General Dogs Articles

Cheat Sheet / Updated 09-16-2024

If your dog suffers from anxiety, you’re not alone. Many factors contribute to your dog’s distress. For decades, dog anxiety was attributed to isolation distress, AKA separation anxiety, while reactions to people, dogs, noises, and other stimuli were dismissed as mere character flaws. Now, canine anxiety is studied, diagnosed, and treated compassionately to address a range of behaviors once considered maladaptive, such as destructiveness, leash reactivity, accidents, excessive barking, and aggression. Dog anxiety has always existed. However, before leash laws and modern domestication, dogs would simply disappear when faced with a stressful event. Nowadays, people delight in pampering their dogs like children. Confined to homes, yards, and leashes, dogs' ability to retreat, explore, greet others, and self-soothe has been significantly compromised. When considering how your dog’s anxiety affects their everyday life, it’s helpful to note that dogs, like people and other animals, are driven by routine impulses and emotions. See if you can relate to any of these actions: Seeking: To fulfill the certainties of everyday life, such as locating food, water, and shelter. Curiosity: The instinct to discover, explore, and identify unknown sensory experiences. Play: To engage in spontaneous, joyful, and non-serious activities. Fear: To respond to a perceived threat or danger. Frustration: The feeling of impatience or annoyance when needs or desires are unmet. The emotions that drive your dog’s anxious reactions are fear and frustration. When a dog feels trapped or cannot escape a frightening event, fear can evolve into panic. When frustration has no outlet, it can morph into rage. While isolated incidents of frustration — such as barking when a ball rolls out of reach — may not reflect emotional dysregulation, chronic fear and frustration from certain sensory experiences, prolonged isolation or containment, and forced interactions with people and other dogs can result in deep-seated anxiety.

Article / Updated 05-24-2023

If a natural disaster strikes, you should have an emergency kit and a plan for your pets. You're also wise to consider what would happen to your pets if you were in an accident or became ill suddenly and landed in a hospital with no time to prepare. Here are some important tips to help your pets survive a disaster: Make sure your pet always wears an ID tag. Permanent identification, such as a tattoo or imbedded microchip, is a good idea, too. Make sure the best contact information to reach you is on the ID tag. Prepare a file with current medical and vaccination records, your pet's microchip or tattoo number, your veterinarian’s phone number and address, feeding and medication instructions, and recent pictures of your animal(s). Invest in shipping crates. Sturdy crates keep pets safe and give rescuers more options in housing pets. They give you more options, too, in the homes of friends or relatives, or in shelters outside of the area. Also, depending on weather conditions, you can safely leave a crated pet overnight in a vehicle. Keep several days’ worth of food and safe drinking water, as well as any necessary medicines, packed and ready to go in the event of a disaster. Rotate your supplies so they do not get stale. If your pet eats canned food, be sure to keep an extra can opener and spoon tucked in among the emergency supplies. Pack plastic bags — the kind you usually use for picking up poop and bags that seal to put the poop into. Your veterinary hospital may become damaged in a disaster, which is why having some backup plans for boarding and care is a good idea. Know where to find other veterinary hospitals in your area, as well as animal shelters and animal-control facilities. Boarding facilities should also be noted, as well as groomers — all of these places may be able to help out in a pinch. Compile and print a list of these places on your home computer — and tuck the pages in with your emergency supplies. You may be lucky and survive a disaster nearly untouched, but others in your community won’t be so fortunate. Contact your local humane society and veterinary organization now to train as a volunteer so you can help out in a pinch. Disaster-relief workers do everything from distributing food to stranded animals to helping reunite pets with their families — and helping find new homes for those who need them.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-27-2022

Recognizing why and how your dog behaves can help you to take on the role as pack leader to give your dog the cues, guidance, and consistency she needs to shape and develop good behaviors. Understanding your dog's body language and the proper methods of discipline, along with using basic, yet helpful, commands will go a long way in developing your pooch into a well-behaved companion.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-25-2022

If you're interested in breeding dogs, take a look at how the AKC (American Kennel Club) classifies dog breeds. Whether you're considering becoming a dog breeder, or just looking to find one, go through a list of practices that a reliable dog breeder follows.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-09-2022

Owning a puppy is definitely fun, but it’s also a huge responsibility. You’re caring for a new four-legged member of the family. You need to keep your puppy safe and healthy, instill good manners with puppy house training and habits, and teach basic puppy commands so that other folks enjoy your puppy as much as you do.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 10-06-2021

Keeping your dog healthy and happy involves having the right supplies, toys, and medicine on hand, knowing when to take your dog to the vet, and practicing preventive care. Photo: Alvan Nee / Unsplash

Article / Updated 08-27-2021

A designer dog is a dog whose parents were both purebred dogs of different breeds. For example, a golden doodle has one parent who is a purebred golden retriever, and another parent who is a purebred poodle. His mother may have been the poodle, and his father may have been the golden retriever — or vice versa. The designer dog was bred intentionally by a designer-dog breeder. A non-designer, mixed-breed dog is a dog who was bred either intentionally or by accident. One or both of his parents were not purebred dogs. Although breeders of designer dogs feel they're meeting the needs of a particular niche of people, purebred breeders and purebred dog clubs, such as the American Kennel Club, think the entire trend is dangerous to all dogs. The pros One of the advantages of designer dogs is the sheer number of varieties available. More than 200 different hybrid combinations exist, which means there is a designer dog for every taste. Most of these hybrids are small and designed to have good personality combined with adorability Designer dogs are created to fit every need — from pocket-size dogs for easy travel to low-shed dogs for those with allergies. Many of these designer-dog creations are free of some of the traits that can make life difficult for the purebred dog. For example, some purebreds, like the Pug, have a very short snout, making breathing difficult. But the popular Puggle — the hybrid of a Pug and a Beagle — has a longer nose while still maintaining the Pug's wrinkled forehead and loopy gait. Many hybrid breeders claim their dogs have hybrid vigor, a strength that comes from having parents of two different breeds. The offspring of two different breeds rarely inherit genetic defects, because the bloodlines aren't as close as those of purebreds. Purebred dogs often have inherited traits that can cause genetic defects. For example, many retriever breeds tend to have cataracts or epilepsy, many large-breed dogs have hip dysplasia, and many small-breed dogs are prone to dental problems. Mixed-breed dogs rarely inherit these genetic defects, because their genetics are more varied. (Incidentally, this is true of all mixed-breed dogs, not just designer dogs or hybrids.) The cons The major con of designer dogs is the price. Most designer dogs cost upwards of $700, whereas many purebred dogs begin at $250. (Of course, mixed breed dogs are widely available for adoption, typically at prices set by rescue groups or animal shelters.) Although each designer dog was bred for specific appearance and traits, there's a good chance that some or all of them will not develop in the offspring. Mixing breeds is chancy, because the outcome is not absolute. Although purebred dog offspring will always mature to appear like the parent dogs, the hybrid offspring may appear more like one parent than the other, or have a personality more like one parent than the other. So, although you might be searching for a small Yorkipoo, the pup might grow up to be the size of a large Yorkshire Terrier instead of a Teacup Poodle. As much as the breeders of designer dogs claim that mixing two breeds improves the offspring's overall health, that presumption is debatable. Although many of the puppies don't show symptoms of the recessive genetic dysfunctions commonly seen in purebred dogs, many other puppies do. In fact, a hybrid puppy can have the poor luck to inherit the worst physical and temperament traits of both parents. There are no guarantees when you get a dog — purebred, hybrid, or mutt.

Article / Updated 09-09-2019

Some people still think that dogs don't think or experience emotions. Although it's true that dogs don't have the intellectual capacity of some other mammals like dolphins, they have other strengths and intelligence that we have yet to discover. Dog cognition has become a global obsession. In the past decade alone, a scientist has figured out ways to monitor dogs’ brain activity, decode their DNA, and do comparative analysis with human and other mammalian brains. Electrodes and MRI scans track the brain centers that alert to strong scents, familiar faces, various expressions, and spoken words. Interested in reading more about dog cognition? Research the topic online or at your local library. Periodicals like Science Daily and Nature (both online) stay abreast of all the current studies. Have fun exploring the new science of your beloved puppy. Intelligence might play a factor in your selection of a new puppy as well, especially if you aspire to competing in dog shows or performing with your new best friend. Your dog's emotions Until recently, the scientific community had a hard time admitting that dogs have feelings. Why? Because in academic circles nothing is real unless there is measurable data to prove it. Since no one in academia could show that dogs were capable of feeling emotions, reasoning, and attachment, it just wasn’t so. Enter two scientists: Dr. Stanley Coren began as a psychology professor and neuropsychological researcher at the University of British Columbia, whose lifelong hobby with dogs finally realigned his professional career. In 2008, he did what at the time seemed like a simple comparative analysis showing beyond a reasonable doubt that dogs have similar cognitive abilities to 2-2-1/2-year-old children. Researching at the University of British Columbia, Coren set out to determine which breed of dog was the smartest based on a set of questions that tested their responsiveness to human direction. Although the findings caused quite the ripple in the dog world, the significant undisputable discovery was that all dogs, regardless of their breed or intelligence rating, are capable of processing information, reasoning linear outcomes involving getting something they desired (such as a bone or freedom), and deducing simple arithmetic. He also showed that dogs could learn up to 150 words. Dr. Coren’s publications opened the floodgates, and soon studies from around the world were conducted on topics including a dog’s musical preferences to similarities in the body chemicals released during petting. Fast-forward to 2012 when another human neuroscientist, named Gregory Berns, an MD/PhD who specialized in MRI analysis, did a similar experiment with dogs. By tracking their brains' responses to familiar smells, sights, and verbal directions, he discovered beyond a reasonable doubt that dogs show similar proactive and excited reactivity to everyday routines and people as we do. Further studies with Dr. Berns’ team of scientists showed that dogs and people have similar brain centers, chemical releases in response to anticipation of positive outcomes, and neurological wiring. His revelation set the scientific world on fire. proving to people everywhere that, yes, dogs Recognize familiar faces and are more attracted to cheerful expressions than angry, frustrated ones Respond positively to the smells of the people they love Are capable of problem-solving and modeling behavior (monkey-see-monkey-do-type learning). The major difference between a dog’s brain and a human’s brain? The size: “A large dog’s brain is about the size of a lemon,” says Dr. Berns. So, what’s going on in all those empty pockets of your puppy’s brain? Much of it is devoted to olfactory receptors and sensory tunnels that collect information about your puppy’s present situation: from the noises they hear to the sights and smells surrounding them. We people swapped out sensory awareness for complex thinking skills, in the process growing the frontal lobes of our brains, or what’s called the cerebral cortex. What a dog's nose knows With all the hoopla about dogs, some naysayers still claim that dogs are just not as smart as everyone thinks. Rather than point out what dogs excel in, they point to how a dog’s intelligence can’t compare to a dolphin, chimpanzee, or person. Yes, I’ll admit that I can’t teach a dog to make me breakfast in bed or balance my checkbook, but dogs can do plenty of things people won’t try, either. Dogs have stellar hearing and response rates, fully capable of alerting to an unfamiliar noise or intruder if they’re prone to doing so. Most dogs have acute scent-detection abilities, too — far surpassing human comprehension. In her book A Dog’s Nose, Alexandra Horowitz, PhD, lays out your puppy’s most sensitive appendage for all the world to see. Sure, their brains may be smaller than our own, but they make up space by devoting 40 times the sensory surface area to interpreting a world we cannot fathom — a world full of scented rainbows. Here are some other points Horowitz makes: In a side-by-side analysis, your adult puppy will have up to 300 million olfactory cells (your puppy’s sniffing receptors) in their head, in comparison to a human’s 6 million — that’s a 50:1 ratio. If trained, a dog can identify a single teaspoon of sugar in 2 million gallons of water — that’s two Olympic-size pools of water. I can’t even smell sugar in my morning coffee. Every dog has a secondary olfactory center located in the roof of their mouth, called the vomeronasal organ, that alerts them to slight changes in body chemicals (known as pheromones) that help to distinguish the age, sex, and sexual receptivity of other dogs. Dogs can smell moods. Slight changes in our perspiration cue our dogs into reading whether we’re happy, sad, or afraid. Sure, dogs aren’t smart like people are, but it's precisely because they are not people that dogs are brilliant in their own right, and the sooner you can recognize, respect, and reward your puppy for their version of clever, the sooner you’ll be navigating your own love story. When walking your puppy, allow some time for sniffing — especially in areas where dogs congregate. Sure, the idea that your dog is sniffing other dogs’ eliminations sounds gross to you, but you’re not a dog. To your puppy, reading the morning “pee-mail” is the highlight of their day. Master emotions Now that science is up to speed on the emotional life of dogs, it’s time to tip my hat to one of the most renowned neuroscientists of all time, Jaak Panksepp, PhD. He discovered that all mammals (humans, too) are born with five master emotions that rule all their behavior, day in and day out. I’ll relate the five emotions to dogs only, but don’t be afraid to let your imagination run wild — we have more in common with our dogs’ emotional landscape than you might think. Seeking Seeking is the master emotion that drives a dog’s survival: They hunt to find food, water, and companionship. As a social creature, your puppy can’t survive on their own and will form close bonds to whoever they spend time with, which often surpass their connection with other, unfamiliar dogs. Scientists have recorded 100 expressions that dogs use to communicate with people. Many of these expressions are easy to identify: I want some, play with me, pet me now, time for breakfast, let’s go for a walk! See how many expressions you can read — you know your puppy best. Playing Play is somewhat of a mystery: No one can put their finger on why it happens — it just does. Dogs play when they feel safe where they are and who they are with: It’s a good measure of your puppy’s mood. Playing and seeking are baseline emotions that you can use to measure your puppy’s mood accurately. When taking your puppy out and about or introducing a new distraction in your home, if your puppy will take a treat or engage with a toy, rest assured that they're feeling secure enough to access their positive emotions. Fear Fear is a tricky one: It’s a sign that your dog is feeling unsure and stuck. In the next section on body language, you’ll learn the telltale signs of fear, but you don’t have to imagine too deeply — fear is a universal feeling. It freezes joy and leaves dogs immobilized, not sure of what will happen next and unsure what exactly to do about it. Socialization is the best insurance that your puppy is comfortable with all the sights and sounds he’ll experience in your world: Otherwise, you’ll never know when fear-of-the-unknown might strike. Frustration Frustration hits when a puppy is caught between what they want to do and what they can’t do — or what they can’t reach. Low-level frustration often happens when a toy rolls under the couch or when a puppy whines behind a gate. Higher-level frustration mounts and may develop into more dramatic reactions in response to people passing by a window or fenced yard or to suffering from excessive isolation. Panic Panic is fear on steroids. Puppies panic when imminent death or peril seems at hand: It can happen in the early weeks of life when a puppy is separated from her litter, or later. A husky was crated during a small house fire, while the alarms blared and fire crews arrived to douse the blaze; after that experience, that pup panicked every time he was asked to go into a crate. Panic shuts down all other emotions and leaves a puppy in a state of, well, panic.

Article / Updated 09-02-2019

Does your dog communicate? Yes! Here’s an overview of your dog’s body talk: Consider how learning how to listen to your puppy will improve your relationship. Puppies are like kids — they are much more eager to listen to you if you learn to listen to their side of the story, too. A great influencer who shaped modern dog thinking long before it became scientifically cool to do so was Nicholas Dodman, DVM. His books outlined dogs’ emotional lives and communication styles. When it comes to communicating, dogs and humans differ in these key aspects: People talk with language and need to listen to one another for meaning. Dogs use postures and subtle gestures to symbolize meaning: If you want to hear what your dog is saying, you need to use your eyes. It took nearly two decades for scientists to follow Dr. Dodman’s lead, but when they did, they confirmed roughly everything he’d already taught us. What your dog's posture is saying Your puppy’s posture is a funny thing: It’s easier to remember if you compare it to yourself or someone you know well. Both pups and people “shrink” when they’re confused, fearful, or anxious; they also rise with excitement. They have a resting pose when life is least stressful, and a few favorite sleeping poses. Observe your pup and note, down to the very last detail, their body language, paying special attention to tail and ear positions. Consider how your puppy will read your posture when something extraordinary happens, like a visitor's arrival. All puppies get excited when people visit: Your home is their den, and the door is the mouth of the den. If you, in your desperation to save face, start shouting and pushing your puppy as someone enters, the whole arrival scene is one big fiasco. Instead of redirecting your puppy or showing calmness by example, you’ve just taught your puppy that greetings are a wild-’n’-crazy scene. Learn to translate your puppy’s postures and to redirect or soothe them when the mood they show doesn’t reflect the scene. You’ll also learn how their ears, eyes, mouth, tail, mouth, and vocalizations can be interpreted — use the following figure and table for quick reference. Reading Your Puppy’s Body Language Body Part Fearful Undecided Relaxed Alert Defensive Eyes Squinting, darting, unfocused Focused or shifting Focused or dozing Attentive, focused Glaring, hard Body Low, arched, pulled back and down, hackles possibly up Shifting from forward to pulled back, approaching but then immediately avoiding the person Relaxed Comfortable posture, leaning toward an interest, moving from side to side, or jumping if excited Pitched forward, rigid, tense Tail Tucked under belly, wagging low Tucked low under belly, arched slightly over the back, or fluctuating between the two Tail down in a resting position Still or gently swinging in a relaxed or slightly elevated position Still above rump or above arched back in a tight, repetitive wag Mouth Pulled back, often in a tense, nervous semi-smile Tense, trembling, or nervous licking Relaxed Panting, normal, possibly parted in a vocalization Tight, unflinching, and possibly parted in a growl or vocalization Puppy eyes: blinking, social gazing Your puppy's eyes will tell you a lot about how they’re feeling, from adoration to hopefulness to outright fear. Learn how you can interpret your puppy's five key expressions to help adjust to eye situations: Relaxed eyes: Notice your puppy’s eyes when you’re enjoying a moment together. Comfortably gazing at you in calm and mutual adoration, pupils (that dark circle in the center of their eye) in proportion to the colored ring, AKA the iris? That’s their relaxed eye. Squinty, appeasing eyes: If your puppy is squinty it means one of three things — they are trying to appease you (or another person or dog), they are slightly fearful (you can tell if they’re rump is lowered), or there is something actually caught in their eye. (Not usual, but if they scratch or rub their eye, you should check.) Hard eyes: A dog who stares with hard eyes and a rigid body is feeling threatened or defensive. If pressed this dog — or puppy — will bite. Whale-eye: This happens, and is not a good thing, when a puppy is so stressed, frustrated, or anxious by a stimulus or situation that you can actually see the whites of their eyes. If this happens to your puppy, do whatever you can to calm them by removing the stimulus or taking them out of the situation. Avoids eye contact: If your puppy avoids your eye contact, they are either feeling overwhelmed by your interactions (are you staring down at them intensely?) or are just trying to ignore you altogether (not an uncommon behavior when they are in their adolescent phase). If you can’t tell right off the bat, check out their other indicators (ears and tail, in other words) to see if they are up (attitude) or down (conflicted). Puppy tails talk Like your puppy’s eyes, the tail is extremely expressive and can be used to gauge how they're feeling throughout the day. As you’ll discover, there’s more to a tail wag than what meets the eye: Its position as well as the tempo of the wag determine whether your puppy is happy or anxious or feeling more assertive. To get a read on your puppy’s tail, observe its position. First, figure out their neutral tail — where it sits in relationship to their rump when they're calm. Using that position as tail-neutral, see whether you can identify these “tell-tail” emotions: Happy: Your puppy will lift their tail slightly and wag it from side to side when they're happy. Excited: When your puppy is excited, they will raise their tail a bit more and wags more frantically; this often happens when you return home. Arched: A puppy who feels threatened (generally a behavior not seen before 7 months of age) may arch their tail stiffly over their rump. This puppy will stand their ground! Proceed with caution! Tucked: A puppy who tucks their tail beneath their body is trying to look small. Often accompanied by cowering, this one is signaling fear or anxiety. Your puppy’s tail wag doesn’t always signal joy. Learn these tempos so that you can distinguish a happy wag from an anxious or aggressive wag: Happy swing: Puppies who wag their tails so hard that their bodies wiggle are extremely happy: Discover what makes your puppy feel this good — maybe a special treat, toy, or happy voice — and use these things to train and reward your pup as often as possible. Sway: A sway is a shorter wag, and the emotion varies depending on where it’s held. A sway on a slightly elevated tail expresses interest or arousal. If the tail is swaying at rump level, your puppy is showing submissiveness. A below-rump sway on a puppy displays fear. Twitch: Twitching tails convey intense emotion. One that’s raised above the rump signals agitation. A low twitch? This puppy is panicking. Want to know just what your puppy thinks about Aunt Edna’s visit? Look at their tail — if it’s wagging on the right side, they’re happy. Tails that wag to the left communicate caution or insecurity. What your puppy's ears are telling you Your puppy will also use their ears to express emotion and will often use them in concert with their tail: Ears and tail up convey confidence and a bold curiosity; ears and tail lowered communicate caution or fear. Learn these poses and all the other ear expressions in between these two extremes. Relaxed: All puppies have different ears. Some flop, others point, and some stand part way up. Study the ears when your puppy is relaxed to determine their resting pose. Seal-like: This adorable, seal-like look is copped when your puppy draws their ears back: When it’s paired with a full swing of their tail, you no doubt have a happy and excited puppy on your hands. Antenna: This is the classic one-up, one-down expression that lets you know your puppy is focusing on two different noises at the same time. Your puppy is one of a very special species that can be tuned into different sounds simultaneously. Did you know your puppy can move their ears independently of one another? This adaptation helps them track sound coming in various directions — neat! Pitched forward: When a puppy pitches their ears forward, they're making a statement: Generally paired with a raised tail and forward body lean, this puppy is trying to make themselves look bigger. Look around you — whatever your puppy is staring at may be causing excitement or frustration. Pinned back: With ears pinned back, and body curved and lowered to the floor the puppy’s message is feeling small and powerless. Mouth: Grin or grumble, stress panting, play panting, yawning Your puppy’s mouth is similar to your own: When cracked in an open, smile-like curve, it generally conveys joy (unless the puppy is panting due to hot weather or excessive activity, like bone chewing, a stint at the dog park, or exhaustive play). A closed mouth is common when a dog is sleeping or playing independently. A tightened lip pout is seen in puppies who are concentrating or doing something unpleasant, such as meeting a new dog or smelling something foul. A growl where facial muscles are tightened and lips are curled communicates that your puppy is feeling either defensive or seriously afraid. Note your pup's mouth positions so that you become fluent in their lip language. Mouth slightly open: A relaxed jaw that’s slightly open is similar to a child’s impish or happy grin. The lips are loose and wrinkle-free. Mouth shut: Dogs generally keep their mouths shut when relaxed or sleeping, but if your puppy closes their mouth in a social situation, pay attention to what’s going on around you. If your puppy is feeling stressed, a tightly clenched mouth or puckered lip communicates growing agitation. Lip licking: Your puppy will lick their lips when they're anxious or overstressed. If you can, remove your puppy from the situation or calm them by holding them to your heart or tucking them behind or beneath you. Taut face, lips in C position: If your puppy’s face is stretched and taut, check their lips for a quick gauge of their emotional state. If your puppy feels threatened or trapped, their lips will pull back into a “c” curve. Taut face, lips in V position: If your puppy is feisty and reactive, clearly ready to take on the world, their offensive reactions can be noted in lips that pull back into a “v” curve. Yawning: Puppies yawn when they're tired, or when copying another dog or person; yawning may also be a way of releasing stress. Keep your puppy’s emotional landscape in mind when determining a mood or emotion. Panting: Your puppy will pant when they're thirsty or hot but may also pant if they're stressed or overstimulated. Keep the situation in mind when interpreting this behavior. Dog barking and other vocalizations Your puppy will have a variety of vocalizations, starting with small, pitiful whimpers when they're newborn and helpless to the ear-splitting, headache-causing yaps of a puppy feeling lonely, frustrated, or defensive. Bratty barking: These puppies want attention! They space the barks out, and the level is monotone and consistent. Stress whining: These puppies want something they can’t have or reach: It might be a toy or your attention or a completely random item — but you’ll know the instant it happens, because it will pull on your heartstrings. Beware, though — if you reward whining, you get more and more and more whining until it becomes a lifelong habit. Reactive barking: These puppies alert to any sound or stimulus. Because the sound is high-pitched and repetitive, your goal will not be to stop your puppy — reactive barkers are born, not made — but to develop an off switch so that you can curb the barking once it starts. Baying, or howling: This is generally a breed-specific sound isolated to hound-type dogs and Nordic breeds. These dogs use their voices to communicate with other dogs and to express frustration when left alone or feeling stressed. Play growl: Puppies often growl during play, especially during confrontational games like tug-of-war, physical wrestling, or face-to-face sparring. It can and should be easily calmed or diffused by redirecting the play to an object or chewing type of toy. Pleasure seeking: Many dogs growl or moan when enjoying a rub or scratch. Unless the sound is paired with a stiff posture and direct, hard-eyed stares, it’s a pleasurable sound. Throaty growl: A warning growl that’s paired with a stare and tense body posture often occurs over resources. It’s common for puppies to communicate their boundaries with other dogs; however, if they’re growling at you, get professional help. Though you can redirect your puppy if this type of aggressive stance continues, it may become a habit. And you know what they say about habits: They’re hard to break. Belly growl: A more serious growl emanates from the belly. This growl means the dog is about to bite. Often paired with raised hackles, flattened ears, and exposed teeth, this dog will lunge and snap or bite the source of its frustration. There’s a direct parallel between dogs who bark and people who yell: See if you can make the parallel. A puppy barks at seeing the neighbors walking their dog. If you yell, your puppy will interpret your raised and frustrated tones as barking. Though your puppy may stop barking for the moment, they’ll go back to barking the next time around, because your yelling was simply interpreted as backing them up. Yelling isn’t helpful. See also "Helping Your Puppy Communicate a Need to Go." Dogs communicate with their fur! Your puppy’s fur is filled with lots of scents that signal — to every dog they meet — their demographics as well as their latest poop-rolling adventure. None of it matters much to us humans, although when their fur stands up on end, take notice. When your puppy’s hair lifts along their spine (technically referred to as piloerection), your pup is trying to tell you how they're feeling at the moment — and it’s not always confident. Pay close attention to these instances On the offensive: A thin line of hair that stands up along the spine and continues down the back. Dogs with this pattern of piloerection may appear overly confident but will likely turn aggressive. Anxious: A broad patch around the shoulders. On the flip side, this pattern is spotted in dogs that are less confident and even fearful. Aroused and conflicted: Patches of hair raised at the shoulders and the base of the tail and no raised hair on the back. This pattern covers a range of reactions that a dog may be feeling, from ambivalent to conflicted. Piloerection is just another fancy word for goose bump. What's the lure of being a dog whisperer? Dogs don’t listen to whispering people. Pride yourself instead on being a dog listener, because taking the time to listen is most important.

Article / Updated 09-02-2019

This article gives you 10 quick puppy temperament tests, which you can administer while you’re deciding whether you and a puppy are compatible. Of course, you can’t get a completely accurate snapshot of your adult dog — other factors are equally if not more important, like socialization, training, and consistency — but these tests are a good way for you to determine each candidate’s sensitivities and get a realistic view of their early conditioning. If you’re testing an 8-week-old puppy (a common age for puppies to become available), remember that their brain won’t be fully aroused or awake until they're 12 weeks old. Try to schedule your visit just before feeding or stay for a few hours to watch them during various activities. Test your puppy when they're active, not when they're tired or sleepy. If you have children, involve them. If you have other pets, ask if you can bring them. Some facility staff or breeders may balk, but it's essential that your puppy meet and make a connection to every member of your family. You want your puppy to succeed in your home environment, which means getting along with your sometimes-disgruntled resident schnauzer or your shy 6-year-old son. Finding a puppy who best suits their temperaments can be a plus because not every puppy personality will jive with them. Let children older than 5 take part in the exercises and ask whether other pets can meet your chosen candidates. A puppy’s breed influences their reaction to many of these tests and can skew the results. A retriever breed is more interactive, a terrier is squirmier when restrained (terriers like to stand firm), and smaller breeds are more hesitant when bent over (they’re so tiny and you’re so big) and more reactive to loud noises. Use the puppy scorecard Bring the form shown in the following figure with you when you’re testing puppies. Score each puppy’s response to test items with the following scale: A = Active N = Neutral P = Passive Active puppies are smart and full of fun, which means there will suddenly be a whole lot of life going on under your roof. Spirited and intelligent, active pups are adored by owners who have the time and determination needed to train and socialize them. Neutral puppies are relaxed and undemanding — sort of the regular guys of the dog world. Passive and shy puppies appreciate love and support but are fearful of change, so they do best in consistent environments and with people who have the patience and time for extra socialization. How to perform the puppy temperament tests If possible, do these gentle exercises with each prospective puppy to assess their socialization to everyday handling and sensory comfort levels (how well they adapt to sudden sounds, sights, and commotion, in other words). This will give you insight into the puppy’s personality and how they will mesh with your lifestyle: 1. Observe. You can tell a lot about a puppy before you’ve even said hello. Watch the puppy, for up to 30 minutes when possible, if they're playing with other puppies in order to observe their personality. Do they prefer jumping into group activities (A), hanging in the midst of the activity (N), or staying on the sidelines (P)? Are they stealing the bones (A) or submitting when approached (N or P)? After you’ve observed the pup for a few minutes, assign them a score in the first column. 2. Play. When you first take a puppy aside, play with them, offering both treats and toys if permitted. Do they squirm to get away from you, look anxiously for their littermates, or engage and climb on you like a long-lost friend? Rate their energy level and persistence: Are they hyper or demanding (A), easygoing (N), or just wanting to be petted (P)? Bring out some toys. Do they show interest in them? Do they share willingly, instigate tug-of-war (A), or covet the object immediately? Coveting is an early sign of possessiveness, which may lead to aggression. If being able to play a particular game with your puppy is important to you, see how the pup does with a related toy or activity. 3. Cradle. Cradle the puppy in your arms. Do they relax (P), wiggle a bit, and then relax (N) — or kick like crazy (A)? Which action matches your expectations? See how quickly the puppy recovers after being put down; recovery is measured by how quickly they return to you and willingly takes a treat or engages with a toy. Don’t choose an A type if you have children. That type is bright and engaging, which is a plus if you’re sporty or you want to be involved in obedience or sportier activities like agility or freestyle. 4. Call back. While holding out a treat or a squeak toy, call to the puppy as you back away from them. Do they race after you while jumping or nipping your ankles (A), follow happily (N), or hesitate and need coaxing (P)? 5. Tuck and pat. Kneeling on the floor or sitting in a chair, settle the puppy between your legs. Pet them in long, gentle strokes as you praise them softly. Do they wriggle free as they nip (A), wriggle and then relax (N), or simply melt in your embrace (P)? 6. Bend over. Stand up, stretch, and relax. Now go to the puppy and lean over to pet them. Your doing this may seem overwhelming to the pup because you’re so large and they're so small. Do they jump up to your face (A), cower in confusion (P), or just relax and let it happen (N)? 7. Hold the back leg. In this exercise, you’re testing the puppy’s reaction and sensitivity to discomfort. While petting the puppy, gently lift the back-right leg 2 inches off the floor and hold it for a count of 5 seconds (although either leg would do). Do they react defensively? If so, they're definitely an A type with high pain sensitivity. An N puppy may lick or place their mouth on you gently, whereas a P puppy will show concern. When choosing a puppy for a home with young children, I look for a puppy who has a very low sensitivity to touch — one who barely notices a toe squeeze and doesn’t ruffle at being petted the wrong way or restrained for a short burst of time (fewer than 5 seconds). 8. Startle with sound. When your prospective puppy least expects it, tap two metal spoons together behind their back, then drop them 3 inches from where they're standing. Gauge their reaction: Do they startle and freeze? How quickly do they recover to explore the spoons or take a treat from your hand? If the puppy shows intense spoon interest, score A; a nonchalant glance, an N; and a fear reaction noted by cowering or withdrawal, a P. 9. Do the crash test. Stand and wait until the puppy is no longer interested in you. Suddenly fall to the ground and exclaim “Ouch!” Does the puppy race over and pounce (A), come to sniff or lick your face (N), or cower and run in fear (P)? If you have a family, choose a puppy who rolls with unpredicted reactions and noise. You have enough on your hands without your puppy getting involved. 10. Uplift. Lift the puppy 4 inches off the floor by cradling their midsection. Hold them there for at least 5 seconds. Do they wriggle and bite furiously (A)? Do they relax and look around (N)? Do they look fearful and constrict their body posture (P)? When testing giant breeds, the uplift may not be physically possible. (They’re heavy even at 8 weeks.) You can modify this test by standing behind the puppy and, with two hands supporting their ribcage, gently lifting their front legs 3 inches off the ground. Rating the results After you’ve completed the tests in the preceding section, see how many of each letter (A, N, or P) the puppy scored. Don’t be surprised if you get mixed results. Here are some tips for interpreting the tallied score: All A: This interactive puppy is bright and self-assured. Raising them will take concentration, consistency, and time. Their favorite expression: “What’s next?” All N: Easygoing and contained, this puppy will be pleasant and self-assured, though perhaps not motivated to follow your agenda when it conflicts with their own. Their favorite expression: “Is this necessary?” All P: This puppy has weak self-esteem and needs your reassurance to feel safe. Without proper lessons and socialization, they’ll be shy. Their favorite expression: “It’s been three minutes — do you still love me?” Mix of A and N: This active puppy will want to be in the middle of everything but will show slightly more impulse control when stimulated. Their favorite expression: “Let’s do it again!” Mix of N and P: This puppy will be easygoing and gentle, yet with a stronger sense of self than a completely passive pup. Because they're more composed, they’ll be an ideal puppy for a calm house with or without older children. Favorite expression: “Another back-scratching, please.” If you’ve found a puppy whose score matches what you’re looking for, great! If not, keep looking. Don’t get discouraged, and don’t settle for a puppy who doesn’t quite suit you, just because you’ve been looking for a long time.