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Article Written By: Chris Haworth / Manners UnleashedI most often see this in small breeds and rescues, but it can certainly afflict any dog. It’s heart breaking, pathetic and extremely frustrating for all. There are many layers of treatment to address this behavior, and owner dedication and patience is a must, but often the problem can be remedied.Here are a few tips:1) More exercise. There’s a reason I put this first on the list. Pent up energy comes out one way or another, usually in a negative form. Get up early and walk your dog for 20-30 minutes. Exercise raises...

Article Written By: Chris Haworth / Manners Unleashed…for a happier, better behaved dogThink about where dogs evolved from thousands of years ago. They used to have to hunt and scavenge for food most of the hours of the day using the innate senses bestowed upon them. Once they caught or found something, their energies would be directed at dissecting and consuming it.Now we put the same, pre-measured food in the same bowl, in the same spot at the same time each day. Or worse, leave it down all day like a buffet. Boring!Hardly surprising then, they have found other ways...

Article Written By: Chris Haworth / Manners UnleashedFlea season is upon us, and the best control for these adaptable, blood sucking annoyances is prevention.There are many flea remedies on the market that may be safer than even just a few years ago; however, anything that says “avoid contact with skin” is something I may think twice about putting on my dog.These are some alternative suggestions:Flea FactsFleas are highly adaptable and can reproduce at an alarming rate. The lifespan of a flea is about 90 days and a single flea can lay as many as 60 eggs per day.Eggs take from...

Article Written By: Chris Haworth / Manners UnleashedResource/food guarding, on-leash reactivity to other dogs, nervous around kids, and on and on and on..This is a huge subject and unfortunately, all too common. Often times however, the behavior seems far worse than it is, and is a fairly straight forward remedy. Other times, well, it’s not so straight forward.I know you’re embarrassed, frustrated, and wish he would just STOP it.This is a behavioral issue near and dear to me. My 2 year old aussie/ border collie, Emmy, had many reactive issues. I was certainly in denial early on, “how could my...

Article Written By: Chris Haworth / Manners UnleashedBark Bark BarkCharacteristics of a BarkerStudies have been done to try to determine which dogs are more likely to be barkers. Although there was no difference in the percentage of excessive barkers between males and females, there was a breed difference. Hounds, Terriers, and some herding breeds tend to bark more. That is not surprising, since this is one of the characteristics for which they were bred. Excessive barking can occur in purebred dogs as well as mixed breeds.Reasons for BarkingMany excessively barking dogs do so out of boredom, loneliness, and frustration.  Other...