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My Chihuahua goes ballistic when other people or animals come around our yard or when out for walks.  He can go into a store no problem, he doesn't get aggressive them and he went through obedience school and was never aggressive there.  It's only when on his turf or in an outside area.  We've tried all the things the trainer said to try (treats, certain collars) and none have worked.

My golden retirever eats her own ***.  We have put pineapple (read about it online) into her food hoping that the digestive porcess will make the "end result" unpalatable; no luck.  Help!

Hi,

This is a really common problem in small dogs, and like most behavior problems in dogs, it is probably related to human behavior--ususally something they're unaware of doing. In the case of Chi's and other "large dogs in small bodies" it's really important that he understand that you are the boss and he doesn't have the right or duty to protect anything. This could be fear aggression, dominance aggression, territorial aggression--there are lots of kinds and you may want to consult a real behaviorist for professional diagnosis and treatment. Agression is a serious and complex problem, but since he was well-behaved in class, he can be well-behaved again! I'd also recommend the books by Patricia B. McConnell and Karen Pryor on training. If you get a chance, watch "It's Me or the Dog" on cable TV; her methods are strict but they work. I'd be cautious though about the Dog Whisperer (Cesar Millan) as he sometimes uses "alpha" techniques with aggressive dogs; and these can get an inexperienced person a face full of teeth! His behavior is telling you he is really stressed about something, and that makes for an unhappy household, so please keep working on the issue until it is resolved! Along with behavior modification/training, you might also consider flower essences to help him calm down and cope better with these situations.

Dogs are something else, aren't they? A lot of dogs do this; they don't confine it to their own poo but any other animal as well. Ick! Well, there are basically two things you can do:

1. Clean up immediately behind her (or at least before she goes out again) so there isn't any poo there to eat.

2. Make her poo inedible, or at least less attractive. There are several theories about why dogs eat poo; vitamin deficiency, or the presence of undigested yummies such as protein and fat. The pineapple theory is based on the idea that pineapple contains bromelain, a protein-digesting enzyme. However, it's better to use a complete spectrum of enzymes in order to break down proteins, fats and carbohydrates so there is less waste to begin with. There are a few other things you could try to add to the food as well, such as yucca, which reduces stool odor. They are all contained in ONP's Pet Stool Eating Deterrent.

I have two older male poodles one (Dexter age 11) is extremely well behaved and the other (Cody age 12) has had a problem with "marking" things for as long as I can remember -  it seems to have gotten worse as he gets older. I can never catch him in the act, his new trick is to sneak down to the basement and mark and poop, he marks the toilets too and any new thing that is put down on the floor like a napsack or a bag of something or shoes or clean linens etc       I have tried belly bands for years and it doesn't stop him. He is "housetrained" and goes outside at least 6 times a day                                                     I'm so fed up that now I keep him tethered to the couch or somewhere that I can keep an eye on him but its hard to be consistent with that

He is also becoming more and more obsessive/complusive and just plain nervous behavior - for example when he is outside after relieving himself, he won't come in until he travels around the whole perimeter of the fence, he is also very demanding for attention which of course has the opposite effect on us after awhile and when he is given attention it is never enough                                                                                                                                                                                                                              For a few years I took in rescue dogs and maybe that made him a little neurotic in the dominance department - I've just started him on the Stress and Aggression tablets about a week ago and am hoping that will help - not sure what else to do - thanks

Hi, a couple of suggestions:

a) More exercise...long walks, daily play or training sessions...it's harder to be obsessive when you're tired! Poodles are smart dogs; so engage his mind with fun training exercises to keep him from obsessing about other stuff.

b) Flower essences could be extremely beneficial in Cody's case. I'd especially think of Obsession Remedy to help with the both the intense marking behavior as well as the attention-hog aspect.

c) I'm assuming he is neutered; but if not, that is a big contributor to the need to mark. After so many years and such an ingrained habit, though, neutering probably wouldn't be the only solution.

d) Giving him any attention when he demands it only reinforces him being demanding and makes him the boss, not you. Attention should only be a reward for *good* behavior--sitting quietly, for instance. When he becomes demanding, turn away from him, ignore him...give him attention only when he settles down (which he will do, probably fairly quickly, when he realizes his behavior is not getting him what he wants).

We have a 5 month old Lab named Rusty. At first we kept him in a kennel and worked on house training that way. He's gotten so big we desided to let him run loose in the house,even while we're gone. At first he done wonderfull was still doing great but recently he's starting using it in the house again. We make sure he is let out several times before we leave for work and our boys get on the bus,then again as soon as we get home or the boys get off the bus who ever arrives first. what do you think we need to do and how can we fix this problem? He is outgrowing his kennel so I really don't want to put him back in it untill we can afford to get a bigger one.

Rusty may not be able to "hold it" for so many hours at his age. Even when he develops better control, it is not good for a dog to be unable to relieve himself for 6 or 8 or more hours. Can you install a dog door so he can access the yard, or can a neighbor let him out during the day?