Allowing your dog to play with other dogs in your household and organizing play dates with canine friends will help your dog rehearse valuable play behavior and maintain healthy social skills.

A dog that is barking through boredom tends to bark with the same tone for long periods.

Appropriate play can be rough, but human intervention is usually not needed. As long as each dog allows the other to win and lose the game, the potential for conflict is avoided.

Dog-to-dog play is a series of active and repetitive behaviors that have different meanings depending on context. These behaviors help dogs develop important life skills and experiences that promote good physical and mental health.

The physiological impact of stress on dogs can be significant, so it’s critical to stay attuned to your dog’s emotional responses and prevent any seemingly harmless quirks from developing into potentially damaging obsessions or anxieties.

Developing coping strategies—such as playing problem-solving games and using toys—can help activate a dog’s thinking brain in stressful situations,

Ignore the dog completely whenever he demands affection.

Restrain or “alpha roll” him onto his back or side if he aggresses.

Oxytocin is the hormone responsible for social memory, enabling dogs to recognize people and other animals they have previously met, thereby allowing them to retain social attachments.