I have a 3-year old Weimaraner that I am fostering and he barks for no apparent reason. I also own 2 Weimaraners and a Black Lab, but I have never had this problem with any of them.

For quite a long time now, dogs have been considered an important member of the human family. The time and effort that we spend caring for our dogs have always translated into lifelong loyalties and friendships forged between us and our furry friends. No wonder the dog has been called “man’s best friend”.

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We adopted a small dog that looks like a Chihuahua. He is very shy and we think his previous owners abused him. Any ways he does absolutely nothing just sits all day long. So when it comes time to go out side and walk him, again he does nothing. I don’t want to drag him I just want him to be able to use the restroom outside and not inside. ( I live in an apartment) He wont use the puppy pads its so useless all he seems to know is to go inside the house and I need to reverse that.

Dog training, if you ask any pet owner or anyone who is an authority on dogs, is absolutely essential. The need to train your dog goes far beyond peeing or pooping in the house. It can mean a matter of life or death for your beloved canine companion.

Dogs must know to obey their owners. This could mean teaching the dog to heed both verbal and non-verbal commands for walking, sitting or eating. The stereotypical image of an animal chasing a mailman may seem funny until it happens to you.

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does any one know of a good place for agility training in Northern Virginia, classes in the afternoon or evening? They must allow teens to be the handler of the dog! Thanks!

I have a 7 month old Belgian Malinois and I want to teach him some simple tricks. I don’t intend to make him a protection dog. I know it’s quite costly. I was able to teach him some obedience training like sit, stay, fetch etc. and I’m using the reward method and I find it ok. I’m just curious. Is clicker training better?

What is the first and probably the biggest problem that most dog owners encounter?  A dogs potty training.  How are you supposed to go about doing this type of training properly?  First, don’t learn by trial and error, there are methods that will work.  In fact there are a lot of different opinions about the best way to accomplish this project, but there are some general techniques that will help you.

Dogs learn by being corrected for undesirable behavior and rewarded for desirable behavior.  This technique can be used in a dogs potty training just as it is in training other behaviors.  As you work with your dog consistently, the dog will learn the desired behavior.  What a relief it will be when your dog is potty trained, whether you are training your dog to go outside or at a designated area inside.

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I’ve clicker trained my dogs. Is it basically the same thing? Any differences I should know?

Most dogs live indoors now and a dogs potty training is necessary.  This training can occur at any age, but the amount of time that it might take varies with the age of the puppy or dog.  For example, a puppy that you acquire at six weeks old could take a number of weeks to housebreak, one that is three months old should take less time and one that is six months old might learn in just a few days.  Whatever age your puppy/dog is, don’t forget that it is the owner’s duty to teach not to condemn.  A failure in a dogs potty training is most likely the owner’s fault.

It is best for one person in the household to be responsible for the dogs potty training because people could get confused as to whose job it is at what time.  This is not a spare time job, you must monitor the puppy/dog continually.  Prevention is the best cure when tackling your dogs potty training.  Observe effectively and note an anticipative look or running to the door and scratching at it.  This might be the time to take the dog/puppy outside.

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My golden is 5 months old. She is horrible on a leash. I want her to become used to it and we’ve had her on it every day for 3 months. I want her to learn to heel. She will barely go 2 feet. She will walk to go potty and then wants to turn around and come home. And pulls me and leads me to the door. Any feedback would be great.