A quiet dog isn’t necessarily a calm dog.
That distinction matters most after a lot has just happened. Maybe visitors have been in the house for two hours. Your dog greeted everyone, followed people between rooms, investigated bags and shoes, reacted to the doorbell, and eventually disappeared to the edge of the room.…
Your dog is perfectly happy in the basement as long as you’re there. She comes down behind you, circles twice on the rug, and drops with a sigh near the sofa.…
Sudden fear from a dog who already knows you is a before-and-after problem.
If your dog has always been wary of handling or cautious around people, that history gives you somewhere to start.…
A house can be completely familiar to a dog and still contain one room she treats as if it belongs somewhere else.
She follows you through the kitchen, hallway, and bedroom without a second thought.…
Why would a dog deliberately put his face somewhere he can see less?
He may press his nose into your side during a crowded gathering, bury his face against a blanket on the couch, tuck his muzzle between his paws, or wedge his head against the edge of a cushion.…
The car hasn’t even left the driveway, and your dog’s chin is already wet. A few minutes later, strings of saliva are hanging from his mouth. He’s licking his lips, swallowing more than usual, and shifting around in the seat.…
One stressed dog may pace from room to room. Another pants even though the house is cool. A third begins drooling, turns their face away, or goes unexpectedly quiet.…
One trip across the living room doesn’t tell you much. Neither does a second. But by the sixth pass, a pattern has appeared: couch to doorway, doorway to window, window back to couch.…
What exactly is your dog worried about when another dog appears? Is it the approach itself? How close the other dog gets? The speed of the greeting? A history of rough encounters?…
Your dog is asleep beside you on the couch, stretched out and completely relaxed. You reach over and place a hand gently on his back. He jumps. His head whips around, his body tightens, and for a second he looks genuinely alarmed.…