It’s no secret that dogs as a species have better hearing than humans. Exactly how much better is still a matter of scientific investigation, but studies have shown that dogs’ hearing is both more sensitive and has more range, particularly at the higher-frequency end of the scale, than our own. This can create complications when things that sound fine—or are even inaudible—to us come across as painfully loud or jarring to our canine companions. While every individual is different, there are some noises that are more likely to make dogs uncomfortable or frightened. Among the most common sounds ..read more

If your dog won’t stop panting or settle down, she is probably either hot, stressed, or having trouble getting enough air. Panting is the primary way that dogs drop their body temperature when they are overheated. This is why dogs pant heavily after strenuous exercise or when summer temps skyrocket. Dogs also pant when they are stressed. This could be due to a loud noise, being in a place that your dog doesn’t like, or general anxiety. Other signs that your dog is distressed include tense face and posture, ears turned back and the whites of the eyes showing, and carrying her tail low and close ..read more

Dogs show signs of affection in many ways, including laying their head on your feet. Other ways experts believe dogs show affection include: Making eye contact with “soft” eyes Happy greetings with loose, relaxed posture Wagging tail Slow blink Seeking physical contact Licking Bringing you toys Leaning against you Following you around Why Do Dogs Lay Their Head on Your Feet? We think that dogs may lay their head on our feet as a way to show they love us by being close. Even dogs who don’t care for full-body cuddles on the couch or bed may enjoy being curled up at your feet, just barely touch ..read more

We’ve updated this very popular article, originally published in late 2020, because it just turned into a whole book! Welcoming Your Puppy from Planet Dog is now available wherever you buy your books. A secret thought—unutterable even to family members—keeps more than a few new-puppy owners up at night: “What if this was a mistake?” New owners tell me, sometimes in a whisper, that they must be missing something. Getting a puppy was supposed to be fun, but all they feel is stress. Frustration. Even anger.  They seek me out for the Magic Answers, the training tips that will bring peace ..read more

If you’ve ever heard dogs howling, you know it can be quite an attention-getter. Howling in response to specific noises, particularly high-pitched, prolonged sounds such as sirens or fire alarms, is common. While sirens can be difficult for noise-sensitive dogs, howling along with them is only rarely a sign that something is wrong. As best we can tell, it usually means your dog just has something to say about the noise. Why Do Dogs Howl? There’s a lot we don’t fully understand about canine communication including exactly why dogs howl. That said, educated guesses can be made based on observati ..read more

Dogs sometimes do things that seem out of place. Maybe your dog runs to get a drink of water whenever company arrives at your house, or he whines and yawns when approaching a friendly dog. These out-of-context moments are examples of displacement behavior in dogs. What is Displacement Behavior? Displacement behavior is when your dog does something normal, but at a weird time that feels out of context. This occurs when your dog is experiencing conflict or frustration. Conflict is when your dog feels pulled between reactions to a situation. The pressure can result from two different things that ..read more

When dog behavior doesn’t make sense to us, it’s easy to just shrug and say our dogs are stubborn or crazy. But often a productive answer is right there in front of us, if only we’re willing to look at dog body language—and our own. The way we humans move matters. For example, do you stand tall and walk toward your dog when you’re calling him? That may be why he doesn’t come to you. On Planet Dog, that direct-facing approach sends a message to stop or back up. (Much better to angle to the side and start moving back a bit as you call—that tells your dog to come along.) But it’s not just our hum ..read more

Reactivity in dogs is an abnormal level of arousal in response to a normal stimulus. “Reactive” doesn’t necessarily imply aggression, although some dogs with reactive behaviors certainly can be aggressive. It just means a dog who gets way too excited over something in her environment—and not just excited as in, “Oh hi, I’m so happy to see you!” Rather, it’s way too excited as in an alarmingly aroused “Bark, bark, bark, lunge,” and maybe even a canine scream or two and possible escalation to biting. Note that I use the phrase, “a dog with reactive behavior” rather than “reactive dog.” While a d ..read more

A fenced yard can be great when you have a dog. It gives them a safe place to play, relieve themselves, and enjoy being outside as well as providing a reasonably controlled environment for training, exercise, and enrichment activities. However, that safety can disappear quickly if your dog finds a way to get out of the yard. It’s safe to assume that if a dog can get over, under, or through a barrier, she will. This raises the question of how to keep a dog in the yard once she figures out how to beat the fence. To be honest, the only reliable way to keep a dog from jumping the fence is to build ..read more

There is little question about whether humans experience tickling sensations, but are dogs ticklish as well? The short answer is yes. Light touches and scratches on sensitive spots can yield very similar reactions in dogs and humans such as squirming, twitching, and playful vocalizations. Alongside the anecdotal evidence, researchers at the University of California noted in a study that knismesis, defined as a light tickling or itching sensation, “appears to be widespread across many mammals” including dogs. Although the topic of canine ticklishness has only been sparsely researched, it is gen ..read more