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Related Articles & Questions

Care Sheets
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Learn how to care for your dog, recommended diet and training. Find the right food, supplies and equipment at your neighborhood Petco.
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Find the best dog harness, collar or leash that suits your dog and will keep them comfortable and safe.
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Easy Dog Training: Essential Tips for a Happy, Well-Behaved Dog
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Dog Training Treats: How to Pick the Best for Your Dog's Success
Choosing the best dog training treat all depends on your dog's preference and what environment you will be training in. Take a look at these recommendations from Petco positive dog training experts.
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New Pet
Best e-collar brands & how to condition for puppy chewing/recall?
Sport dog is a good brand with several levels of correction. This will not be effective for chewing unless you are always there to correct her. If she chews when you are not home there is no way to know or enforce or correct this. For any training you have to ask them to perform something they know, such as sit. If they do not do it you push the button. If they do well then you reward them. Keep them on a leash while training. When you ask them to come, you pull the leash. If there is no interest then you correct them. They will learn to associate the two things together quickly to respond
Updated on September 24th, 2025
New Pet
My dog shows aggression to people, dogs, and toys. How to train her?
Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. At 2 years of age, Jalen is still at a good age to train. I would recommend behavioral training with a certified trainer / behaviorist. If that is not an option, I would recommend using a pinch collar or gentle leader collar to help train. If she is anxious and high strung, I would also recommend using NaturVet Quiet Moments Calm Chews with Melatonin, which can be found online or at your local pet store. You can also use a spray bottle filled with water and whenever she barks or begins to become aggressive, you can spritz her in the face and say "off" or "down" and when she follows the command, reward her with a treat. A trainer is most likely your best option though for faster results. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Training & Behavior
What are the best low and high value training treats for unmotivated dogs?
Hi there. For training treats, you have quite a few different options depending on what she likes. Good, relatively low-value training treats would include kibble, Cheerios, carrots or green beans (cooked or raw), or packaged moist treats like BilJac or Blue Buffalo Blue Bits. High value training treats would include string cheese, pieces of meat (chicken, roast beef, or turkey), or cat food or liverwurst dispensed from a squeezable tube. It may take some trial and error to figure out what she likes enough to work for. Good luck!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Training & Behavior
How to train a large puppy to stop jumping, biting, and pulling?
Training a disobedient large breed dog with bad habits can certainly be happy. However, in the end, the use of positive reinforcement will always reign supreme. Depending on what motivates Roscoe most will need to be what you choose to make Roscoe want to listen. I think this is a perfect case for clicker training. A clicker is a device that makes a clicking noise when you press down on it. Basically you want to first teach Roscoe that the click is associated with something good happening, which is called "charging" or "priming" the clicker. Once Roscoe understands that the clicking noise is associated with food or treats, you will be able to use this tool to your advantage. You should carry the clicker with you at all times and make sure to use it any time you are rewarding Roscoe. In terms of the jumping and mouthiness, you need to be very careful not to inadvertently reward inappropriate behavior. I realize that that gut reaction to something jumping or biting at you is to yell or push away. Unfortunately, this is not going to get the picture across to Roscoe. Instead, what you want to do is simply turn away or move your hand away. Continue to do this until Roscoe stops this behavior on his own and sits calmly. It is at this point that you want to click and reward. Dogs that are extremely disobedient sometimes need to have more strict boundaries than other dogs so that they be good pets. It is possible that you may eventually have to train Roscoe so that he knows not to enter your personal space until you have given him permission. With respect to biting, obviously this is an extremely bad behavior for a large breed dog. Rather than saying no, you will want to deflect his attention to something else. I would teach him the "touch" command. Since he tends to bite, you will want to train him to touch something like a stick or a rod of sorts. As soon as he starts to do the biting thing, you will want to get him to touch the object. If he does this, click and reward. With repetition and consistency, this should resolve the issue. In regards to walking, pulling can sometimes be resolved with a change in the type of collar. Some dogs do better with different types of harnesses or gentle leaders, while others do fine with conventional collars. Some even require choke collars, though I usually reserve these as a last resort. You should be teaching your dog the heel command, and be using the clicker in this case as well to reward the appropriate behavior. However, until you figure out what type of collar / harness works best for Roscoe it will be difficult to train him appropriately. Behavior issues are often complex and somewhat difficult. Don't be afraid to go out and get a trainer or go to some obedience classes. You can even speak to a vet that has some interest in behavior that is willing to work with you. If there is anything else that I can do, don't hesitate to reach out. I'd love to work with you.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Food & Nutrition
Why is my dog suddenly destructive: trash, chewing, counter surfing?
Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is just behavior commonly seen with her breed as they are dominant and challenging and require very strict and consistent training. These types of behavior can improve though this does require in person training with the help of a qualified dog trainer. I would encourage you to contact a dog trainer that can work with you and Sally in person to really take care of this behavior. The sooner these behaviors are dealt with, the more likely it is that you can improve and resolve them. Good luck and have a good night!
Updated on September 24th, 2025