FAQs

Please check our FAQs listed below to see if we have already answered your most common questions. If your questions are not answered, you can call us at 1 800 525 5273, or send us an email, and we will respond to your inquiry promptly.

The FAQs are organized in five major categories listed directly below. Click on one to see all the FAQ's within that category or scroll through the page to view all questions.

My young dog is destroying everything he can get his mouth on. Is there something I can do to stop him from destroying my house?
How can I get my dog to stop barking at other dogs?
My dogs bark at every stranger that walks by the house or mail man or garbage man. Is there any way to stop my dogs from barking so much, I am worried that my neighbors are getting irritated.
When I have my dog sit/stay, he tends to sit there and bark at me. How do I get him to just stay...no barking?
How can we get our dog to quit digging up our yard? He digs huge holes.
We are having some trouble keeping our dog from digging up the bulbs in our rock gardens. She keeps digging no matter what we do.
I just put up a new fence in our back yard. With the old fence I did not have a problem with my puppy or my older dog with digging out. But since I put up the new fence they are digging out daily. How do I train them not to dig?
Since my dog has turned one year old, he doesn't like kids and when he's around my kids he tries to bite them and be aggressive when they touch him. When I put my shoes and socks on in the morning he tries to bite them too, I don't know what to do, how do I stop him from getting aggressive and biting?
My dog has gotten into the habit of nipping at my feet when I am in the kitchen only. He is showing signs of getting more aggressive. I had him neutered last June to try to calm this behavior down but it doesn't seem to be doing any good. He has also done it to my husband and daughter a few times but it is usually me he does it to. I am the one he follows around and he is more my dog than any other member of the family. If he gets something in his mouth it is very hard if not impossible to take it away. I don't want to have him put to sleep but I am getting afraid of him.
If I give my dog a treat, she will sit on it in the guard mode. If you try to touch her, she will snap at you. Any way we can break her of this?
My 4 month old puppy likes to bite when she plays. We have tried putting toys in her mouth when she does it, and telling her "NO". But nothing seems to work. I know she is just playing, but I am afraid that she is going to play bite with the wrong person or a child. Can you please help?
My 3 month old puppy just lately seems to be nipping (sometimes hard) at everything, including hands. Is this a sign of aggression, or natural puppy behavior? How do I go about correcting him so he doesn't keep doing this?
Our 3 month old puppy keeps chewing on our fingers. We correct her but she keeps doing it. Her teeth are very sharp and can be very painful.
My puppy is 5 months old. She is very, very hyper. She is constantly jumping or biting. She has done this since we got her at 6 weeks old, scolding her does not work. We have tried everything. She will jump on my 3 year old, out of the blue for absolutely no reason. Do you have any suggestions? I have tried a anti-jump harness, she just slips out of it (but it didn't work to start with).
How do I teach my dog not to jump up on people?
My dog is a jumper when I go out with her. She comes when I call, but jumps on me and nearly knocks me down. When I scold she seems to think I'm still playing with her. Help!

My young dog is destroying everything he can get his mouth on. Is there something I can do to stop him from destroying my house?

Most chewing behavior is seen in young puppies due to their strong desire to explore. As dogs mature, this desire decreases and they are less likely to be destructive.

Loud noise (construction, fireworks) and separation from the family can cause anxiety-associated destructive behavior. This can often be extreme, and may require professional help from a behavioral trainer. Your veterinarian may be able to recommend someone in your area.

Behavior modification suggestions:

Provide chew toys that do not resemble in appearance or texture unacceptable chew items. For example, a plush toy may be similar to a pillow, child's stuffed animal or chair cushion.
Prevent access to unacceptable chew items.
Exercise and play with your dog regularly to alleviate excess energy and provide positive interaction.
Reward your dog with praise for chewing on appropriate items.
Put an aversive substance (bitter apple, etc.) on unacceptable chew items.

Consultation with a behavioral trainer is also suggested.

How can I get my dog to stop barking at other dogs?
My dogs bark at every stranger that walks by the house or mail man or garbage man. Is there any way to stop my dogs from barking so much, I am worried that my neighbors are getting irritated.
When I have my dog sit/stay, he tends to sit there and bark at me. How do I get him to just stay...no barking?

You might consider a behaviorist to help control this barking behavior. One behaviorist recommends videotaping the dog and seeing if something else is triggering the barking.

Barking is a normal part of canine communications. Dogs bark for many different reasons (e.g., greeting, play, solicitation, herding, defense, distress, and alarm). The motivation for the barking behavior must be determined before an appropriate treatment plan can be developed.

Barking can be complex and there might be more issues involved than you realize.

Here are some reasons:

Social barking (Dog barks in response to other dogs barking or as part of play). Try increased non-vocal play (e.g., fetch) and exercise: remove stimuli for barking.
Attention seeking (Dog receives something (e.g., attention, treats) for the barking). Try removing any reinforcement for barking.
Anxiety related (Specific stimuli (e.g. noises, separation from owner) trigger barking). Try identifying triggers and perform systematic desensitization and counter-conditioning.
Territorial defense (Intruders on or near territory trigger barking). Try blocking visual/auditory access to stimuli; systematic desensitization and counter-conditioning.

Treatments to consider:

An effective way to stop nuisance barking is counter-conditioning. The creation of a new, more desirable response to a given stimulus. It is typically used with systematic desensitization. Involves rewarding the pet for "good" behavior while undergoing systematic desensitization. Systematic desensitization is the process of making a pet less reactive or sensitive to a stimulus through a graduated exposure to that stimulus.

Identify the stimulus or trigger for the unwanted behavior. (Is this the withdrawal of attention?)
Prevent exposure to the stimulus unless part of the training sessions.
Set-up a gradient to expose the pet to the stimulus.
Expose the pet to the stimulus or trigger at levels low enough to avoid triggering the unwanted response. (Low levels of attention at first)
Reward the pet for "good" behavior. (Some treats might be helpful in this part of the process)
Gradually and incrementally increase the level of stimulus until reaching the full level of the stimulus, always keeping the stimulus below the level that triggers the unwanted response.
Your dog might have anxiety related barking and medication intervention might be considered.

About bark collars:

Bark collars deliver a form of punishment when barking occurs. The citronella bark collar releases a harmless but disagreeable spray of citronella and may be used in conjunction with other treatments.

As always we encourage owners to seek professional advice from the veterinarian or a recommended behaviorist.

How can we get our dog to quit digging up our yard? He digs huge holes.
We are having some trouble keeping our dog from digging up the bulbs in our rock gardens. She keeps digging no matter what we do.
I just put up a new fence in our back yard. With the old fence I did not have a problem with my puppy or my older dog with digging out. But since I put up the new fence they are digging out daily. How do I train them not to dig?

We recommend enrolling your dog in obedience classes. Trainers of these classes can be an invaluable source of information for behavior modification. Your veterinarian may be able to recommend a behaviorist in your area.

To decrease/eliminate this behavior, you must determine the reason your dog is digging:

To cool the body
Hunting burrowing animals
Burying or retrieving items
Playing, and to escape.

Behavior modification options to consider:

Provide a cool, shaded area for your dog to lie in.
Eliminate rodents and burrowing animals from your yard.
Provide an acceptable digging area.
Confine your dog to an area where digging is not possible.
Cover areas of digging with bricks, large rocks, chicken wire, etc.

Since my dog has turned one year old, he doesn't like kids and when he's around my kids he tries to bite them and be aggressive when they touch him. When I put my shoes and socks on in the morning he tries to bite them too, I don't know what to do, how do I stop him from getting aggressive and biting?
My dog has gotten into the habit of nipping at my feet when I am in the kitchen only. He is showing signs of getting more aggressive. I had him neutered last June to try to calm this behavior down but it doesn't seem to be doing any good. He has also done it to my husband and daughter a few times but it is usually me he does it to. I am the one he follows around and he is more my dog than any other member of the family. If he gets something in his mouth it is very hard if not impossible to take it away. I don't want to have him put to sleep but I am getting afraid of him.
If I give my dog a treat, she will sit on it in the guard mode. If you try to touch her, she will snap at you. Any way we can break her of this?

We recommend enrolling your dog in behavior training classes immediately. Biting can be a liability issue. Please seek professional help. Your veterinarian may be able to recommend a behaviorist in your area.

Dominant-aggressive dogs exhibit growling, snarling and/or biting behavior toward their owners as well as others. Play biting is normal for puppies. However, it is important to not reward this behavior with either positive or negative attention. Puppies may also test their place in the dominance hierarchy of the family. Obedience classes will help establish the owner as the alpha, or top, dog in the family. In addition to starting an obedience-training program, neutering male dogs may help decrease the aggression. Avoiding the scenarios that provoke the biting may also be helpful.

My 4 month old puppy likes to bite when she plays. We have tried putting toys in her mouth when she does it, and telling her "NO". But nothing seems to work. I know she is just playing, but I am afraid that she is going to play bite with the wrong person or a child. Can you please help?
My 3 month old puppy just lately seems to be nipping (sometimes hard) at everything, including hands. Is this a sign of aggression, or natural puppy behavior? How do I go about correcting him so he doesn't keep doing this?
Our 3 month old puppy keeps chewing on our fingers. We correct her but she keeps doing it. Her teeth are very sharp and can be very painful.

It is normal for puppies to be "mouthie". When the puppy tries to bite, a GENTLE tap on the nose with a "NO BITE" command should be sufficient to correct this behavior. Consistency is the key with puppies. When the pup stops the bad behavior make sure you reward the pup with "GOOD (puppy's name)!". Puppies want to make their owners happy and you need to help them by your voice tone when they are being good.

My puppy is 5 months old. She is very, very hyper. She is constantly jumping or biting. She has done this since we got her at 6 weeks old, scolding her does not work. We have tried everything. She will jump on my 3 year old, out of the blue for absolutely no reason. Do you have any suggestions? I have tried a anti-jump harness, she just slips out of it (but it didn't work to start with).
How do I teach my dog not to jump up on people?
My dog is a jumper when I go out with her. She comes when I call, but jumps on me and nearly knocks me down. When I scold she seems to think I'm still playing with her. Help!

Dogs are social animals and often jump up on people for attention, when excited, when playing, and as a greeting. Often this behavior is tolerated in a puppy, but as the dog gets older, it becomes annoying and possibly dangerous. Any interaction with the dog, both positive (petting) and negative (pushing away), reinforces this behavior.

Behavior modification options to consider:

Train your dog to sit or lie down on command.
Condition your dog to sit or lie down when greeted. Reward him/her immediately when performed acceptably.
Keep a leash and head halter on your dog when greeting people so the jumping behavior can be corrected. Do not allow the dog to be greeted until he/she is sitting or laying down appropriately.
Turn away if the dog jumps up. Give the appropriate behavior command ("sit" or "down") and positively reward your dog when he/she responds appropriately.