INFORMATIONAL HANDOUTS
Broken down by category - these handouts will help you with common animal behaviors and challenges.
CLICK ON THE RED LETTERING FOR A PDF DOCUMENT ON EACH TOPIC
Broken down by category - these handouts will help you with common animal behaviors and challenges.
CLICK ON THE RED LETTERING FOR A PDF DOCUMENT ON EACH TOPIC
Behavioral
Introducing Your New Dog to Your Resident Dog - Animals that live in groups, like dogs, establish a social structure within the group called a dominance hierarchy.
Separation Anxiety - Dogs with separation anxiety exhibit behavior problems when they’re left alone. Typically, they’ll have a dramatic anxiety response within a short time (20-45 minutes) after their owners leave them.
Canine Rivalry - Canine rivalry refers to conflicts between dogs living in the same household. Animals that live in social groups establish a social structure within that group.
Destructive
Crate Training - Crate training your dog may take some time and effort, but can be useful in a variety of situations.
Destructive Chewing - It is normal for dogs to explore the world with their mouths. However, chewing can be directed onto appropriate items.
Canine Escape Artist - In order to resolve an escaping problem, you must determine not only how your dog is getting out, but also why he is escaping.
Rescued Animals
Adopting a Hoarded Dog - May have never lived with people. Learn what to expect, how to handle them and how to best ease them into their new living situation.
Fearful & Excitement Urination - Learn how to train a dog to refrain from urinating when either afraid or overly excited.
Rehouse training - Common for dogs that are recently adopted from a shelter, as they need to adjust to a new home and new routines.
Marking Behavior in Dogs - occurs when there is either instability in a dog’s relationships or when a dog is feeling anxious. It is not a house soiling problem. To resolve the problem, you need to address the underlying reason for your dog’s need to mark.
Successful Cleaning to Remove Pet Odors and Stains - Has your pet left “scent marks” of urination and/or defecation on your floor or furniture? To successfully re-train your pet to avoid those areas.
The Barking Dog - Some canine behavior problems, such as house soiling, affect only a dog’s owners. However, problems
such as escaping & excessive barking can result in neighborhood disputes& violations of animal control ordinances.
such as escaping & excessive barking can result in neighborhood disputes& violations of animal control ordinances.
Aggression
Children & Dogs - Living with a dog can be beneficial to children. However, children and dogs may not always automatically start off with a wonderful relationship.
Puppies
Developmental Stages of Puppy Behavior- Understanding the different developmental stages of your new puppy.
Puppy Nipping - When puppies play with each other, they use their mouths. Therefore, puppies usually want to bite or “mouth” hands during play or when being petted. Learn how to redirect their behavior!
Training
Aversives - Something that your dog finds unpleasant. It can be used to discourage a particular action or place.
Clicker Training - Teaching your dog through the comfort of a click.
Teaching "Come" - Coming when called is one of the most useful commands you can teach your dog. In an emergency, a reliable "come" or recall can save your dog's life, but most of the time it's just convenient to be able to get your dog to come when called.
Teaching "Down" - Down is the best, most comfortable position for your dog to stay in for any length of time. Down (and especially down-stay) is a wonderful calming maneuver and can also teach your dog to be more independent.
Teaching "Drop It" - Useful when your dog picks up something in his mouth that he shouldn't have - your shoe, your child's favorite toy, or a chicken bone, for example.
Teaching "Leave It" - Useful when you want your dog to stop doing something, whether that is sniffing at someone or something, barking or licking. They should immediately stop whatever their are doing and look to you for a reward.
Teaching "Settle" - More relaxed than a "Down-stay" or "Sit-stay"; the dog need not maintain a specific position. You can use it in the waiting room at the vet, or when you stop to chat with a neighbor.
Teaching "Sit" - This will help him learn that the doing what you ask is always the best choice and fastest way of getting what they want. When in doubt, SIT!
Teaching "Stay" - Useful when you need your dog to be still while you do something else. They can also help to teach your dog self-control and independence.
Teaching "Watch Me" - Useful behavior when you want to distract your dog's attention from something ( another dog, squirrel or other temptations).
Teaching your Dog to Not Jump Up - Rather than teach the dog to "not" do something. We will ask that they do something that they know how to do that is incompatible with jumping up on you or someone else.