Whole Dog Journal reviews dog food, dog toys, and dog health and care products, and also teaches positive dog training methods.

Livestock guardian dogs (LGDs) are an ancient class of dogs whose sole purpose is to guard livestock such as sheep and goats. (Livestock guardians are very different from herding dogs such as Border Collies and Australian Shepherds, which help herdsmen move their stock from place to place.) First brought to the U.S. by Spanish settlers in the 1500s, livestock guardian dogs were nevertheless virtually unknown by most American ranchers until the late 1970s.

Dogs use natural circadian rhythms based on light cycles for much of their version of telling time. Dogs also tell time by the routines of humans in their lives. Waking, working, school, recreational activities, etc. all have telltale actions and accessories that help the dogs that we live with know what might happen next.

While a few fleas are unlikely to seriously injure a dog, a severe flea infestation can lead to serious health problems, and in extreme cases, dogs can die from complications. Puppies, senior dogs, and dogs with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable to these complications.

How you train a dog to use a peed pad changes when you are training a mature dog

Building a relationship with your dog takes time and effort. Although it’s plenty of fun to bond with a new dog, your four-legged friend might not adore you instantly.

By the time they’re three years old, most American dogs have an active dental disease, and its treatment can be expensive. Dog dental insurance might save thousands of dollars in dental care.

While all dogs are susceptible to flea infestations, puppies less than 8 weeks old are particularly vulnerable to fleas, which can cause intense itching, skin irritation, and even more serious health problems such as anemia due to blood loss.

If you can successfully treat your dog’s skin problem with a medicated shampoo, it’s better for the dog, antibiotic resistance protocols, and for your wallet. The first step is to know what condition you’re dealing with.

A dog’s eyes can appear red or bloodshot for many reasons—some of which are minor and will quickly resolve, and others which are much more serious.

Training with treats is cornerstone of positive reinforcement dog training. It’s dog-friendly, it’s fun and the basics are easy for trainers of all ages and skill levels. At its core, the concept is simple: feed behaviors you want to see happen more often.

The first popularized Doodle was a Labrador Retriever and Poodle mix, bred in 1989 by Wally Conron as a guide dog prospect. He aimed to create a dog with the temperament of a Lab, but the non-shedding coat of a Standard Poodle for a woman who needed a guide dog, but whose husband had dog allergies. In a 2014 interview with Psychology Today, Conron said that he regrets popularizing Doodle breeding. "I opened a Pandora's box, that's what I did,” he said.