Why this is useful for your dog to know: Guarding resources (food, toys, locations, etc.) is a common and natural behavior in many dogs. They do it because they are afraid they’ll lose the resource. A lot of dog bites happen as a result of guarding. Practicing trades can help a dog feel better about having his stuff taken away. Implementing this training plan can reduce or eliminate a dog’s guarding, keeping him and everyone around him safe.

End behavior: The dog reacts happily to having food or high-value objects taken away from him.

Teaching basic dog cues, such as “sit” and “down,” is easy and fun, and you can see results quickly. Practicing these basic skills allows you to build your relationship with your dog. And the cues can help your dog be a well-mannered canine citizen and even keep them out of hazardous situations.  

Why this cue is useful for your dog to know: Teaching a dog to pay attention (i.e., give you eye contact) when you say his name can be convenient and very practical in many situations.

End behavior: The dog looks at you when you say his or her name.

Teaching a dog to sit can be useful in instances where you need your dog to stop jumping on something (or someone) or to wait politely and safely, such as when you open a door or before crossing a street. It’s often much easier to give a dog a clear directive like “sit,” rather than just saying “no.” Plus, the “sit” command is easy to teach many dogs — even stubborn dogs. Follow these three easy steps to teach a dog to sit.

Teaching a dog to stay can be lifesaving. For example, it can prevent your dog from dashing out the door, car, or yard gate and into a dangerous environment. But without practice, your dog might not have this skill when it truly matters. Follow these instructions to train your dog to stay. It’s helpful to start with teaching the dog to lie down if they don’t already know that cue because it will be more comfortable for them to practice stay from a down position.

When dogs pee at inappropriate times, it is sometimes known as submissive urination or excited peeing. For instance, they might urinate when someone greets them or simply when they get really excited. It can be a few drops to a full bladder expression. Dogs can submissive urinate or excited pee in any body position. In fact, you might not even notice that the dog urinated until you see the pee on the floor.

Many cats and dogs live together harmoniously when supervised appropriately, and their initial introductions are key. When determining how to introduce cats to dogs, remember that each animal is unique. For instance, just because your cat got along with your previous dogs, that doesn't mean the cat will like all dogs. So always use caution and proceed slowly when introducing your cat to a new dog (or your dog to a new cat).

Puppy mills raise animals in factory-like, inhumane settings, where the animals have little human interaction and run the risk of developing significant behavioral and medical issues. Even though more and more people are taking a stand against them, the U.S. still has thousands of licensed and unlicensed puppy mills. So what are some ways to stop puppy mills? Here are 16 options that anyone can do to help fight this cruel industry.

Have you found a stray or lost pet and are wondering what the next step is? Besides working to reunite the pet with their family (if they have one), the animal also will likely need some care and a comfortable place to stay until they either are returned home or go to a new home.

If you're open to providing foster care for the pet (and if you're interested in adopting the pet, too), here are some tips to care for stray and lost pets. 

Dogs bark for a variety of reasons — seeking attention, alerting an owner, playing, etc. It’s one of the ways that dogs express themselves; each bark has a tone that communicates something specific and significant. Controlling excessive dog barking with training is more than possible. In fact, it can and should be fun.