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Training your dog in advance for travel is the ideal situation. Positive reinforcement training can be used to help dogs relax so that they can travel calmly and safely. Medications can be helpful for dogs who become physically ill or experience anxiety when traveling.
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Ear and body handling are essential skills for every dog. Teaching trust and comfort for ear handling is best done before an infection occurs. Training for ear handling should be done when the ears are not painful. Using sedation and anesthesia is always a good idea for painful ears.
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The terms alpha and dominant are often misused when it comes to dog behavior. When dogs exhibit undesirable behaviors, including aggression, they are not attempting to become "alpha". Using confrontational training techniques to subdue a dog and reduce its status can cause physical and emotional damage to dogs and their people.
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Dogs are routinely neutered to prevent undesirable behaviors such as urine marking as well as to prevent unplanned litters of puppies. Neutering has both positive and negative health and behavioral consequences. Talk to your veterinarian about whether and when to neuter.
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Play and exercise are crucial for the wellbeing of every single dog. Choosing the right kinds of play and best plan for exercise helps dogs be well-rounded and appreciated companions.
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Settling in the house and remaining calm when approached or handled are great life skills for any dog. Like any skill, these behaviors are learned through practice. Positive reinforcement techniques can be used to teach dogs how to settle and relax on cue.
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Dogs and children should always be supervised. Most dog aggression towards children is fear-based, though many dogs will also show aspects of food, possessive, and territorial aggression. Ideally, all dogs should be introduced to children while they are still puppies. Even well-socialized dogs can exhibit fear or aggressive behavior as they mature. If you recognize any level of aggression towards your child, even a subtle display, additional safety precautions are necessary.
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Aggression toward household members can have one or more causes. Underlying medical conditions can cause or exacerbate aggressive behavior and must be identified and treated. The sooner you address the behavior, the better, as aggression can escalate in intensity over time. Aggression is rarely fully eliminated from a dog’s repertoire. The goal is to use behavior modification and management to assure safety and predictability.
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If your dog has threatened or displayed any signs of aggression, the problem is likely to continue until appropriate steps can be taken to identify the cause and modify the pet's behavior. A necessary first step is prevention and avoidance of further incidents. Not only is this essential to ensure safety, but each aggressive display may actually serve to increase the chances that the aggressive behavior will continue.
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When household dogs fight, it can be physically dangerous and emotionally disturbing. An accurate behavioral assessment is critical to learn the motivation for aggressive behavior. Both dogs should be screened for medical and behavioral illnesses that may be causing or contributing to aggressive behavior.