Category: Articles

Pets are pretty mysterious. Many things about our furry friends confuse us. Sleeping by the door is one of those mysterious things! 

You may have bought a cozy e bed for the dog. It may use the bed for a while and then move next to the door. You will wonder “why does my dog sleep by the door”!

Does your dog hate the new bed you have bought or there is something special about the place? The pet might be trying to convey some message or it may be a habit of its wild past. 

Many animal behaviorists are trying to interpret why some dogs sleep by the door. Some convincing theories have emerged that may answer your question!

The dog is guarding your place!

Humans have relied on dogs to safeguard their properties and keep unwanted guests away. Dogs used to guard the entrance when they were not patrolling the intended territory. Modern families may not need that high-level protection, the behavior of dogs is still the same. 

Dogs always try to protect their owners, even if the approaching person is friendly. It is in their behavior to keep suspecting people away. Your dog may be trying to do the same thing. 

Your pooch is sleeping by the door to protect the house. It wants to deter unwanted people away. Therefore it might be sleeping next to the door to prevent intruders!  

The place seems more comforting

Dogs got thick fur and it protects them from cold. The same fur becomes trouble during hot summer days. Some pets try to stay wet to stay cool and cope with scorching heat. When it is not possible to get wet, dogs choose a place where they can get the soothing breeze. 

The bed might feel a bit hotter than cold and soothing tiles. Therefore, most dogs sleep on the floor and next to the door. Your dog will get back to its bed if you can maintain a comforting temperature in the room. 

The dog doesn’t want you to leave it at home

You cannot take them everywhere you go. The dog does not know it and it might try to accompany you in every activity. That might be a reason the dog is sleeping next to the door. 

Many dogs do that to be with their parents whenever possible. This behavior seems a bit irritating when you are leaving the home for an important job. The pet may block the gate and get overly excited to move out. 

This behavior is controllable if you daily take the pooch out for a walk. The pooch will be on the door if you don’t take him out enough to meet its exercising needs. So, take care of your pet to avoid such troubles. 

Your pet is curious!

Dogs are probably the most curious creatures on this planet. They always want to be where the action is going on. Your pet might be one of those curious pooches who like to peep outside the house. The pet might move towards the window if you close the door. 

This curiosity can be the reason your pet is sleeping by the door. It wants to watch and hear everything occurring outside the house. The dog might also like to move out if it sees or hears something interesting. 

The pet will refuse to sleep on the bed if it is not placed at its favorite spot. Move the bed near the door and then observe your dog. It will probably enjoy a comfy sleep on the bed instead of sleeping on a hard floor! 

The pet is waiting for someone

Dogs do not like it when you leave them alone at home. They constantly monitor activities taking place outside the home. They get excited when they hear the sound of your car or footsteps. It is probably the most exciting moment for the pet in the day and therefore it’s always waiting by the door. 

Nobody can say for sure what the dog is doing by the door. The most probable reasons are explained in this post. You can change this behavior by taking good care of the pet. Allow him to move freely and feed the best meals. Your dog will take proper rest at the right place to avoid health problems.

Written by Dr. Elisa Foster

Harness or collar – which is better for my dog?

Harness or collar – which is more appropriate for the species? A matter that divides the dog world. But it is more than just a question of faith. Because whether you and your dog will be happier with a dog harness or the best shock collars for pitbulls depends on many different factors.

Purpose of harness and collar

Both collars and harnesses have the same purpose: combined with a leash, they give us the ability to guide and control our dog and keep him away from danger. Depending on the character and temperament of the dog and the handler, not inconsiderable forces are thus often exerted on the leash, harness and collar. And this is exactly the crux of the matter.

Health

A collar, as the name implies, is placed around the dog’s neck. When the leash is pulled, the force acts directly on the animal’s neck and throat – where important organs such as the thyroid, larynx, trachea and blood vessels are located. This gives the owner the opportunity to exert more force on the dog – but at the same time increases the risk that the dog will be injured. Recent research has shown that long-term force on the spine and thyroid gland can cause chronic inflammation.

A harness acts on the chest and back of the quadruped. The force is thus better distributed, the daily walk becomes smoother and less troublesome for the dog. However, a harness that does not fit can interfere with the quadruped’s shoulder blade and its natural method of locomotion.

Training

The impact on the harness or collar should be as small as possible. This is only possible if owner and dog can communicate through other impulses than pulling on the leash – and requires good training, especially for more active four-legged friends. Whether a harness and collar are effective depends on your dog’s training and your own prudence. If every walk becomes a test of strength, it often helps to invest in a good dog training school rather than a tighter harness or collar!

The right product

Whether you choose a harness or collar: Both need to be fitted for your dog’s age, weight, and size.

A harness, for example, should be a hand’s width behind the elbow and should definitely not rub directly under the armpits. At the same time, the material should not press on the sternum.

Collars also come in many different sizes and made of many different materials. The latter should be lightweight, yet strong and flexible. Buckles make it easier to put on and adjust.

We wish you and your dog all the best and a lot of fun on walks together!

One of the first things you should explore when deciding if a Service Dog is the right choice for you or not, is what tasks a dog could learn and perform to mitigate your disabilities. This can be overwhelming, especially if you have never owned or trained a dog before.

The best way to start this process is to meet with your family and your doctors, and determine what things you cannot do for yourself (or cannot do safely) because of your disabilities. Spend some time thinking about your daily life and brainstorm a prioritized list. Once you have your list you can go through and make a note of what a dog could be trained to do to help you with each item on your list.

It can be very tempting to do what is called “task shopping”. This is where a person picks and chooses Service Dog tasks from other handlers’ task lists, even if they don’t necessarily need those tasks to mitigate their own disabilities. Remember, in order for a dog to be considered a Service Dog under the ADA, the tasks that they perform must be directly related to and mitigate their disabled handler’s disabilities. Just because a behavior is on a list like the one on this page, does not make it a task. You can feel free to teach your dog extra tricks to help you or make you feel better, but these tricks will not count as tasks and do not make your dog a Service Dog. 

Remember, in order for a dog to be considered a Service Dog under the ADA, the tasks that they perform must be directly related to and mitigate their disabled handler’s disabilities.

The purpose of this task list is to show the amazing things that Service Dogs can do to help their handlers. If you are not sure what Service Dogs are capable of learning, this list is a great place to start! Dogs can be trained to perform complex behaviors that many people wouldn’t believe.

Not all of these tasks are safe for all dogs to attempt. Behaviors such as bracing**, forward momentum, counter-balance, assisting with transfers, pulling wheelchairs and others require a large enough dog whose growth plates have closed and has undergone a full physical assessment (including X-Rays) by a veterinary professional. Please do not begin training any tasks until discussing your dog’s readiness to safely do so with a trainer and your vet.

The behaviors in this list are purposely not arranged by disability, symptom, or condition. Every person’s situation presents differently and what mitigates one individual’s disability may not mitigate the same limitation for another person. Similarly, a specific behavior has the potential to mitigate a wide variety of disabilities.

*Quite a few of these tasks involve an Alert. An Alert can be many different behaviors and it is important to consider that not all alert behaviors are appropriate for all situations (ex. barking in a library). When choosing an Alert behavior you should carefully think of all the places your Alert could occur and choose accordingly. Some possible alerts are: Nose Bumping Hands, Nose Bumping a Knee, Licking Hands, Pawing a Knee, Bowing, Spinning in Place, Resting Chin on a Knee, Retrieving a Bringsel, and many more…

** After consulting with the Veterinary Orthopedic Society and other experts in veterinary orthopedics and veterinary orthopedic sports medicine, we have come to the joint conclusion that bracing is not a safe practice under any circumstance. Thus we have removed it from our list of tasks.

The Giant List of Service Dog Tasks:

1. Alert Family Member
2. Alert Handler to Another Person or Child Crying/Calling/Yelling
3. Alert for Help
4. Alert to Alarm
5. Alert to Allergen in Food
6. Alert to Allergen in the Area
7. Alert to Approaching Car
8. Alert to Car Horn
9. Alert to Dangerous Medical Levels in the Body (Blood Pressure, Cortisol, etc) *It has not been scientifically proven that these can be trained.
10. Alert to Doorbell/Knocking
11. Alert to Handler’s Name
12. Alert to Intruder
13. Alert to Person Coming Up Behind
14. Alert to Phone
15. Alert to Seizure *It has not been scientifically proven that this can be trained.
16. Alert to Siren
17. Alert to Sounds
18. Alert to Unheard Dropped Item
19. Answer the Door
20. Assist with Grounding
21. Assist with Position Changes (Sitting to Standing, Laying to Sitting, etc)
22. Assist with Transfers
23. Avoid Moving Objects (while guiding)
24. Block
25. Block from Moving Towards Danger (busy road, away from home, etc)
26. Bring a Note to Person
27. Call 911 on a Dog-Friendly Phone
28. Call Pre-Programmed Number on a Dog-Friendly Phone
29. Call Suicide Hotline on a Dog-Friendly Phone
30. Carry Grocery Bags
31. Carry Purse
32. Carry Items Up or Down Stairs
33. Check the House
34. Clean Up Items on the Floor (put in basket)
35. Clean Up Trash on the Floor (put in wastebasket)
36. Clear a Room (enter ahead of handler and check for intruders)
37. Close Washer/Dryer (with paw or nose)
38. Close Bathroom Stall Door
39. Closing Doors (pulling closed with tug)
40. Closing Doors (pushing closed with nose or paws)
41. Counter-Balance
42. Cover
43. Crowd Control (circling)
44. Crying Interruption/Response
45. DPT (Deep Pressure Therapy)
46. Deliver Credit Card or Money to a Cashier
47. Deliver Items from Cashier to Handler
48. Deliver Item to Person
49. Drag Heavy Items to Specific Location
50. Drag Laundry Basket
51. Find Handler
52. Find a Bathroom
53. Find a Specific Person
54. Find Assigned Seat (at school, work, etc)
55. Find Elevator/Stairs/Escalator
56. Find Empty Seat
57. Find the Car
58. Find Disabled Handler (runners, wanderers, lost handler)
59. Flashback Interruption
60. Follow Designated Person
61. Forward Momentum (in a wheelchair)
62. Forward Momentum (when walking)
63. Go Find Help
64. Guide Home
65. Guide to an Exit
66. Guide to Specific Item
67. Guide to Specific Location
68. Guide to Specific Person
69. Guide to a Safe Place
70. Guiding
71. Help Sit Up if Slumped Over
72. Help With Turning Over
73. High Blood Sugar Alert
74. Indicate Barrier (while guiding)
75. Indicate Curbs (while guiding)
76. Indicate Drop-Offs (while guiding)
77. Indicate Stairs/Steps (while guiding)
78. Interrupt Dissociation
79. Interrupt Freezing Behavior
80. Interrupt Harmful Behaviors
81. Interrupt Panic/Anxiety Attack
82. Interrupt Repetitive Behaviors
83. Interrupt Scratching/Skin Picking
84. Lead Around Ground Hazards (while guiding)
85. Lead Around Low Hanging Items (while guiding)
86. Lead Around Stationary Items (while guiding)
87. Lick Face/Hands
88. Low Blood Sugar Alert
89. Medication Reminders
90. Nightmare Interruption
91. Open Sliding Door
92. Open/Close Cabinet/Drawer
93. Open/Close Dishwasher
94. Open/Close Refrigerator
95. Open/Close Bathroom Door
96. Open Doors (handicapped button)
97. Open Doors (pulling open using a tug)
98. Open Doors (pushing open with nose or paws)
99. Panic/Anxiety Alert
100. Paws Up to Help With Putting on Dog Gear
101. Provide Distraction
102. Provide Excuse to Leave Uncomfortable Situation
103. Provide Momentum Up Inclines
104. Provide Momentum Up Stairs
105. Provide Pressure on Chest to Produce Cough
106. Pull Handler with Strap (to change positions)
107. Pull and Hold Heavy Door
108. Pull Blankets Off/On
109. Pull Blinds/Curtains Closed/Open
110. Push Floor Button to Turn on Lamp
111. Push Paralyzed Limb Back into Place
112. Refuse to Move Forward if Not Safe
113. Remove Socks or Other Clothing
114. Respond to Anxious Behaviors
115. Retrieve Clothing Items
116. Retrieve Dog Bowls
117. Retrieve Dropped Items
118. Retrieve Emergency Medication
119. Retrieve Items When Pointed To
120. Retrieve Juice/Gatorade/Etc
121. Retrieve Mobility Aid (Wheelchair, Cane, Walker, etc)
122. Retrieve Named Items
123. Retrieve Phone
124. Retrieve Purse/Wallet
125. Retrieve Shoes
126. Retrieve Tissue (when crying, sneezing, coughing)
127. Retrieve Towel (after shower, bath)
128. Retrieve TV Remote
129. Retrieve Vest/Harness/Leash/Gear
130. Retrieve Water to Take Medication
131. Retrieve Item from Store Shelf
132. Retrieve Mail or Newspaper
133. Roll Handler Onto Their Side (by nudging, pulling clothing)
134. Routine Reminders (feed dog, eat meals, go to sleep, etc)
135. Tactile Stimulation
136. Throw Away Trash
137. Turn Off Lights (with paw, nose or teeth)
138. Turn On Lights (with paw, nose or teeth)
139. Unload Grocery Items
140. Unload Items From the Washer or Dryer
141. Wake Handler
142. Watch My Back
143. Wheelchair Pulling