Not all teacup dogs are unhealthy, but most are prone to several specific conditions. Between poor breeding practices and inadequate development, many teacup dogs face health challenges throughout their lives. Their size makes storing energy difficult, so they must be fed more often to manage their blood sugar. The following...Read More
Are dog parks bad for reactive dogs?
Dog parks are often seen as a great place for dogs to socialize and burn off energy, but for reactive dogs, they can be a challenging environment.
Reinforcing Ignoring Commands: When reactive dogs are consistently allowed to blow off commands in the presence of other dogs at a park, it...Read More
Why should you never take your dog to a dog park?
Off-leash dog parks pose problems and no one ever seems to recognize them until it’s too late. There is a high level of risk associated with attending any dog park and even more with off-leash dog parks. Owners often forget to keep their dogs up on vaccinations or even properly...Read More
What is the life expectancy of a toy dog?
Most small dog breeds are expected to live into the double digits, but there's no way to guarantee this. Small dogs in general have a longer lifespan than larger dogs, but many factors play into how long you can expect your dog to live. The overall health of a pet,...Read More
How long can toy leave a dog?
As a general rule, you should gradually work up to a maximum time of two hours alone for puppies. For a dog that is just over 18 months old, you should not leave them alone for more than 4-6 hours, and for adult dogs, around 10 hours is the top...Read More
Is aggression a breed trait?
Among 101 dog breeds, scientists found that certain behavioral traits such as trainability or aggression were more likely to be shared by genetically similar breeds. For traits such as aggression toward strangers, trainability and chasing, the researchers found that genes contribute 60 to 70 percent of behavioral variation among breeds....Read More
What are common signs of stress in dogs?
Dogs, like people, are susceptible to stress and the illnesses that they can induce. Short-lived stressors can trigger bouts of vomiting, diarrhea, or changes in behavior and eating patterns, and chronic stress is known to increase the chances of developing serious and sometimes lifelong disorders, such as heart disease and...Read More
What are the five F's of a dog in stress?
The Tellington TTouch Method has long identified 5 main coping strategies commonly used by horses, and to some extent dogs, in times of stress or anxiety.
The 5 F's Fight, flight, freeze, faint and fool around or fidget.
Within each of these broad categories there is also a scale –...Read More
Does breed affect behavior?
A dog’s behavior is not guaranteed by breed alone. According to one study, a dog’s breed explains about 9% of their overall behavior. Breed undoubtedly impacts aspects of a dog’s behavior—it’s part of the reason why we task Border Collies with herding and not Dalmatians. However, the study determined that...Read More
What is the most common type of aggression in dogs?
Although there are several categories of dog aggression, most dogs have more than just one kind of aggression. Fear aggression, which usually involves a dog without confidence, is the most common type. When a dog is fearful, it can suddenly develop either a fight or flight mindset. Fear, rather than...Read More
What is a red flag dog's behavior?
A red flag dog's behavior includes hiding from new experiences, which could be a sign of fear, and may progress into aggressive behaviour in the future. Avoidance of new environments, people, animals, objects could also be a sign of fear. If your puppy reacts aggressively to new people or dogs...Read More
What are the 4 A's of stress?
The 4 A’s are: Avoid.
Try to avoid a lot of stress.
Plan ahead and take control of your surroundings.
Alter.
Make a list of the stressors in your life and attempt to make changes for the better.
Accept.
Sometimes we have to learn to accept things the way they...Read More
What are the indicators of stress and stress assessment in dogs?
Some signs of stress are subtle, while others are very obvious. Stress can be caused by fear, changes in environment and routine, medical issues and/or encountering new pets and people. Behavioral Signs of Stress include Over-excitability, Destructiveness, Unusually quiet, Repetitive or odd behaviors, Hiding, Not eating, and Shut down. Body...Read More
How much exercise do scent hounds need?
Scent hound dogs should get about one hour of intense exercise. They need longer periods of vigorous activity and love hiking, jogging or playing tracking games in the woods. Your dog’s breed and age are the two factors that determine how much exercise they need. Scent hounds need roughly more...Read More
Why are hounds so hard to train?
Hounds were bred to hunt without the company of their handlers and they were trained to follow a scent persistently without distractions. Because they are independent, they have a one-track mind, and this makes them more difficult to train so, as their owner, you need work more closely with them....Read More