mealtime, do you give him/her some scratches? Perhaps you toss a toy across the room? Do you call your pup over and talk to them?

All of these actions are teaching your dog that by barking they can get some sort of attention from their favorite person, you.

Demand barking is simply the most common attention seeking behavior likely because it's the most disruptive thing a dog can do to get your attention quickly.

I'll refer to it as demand barking or attention seeking throughout this post but remember that it's more than just barking all the time.

Decide on an Acceptable Level of Barking

It’s important to determine a healthy level of barking, which is fairly subjective and might be directly related to the type of dog you have.

This is not to say that the dogs in question never bark, just that they've learned that there's a time and a place for barking.

Generally, they've been taught that barking is an emergencies-only behavior or even part of a trick like "speak!" and not something they can just do all the time. That kind of training takes time, but it's a good end goal for your training program.

So, do you want your pup to be seen and not heard? Do you want them to warn you when someone is coming up the driveway or near the house, but not when you're away from home? Do you want them to vocalize occasionally, on command or otherwise? Do you not mind a little barking, but only in the right contexts?

Decide what you want as your ideal end goal, but keep in mind breaking the cycle is going to be a learning process and won’t happen overnight.

Read More Dog Behavior Guides

• My Dog Won't Stop Licking: Is It a Problem and What Should I Do?
• How to Establish an Effective Dog Crate Training Routine
• Your Dog Got Kicked Out of Doggy Daycare - What Now?

Breaking the Cycle of Demand Barking

The first thing to do with an attention-seeking pup is determining what behaviors they're exhibiting to get attention and then steadfastly ignoring them.

I’m not going to lie to you, it's going to be difficult, it might tug at your heartstrings, and it’s definitely going to be annoying, but it needs to be done.

There's no way to gradually ease into this particular part of the process. Remember it took your pup some time to learn that barking resulted in something they enjoy, so you have to unteach that behavior.

It’s probably worth discussing what to do if you work from home and you’re on a conference call and your pup goes to town barking for your attention to refocus on him/her.

This is the ultimate challenge where you’ll either need to stay muted to let your pup bark it out without reward or you’ll need to relocate to find a quiet place to continue your call.

Giving in and distracting your pup with scratches or a toy, while extremely tempting, is only going to distract from the training you do when you’re not on a work call.

The key in starting is differentiating what your fur baby does when they just want attention versus what they do when they have a legitimate need. Often, if you look, you can tell the difference between a dog that really needs to go out to potty and a dog that just wants your attention when you take them out.

Similarly, a dog that's barking for a legitimate reason is going to be different than one that is just barking because the attention you give them (in exchange for their silence) is what they're really after.

Make no mistake: this is going to take resilience. Your pup will bark for attention and redouble their efforts when it doesn't work. You have to ignore it. Stay strong!

Be forewarned, your dog may also try to escalate when simple barking doesn't work. They might also start misbehaving in other ways, such as threatening to piddle on the carpet, jumping up on furniture they aren't allowed on, or doing other things they know are wrong because the desire for attention is too strong.

Whatever you do, don't reinforce this by giving them attention, because all you'll do is make things worse.

Depending on the age of your dog and how long this behavior has been going on, breaking the cycle and starting to build more wholesome training can take anywhere from a week or two all the way up to a couple of months.

Thankfully, dogs of almost any age can learn new tricks, despite the old saying.

Training Method: The Quiet Command

Now you can start working on training your fur baby to be quiet. There are a few different methods you can try, but the quiet commend method is one of the most common and most favored. Here's how it works.

First, you need to learn how to trigger the attention-seeking behavior. Generally, this is pretty simple: just start focusing on something other than your dog. Watch TV, read a book, play on your phone; whatever it is, just do it while slyly listening to your fur baby.

When they start to demand attention, acknowledge them, but don't give them any attention. No treat, no praise, no talking; just glance at them, then go back to ignoring them.

This is, ironically, where you're paying the most attention to them.

Watch and wait and listen, and when they stop barking, issue a command word (like "Quiet" or "Hush") and give them a treat. This begins the reinforcement process; they got a treat and heard a word when they stopped barking. You can follow this up with a bit of attention and praise, but don't go too overboard.

A key takeaway here is that the praise and command word should be done during a quiet moment. Be careful not to reward a bark.

Now, over the next days and weeks, repeat this process. Whenever you're doing something else – or when you induce the behavior – listen for when they stop barking, issue the command, and reward them.

Critically, though, only issue your command once. If you need to shout "hush" at them five or six times before they listen, you're not effectively training them. Issue the command, and if they keep barking, go back to ignoring them. ONLY reward them when they stay quiet.

Once you've established this pattern, and they’ve learned the command, then you can start issuing it while they're still barking.

Since they associate three things – the lack of barking, the command, and the treat – all together, they'll start to respond to the command with the lack of barking in expectation of the treat.

Initiating Attention

Another related aspect of training a dog with a demand barking issue is establishing yourself as the one who initiates the attention.

You don't want your dog to know that they can demand attention; you want them to know that it only comes when you want to give it.

Any time you want to start a training and play session, use a verbal command to begin. It might be "Let's play!" or whatever, and you can develop different commands for different situations.

Tug of war with their rope, fetch, walks; these can all have different initiating commands.

Start the session with the command, then do the playtime, walk, trick training session, or whatever else you want it to be associated with. After a few repetitions (five or ten minutes of playing, a few tricks), you reward them along with a "no more" command.

What you're basically doing is training an on-and-off switch into your fur baby. One command initiates a fun activity and ends with a treat; the other ends playtime and tells your dog it's time to rest or play on their own.

To make it even more effective, when playtime is over, don't leave them alone; stay in the room, doing your own thing and ignoring them. Make it abundantly clear that when you say it's time to stop, it stops.

Tips for Training

Before we close out, it's important to give a few tips about training and how to train a dog most effectively.

First off, the rewards. Training relies on high-value rewards to associate with behaviors. This will generally be your fur baby's favorite treat.

Try to save these treats for when they're most impactful, and don't just give them out when you feel like giving your pup a snack.

Dogs are very hard-wired to respond to behavioral reinforcement! If you give them a reward, they'll think about what they were just doing and assume that will get them another reward. Reinforcing that behavior creates a pattern.

Another important part of training is consistency. Especially in the early days of training a behavior – or lack thereof – you need to be consistent in watching for the behavior and rewarding it when you see it.

In the case of something like demand barking, that means watching for something that would trigger their barking and rewarding them when they don't bark.

One of the most common mistakes pet parents make with training is being very empathetic and emotional.

They feel like they're restricting or punishing their dogs when they train them like this, so they try to give comfort treats or end-of-day rewards, or some other kind of emotional support for their fur baby.

Unfortunately, dogs don't really have that kind of long-term conception of behavior and overall emotional state the same way people do, so this kind of inconsistency can cause problems.

Speaking of consistency, another important aspect of training is getting other people involved.

If you're rigid with training, but your partner, roommate, spouse, or children encourages bad behavior, is inconsistent with rewards, or otherwise just violates the "rules" of the behavioral association, it will get muddied.

You'll end up with a dog that is well-behaved around you but a wild creature around other people, which is the opposite of what you want.

Keep in mind that all of this will only work if your fur baby is already living a fulfilling and happy life.

If you're trying to train your dog to stop barking, but they're barking because they're injured or because they're ignored for a full day at a time, you're going to have a much, much harder time breaking them of that behavior.

Bored, anxious, sick, or otherwise unhealthy dogs will have a harder time internalizing training. So, make sure your fur baby gets enough attention and that their health is good before you dig into the training.

Exercise is extremely important, and the amount needed can vary greatly depending on breed. A pup with excess energy will find unproductive ways to expend it.

“The solution to your dog barking could sometimes be more simple [sic] than you think. It begins with providing your dog plenty of exercise via the walk, along with discipline by giving him jobs to do and commands to learn.” - Cesar Millan

So, make sure your pup has ways to occupy themselves when they aren't getting attention from you. Self-serve toys or puzzles can be a huge benefit for mental stimulation.

Should I use an anti-barking collar on my dog?

No, you should not. The use of anti-barking dog collars is inhumane. We highly recommend dog parents to avoid the deployment of such tools.

The main problem with corrective dog collars is that they “train” or should we say force your dog not to bark at all. Of course, not to mention the fact that some of them inflict pain and others cause physical discomfort as well as psychological trauma.

“The RSPCA is opposed to the use of anti-barking collars that deliver aversive stimuli such as high-pitched sounds, electric shocks, or citronella. These devices are inhumane as they are designed to deliberately cause suffering​ [1, 2]​.” - The Royal Society For The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals - RSPCA

As discussed above, preventing your dog from barking at all is not something you want.

Check out this great educational video about shock collars by CNET

Further, no dog parent should ever punish their dog for expressing themselves in one of the ways nature intended for them. Barking is a totally natural behavior for dogs.

Can you imagine if you were forced to not utter words?

Be aware that you will likely find some of those collars marketed as “humane anti-bark collars” on the largest ecommerce sites and big box retailers, don’t be fooled, it’s another marketing gimmick.

Other than training, any device that forces your dog to not act naturally should be deemed inhumane.

The end goal here is to train your dog on when it is appropriate and acceptable to express themselves by barking and not to mute them forever.

Tell Me Your Story!

Have you had an attention-seeking fur baby before? If so, how did you train it out of them, if you did? Did you use the method above, or some variation of it, or something else entirely?

I love hearing stories about your fur babies, so please, leave them in the comments. Tell me all about your training adventures and how well they've worked!