I’m going to reveal a secret technique (well, not so secret anymore I guess) that I use when I evaluate dogs with behavior issues. That technique is a question I ask the dog’s owner as part of my assessment, “How do you discipline your dog?”

The AKC (American Kennel Club) lists the 10 breeds shown below as America’s current most popular dog breeds. Do you notice something interesting about this list?

Do you always take your own advice? Of course you don’t and neither do many dog trainers and behavior consultants. Below is a list of things that many dog professionals frequently do with their own dogs that they might not necessarily advise their clients to do.

We’ve all heard the proverb, “Before you abuse, criticize or accuse a man, walk a mile in his moccasins.” If you are ever inclined to question the folks who run our municipal animal shelters because they sometimes have to euthanize dogs, please consider the following.

In the hierarchy of problematic dog behaviors, certainly dogs biting humans is at the top. Let’s define “dog bite” before we go any further. There is a misbelief that a dog bite is not really a dog bite until there is serious injury. The reality is that anytime a dog’s teeth come in contact with a human as an act of aggression, it is considered a bite.

From 1924 - 1932 experiments were conducted on humans at a Western Electric factory (Hawthorne Works) near Chicago. Henry A. Landsberger coined a term, "Hawthorne effect", that summarized his findings from these experiments.

The following is an email I received that is representative of situations I commonly see when owners may not fully understand the seriousness of their dog’s aggression. The names have been changed.

Our dogs do things sometimes that we find crazy and embarrassing. You'll probably find some of your dog's odd habits in the list below of unusual, but common, dog behaviors. They may be weird to us, but they’re normal for dogs.

Do dogs instinctively protect their owners? In this short video, Scott Sheaffer, CDBC, CPDT-KA, will provide some answers that may surprise you.

I hear some form of the following almost every day, “I’m not worried about my dog biting children; there is no reason to teach my kids about dog safety.” The reality is that the majority of dog bites to young children are from known dogs, e.g., the family dog and neighborhood dogs.

Exercising your dog is important. Increased exercise for a client’s dog is one of my most frequent recommendations as part of a treatment plan for problem behaviors. There are many misconceptions about how to properly exercise a dog. Below I’ve provided some things to consider when exercising your four-legged friend.

Dogs provide information about their emotional state through their tails. While happy dogs may wag their tails, sometimes wagging can mean something else. A wagging tail generally indicates happiness with the exception of flagging.

We’ve all heard some version of the following, “That dog bit me out of nowhere.” The person is talking about a dog who appeared to be at ease and then suddenly and without warning bit that individual.

Many dog lovers have multiple dogs in their homes - including me. However, as with just about everything in life, too much of a good thing can be problematic sometimes. Actually, math is the problem. The specific math formula (I promise no further math after this) is: nCr = n!/r!(n-r)!

Taking your dog for regular annual exams with your veterinarian is a New Year's resolution that may be more important than you previously realized. The reason your dog's annual exam is so critical is simple.

You might think that dogs wouldn't have serious behavior issues regarding food, but just like humans, they do. I've provided information on three types below. "Doggie Table Manners Gone Bad" Compulsive disorders are manifested as repetitive behaviors that are excessively repeated for no apparent reason (think OCD in humans).