If you are interested in breeding your dog, don’t forget to consider hereditary health defects. Even if your dog looks healthy, he or she could be carrying genes that could be passed on to the puppies. You should begin by asking your vet to test your dog for common problems in that breed. For example, German Shepherds should be checked for hip dysplasia. Once your dog passes the tests, check to see if his or her ancesters are clear of the disease. One great resource for researching genetic problems is the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals database.

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Barking is my problem. I have two Australian Shepard’s, one 13 weeks and the other
3yrs. The pup will bark repeatedly when you are playing with the older dog and not
him (out of jealousy). I have told him enough, no, gave him a toy, got up and walked
away. His bark is so high pitched it hurts your ears, any suggestions? Someone
mentioned a squirt bottle.
Thank you, S

Hi S,
That high pitched barking can really be hard to handle, although your puppy is not actually barking from jealousy. Behaviorists say dogs do not feel jealousy, even though they certainly sometimes seem to act jealous. He is probably just really excited and a bit anxious that he will be overlooked during the playtime.

We tried clicker training – we rewarded our puppy every time he was quiet while we played. We went through a lot of treats at first, but eventually it took. He still will bark if he gets overly excited, but we will say “enough” to remind him to be quiet and he will stop. (Of course, when he stops, he immediately gets rewarded with a click and a treat.)

When he barks, stopping the playtime is an excellent negative response. In fact, you may want to take it a bit further and stop playing immediately without handing over the toy. He may consider the toy to be positive reinforcement of some form.

Squirting a dog isn’t really recommended anymore, although I have heard of a trainer who squirted her dog once with a scented spray and then sprayed the scent on things she wanted her dog to stay out of. Let us know how he does.

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Almost everyone has seen one of those depressing movies where the dog dies in the end. There are movies where the dog doesn’t buy it, though. The next time you want to veg out in front of your vcr, try one of our favorite happy dog movies.

* Incredible Journey – This movie is filled with peril and excitement, but in the end, all of the animals make it home safely. I enjoy the original version, but the little guy loves Sassy, the cat with an attitude, in the newer version, (Homeward Bound) so we usually watch the remake.

* Shaggy Dog – This movie is a classic romp. We definitely prefer the classic, but the little guy watched the new version about 20 times last week. Time to introduce him to the original!

* Murder She Purred – Cute, campy murder mystery. The pets totally steal the scene every time. The Corgi is adorable.

* The Truth About Cats and Dogs – This romantic comedy would be fun without a dog, but the big Mastiff/Great Dane mix really makes this movie.

* Air Bud – A family film that will appeal to sports enthusiasts and Golden Retriever lovers.

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