The Latest Breaking News from Behavior

Dog gives you the guilty look? Here's what research says it actually means

Walk into a room where something has gone wrong and your dog is already doing it: head low, ears back, eyes wide and soft, maybe a slow tail wag aimed at the floor. Every owner reads this the same way. The dog knows. Except the research says that is probably…

Times Pets · Oct 25

Dog hates nail trims? Train it to offer its paw willingly

Nail trims are one of the most reliably dreaded routines in dog ownership, and the dread usually belongs to both parties. The dog pulls away, the owner tightens the grip, and what follows is a struggle that makes the next session harder than the last. The problem is not the…

Times Pets · Oct 25

Puppy won't let you touch its paws or ears? 6 steps to make handling easy

A puppy that pulls its paw away the first time you reach for it is not being stubborn. It has simply never learned that a human hand near its foot, ear or mouth predicts something good rather than something uncertain. That gap in learning is easy to close at eight…

Times Pets · Oct 25

Fine ‘headphone dodgers’ if you will, but to really tackle antisocial behaviour, Britain should look to Japan

Working in Japanese schools, I saw how teaching young people civic pride creates adults with consideration for others, says freelance journalist Emily Bratt

The Guardian - UK · Oct 24

What Shakuni at the Table Says About the Relative Who Never Forgave Your House

He always brought sweets. He remembered every birthday, sat at the right end of the sofa, laughed at the right moments. And yet something in the room shifted when he walked in, a particular alertness, the kind that does not come from dislike but from the older, more exhausting feeling…

Times Life · Oct 24

Why do dogs kick the ground after they poop? The real reason behind it

Most dog owners have seen it: the poop is done, and then comes the kicking, hind legs scraping backward across the grass, sometimes with real enthusiasm, often flinging dirt and debris well past the original spot. It looks like covering up, but that is not what is happening. The behaviour…

Times Pets · Oct 24

Why does your dog roll in smelly things on walks? The real reason explained

You are three minutes into the morning walk when your dog locks onto something invisible in the grass, freezes, then folds sideways and begins grinding his neck and shoulders into whatever he has found. By the time you pull him off, he smells like a drain. This is one of…

Times Pets · Oct 24

Why does your dog sneeze during play? It's a signal, not a reflex

Watch a dog in full play mode and you will catch it: a sudden, sharp sneeze, sometimes a rapid two or three in a row, and then straight back to the game as if nothing happened. No pause, no discomfort, no looking around. The sneeze was the message, and the…

Times Pets · Oct 24

Dog keeps jumping on the kitchen counter? 6 steps to stop counter-surfing

A dog that hoovers food off the kitchen platform is not being naughty. It found food there once, possibly twice, and its brain filed that surface under 'worth checking'. Every successful steal since then has made the habit stronger. That is positive reinforcement working against you, and the only way…

Times Pets · Oct 24

Dog jumps on every guest? 6 steps to train a calmer greeting

Most dogs that jump on guests are not trying to dominate anyone. They are doing something that worked: a human looked at them, touched them, or made a sound, and the dog learned that four paws off the floor is how you get that response. The behaviour is self-reinforcing, which…

Times Pets · Oct 24