MK9Plus Dog Training and Behaviour

The Right & Simplest Way Resource guarding around the food bowl is a behavioural issue every dog owner wants to prevent. Surprisingly, there is one common thing that most of us do which inadvertently increases the chance of resource guarding. Today, I'm going to show you one simple technique that can help decrease the likelihood of this problematic behaviour.  Understanding Resource Guarding Resource guarding can emerge due to one of three primary reasons: physical pain, a lack of trust and relationship, or as a learned behaviour. In the case of learned behaviour, a dog may guard their resources because they anticipate negative experiences. This last cause is quite prevalent and is often inadvertently encouraged by pet owners. Many people interfere with their dog's food or even the dog itself while the dog is eating, all under the pretext of training or play. Unfortunately, what this communicates to the dog is: "Hey, every time you're eating, bad things happen whe...

As a professional dedicated to educating people about the impact of lifestyle on mental health and behaviour in dogs, I often get asked about doggy treadmills. Are these pet fitness gadgets genuinely beneficial, or are they merely a waste of time and money? Many advertise dog treadmills as fitness tools that can physically tire out your dog and keep them fit. However, it's essential to consider if that's what you truly want for your pet. Increased physical exercise, for humans and dogs  alike, leads to better fitness levels. In dogs, this often translates into a need for more exercise as they essentially turn into canine athletes. It’s a common issue I see is with dog owners who frequently play fetch. They wonder, "why is my dog not sleeping?" The answer lies in the fact that their dogs have become athletes, always highly aroused due to constant chasing. If you're considering a dog treadmill because of your pet's behavioural issues or their seemingly insatiabl...

Rethinking Separation Anxiety: Understanding Separation Distress in Dogs Do you suspect your dog suffers from separation anxiety? It's time to reconsider. Your pet might instead be experiencing separation distress, a less severe but equally impactful condition. By understanding this distinction, you can better address your pet's needs and improve their quality of life. Separation Distress: More Common Than You Think Unlike separation anxiety, separation distress is not as extreme but still impacts a dog's well-being. It's often triggered by lifestyle factors and mental issues such as noise phobias, fear, stress, boredom, frustration, and high arousal, among other things. The Telltale Signs: Separation Anxiety vs Separation Distress A key distinguishing characteristic lies in the dogs' activity levels during separation. Dogs with separation anxiety maintained their activity level throughout the entire separation period. On the other hand, dogs with separation distres...