The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused changes in our daily routines. Many of us have taken the opportunity to add pets to our families during this time. And our reduced social schedules have allowed for more quality time with our family and pets. Although our cats may have mixed emotions about this change, our dogs [...]

Learn more about the symptoms, causes, prevention, and treatment of separation anxiety in dogs and puppies from AKC's dog training experts.

Natural Supplements as Treatment of Separation AnxietyMany veterinarians would tell you that separation anxiety is one of the most common behavioral problems they encounter. Holistic vets may suggest natural supplements as the remedy. Separation anxiety is seen in dogs of all breeds, but often in large, high-energy dogs that are confined to a small area [...]

If there was one winner during the past year of social distancing and staying home to stop the spread of COVID-19, it was dogs. Pups across the world relished the constant presence of their people and the extra attention that comes with it. But there's also a flip side to that coin: Once we all [...]

The key to controlling separation anxiety in your Flat-Coated Retriever or any dog is to always leave the dog calmly, with a biscuit and a toy or something to do, and always return with calm control. Some dogs are very prone to separation anxiety. Whining, barking, or destructiveness in the absence of the [...]

If your dog seems to stress when you leave the house for work or school, there are several things you can do to make her feel more relaxed. Here are some quick tips for making good-byes a good experience for your dogs: Leave a television or radio on to keep your dog “company" Don't make [...]

How can you make sure your dog is well cared for if you travel? Here's everything you need to know about preparing for your dog's care when you leave town.

How to stop a dog from barking when they're home alone can be a challenge. Here are some ways to distract or redirect this behavior in your dog.

The end of summer can mean a tough transition time for your dog. Here's how to help your pet adjust to fall and new routines.

We love spending quality time with our dogs. But there may be days when we wonder, “Why does my dog follow me everywhere?” The answer has to do with their animal instinct,  pack mentality, and a few other variables. Canine companions that follow their humans everywhere are often referred to as “Velcro dogs” because of [...]

What Bad Habit of Their Dogs Would Dog Owners Most Like to Stop? No one’s perfect, and that goes for our dogs, too. In spite of all the training, practicing, and positive reinforcing, sometimes our dogs pick up a few not-so-great habits. When AKC polled its members, it found that the most common bad [...]

If you have a busy schedule, you may have to leave your dogs alone more often than you'd like. Here's how to make the time apart as comfortable as possible.

Melatonin, a naturally occurring neurohormone, has long been thought to work as a sleeping aid in humans. Now there's some evidence that melatonin for dogs may be useful for several conditions. Its sedative properties have been helpful in treating separation anxiety in dogs, as well as stress from noise like fireworks, thunderstorms or other noise [...]

  One of the most frustrating behaviors dog owners experience is digging. Many a garden has been sacrificed to the paws of a digging dog, and it can become a nuisance if it's not understood and managed. Understanding why dogs dig is an important tool in controlling the behavior, especially if the digging is only [...]

How do you know if your dog has anxiety? What can you do to treat dog anxiety? We're here to explain everything you need to know.

A New Diet Might Help a Senior Dog Stay Sharp Research has shown that antioxidant supplements can spark significant improvement in elderly dogs that display signs of canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome. Is your senior dog driving you crazy by pacing around at night, barking at thin air, house-soiling, getting lost in the yard, demanding to [...]

The AKC Canine Good Citizen test isn't just another title to add to your dog's collection. It also helps build crucial life and obedience skills.

Imagine, if you can, being a little baby, cared for and safe with your parents and siblings. Then imagine being abruptly removed from everything you know and plopped down in a new place, with new people, new sounds, smells, and sights. Sounds pretty scary, doesn't it? That's how a new puppy feels when you bring [...]

Antidepressants and other behavioral medications are often used to treat anxiety in dogs and can be an important part of a behavior modification program.

We're always being asked about behavioral, training and anxiety issues. Commonly reported issues like destructive chewing, separation anxiety and puppy teething can all be mitigated or even eliminated with doggie toys. We have some solutions to help make your job easier, and we’ll be sharing some of these tried and tested puppy-focused solutions with [...]

Paid Advertisement In an ideal world, you could spend all of your time with your dog, but unfortunately, that's not the case for most people. Don't fret, though, because you can always keep an eye on your canine companion to ensure the pup's safety with a pet monitoring camera, whether you're around the block or [...]

They may not be able to talk, but dogs can use many other methods of communication to interact with us. Sometimes, whining is one of those methods. Whining can be cute, but if it goes on for long periods, or becomes a regular habit, it can get aggravating. If you want to stop your dog [...]

Amitriptyline, which goes by the brand name Elavil, is prescribed as an off-label treatment for generalized anxiety and separation anxiety in dogs.

When you think of howling, you might think of wolves. But howling is also a common dog behavior, too. So why do dogs howl? Is it a throwback to their wolf ancestry? Or are there different reasons behind the call?

Dogs are bound to bark, but excessive dog barking can become an annoying problem. Learn tips to help control and curb nuisance barking behavior.

You have just been told that while you are at work, your dog barks all day. At first you don’t want to believe it. But you know that if you were in your neighbor’s shoes, you wouldn’t want to listen to endless barking either. A big part of being a responsible dog [...]

Life can be challenging for anxious dogs. These 10 tips from the GoodDog Helpline will help you manage and treat your dog's anxiety.

As much fun as you have together, there will be times when you’ll need to leave your puppy at home unattended or times when someone else needs to take your puppy to provide grooming or veterinary care. Some puppies have problems when they are separated from their owners. In the extreme form, these problems [...]

AKC Canine Good Citizen Becomes a Title Have Fun With Your Dog - Teach a Simple Trick Preventing Separation Anxiety – Supervised Separation Reading to Children with a Therapy Dog Three Steps to Making Your Dog a Therapy Dog Treating Aggression: Are You Exceeding Your Boundaries of Competence Trick Dog Titles Where Are CGC Training Classes [...]

This is the first in a series on some of the All American Dogs who will be competing in the 2016 AKC Obedience Classic this weekend (Dec. 17-18) in Orlando, FL. Qualifying dogs will compete at all levels of AKC Obedience at the event, held in conjunction with the AKC National Championship and AKC Agility Invitational [...]