Dr Dunbar's iWoofs Podcasts

Getting a dog is a huge responsibility in a a number of different ways.  In this episode, the Dunbars talk about the financial commitment that a dog, and especially a puppy require.  They break down the cost into the most common categories, and discuss tips on how you can save a little money without compromising your pet’s well-being.  Of course, the single biggest money-saving tip is to train your dog well from the very beginning.  Otherwise you’ll be spending money on destroyed property and professional training and socialization help later on.

People get dogs for a lot of different reasons.  In this episode we hear about the different dogs Kelly and Ian have had throughout the years, and the variety of roles the fulfilled for them.  Dog can provide a lot of things in their relationships with humans, with the most obvious being companionship and protection.  Dogs can make people friendlier, healthier and happier, but only if they've been trained properly.  A well-trained dog will help you make friends, get exercise and enjoy life!

Living with multiple dogs can be a lot of work, even in the best of cases.  If those dogs don’t get along though, it can turn your entire life into a stressful nightmare.  As with all dog aggression, the first question is how good is their bite inhibition.  If the dogs are aggressive, but don’t actually harm each other, then the solution lies in lots of classical conditioning.  However, if the dogs are hurting each other you have a dangerous situation and you may have to find a new home for one of the dogs.

Dogs have needs.  They’re dogs and they were born to do certain doggy things.  If you try to stop your dog from ever barking, chewing, digging, chasing it’s going to go crazy.  It’s just not fair to the dog.  The secret to success is teaching your dog when and where to do the things they love.  If you can put the behavior on cue, it will cease to be a problem.