As a professional dog behavior specialist, I long ago made the decision not to use prong, choke or shock collars. Let me tell you how I reached that decision.

Men's Health magazine recently ran an article with some interesting facts about men and their dogs. Here a few of the more interesting. The percentage of men who don't have a dog, but wish they did is 88%.

As a dog trainer and behavior specialist, I'm frequently asked the following questions. "What do you think are the best breeds for a family dog?" Basset Hound - Friendly to people and pets - great with children too. Get one from rescue.

Below you'll find some old and familiar dog training terms that in recent years have become somewhat outdated in some circles. These old terms are candidates for an update in light of what we've learned in the last 20 years about dog behavior. Read the following and see what you think.

Puppy mills (also known as commercial breeders) see puppies more as "livestock" and breed them in large quantities and as economically as possible - an estimated 4 million every year in the US, which sadly equates to the number of dogs euthanized in US shelters annually.

Whether you love this TV series or take issue with its methods, I believe it has actually been a net plus for dogs with behavior issues. Why? It has brought attention to the fact that dogs can have behavioral issues that negatively impact the owner's and dog's quality of life - issues that can be addressed by qualified professionals.

I've received two notable dog bites in my dog training career:

I recently saw this bit of dog training wisdom on the Internet, "[When] dogs pull on a leash they are being aggressive... To stop this behavior...use a choke collar and every time the dog pulls..."

Dogs are primarily nonverbal communicators. They use their bodies to exchange information with their own species, and they attempt to do the same with humans. While not perfect, our increasing understanding of their communication methods makes it possible for us to better connect with them.

I’ve ranked 9 types of popular dog collars below starting with my least favorite (#9) and ending with my favorite (#1).

Is your dog Mr. Wonderful off-leash and a handful when on-leash? This seems counterintuitive. When your dog is connected to you by a leash, you would think his behavior would be better than when off-leash. Not always the case.

Dog aggression is a common and serious issue - and is on the rise. One of the possible reasons for this is that dogs, in general, have less interaction with other dogs and humans than they did in past decades (dog parks notwithstanding). I don’t want to oversimplify here, but too little socialization isn’t good for a dog.

No one can guarantee that a dog, even your own, will not bite your child. Some dog owners think their Max would never hurt a flea, much less bite their own child. Remember that dogs are animals and, given the right circumstances, may respond to your child by biting.

In my private dog training practice I am frequently asked what the most common dog ownership issues are. I’ve prepared a list below of the top 10 that I regularly observe, but, before you read my list, remember there is no such thing as a perfect dog owner – including myself. We are all constantly learning to be better stewards of these magnificent animals.

With the wide variety of dog trainers available and the differing skills and educational levels, you will no doubt encounter a diverse set of opinions when talking to trainers, reading their web sites and getting opinions from former clients, friends, and others.

Have you seen the program “The Biggest Loser”? This is a reality TV program where overweight people vie to lose the most weight and win huge cash prizes. Week after week, the program depicts the competitors running, lifting, sweating, climbing and pushing away from the dinner table, with each episode ending at a weigh-in to let us know how much progress has been made.