Fear and anxiety are the underlying factors for many of the behaviour problems seen in practice. Many pets with recurrent medical problems, such as vomiting, diarrhoea or skin problems, may also have anxiety as the underlying issue. The problem is, an anxious or fearful pet is more likely to bite.

If only pets could talk! It would be so much easier if they could simply tell us what is bothering them. Instead we have to be good observers and spend a bit of time figuring it all out. Here's the 5 crucial steps to start solving your pet's behaviour problems.

Dogs rely primarily on non-verbal communciation from us, such as reading our body language. To effectively train your dog it is much easier, more effective and more humane to teach it what to do by rewarding it for appropriate behaviour than it is to teach it what not to do

Pheromones are chemical signals secreted by animals for communicating with members of the same species. During lactation, for example, female dogs secrete a pheromone that reassures their pups when they are close to them. Synthetic copies of these natural pheromones have been developed to assist management of stress-related problems in

Choke or check chains have been around for many years and are often recommended in dog training classes. They are designed to stop dogs pulling on a lead through the application of pain. Do they work? No, or we wouldn’t keep seeing handlers continually jerking on the chain! There

Behaviour changes might not be just due to old age. Canine Cognitive Dysfunction (CCD) is a dementia-like syndrome that occurs in approximately 12-14% of older dogs more than 10 years of age. It is similar to human Alzheimer's dementia. CCD is caused by physical and chemical changes in the brain

Sleepless nights? Neighbours complaining? It's offical, your dog is driving you mad! Excessive barking is a common reason people seek professional help for their dog. Forget yelling, forget anti-barking collars... solving the problem means looking at why your dog is barking in the first place, not punishing it for barking.

Training your dog to settle quietly on a mat is one of the most important and valuable exercises you can teach your dog. It teaches impulse control and promotes calmness. The benefit of mat training is that it can be applied in many situations and for the management of many

The atmospheric pressure drops, there is a low rumble in the distance, the wind picks up and there is a smell of ozone in the air. By now, long before we can detect it, your dog becomes clingy, trembles like jelly, paces restlessly, pants, and tries to hide or, in

So, you’ve got a new puppy for Christmas. Now what? Where is it to sleep and, more to the point, how am I going to get some sleep?! Never fear, these ‘tricks of the trade’ will help you get your little fluff-ball settled happily in no time. The first

My dog is hyper! It’s a common complaint. You can go for an hour’s run and come home ready to flake, but, no, not your dog. He (or she) looks at you ‘game on’, let’s go again…and again…and again. Not only that, he’s jumping

Puppies aren't born knowing how to live with humans! Socialisation is the process during which puppies develop positive relationships with other living beings. The most sensitive period for successful socialisation is during the first 3 – 4 months of life. This is when sociability outweighs fear and is the most important

A common misconception is that a dog behaves badly because it is getting back at us. We think this is so because it looks guilty when we come home and discover the mess. But dogs don't actually have the capacity for complex human emotions such as guilt and revenge. Unfortunately,