(Picture Credit: Westend61/Getty Images) Picking your pooch’s name is probably one of the first things you’d do as a pet owner. Over time, it’s easy to give additional nicknames, adding “boo” or “patootie” or other cutesy titles. After all, it’s hard not to give your baby a cute baby nickname, right? However, new research suggests

(Picture Credit: Busybee-CR/Getty Images) Training your young pup takes patience and hard work. Quite often, it isn’t all that bad, especially if your dog is a breed that’s more naturally eager to please. But there are some dog breeds who might just test the limits of your patience while you’re trying to train them. And

This is Joe. He looks like an angel and he is, but he has extreme separation anxiety. Many of us pet parents have one or more dogs who suffer from separation anxiety to varying degrees. I have a rescue dog, named Joe, who spent the last seven years of his life alone in a dirt

(Picture Credit: merc67/Getty Images) January marks the official start of National Train Your Dog Month, but you can teach your dog new things at any time of year. We all love our pets, but sometimes it can feel like your dog is incapable of learning any tricks. While it may feel impossible at times, with the right techniques

(Picture Credit: Steve Smith/Getty Images) Dog training can come in different forms, but science has continually backed up one particular method: positive rewards-based training. Rewards-based training methods have been proven to work, according to research from the British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BC SPCA). Trainers and dog owners can expect

(Image Credit: Getty Images/jarih) For as many of us who own dogs, few of us have actually used a dog whistle before. What are dog whistles, exactly? What do people use them for? Do they whip dogs into a frenzy like in cartoons? A dog whistle, known also as a silent or Galton’s whistle–after inventor

(Picture Credit: Getty Images) Training is usually a great thing for dogs. It keeps them well-behaved, mentally and physically stimulated, and bonded with their owners. However, too much of a good thing isn’t always a good thing. There are several circumstances where over-training your dog can be harmful and even undo all the hard work

(Picture Credit: Wicki58/Getty Images) Introducing your pet to new people may be exciting and fun. For dogs, however, it can be stressful if they aren’t used to seeing new faces. They may go into “stranger danger” mode and cower behind you or run away. Even worse, they may lash out with aggressive behavior. It’s best

(Picture Credit: Figure8Photos/Getty Images) Utah is one of the hottest destinations for snow activities during the peak of winter. But in a training school for dogs called the Wasatch Backcountry Rescue International Dog School, even the pooches have fun with their own unique training. The school holds a training program for dogs every other year.

Dogs don’t come with instruction manuals, but the best dog training books from famous trainers and authors can certainly help you figure out how to teach and bond with your pup. The books on this list have helped thousands of people train dogs over the years, and they’re some of the top rated training books

(Picture Credit: Getty Images) There are so many popular dog training methods out there that it can be frustrating to find out which is which and what method is going to be best for both your dog and you as an owner. If you find it overwhelming and confusing, you’re not alone. There is even

(Photo Credit: Shutterstock) Many adult rescue dogs come with imperfect housetraining skills–or none at all–and even dogs who were potty trained in their previous homes will need a refresher course if they didn’t get regular walks at the shelter. The good news is it’s fairly easy to teach an old dog this new trick. In

(Picture Credit: Getty Images) When it comes to leash training your dog, there’s more to it than meets the eye. Puppies aren’t born knowing how to walk on a leash, and new owners need to work with their puppies–or even full-grown, adopted dogs–to make sure they are safe and obedient on their walks. Does your

*WARNING: Children should be taught to never hug a dog they are not familiar with. Dogs who don’t know you, may see a hug as a threat. It is the cause of many dog bites every year. So with that said, let’s talk about how to train your dog to give hugs. You’ve probably seen

It doesn’t have to be hard. (Photo Credit: Shutterstock) Luckily for humans, dogs and puppies don’t need to pee as often at night, so you don’t need to wake up every hour for a bathroom break. But you will want to follow a modified version of the housetraining routine. Try this plan for getting your

(Picture Credit: Getty Images) You’ve probably heard about dominance training. It’s a popular form of training that says dogs need you to be the dominant “alpha dog” or pack leader. Dominance training would have you believe that your pup is in a constant struggle with you to become top dog, and you need to teach

(Picture Credit: Getty Images) In some ways, professional dog training is like family therapy — it’s better to get help before you need it. Whether you’ve known your dog longer than you’ve known your spouse, or even if you’ve adopted a pup as a couple, training your dog as a team can help strengthen your

(Picture Credit: Getty Images) Overview The key to housetraining success is being able to predict when your puppy needs to go, getting her outside in time, and then rewarding her for doing the right thing in the right place. This gets her in the habit of pooping and peeing outdoors. To prevent mistakes, make sure

(This is Joe. He looks like an angel and he is, but he has extreme separation anxiety.) Many of us, myself included, have one or more dogs who suffer from separation anxiety to varying degrees. I have a rescue dog named Joe who has spent the last 7 years of his life alone in a

(Picture Credit: Getty Images) The more you can be around for your puppy, to take her in and out for bathroom breaks, the more quickly housetraining will proceed. But what if you can’t be there during the day? Or you’ve got a young puppy still vulnerable to catching diseases in public places and you don’t

(Picture Credit: Getty Images) When you have to leave your dog home alone, keep her confined to a puppy playroom with an indoor “doggy toilet.” Being kept in the playroom with an indoor doggy toilet prevents your dog from eliminating in other parts of the house–something that can quickly turn into a bad habit. Elements

(Picture Credit: Getty Images) Pronged collars are not safe. They can pop open and fall apart when you least expect it. Your dog is not safe on a pronged collar. My dogs are not safe when your dog is on a pronged collar. There is a lot of judgment on people who use pronged collars.

(Picture Credit: Getty Images) You’ve got a new furry addition to the family, and you can’t wait to start training your pup to do all kinds of tricks. You’re going to have the most well-behaved, happy, friendly dog on the block. But hold on before you jump into it. There are lots of mistakes that

Puppy needs a safe place to play. (Photo Credit: Shutterstock) Set up a puppy playroom: 0-6 months and up Overview While housetraining, there’ll be plenty of times you can’t be around. For those long stretches while you’re at work or school, your dog will need a bigger space than a crate in which she can

(Picture Credit: gettyimages) As the holiday season wraps up, it’s time to start work on those New Year’s resolutions. And since January is National Train Your Dog Month, why not use the opportunity to start some good habits and form some strong bonds with your pup? Training can seem daunting for people with no experience,