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• Compulsive Disorders in Dogs

  Compulsive disorders are repetitive behaviors that are repeated so frequently they interfere with a dog's daily routine. Some behaviors performed compulsively can cause physical injury. Compulsive disorders may reflect underlying behavioral illness, medical illness, or a combination. They are complex and often require life-long monitoring.

• Compulsive, Stereotypic, and Displacement Behaviors in Dogs and Cats

  Dogs and cats sometimes repeat behaviors such as licking, circling, or tail chasing in ways that seem out of context or difficult to stop. These behaviors can have physical or emotional causes, including pain, itchiness, frustration, fear, or anxiety. This handout explains the different types of repetitive behavior, how they are diagnosed, and how they may be treated.

• Coprophagia in Dogs

  Eating feces, called coprophagia, is relatively common in dogs. While it is usually undesirable to owners, it can be a normal canine behavior. If your dog frequently ingests feces, you should screen for a possible medical cause before turning to prevention strategies in order to find appropriate treatments.

• Crate Training and Confinement for Puppies and Dogs

  A crate for a pet is like a crib, travel sleeper, or playpen for a small child. With gentle training, a crate becomes a safe area that can be associated with resting and sleeping. Dogs that are calm in their crates experience less distress when they need to travel, visit the veterinary hospital, or recover from a medical procedure, or stay at a boarding facility.

• Curly-Coated Retriever

  Curly-Coated Retrievers are large sporting dogs known for intelligence, independence, and a distinctive curly coat. The Curly-Coated Retriever is one of the oldest retriever breeds, originally developed for water retrieving and hunting. These dogs are intelligent, confident, and somewhat more independent than other retrievers, while still forming strong bonds with their families.

• Dandie Dinmont Terrier

  Dandie Dinmont Terriers are live-wire dogs that enjoy rousing play, yet can be as tough as nails when extracting a rodent from its den or when standing up to a challenge.

• Dexmedetomidine

  Dexmedetomidine is a sedative and tranquilizer used in the treatment of fear and anxiety in dogs (Sileo) and as a sedative and pain medication in both dogs and cats (Dexdomitor). It is also used off label (extra label) as a pre-anesthetic or tranquilizer in exotic pets.

• Diagnosing Behavior Problems

  Behavior problems in pets can be due to physical illnesses, behavioral illnesses, or both. In addition, some behaviors that you find undesirable are perfectly normal for a dog. It is always important to identify and treat underlying medical physical conditions once they have been identified. In most cases, physical and behavioral conditions must be treated simultaneously.

• Disobedient, Unruly, and Hyperactive Dogs

  Dogs exhibit many normal behaviors that can seem unruly. Some dogs are overly active and never seem to settle. Attempts to stop disruptive, normal behaviors using corrections are not typically successful. This handout outlines more effective strategies, including teaching replacement behaviors.

• Do Dogs Have a Sixth Sense?

  Dogs have the same five senses that humans have: the ability to see, hear, smell, feel, and taste. Some of these canine senses are very acute and function at a high level. Some people think that dogs have a sixth sense, but this presumption may be based on how well dogs use and integrate their other five senses. There is no scientific evidence that dogs have a sixth sense, but there are anecdotal reports demonstrating how perceptive they are.