Is your dog bored or anxious? Learn why 'giving your dog a job' is the key to channeling natural instincts, stopping bad behavior, and creating a happier, more fulfilled canine companion. Practical tips inside.
Bringing home a new dog is exciting, but first-time owners often discover the learning curve is steeper than they expected. After working with hundreds of families, I’ve noticed I approach first-time owners very differently than experienced ones — not because they aren’t intelligent, lack commitment or care, but because they’re working from assumptions that just don’t match how dogs actually learn.
We’ve all seen them—the modern “training” collars that promise a quick fix for all kinds of dog behavior problems. These collars are really just old-school shock collars (also called e-collars) with a built-in buzzer. While the electric shock function is increasingly recognized as aversive and inhumane, many well-intentioned dog owners are drawn to the “buzzer” or “vibration-only” mode. It seems like such a harmless beep or gentle nudge, a simple way to get your dog’s attention.
Barking is one of the most natural things a dog can do—but when it becomes constant in the backyard, it can strain relationships with neighbors and even cause stress for the dog. The key is to understand why your dog is barking and then take steps to make things quieter and calmer for everyone.
Here are eight ways to stop your dog’s backyard barking:
You’ve seen it a hundred times: one minute, your dog is a perfect angel. The next, they’re a blur of fur, tearing laps around the coffee table, skidding across the floor with a wild look in their eyes. It’s a scene of pure, unbridled chaos… and it’s completely normal.
Aggression is the number-one reason dog owners reach out to me. It’s also one of the most emotionally charged and misunderstood behavior problems. When someone says, “My dog bit me,” or “My dog bit someone,” fear and frustration often take over—and myths quickly fill the gaps where knowledge is missing.
People often ask me, “Scott, what’s the number one thing I should pay attention to in my dog’s behavior?” It’s a fair question. As dog owners, we’re told to keep up with diet, exercise, training, socialization, enrichment, vet visits, and the list goes on and on. All of that matters.
When people ask me, “Who makes the best dog owner?” they usually expect me to name a type of person. Maybe someone who works from home or someone with a big fenced yard. Maybe they’re thinking about people who had dogs as kids and grew up knowing all the basics.
But the truth is, none of those things guarantee success. I’ve seen dogs thrive in apartments and struggle in sprawling houses with massive backyards. I’ve met first-time dog owners who completely turned a difficult case around, and I’ve seen seasoned dog people miss the mark.
When a dog shows aggression, it’s natural to want the problem solved quickly. Many owners, hoping for a fresh start, turn to “board and train” programs—where a dog lives at a training facility for days or weeks, receiving daily sessions with a trainer.
It sounds ideal: the trainer “fixes” the problem while you go about life, and you get your dog back transformed. Unfortunately, for aggression cases, the reality can be far more complicated—and in some cases, harmful.
I want to talk about something a lot of dog owners overlook, but it can make a huge difference in housetraining and behavior issues—properly cleaning up dog accidents. Whether you're dealing with a young puppy or a dog who’s marking in the house, the way you clean up after them matters more than most people realize.
Why Scent Matters More Than the Mess
When dogs eliminate inside, it’s not just an accident; it’s communication. Dogs use scent the way we use text messages. Whether urine or feces, it leaves a calling card: “Hey, this is a place where I go.” And if that message doesn’t get fully erased, your dog might keep going back and “resending” that message.
Deciding to euthanize a dog for behavior reasons is one of the most painful choices a dog owner can face. Unlike terminal illness, where the outcome is clear, behavioral euthanasia involves weighing quality of life, safety risks, and ethical responsibility.
As a dog behavior expert, I’ve seen cases where euthanasia was the last—but kindest—option. Let’s discuss when it might be appropriate and how to navigate this emotional and difficult decision.
About ScottScott Sheaffer, CBCC-KA, CDBC, CPDT-KA, is a certified dog behaviorist. Scott specializes in the assessment and treatment of fear, anxiety, aggression and phobias in dogs six months and older. Learn More |
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You wear that special t-shirt when watching your favorite sports team play; you’ve found that if you don’t, they lose. This is known as superstitious behavior and we all do it. Sometimes we do it intentionally, and sometimes we do it unconsciously.
Read MoreYou’ve probably read numerous stories about what breeds of dogs are most frequently involved in bites to people. Let’s flip that around and see who is most likely to turn up at the hospital with a dog bite wound. Before reading any further, remember that any dog can bite anyone at any time.
Read MoreThis is a question I am asked almost every day. An owner’s dog will lunge and bark at dogs when he is on-leash, yet seems to enjoy being around other dogs while off-leash at a dog park. There are three main components in answering this question: root cause, physical environment and response. I’m going to address these three elements individually.
Read MoreI’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?”
Read MoreThe 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?
Read MoreDo 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.
Read MoreWe’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.
Read MoreIn 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.
Read MoreFrom 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.
Read MoreThe 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.
Read MoreOur 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.
Read MoreDo dogs instinctively protect their owners? In this short video, Scott Sheaffer, CDBC, CPDT-KA, will provide some answers that may surprise you.
Read MoreI 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.
Read MoreExercising 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.
Read MoreDogs 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.
Read MoreWe’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.
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Standard dog training often worsens fear and anxiety in sensitive dogs. Learn why obedience-based methods fail anxious dogs—and what actually helps.