Question: Why does my dog get mad and destroy things when I leave the house?

Question: Why does my dog get mad and destroy things when I leave the house?

Answer:

Sounds like a case of separation anxiety. Your dog is not getting mad when you leave. He is stressed either from a lack of exercise, a lack of leadership, or both. Followers are not allowed to leave the leaders and he did not give you permission to leave. Dominant behaviors always get worse over time if nothing is done to communicate to the dog that he is not the leader or he does not have an outlet to release his built-up energy. 

Read more about separation anxiety behind :

Separation Anxiety in Dogs

Your dog may look happy when you return, but in truth if your dog is excitable, he may be experiencing mental anguish, which is not healthy.

Did you know that separation anxiety is the second most common reason dogs are euthanized or given up by their owners?

Separation anxiety can occur in any breed and at any age.

Why has my housebroken, full-grown dog started peeing in my bed?

 Question: Why has my housebroken, full-grown dog started peeing in my bed?
Answer:

Assuming you have ruled out any health issues such as incontinence, this behavior would indicate that your dog is letting you know he is alpha in your pack. He is above you in the order and is marking on "his" bed. I would start looking into human-to-dog leadership and the amount and type of exercise he receives.

If one really understands dogs and how to communicate leadership to them one can get away with having a dog sleep on their bed with them. However, in most cases, I personally do not believe dogs belong on beds because in the dog world the leader sleeps in the most comfortable spot in the house. By letting a dog sleep on your bed most people unknowingly are allowing them to take the bed over. A follower would NEVER dream of purposely peeing in the place where the leader sleeps. Never...it just would not happen. If a dog is going to be on a human's bed it needs to be invited up onto the bed by the human and not jump up at its own free will.

What are the signs of a happy, stable-minded, submissive dog

Question: What are the signs of a happy, stable-minded, submissive dog? I walk my dog daily and am the pack leader. My dog is so calm I sometimes think he looks depressed.

Answer:

The sign of a happy, stable-minded, submissive dog is a dog that is not overly excited and that holds his tail low and is calm. It is not normal, nor is it healthy, for a dog to be so extremely excited that his tail is wagging a mile a minute and he cannot stand still. A dog that excited is anxiety ridden with excess energy. Your dog is not sad or depressed. 

Dogs are not like humans. They think differently because they are different. A wagging tail is not necessarily a sign of happiness. Dogs that are upset and stressed will also wag their tails. The dogs you see jumping around like crazy, running and unable to stand still are dogs that are not stable. Do not mistake this behavior as being sad or depressed and feel bad for him, or you will confuse your dog by giving off weak energy.

How do I get my rescue dog to trust me?

Question: How do I get my rescue dog to trust me?

She was found homeless and we were able to catch her using a tranquilizer. She has never growled, just runs away and won't let me pet her. She is currently in my fenced backyard. My other dogs really like her, however, and they get along great. She just will not let us humans approach her.

Answer:
She sounds insecure and not sure what to think of the humans. One rule of natural dog behavior is you cannot rush and force yourself upon insecure dogs. You are going to have to take it slow and not approach her head-on until she learns to trust you. Here is something you can do: Sit down in your backyard where the dog is. Place a bowl of tasty food a few feet from where you are sitting and read a book (or something). Do not make eye contact with the dog and don't talk to her. Just sit there quietly. Let her get used to you simply being there. Each feeding, move the bowl a little closer to where you are sitting. You can also sit down and toss something like tasty bacon her way. Remember, don't look directly at or talk to her. Just sit calmly and quietly.

My puppy is scared to walk out the door. What should we do?

Question: My puppy is scared to walk out the door. What should we do?
A few days ago we got a Boxer pup. He is now 11 weeks old and is a nice and humble fellow. One thing that worries us a bit: when we take him on walks, he seems to be terrified of the outdoors. He sits at the open door and just stares outside. We literally have to pick him up and carry him outdoors. Once outdoors, he acts like nothing happened, exploring and walking around just fine. How should we handle this?

Answer:
Your little fella just needs time. He is unsure and you cannot rush insecurity. Try coaxing him out using treats (positive reinforcement). Picking him up and taking him out the door will not get him over his fear; he needs to take the steps on his own. 

Be careful not to give any affection when he is scared or unsure, as it will increase his worry. He is looking to you to be strong for him, something to feed from, a strong leader. You need to be that leader for him and he needs to sense things are OK, that you have the strength to keep him safe. To communicate that to him you need to be confident and strong. He will feel it

What would cause my dog to get into a fight with another dog when he's never done that before?

Question: What would cause my dog to get into a fight with another dog when he's never done that before? I took my dog over to a friend's to play with her dogs like I have done many times. We never had any problems in the past. My friend’s dog had a deer leg and my dog wanted it and attacked the other dog. The other dogs that were also there joined in! Why would they do this when in the past they were always fine? They were all socialized from an early age, have been with other dogs before and have been treated with tons of love and affection. Have our dogs turned bad?

Answer:

Dogs live in the moment and at that moment the other dog had a bone and it became a dominance struggle as to which one was actually going to get the bone. Once a fight starts between dogs it is very hard to break it up because the levels of excitement are extremely high. The deer leg should have been taken away well before all of the dogs got together. If any of those dogs believed they were alpha it makes things that much worse. This is preventable by you yourself becoming 100% pack leader over your own dogs then learning the signs and stopping it from happening right BEFORE it happens—right when you see the first "look" from one of the dogs, and before the dog reacts, you give a correction to the offending dog. I recommend you tune into the Dog Whisperer on the National Geographic Channel. If you do not get that channel there are DVDs for sale on Amazon.com. Watching the show will help you pick up on a dog’s body language and understand what it means. My own dogs, as good as they are, got into a fight over a dead animal once. They both wanted it and I missed my sign that a fight was going to break out. My fault for not seeing it coming.

Because the dogs got into a fight over a bone does not mean they are "bad" or "dangerous" dogs. The humans around them need to learn how to read the dogs, how to be 100% leader and know the signs that something might happen. (For example, taking that bone away.) Dogs need leadership before they need love and affection. I suggest you start pack-walking all the dogs at one time to reinforce humans are alpha over them. All dogs must be heeling on the walks. At the bottom of that page there are many links to other helpful articles. 

What is the key to getting my dog to stop fighting with other dogs?

Question: What is the key to getting my dog to stop fighting with other dogs?
Answer:
The key to getting a dog to stop fighting with other dogs is proper communication. The dogs need to see the humans as 100% pack leader and the communication needs to be that the humans do not approve of them fighting with other dogs. I have a Boxer that used to attack other dogs. She did this for years. When she was about 6 years old I started watching the Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan and from there started studying more natural dog behavior. I learned how to communicate with her in a way that she could understand. 

I told her that I was her leader and I did not wish for her to fight. It took a while for me to learn her body language, but when I did I was able to read her and correct her at the right moments. It's been years and she no longer goes after other dogs. Once in a while I see the look in her eyes and I simply have to give a verbal command at the right moment and she responds. The key is to learn how to read the dog, how to correct at the right moments and how to communicate with them in dog language that you are pack leader over them 100%. Tell them that fighting is against the rules. When they are convinced and so long as they are getting enough mental and physical stimulation to keep them from having bottled-up frustration, they will change and no longer pick fights. The humans need to be confident and strong-minded in order to convince the dog.

Is there hope for my dominant rescue dog to get along with my other dogs?

Question: Is there hope for my dominant rescue dog to get along with my other dogs? 

We have a rescued Akita who believes she is the alpha female. Her problem is with other dogs. She can't be near one without knocking it down and standing over and not letting them up. No blood yet, from either, just lots of noise. She is great around little people, adults and even cats. Just other dogs. Any chance of trying to socialize her now? Would really like to see her with our other dogs.

Answer:

How should I approach a dog I do not know

Question: How should I approach a dog I do not know? For example: you go for a visit and meet a dog that seems to be alpha in the house?

Answer:
It is best not to approach the dog at all, but rather ignore him and allow him to approach you. Don't touch him, don't bend down with your hand extended, don't talk to him, and don't make eye contact. If the dog walks over and smells you it does not mean the dog wishes to be petted.

 Dogs get a lot of information about someone by smelling them, and just because a dog smells you does not mean he wants you in his space touching him. Remain confident and strong-minded.

 If you are nervous, anxious or scared, etc., the dog will read your emotions as weakness and will be more likely to react in a dominant manner. If the dog jumps on you, the dog needs to be corrected by you. A jumping dog is a dog that is stepping into your private space, which is disrespect in the dog world

My dog is restless when he sleeps. He whimpers, sometimes yelps and/or moves around

Question: My dog is restless when he sleeps. He whimpers, sometimes yelps and/or moves around. What could be causing him to do this?

Answer:
You should have your dog checked by the vet. If there is nothing medically wrong with him then it may just be him having a bad dream. Dogs can have bad dreams when they have bottled-up mental and physical energy and frustration. Since dogs cannot speak to us and say, "I feel anxious inside" we humans often do not realize the way our dogs are feeling. Some questions to ask yourself:

Does your dog get a daily pack walk to satisfy the migration instinct that all dogs have? The proper way to walk a dog.

Does your dog feel he must take care of YOU rather than relaxing and letting YOU take care of him?