colleen demling-riley (cpdt-ka, cbcc-ka, cdbc) is a canine behavior consultant and the founder of pawtopia dog training. she is a certified pet dog trainer-knowledge assessed, certified behavior consultant canine-knowledge assessed, certified dog behavior consultant, and american kennel club canine good citizen evaluator. colleen is a member of the international association of canine professionals and has been a featured expert in national media including the new york times, woman’s day, readers digest, cosmopolitan, and yahoo.com. this article received 42 testimonials and …

the whole point of a vacation is to relax with those you love. for most dogs, two weeks is the longest you want to board them. some dogs start to react negatively after two weeks, others can stay for months and not be fazed,” says dr. wooten. in these situations, or if you need to board your dog longer than four weeks, it’s worth considering alternatives. any dog with serious medical issues or illnesses may be eligible for boarding services …

no matter the reason your dog is unsocialized or under socialized, you can still do quite a lot to help them feel more comfortable and confident. you may envision a dog that trainers refer to as “unicorn dogs.” these dogs are highly sociable, happy to interact with other dogs and all different kinds of people. you may not wind up with a social butterfly, but if your dog can be happy and functional, that’s a win! it will help you …

the balance between socialization with other dogs and with humans can perhaps be best met by having the puppy stay with its littermates and mother in a home where there is also human contact up until about 7 to 8 weeks. choose a breed and parents (both male and female) that have the type of behavior that you would like the puppy to have. although there is a great deal of variability between breeds and individuals, dogs should be socialized …

it’s your golden retriever’s world and we’re just living in it—but that doesn’t mean your buddy gets a free pass on being prim and proper. just taking your dog out to a public place and walking around will help him grow more comfortable with the world and people around him. keep your buddy on a short leash and get your exercise on—there’s a lot to see and plenty to smell. expose your dog to a wide variety of people, from …