DogBoston’s Dog Blog

A dog that’s afraid of its leash
Howling in sleep = good or bad?

Aggressive barking

A house training crisis

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Over in the Ask Jo section of the forums, new dog owner Amy poses a question to Ask Jo:

I just brought home a 10-week old Springer Spaniel puppy on Saturday. He’s great and in general, is not fearful at all… but there are definite moments that make him freeze up. It has been raining a […]

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Ask Jo answers what appears to be a perplexing pee pee problem with solid facts and recommendations.
“My husband and I adopted a Viszla in November who was used to a country setting and did not have to be on a leash to go to the bathroom. Well now she is a city girl, and while […]

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Once you get a dog – or are even thinking of getting a dog — it starts: stories and advice from everyone you meet. Whether or not they’ve ever even had a dog, everyone has a a story to share about dog behavior or training. How do you separate truth from invention? I’m going to […]

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Not the nicest thought, however it does happen.
An anonymous user posted this question over in the Ask Jo Forum:
I have a wonderful dog that loves to eat cat poop. I’ve tried Deter but that only stops her from eating her own dog poop. Does anyone know what I can do? I’ve talked to people and […]

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Cesar Millan and his television show have become very popular among the dog-owning public. Millan seems to have been made for the screen, with a charisma that makes some folks call him the ‘Dr.Phil of Dogs’. However, there IS a disclaimer at the beginning of his show, warning those at home not to try […]

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The modern rally of  ‘a tired dog is a good dog’ has been taken up by nearly everyone who has or works with dogs.
However, excessive or inappropriate exercise could harm your dog, physically and/or mentally.  In recent years, area vets have begun experiencing a large increase in ACL/PCL injuries among  their clients – an injury […]

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forwarded to me by Jo Jacques (Ask Jo)
Recall — Firm Press Release
FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company.
BJ’s Wholesale Club Issues Recall of “Berkley & […]

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> Some of you may remember my post from 2 weeks ago about my tenants who have a rottie chow mix that bit my daughter. Well here is an update and request for further information. You were all very kind and helpful previously and hope you can give me some suggestions for this weeks developments.
Jo: […]

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As a behavior counselor and trainer, one of the most often heard complaints from pet owners concerns house-training.  The stories I hear of the suggestions clients have gotten from others are sometimes amazing:
“The vet told me that my [insert breed name] is impossible to house-train, so I don’t expect it to happen.”
“My neighbor told me […]

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“You’ve got to socialize your dog properly!”
“Don’t fail to socialize your puppy!”
As dog owners, we hear this constantly from vets, trainers and even other dog owners. But what does it really mean for our dogs – and for us?

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You’ve decided to get a puppy, and have started contacting breeders – how do you tell if breeder is really good, or someone looking to make some money (or worse yet, a puppy mill in training)?
With so many breeds and so many breeders, how do you choose?

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Jo Jacques discusses places to get your dog started in agility, flyball, and various other dog sports including dog scootering… which looks like a lot of fun!
View the Forum Post

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We’ve all seen it – your friends get the cutest puppy; she’s so sweet and gentle and well-behaved that you wish you had a puppy just like her. You don’t see your friend for a while, then the next time you get together, this lovely pup has grown into an out-of-control adolescent: jumping up, nipping […]

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Steve Dale wrote this great piece for Pet People’s Place on how to choose a dog trainer. Steve is a Certified Animal Behavior Consultant and a friend of Jo Jacques (ask Jo), so he’s a friend of this site.
 

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Imagine your response if you saw this ad.  But in reality, some dog trainers do use poultry to be able to hone their dog training techniques - using operant conditioning principles (a clicker and chicken feed).  Very interesting.
Dog trainers - have you heard this, or do you think I’m just clucking around? 
Wikipedia article

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Natasha asks Jo ”I have a wonderful 1 year old Pekingese. She will not come when I call her. She chases cars, dogs and whatever else she sees. How can I stop this?”
Find the answer in the DogBoston forums.

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This OpEd pieces backs up Jo Jacques and the DogBoston stance against Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer, in believing there are more dog friendly ways to get your dog to behave.
Full Piece

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