Every large city has animal ordinances (regulations) regarding the care, treatment and control of dogs. Violating these regulations can result in a citation or even criminal prosecution. I’ve worked with animal services in different cities and find that many of the local residents aren’t aware of some of the more obscure, but important, animal ordinances for their city.

It’s been my experience that many dog owners who have either dog or human aggressive dogs tend to underestimate their dog’s potential to hurt other dogs or humans. In addition to possible injury, there are also both civil and even criminal legal issues to consider.

Proper exercise is an important part of helping dogs with behavior issues such as aggression and separation anxiety. It’s also quite beneficial for a dog’s mental health even if he or she doesn’t have behavior issues.

One of the greatest unanswered questions for dog lovers is, “Does my dog love me?” For a real dyed-in-the-wool dog lover, this ranks right up there with, “Do dogs go to heaven?” Can dogs feel the same way about us as we feel about them? Can they actually love us?

I see a lot of not-so-entertaining dog behaviors such as aggression, separation anxiety, resource guarding, compulsive behaviors, etc. I have to be honest; it gets me down a little sometimes. On the other hand, there are six normal and healthy dog behaviors that I really enjoy watching. Here are six of my favorites.

After aggression, the most common serious behavior issue I deal with is separation anxiety. Simply stated, separation anxiety in dogs is anxiety that dogs experience when they are left alone. You probably won’t be surprised to learn that humans can suffer from separation anxiety too.

Today’s article is about a form of anthropomorphism (i.e., treating dogs like humans) that drives me crazy. It’s the habit that some dog owners get into of being shocked and disgusted when their dog does normal “dog things.” Breed of dog and price paid for the dog don’t impact these behaviors – much to the dismay of some frustrated dog owners.

“Socializing” is a term you frequently hear in the world of dog training and dog behavior. Socializing your dog sounds like something we all want to do for our dogs; it sounds like something good.

Dog aggression in all of its forms is the most common behavior issue I see. One of the most important things that owners of moderately to severely aggressive dogs want to know is, “What are my options?” After working with many of these dogs, I’ve learned that there are really only five options – some better than others.

You may not be aware of this, but Cesar Millan is a highly controversial person in the world of professional dog training and behavior consulting. For full disclosure, I am not an adherent of Mr. Millan’s approach to dog behavior (see my article, Why I'm Not a Big Fan of National Geographic's Dog Whisperer).

We all consciously and unconsciously let long-held beliefs get in the way of learning new things. The following is an example of this that I often see in the world of dog training.

Is your dog aggressive to people and/or other dogs? You’re not alone. It’s the most common serious behavior issue I see in dogs. Dog owners react differently to their dog’s aggression.

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.

You’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.

This 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.

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?”