Any advice to keep a 1-year-old puppy out of your garden beds? I can't dig in my garden without doggy seeing and thinking he's going to help. Especially after I've gone inside.

1. Prevention: Prevent by fulfilling the need your dog has in other ways. Digging is a normal and common need. Provide them with a box that has towels inside, or with their own digging area. If they are not provided with an outlet, they are far more likely to then feel the need to seek one out themselves to fulfill that need. 🤷🏻‍♂️

2. Management: Manage by using a leash. We don’t trust babies around the house so we baby-proof it until we can trust them years later. Your dog is showing you that they can’t currently be trusted, with or without you there.

A leash allows you to prevent the repetition of the unwanted behaviour altogether.

Our 9 month old dog has suddenly developed a fear of going into our kitchen. He was fine until he slipped once when running too fast. No he won’t step foot on kitchen tiles or any hard flooring. Will only walk on carpet. No amount of treats or bribery works.

It’s now getting to point where we are having to carry him to get outside for toilet as he just sits there crying and barking.

We have tried treats, ignoring and even put carpet runners down providing a clear walkway to his food and back door. Still won’t step foot on it.

Any suggestions?

Your dog needs exactly what you and I need when tackling any fear which is time and no pressure.

You will need to continue to carry him for now because bathroom breaks cannot wait.

(Article by Country Living)

As an emergency veterinarian, Dr Brett Levitzke has (unfortunately seen it all. After more than 20 years in practice, he is committed to keeping pets safe. While there are some human foods that dogs can eat (including chicken, turkey, salmon, brown rice, carrots, are sweet potatoes), there are several that can cause serious and sometimes life-threatening reactions. Here, Dr. Levitzke gives us a rundown of the foods your dog should never eat.

To make sure your dog safe, be sure to keep all food out of his reach. And if you have a jumper or a big dog, that means off the kitchen counter too. If you ever have concerns about what your dog has eaten, contact your local vet or emergency vet immediately.

1. Grapes, Raisins, and Currants

Dr. Levitzke explains that grapes are highly toxic to dogs. He says, "They can cause kidney failure…

How do you train your pups to listen? 75% of the time our dog doesn’t listen.

We’ve recently moved house, she’s gotten of her lead & ran out the front door and doesn’t listen to me when I call her name.

“Disobedience is a demand for change.”

I think the question I would ask instead is why my dog is choosing to not follow my guidance. And usually to answer that I will start with looking at what you and your dog do together to make it so your dog listening to you is something that pays off to them more than anything else.

Think of the #1 relationship you have in your life. With someone with whom you would always pickup the phone when they called. If you think about it, they didn’t train you to be that way.. but rather the time and experiences you share together got…

How do I get my dog to not dig in the trash (when left alone)?

1. Prevention: Seek out the motive behind the behaviour. Boredom? Wanting to use their nose for scavenging? Has an itch for some scent detection and nosework?

2. Management: Limit access to the unwanted behaviour and see if it manifests itself elsewhere, especially if it’s fulfilling a need that could be met in other ways. Also see if this is happening as soon as you leave or later. It could also be done as a way to deal with some anxiety due to being away from you.

We've had this cute little guy (who won't be little long) for just over a week. What tips do you have to get him to stop biting when he plays with us? He's about 8-9 weeks old.

While he’s playing, here are your options:

✅ Use a tug and pull-like toy if you think the biting is his way of wanting to do a physical game (for his age it shouldn’t last longer than 8-10 minutes straight)

✅ Try randomly and/or if you think his biting is due to being overstimulated or bored of physical play, to present to his nose a scent of food or a treat of his. This will help shift his mindset and wind down, while also letting you know if he’d prefer to switch to a more mentally stimulating game rather than a physical one.

✅ If you think he’s tired from engaging (which should…

Hi, I'm having trouble with my 6-month-old terrier mix barking when no one is home and when she sees people. How can I train her? I live with siblings, a baby, and elderly people. Do Yorkies bark more than Poodles? 😭

What does she do for daily enrichment activities with you? I would start with ruling out boredom/pent up energy/frustration as the potential cause for the barking.

If boredom ends up to not be the issue and it’s instead something like anxiety or stress, enrichment will help build confidence, self esteem and also help your dog feel more mellow which will make training easier and more successful!

My dog eats every plant in the backyard, including some toxic ones. I might have to remove the whole garden! Is this just a puppy phase, or will it continue next summer? Use a leash. Playtime in your garden or backyard is no different than recess at school or gym class.

Someone needs to be there to supervise AND to guide your dog to make better choices. Much like children, they’ll give you reminders that they cannot yet be trusted with X and Y.

So be proactive and set both of yourselves up for success by using a leash, engaging with them instead of just letting them do anything they’d like (if she’s looking for a game, play with her!).

We have a dog and my partner and I sometimes disagree on 'parenting' her. How do others deal with this?

The best way to tackle differences in how to guide a dog is to sit down and have a conversation together, to discuss what your goals are with dog training and raising your dog.

It also depends on what you’re disagreeing upon. For example, if you’re not sure how to tackle unwanted behaviours (a common issue), prioritize both of your relationships with your dog by encouraging your dog to do more of what you both like.

You can also look into ways to prevent the unwanted behaviours as well. Such as using a leash, supervising and redirecting as needed. That way all you both have to agree on is how you’d like to reinforce and reward your dog for the good choices they make.