When we allow puppies to roughhouse with each other, especially with larger puppies they quickly move from lighthearted play to sparring and mock battle. What they are doing is reverting/regressing to sibling behaviors that encourage competition and bringing down one’s opponent. What’s Love Got to Do with It? If you’ve ever seen sibling puppies interact
Letting Dogs “Work It Out”
In the old days when I was growing up socializing puppies wasn’t something anyone planned. People turned their puppies and dogs out together and hoped for the best. The larger, more affable puppies tended to have an easy time and we chalked that up to their personality. But the more sensitive, perhaps anxious puppies had
Socializing Your Puppy Safely
Socialization is a bit more complicated than most people think. Rather, socializing a puppy means teaching him social skills, impulse control, and lessons in how to play with, greet, and interact with other puppies, dogs, and people. It’s a multi layered process. Sibling Rivalry and Early Play If your puppy is eight, nine, or 10
Dog Parks – The Danger of Unsupervised Play for Puppies
Imagine for a moment you have a four-year-old she wanted to go into a playground nearby. In that playground are 13 and 14-year-old kids and they’re playing with no supervision. Are you going to send her in? Throughout many years of asking this question I have yet to hear anyone say, “Yes.” This is the
Could Your Puppy Have Giardia?
What is Giardia? What is it and do I need to be concerned? Giardiasis is an intestinal infection in people and animals. It is caused by a protozoan parasite Giardia intestinalis (also known as Giardia lamblia). Most dogs become infected by drinking water contaminated with feces. Giardia then infects the small intestine, and infected dogs
Children and Dogs: How Children Should and Should Not Interact with Dogs, by Dr. Sophia Yin.
Every year in the United States there are between 350,000 and 400,000 dog bites. Of those bitten each year roughly 60% are reported to be children under the age of 15, two thirds of whom are boys. A recent study published in the Journal of Nursing, Social Studies and Public Health showed that children between
