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Canine Behavior/Companion For Depressed Schnauzer

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Expert: Cassie - 1/26/2008


Question
Our 6 year old female schnauzer was raised in a motorhome. We are now in a home, not on wheels, and Gracie seems to be depressed...we think she's bored.  We are considering another dog for companionship.  Gracie has never been to obedience school. She has some bad habits:  barking, terrible on a leash and very protective.  If a second dog were to be a solution to the boredom, should we take both dogs to obedience school?  What's your take on PetSmart...can you depend on their instructors?

Answer
Hello Jeanne,

    Let me start out by saying that every dog needs a job to do. Gracie sounds like the type of dog that would enjoy advanced obedience. Petsmart is an excellent choice, as our Labrador was trained at Petsmart and listens quite well.
    If you do get another dog, I would recommend a female puppy from your local animal shelter. Be sure to get one that will not grow any larger than Grace, or she could be hurt by the new puppy. Yes, you should take them both to Petsmart for training. Let me know how it works out! Thank you!  

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Cassie

Expertise

My expertise lies in the fact that I've helped people with their dog's behavior since the age of eleven! I was inspired by animal behaviorist "Cesar Millan" and knew I was meant to make a difference in the lives of animals, particularly dogs. I have owned dogs all my life. I can answer questions regarding behavior, breeding, training, and raising your puppy. In most 'behavior cases', the owner is the reason the dog is misbehaving. They were thinking with human psychology, not canine psychology. They did not provide their dog with what he/she needed, or tried to 'punish' their dog like their children, by putting them in a time-out, yelling, ect. This caused the dog to be in an unbalanced state of mind, which is the exact opposite of what most owners are trying to achieve. The dogs' instincts kick in and he/she tries to take over by jumping up, excessive barking, ect. That is why I'm here. To help people live happy, healthy lives with their best friend.

Experience

I have owned animals all my life, particularly dogs. I have studied animal behavior for much of my life, and am currently working toward my goal of becoming a professional animal behaviorist. I breed Labrador Retrievers as well. My kennel name is "Happy Tails Labradors", and my website can be viewed here: http://happytails.weebly.com/.

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