Sophia Yin, DVM, MS     June 19, 2009 You know your dog is the coolest canine on the block. Want your friends and family members to know too? Whether your pooch is 7 weeks or 17 years old, he can Play dead (a.k.a. Lie on back or sunbathe) learn flashy tricks and enjoy performing them too. Better yet, these tricks can also help train Fido to be calm. Bang (a.k.a: Lie on your side) Start with Fido... [Read more]

By Sophia Yin, DVM, MS    June 16, 2009 Have you ever wondered how dogs on TV learn so many tricks? It turns out that many tricks are really easy to train quickly if you train them in a stepwise fashion. Here is the basic approach followed by a cool trick you can train. General Tips and Approach to Trick Training in Dogs First, use bite-sized treats or the dog’s regular kibble, instead of feeding... [Read more]

By Sophia Yin, DVM, MS  June 12, 2009 As every kid knows, while America is a democracy, the American family is not. It’s a dictatorship and even the youngest family members are savvy to the balance of power. One such youngster explained it to me, “In this house,” he said, “the dogs are the lowest. The kids come next. The parents are above the kids. And the cats are on top.” Indeed... [Read more]

By Sophia Yin, DVM, MS  June 25, 2009 Do you have a dog that you think has dominance aggression? A dog who’s confident and aggressive over many types of resources? As the top dog, he’s outgoing and rarely shows fear postures or what one might call “apologetic” behavior. One moment he’s as charming as a Casanova on a first date. The next minute he’s throwing more barks and bites than Mike... [Read more]

QUESTION: Hi Dr. Yin, My female 18mos old ACD is getting better and better about responding to my commands when off leash. The biggest problem is her chasing of bikes (and sometimes runners). I think they startle her and then move so fast that she goes immediately into prey mode. How can I learn to teach her to ignore them? or at least stop and wait for my command when something so exciting is happening. thanks! Gwyn... [Read more]

Sophia Yin, DVM, MS    June 20, 2009 The Center for Disease Control estimates that 4.7 million Americans are bitten by dogs every year. Nearly 20% of those bitten seek medical attention and approximately 1000 victims per day require a visit to the hospital emergency room. Of those bitten the most at risk are kids between 6-9 years of age. One way to prevent bites is for kids to learn how to greet... [Read more]