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Punishment just creates fear. Fear prevents learning. Do not punish your dog. Dogs do not have morals. They do not understand right from wrong. That is for us higher mortals. We should be above punishing a sensitive creature. If your dog looks "guilty" it is actually showing anxiety at your...

No! Not a training collar! There is a picture circulating on facebook of the damage they inflict and it is not pretty. You need to find the reason for the barking. if it is the movement of the car that she is seeking and if she thinks that barking makes the car move then you need to address...

There are lots of things you can do. Teach him to be confident when left. teach him to walk calmly around people. All of these things will take time, energy and commitment. If you have the time and the energy to do this then find a good behaviourist from either COAPE or the APBC to come to your...

Yes, vet's immediately and ask for a referral if they do not know what is wrong.

Vets, like all businesses, have to make a profit! When did you ever see a vet on the rich list? They work incredibly long hours and their overheads are enormous. They put a mark up on all drugs and services so that when a pet needs x-rays, tests, operations etc they can modify those costs to...

All the stuff about Alpha males has now been discredited. Dogs live along side us and have done so for thousands of years. They do not have the brain power to want to take over the world! Your dog's attacking behaviour could be caused by any manner of things. It could be rough play it could be...

The main culprit for fleas are cats. If you don't own a cat and your garden is, relatively, cat free then you should be fine to just treat for fleas and ticks when you see a problem. Ticks are picked up mainly in long grass and woodland where the wildlife have been. Worming with Drontal is...

If the owner muzzles the dog then they are being responsible. It is unlikely they will let it off but if they do it is still muzzled. You must not allow your, quite understandable, fear of this dog to travel down the lead to your puppy. If your puppy learns to be fearful around other dogs you...

There is also the possibility that she is instinctively driving him away because he is so old and sick. It is not unheard of for dogs to do this. Of course, if this is the case, then you have to do all you can to protect him.

I have the Berlingo. We bought it because our old dog had trouble accessing our old car. The Berlingo has a very low floor threshold which makes it easier for the dog to get in and out. The seats fold flat and it has a huge amount of room in it. The down side is that, as has been said, it does...

Is she resource guarding? She may value a bed or a space enough to guard it from Grommy. She may be attacking him for going near what she regards as hers. In general most dogs sort out dominance issues if we leave them to it. The underdog does not mind in the least being the underdog it is much...

Although one meal per day may be all right for a small dog, larger dogs need their meals split in two in order to try to prevent bloat. This is where the stomach twists on itself and is life threatening. Some dogs can also get low blood sugar if fed once per day. We show our love through...

I think you need to build his confidence in the crate. Could you borrow a different one for a while to bring in the idea of a fabulous new toy to him? If he had treats in there and ate his dinner in there he might be calmer about being left for short periods. Build up from a few seconds to a...

It is always better to mix a dog and a bitch. You know your dog and if your gut instinct tells you that he will gain confidence from being with another dog then I would go for it. I, personally, find meeting the needs of two dogs quite hard work. I suppose the trick is to match them as nearly...

Yes, patience and timing. With a busy household it must be very difficult to pick up his "need a wee" signals. When he was a pup did you leave the door open to help with his house training? This can sometimes cause dogs to treat the inside like the outside. I would make a big fuss around door...

What you have gone through may never happen again. I know it is awful at the time and you are, understandably, upset but you must not pass this on to your dog. Your dog needs you to be strong and not show signs of anxiety around other dogs. If you are anxious then your dog will be too. This...

What about producing a stuffed Kong before the zoomies start? The basis of stopping unwanted behaviour is - Give them something else to do and reward it. So, a stuffed Kong or a tasty chew or a bit of obedience training using high value rewards would all come under this banner. You will have...

I am not normally a fan of getting another dog as a friend for the first dog. Often it will cause more problems than it solves. The second dog may, for instance, pick up the fears of the first dog rather than the other way around. If the rescue centre would allow it, could you have a trial for...

Clean the area with a 10% solution of biological washing detergent. Rinse. Dry. Go over with a spirit like white vinegar or surgical spirit to lift the last of the fat deposits. Is he entire? If so, is he scent marking? Having said that, a poo is not a scent mark so he obviously does not "get...

Thanks Eingana I was more looking for the emotional effects it has on a dog. Testosterone gives a dog confidence. If it is taken away too early the dog can lack confidence in later life. I wondered if anyone had done any research on the age factor. One bit of evidence says that the dog needs to...