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We had a little practice fire drill here last week. I mean, there was an actual fire, and the mandatory evacuations that were ordered were close...

Dog trainers like to say that our dogs do what works for them. The thought behind that concept is that dogs are extraordinarily good...

I've worked with Woody a LOT on reducing his reactivity to the sight of strange dogs and people, and he's come a long, long way. If he spots someone (dogs or people or both) that he regards as "strange," he will usually emit a small growl; that's my cue to pay attention and manage the situation BEFORE it's a situation. In the beginning, I would just counter-condition like mad from a safe and sane distance (doing a quick U-turn and exuberant trot off into the opposite direction if need be), and then delivering treats to him in a rapid-fire fashion. The goal is to change how Woody FEELS about seeing strange dogs or people by making it RAIN treats whenever he sees said strange people or dogs; a secondary goal is to get him to look to me when he sees something alarming, so I can give him direction and reassurance that all is well.In the early days of our counter-conditioning sessions, I wasn't looking for any particular behavior from Woody; the point of counter-conditioning is not to (immediately) change the dog's behavior, but to change his emotional response from a negative one to a positive one. Once he's been conditioned to feel happy about the sight of "strange" people or dogs, as evidenced by a quick look at his handler with what Pat calls the "Where's my treat?!" look, changing his behavioral response becomes easy and not so highly charged. In recent months, Woody has improved to the point where I can give the cue "Off!" and he will instantly and happily look away from whatever it is that has him spooked and look at me for the treats.

On March 2, USA Today published an article about the Seresto collar, originally developed and brought to the market by Bayer Animal Health in...

Dear people who were out walking with their cat in the Oroville Wildlife area a week or so ago when you saw a lady and three off-leash dogs emerge from the woods. I am so sorry that we startled you

I have been struggling for a few months to reduce my dog Woody’s weight. He turned 8 years old in November, and it was about that time that I first noticed he was looking a little pudgy.

I am not a regular reader of or contributor to Reddit.com. But somehow I started receiving  “digest” emails concerning dogs – it’s possible I...

I strive to be a good dog—I mean, a good dog owner. But recently, I was stuck between being a responsible dog owner and being responsible for my dogs’ well being, and I broke a leash law in order to protect my dogs. And I got yelled at, a couple of times.

If you like dogs, it’s just a pleasure to pet them, boop their snoots, and smoosh their jowls. However, not all dogs are as into being petted as their owners would like. We need to learn to respect their boundaries and enjoy the time they deign to be petted.

Long-time WDJ contributor Mary Straus and I are working on some articles about the cases of canine dilated cardiomyopathy that have been discussed in...

Tobacco and carrots are not good for deworming a dog. This and other advice that you get from online forums and message groups is probably best discarded in favor of advice from a reputable source.

In the past few days, I’ve exchanged dozens of texts and phone calls and one FaceTime session with a long-time friend regarding his dog Leroy. Stephen and his partner adopted Leroy from my local shelter in September 2011—and in the 13½ years since, we’ve probably exchanged hundreds of texts and emails and phone calls about the happy, clever little dog.