Chasing one’s own tail is a natural behaviour for dogs, especially pups, as a common form of play for predator animals and if they're feeling bored. Constant repetition of this could be enough reason to contact your vet. Worried that your dog is doing it too often? Here's what you can do: - Contact a trainer in your area that can provide you with a private training session at your home. Before you hire them, please make sure that they take the time to look into the potential reasons why your dog may feel the need to exhibit this behaviour (your dog is not doing it for nothing) and provide you with potential ways to guide your dog to adopt a different, better behaviour instead which can then replace it. During the session, they can hone in on what they think is the actual motive and advise further. Please avoid any recommendations that require harmful tools that provide any kind of correction, such as prong/shock/spray collars, tugging or physically addressing your dog or recommendations that make you feel like you're not taking into account your dog's feelings. Guiding your dog towards solutions that feel good and work for you both, instead of confronting them with corrections and frustration will help avoid a scenario where your dog feels the need to adopt another, different unwanted behaviour to meet an unaddressed need/issue. - Ensure your dog has regular access to both physical and mental enrichment, as well as socialization outlets. The main reason for most common behavioural issues stems from a lack of the above. - Look for the signs that the behaviour is about to take place. Prevention is always best, instead of only managing the undesired behaviour and it will lead to your dog eventually not having the opportunity to practice that behaviour, with the goal that they will then forget it altogether. - Upon spotting the signs and patterns that lead to your dog chasing his tail often, you want to then provide them with a different action to practice. This can vary from dog to dog but some options are to ask your dog to fetch, go for a walk, do some agility exercises, tricks, or perhaps simply lay down on their bed, or even solve a dog food puzzle. All better alternatives, and can be tailored to how your dog is feeling there and then. - Either as you're doing the alternative exercise and/or afterwards when your dog has gone back to relaxing, be sure to let them know that you are happy when they are not chasing their tail. This will help further let your dog know and feel like they don't need to do it, and that there are other and better ways of being, that feel much greater.

There's a lot of misconception about when we should or shouldn't pickup our dogs. When your dog is feeling overwhelmed, tired, or unsure about something you can certainly pick them up and comfort them! However, it's important to note that what will ensure your dog feels calm and relaxed again in the future, is to actually help them learn that they can take on their own as well, by walking away. The reason why most of us feel the need to pickup our dogs (at least the small ones) while on walks is to remove them from a particular environment, or from being close to someone. This can be helpful in making sure we prevent an unwanted scenario. That said each case is different and if picking up your dog doesn't provide them with comfort fast enough it's best and perhaps easier to simply guide and walk your dog away. Especially when working with a reactive or a dog that easily feels frustrated while on walks, there is always a potential that they can redirect their feelings towards you in the heat of the moment when making physical contact. More often than picking up your dog, practice walking away. Practice walking away from things that aren't so interesting to them, and eventually from things they enjoy and get excited about like toys, other dogs, and people, but in a way where they feel like walking away with you is always more rewarding. But definitely don't hesitate to pickup your dog if you feel the need to, you know them best!

Not at all! Treats are a very effective and an amazing way of letting your dog know that he has done something you are happy with. Treats can be used to 'lure' or help a dog do a specific task but they will be even more useful to you if provided only when or immediately after your dog has performed the task, before the treat is provided. With this approach, you can with time use other types of treats to reward good behaviour, such as your voice, your touch, your affection, their kibble and water.

It depends. If you would like to provide human food (please double check with your veterinarian) to your dog, this can be a great rare treat. More importantly however, providing human food or any kind of high value treat can and should be used in scenarios where your dog has a more difficult time making good decisions. For example, when you're walking past a dog park if your dog feels very excited and distracted you can use a high value treat as a reward when they're able to give you more of their attention.

This is a big decision! We like to think of having a dog just like any other relationship in your life. The main difference, however, is that once you choose your pup, you're making a lifetime commitment to them, just as much as they are making a lifetime commitment to you! Once you've made the choice to adopt a puppy, what's next is to pick the right one for yourself/your family. Consider your lifestyle (among other things) and compare it to the breed you're going for, and what they're bred to do. You can even find Facebook groups for that particular breed, where you can learn from other pet parents familiar with the dog you'll be bringing home! Once you're set on a breed and you've found a litter, see if you can meet the puppy's mom and dad and/or learn as much as you can about their demeanour before selecting from one of their pups. As you learn about them and get to meet the pups, from your first impressions you can often get a good idea of their energy level, demeanour, and even personality to see if you think it will be an ideal fit for you, your personality, and your day-to-day life!

We added this question to tackle it in a deeper manner than you might think! You can and should be able to provide your dog with a basic command like Sit, Down, or Stay when you'd like. But no matter the command you're hoping they listen to, you first need to make sure you are listening to them, while also asking yourself why you're asking them to do it in the first place. Is your dog feeling stressed, nervous, overly excited, or perhaps worried and concerned? All of those are valid feelings and are there for a reason. Keeping that in mind if we are asking a dog to sit in circumstances where your dog is feeling that way, are we doing so in the hopes of getting them to just put that feeling aside? Or are we doing it to help them regulate their own emotions and start to feel a different way? Taking into consideration how our dogs feel when we're asking them to do something is the key to knowing when and whether we should ask for a command, no different than doing our best to understand other people, before expecting them to do things for us!

If you're just starting to wonder, chances are your pup is not ready yet. Off-leash training requires a lot of effort and a pup that has an easy and fun time choosing you over all distractions around them. Most pups are ready to begin off-leash training around 4-5 months. By then, you want to make sure that you've tested the waters in safe and controlled environments, where you can easily redirect your pup should he get distracted and lose focus in the exercise. Always add to the mix a long leash for extra safety and to ensure that when you call or need your pup to come to you that it happens, as you use that leash to more easily guide and encourage your pup to choose to come to you, in a fun way that they'll want to repeat no matter what.

There's really no need to constantly buy new dog toys when you know just how to make the most of the ones you have! Let's get to it: 1. Rotate your dog’s toys by keeping them stored away, keeping only 1 or 2 out and available for your dog. This will help keep your dog's toys interesting and avoid having to constantly buy new ones. Bringing out a toy from where they’re stored will also help get your dog’s attention as needed. 2. The toys that have little crevices and crannies like tug-and-pull toys can be used to hide kibble and treats inside of them, turning them into a mentally stimulating exercise as well. 3. Bring one or two toys with you out on your walks. There are so many distracting things going on during walks that a toy can help redirect your dog’s focus as well as give them an outlet should they ever feel tired, frustrated, or just in need of a fun break. 4. Have 2-3 Kongs lined up in the freezer, all with different flavours so you can take one out when it’s time for your puppy or dog to relax, take a break, and soothe as they lick and chew it. 5. Jam a small-sized toy or Kong through the bars of your dog’s crate and lightly line it with the flavour of a tasty treat or healthy peanut butter option. This will incentivize them to go inside their crate (do not close the door though) and spend time there in an enjoyable way.

Aside from coming home to a household that already has a dog, puppies or dogs will also find themselves in homes with other different types of pets. Such as cats, birds, reptiles, and rodents too. And there’s nothing more rewarding than having a home where you’re able to make all of your pets feel safe and cared for. Just simply look up Trizane Dog Services on Instagram! Reanna has worked with her dog Amelia, her cat Roux and her bird Zane, in order to have them all be comfortable around one another. But how did she do it? How does someone help socialize their dog with other household pets? Check out these tips: 1. Nurture each of your pet’s emotional cups, as if they were your only pet. By ensuring you meet all of your pet’s needs, they are much more likely to have an easier time thriving in your home. This goes double for your dog. Why? Because dogs really care to understand how you would like for them to best go about their daily interactions, in general. And so if you’ve also taken the time to fulfill your dog’s physical, mental, and social enrichment needs, then you will find him to be far more cooperative and understanding of the needs of everyone around. 2. Closely tied to the tip below, providing your dog with their daily dose of enrichment is the key to then associating their feeling of calm and fulfillment, to their environment, and that includes your other pets. There are two major reasons why a dog would struggle to come into a home with other pets. a) Your dog initially displays curiosity towards your other pets, but eventually, with time they become a type of outlet (whether directly or indirectly) to burn pent-up energy, or frustration (likely as a result of boredom) and/or to hopefully fulfill a particular itch or talent like chasing, or scavenging, or just overall wanting to play, interact and socialize. b) Insecurities, not knowing what to do. Although this could also stem from the point above, it’s likely more so due to the nature, past experiences, and demeanour of the dog in question. Not all dogs have the same response and feelings towards other animals. In this case, you will want to very slowly help your dog get there. Rushing is not an option. 3. Manage their environment when together and apart. Just as you would watch over 2-3 young children when they come over, you will want to provide as much supervision as possible. No matter how much you trust your pets to be okay together - particularly with very different animal types and sizes, it’s primordial that you always maintain a safe and watchful eye over all of their interactions, and of course go a step further by reinforcing wanted behaviour, on all ends!

You and I navigate and make sense of the world around with our voice. And so it’s normal that we try using our voice to guide and train our dogs as well. That said, a common mistake and inconsistency I run into with pet parents when they’re struggling with their dog or puppy lies within their usage of the word No, and their timing with it. And so I’ve put together a list of 10 reasons why I believe using the word No (or any type of word and sound to let your dog know they’ve done something you dislike) is hindering your communication and relationship with your dog. 1. Your dog doesn’t understand what No means. This isn’t to say that your dog doesn’t know the definition of the word, but rather doesn’t know what No means, and in what to do about it in the many scenarios where we’ll use it. Chances are that if you’ve gotten to the point where you’ve taught your dog to attribute a general meaning to the word No, that you have actually done more work on teaching them what you’d like for them to do instead, when they hear that word. 2. Your dog isn’t hearing you. If your dog isn’t actually sharing their attention with you, then you’re far better off not saying anything at all, and just helping guiding them away from that scenario where they’re not practicing desired behaviours. You want to save your voice and have it be the most rare but valuable treat that your dog hears when good things happen. That way your dog will be looking forward to hearing it. 3. Your dog is doing what they’re doing for good reason and confronting them can cause internal conflict. When your dog is exhibiting ann unwanted behaviour, it’s 100% of the time something your dog is doing (whether on purpose or by accident) as the reaction they feel the need to emply in that given scenario. And so what happens when you say No to their response is you’re essentially dismissing how they’re feeling and why. You need to instead guide them towards a different response, that you can then say Yes to, and that your dog will then have as an option to practice next time, and the time after that, if practiced enough. 4. You don’t know how your dog will respond. Similarly to the point above, if you don’t know how your dog will respond, you are better off not saying anything, and helping them walk away/take space instead. In dog training, we shape a behaviour by first having the dog naturally practice it, before adding the verbal cue to clearly begin creating the association. Because words have no meaning to dogs without a clear association, you can’t guarantee that your dog will ro won’t respond in the way you want. 5. When in doubt don’t act it out, but rather walk it out. Your dog doesn’t know why you’re saying No, what it means or what to do instead. And so, to avoid adding further confusion, avoid using the word No or any verbal cue that they don’t fully understand yet, and practice a different cue altogether, to get your dog’s mind to focus on something you’d rather they do instead. And the best way you can achieve this is also by simply walking away with your dog. Oftentimes all we want when we say No is to have our dogs step away and give that situation time and space, but yet we’ve never actually taken the time to teach and shape that behaviour first. 6. You are reinforcing the unwanted behaviour with your voice. You’re likely saying No because your dog is doing something you don’t like, which unfortunately also acts as a rienforcer. Especially with young dogs, attention of any kind towards any kind of behaviour is exactly that, attention and a reinforcer. So even though you are thinking that you are trying to deterr your dog from doing something and hopefully stop them, what your dog is receiving is plain attention, and attention that doesn’t really help them come up with a better response anyway. Watch how two dogs play with one another, and you will see that one waits for the other to to a particular action and in a particular way, before reinforcing it with their attention. 7. Say Yes instead. If you’ve attended puppy class, you’ve likely heard of the word Marker, which means a cue or sound that lets your dog know they’ve done something you like, and that a treat is also likely to follow, especially while they’re so young and still learning it all. And so all you have to do is wait for those moments where your dog is doing what you DO like, mark it with the word Yes and reward. If you find this difficult to do, in the face of situations where your dog struggles listening to you, this simply means that you need to practice in easier environments first, and the ones where you’re both feeling frustrated and the need to confront one another, are currently too difficult for you both. 8. Your dog has already heard you say it previously and hasn’t responded in the way you want. If you’re saying the word No to your dog regularly, chance are that word’s meaning is unfortunately non-existing, in your dog’s mind, since he/she is still doing the unwanted behaviour. You are better off making a weird or rare sound with your voice to get your dog’s attention, before guding them to do something else instead.