A growing family is an exciting time, full of new experiences, lifestyle adjustments, unique, challenges and above all else, immense rewards. During the busy, and sometime chaotic, preparations, the needs of our furry family members can be overlooked. Sometimes these needs become painfully apparent, usually at a very inconvenient time, down the road. There is […]
CanineFoundations
K9 Fraidy Cat
Dear Julie, My dog is deathly afraid of fireworks and this past Canada Day she was at her worst, pacing, whining and trying to climb up on me. What can I do to help her when she get’s like this? Sincerely, K9 Fraidy Cat Dear K9 Fraidy Cat, Your dog is likely sound sensitive if […]
Reducing Stress In An Animal Shelter
Dear Julie, I work for a very active Animal Shelter, operating out of an old building that presents many challenges for our staff, one of which being increased stress for our resident dogs. In the Behaviour 101 course you taught, you discussed methods to reduce the stress levels of family pets; do you have any […]
Morris’ Story
Morris was rescued 3 years ago from a very abusive situation, that left emotional scarring which resulted in the development of fear aggression towards new strangers, familiar guests and family members. People attempting to reach for Morris were often met with extreme escape behaviours, including mouth contact, leading to contusions and punctures. After one in-home […]
Separation Distress
SEPARATION ANXIETY Distress calls are thought to be a mammal’s earliest communication behaviour. This vocalization is developed to maintain close contact with their parent as a means of protection against predators, cold, hunger and physical discomfort. The presence of an adult generates a sense of security and calm for the pup as their basic needs […]
Approaching Aggressive Dogs
Dear Julie, I was recently hired as an Animal Control Officer in a very active community with a high number of guardian breeds registered. The one call I dread is the aggressive dog running at large, it makes my blood run cold and I worry about being attacked. I’ve heard from other Officers that the […]
Furrever Home?
Adoption: Dear Julie, I really want to adopt a dog rather than get a puppy, because there are so many dogs that need a home. However, I’ve heard that dogs don’t always act the same in the shelter and can often show bad behaviours once they come home. Is there anything that I can do […]
Is Dog Food Linked To Aggression?
Dear Julie, A friend of mine recently told me that the food I’m feeding my dog could be the cause for some of the sudden aggression we have been seeing from him lately. Does diet really effect personality and behaviour? Sincerely, Nutritionally Concerned Dear Nutritionally Concerned, Well there is still a lot of debate on […]
Dog Park Lover
Dear Julie, At the dog park I ran into a situation where one of the dogs was aggressively picking on some of the other dogs, including mine. The owner insisted on letting the dog’s sort things out for themselves, even though his dog started 3 fights within 15 minutes and refused to remove his dog. […]
Puddles!
Dear Julie; I recently adopted a 7 to 10 year old Chihuahua who was not properly housetrained. He is such a wonderful sweet boy, however we are having a hard time with this. Sometimes he will go to the bathroom just minutes after we bring him in from outside! Signed, Puddles Dear; Puddles, With housebreaking, […]