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• Dog: Aggression Toward Family Members - Sometimes Referred to as Dominance or Status Related Aggression

  The terms dominance or status related aggression are confusing and outdated, although they are still widely used in the popular media. It is useful to spend a bit of time trying to understand why these terms are now generally rejected by those with a deeper understanding of dog behaviour.

• Dog: Compulsive Disorders

  When an animal repeatedly tries to do something, we might say that it has a compulsion to do the behaviour. Compulsive behaviours are often derived from normal behaviour patterns but appear to be abnormal because they are excessive, exceedingly intense, or performed out of context.

• Dog: Controlling Excitement at Visitors and Passers By

  Many dogs will react to the sight or sound of passers by but for some owners this behaviour can get out of hand and it can be very embarrassing to have a dog that goes wild whenever someone comes to the door or even walks past the house.

• Dog: Encouraging Good Manners and Obedience

  For any social group to function properly, rules and boundaries need to be established and maintained. This does not involve the use of force but rather the consistent application of boundaries which leads to the formation of realistic expectations.

• Dog: Excitable and Disobedient

  Many excitable and boisterous behaviours are normal for puppies and will diminish with time and with appropriate early training. However, if the behaviour persists, is difficult for you to manage, does not respond well to basic training it is possible that it is driven by an emotional disturbance, rather than bad manners.

• Dog: Play and Exercise

  Play with owners and with other dogs, not only provides the dog with some of its exercise requirements but also helps to meet its social needs.

• Dog: Separation Related Anxiety

  Separation anxiety is a term used to describe a condition which afflicts dogs that are overly attached to or dependent on family members. They become extremely anxious and show distress behaviours like vocalisation, destruction, house-soiling or inactivity when separated from their owners.

• Dog: Toys

  For dogs to remain behaviourally healthy it is important that we meet their needs for physical exercise and mental stimulation.

• Dog: Treatment of Firework and Noise Fears

  The best approach to this problem is to change the dog's perception of the noises using the behavioural modification techniques of desensitisation and counter-conditioning.

• Dog: Using Surgical Collars - Elizabethan and Tubular Collars

  Sometimes it is necessary to use a special type of collar to prevent your pet from attacking a particular area, such as a wound or bandage dressing. They take two forms: Elizabethan collars and tubular collars.