Behavior & Training

Caught your dog kicking grass and wondered what on earth he’s doing? Dogs pull all kinds of odd stunts, and if you’re a hands-on owner you’ve almost certainly stood there asking why dogs kick grass and whether you should do anything about it. It’s a funny thing to watch, that sudden burst of back-leg digging. […]

A lot of dog ownership is just paying attention. You spend months learning what your dog’s quirks actually mean, and no two dogs read the same. The two of you figure it out as you go. One question lands in my inbox more than almost any other: why does my dog sleep on top of

Cats and boxes are practically a meme at this point. Dogs are harder to pin down. Their comfort zones move around, right up until yours stakes a permanent claim on the dark gap under your bed. If that sounds like your house, welcome to the club. And you’re probably here asking the same thing everyone

To cuddle is to hold something close for warmth and affection. When your dog cuddles you, it is usually doing both at once: borrowing your body heat and telling you, in the only language it has, that it trusts you. So why do some dogs melt into your lap while others keep their distance? Both

Treats do most of the heavy lifting in dog training. Reach for one fast, mark the behavior, and your dog learns. Fumble in a coat pocket for ten seconds and the lesson is gone. This guide walks through the dog training treat bags that keep rewards a half-second away, so you stop losing those teaching

Smart dogs find trouble fast. A bored Lab or a wound-up Border Collie will clear a flimsy barrier the second your back is turned, and the stairs are usually right there. That is why the best dog gate for jumpers earns its keep. It holds your dog where you put them, and it lets you

Plenty of dogs love to wedge themselves between your legs to sleep. Most of the time it reads as affection and trust. Once in a while, though, it points to something that needs your attention. So a small, harmless looking habit is worth a second look. Why does my dog sleep between my legs? The

Marking with urine is one of the most ordinary things a dog does. Dogs are territorial by nature, and leaving a scent is how they stake a claim. Still, you want to understand how and why dogs mark their territory. That knowledge is what lets you tell a normal habit from a real problem, and

Ask any owner what keeps them up at night and “my dog getting out and getting hurt” lands near the top of the list. It happens more than people admit. Some dogs bolt once in a blue moon. Others are repeat escape artists who turn your fence line into a daily puzzle. A loose dog

A dog takes the edge off a rough day and hands you joy for free. Having a friend who never tires of your company is one of the best parts of dog ownership. Still, you’ve probably caught yourself asking why does my dog sit on me? Dogs share more with us than people expect. Loyalty

Long before memory-foam mattresses, some Aboriginal Australian groups slept curled against their dogs on cold nights. The warmth was practical. The companionship, they believed, kept bad spirits at a distance. These days most owners worry about the opposite question: should the dog really be up here at all? Dogs do plenty of odd things. A

No one signs up for a growling dog. Aggression is not charming, and it does not stay small. Left alone, it tends to grow into the kind of problem that gets a dog labeled, avoided, or worse, surrendered to a shelter. Say your dog has a habit of lunging at the other dogs on your

If there is something that can end the pleasure of walking your dog is when he starts barking at any dog ​​or stranger who crosses his path. Usually, a dog barks out of fear or frustration. Teaching your dog to stop barking when out for a walk involves helping him to manage his emotions better

A dog that barks for hours every time you shut the door is more than annoying. It is one of the fastest ways to sour things with the neighbors, so learning how to stop your dog from barking when left home alone is part of the job you signed up for as an owner. The