Why you shouldn't alpha roll your dog
When I ask “how do you correct your dog” on a consult, sometimes I hear, “I roll him on his back until he submits”. I hear this daily from owners with dogs who have aggression due to dominance or fear. In most cases, the owners have tried to correct aggression by “rolling” their dogs and think their dog is just a lost cause because they will get right back up and show aggression again. The old time theories were to “alpha roll” your dog into submission. If a person had a
Muzzle training your dog without stress
Early in my career working as a veterinary technician, I witnessed countless dogs and owners stressed about their appointment. In many cases, owners are nervous because their dogs generally show aggression when being handled or are typically suspicious about people outside their pack. The dogs are nervous because strangers are going to be handling them and in certain cases, putting a strange thing on their nose. It is necessary for your veterinarian to take precautions for
Dog parks & why I avoid them
My clients ask me everyday if there is a solution to the chaos at dog parks and if I would recommend them. My answer is no and definitely not! There are a few reasons why I never take my own dogs to dog parks and I will explain them in detail in this handout. While dog parks were a good idea, they have become a common place for dogs to run amuck and do as they please. The normal picture at a dog park is a group of owners gathered together drinking coffee and talking to each o