DOG TRAINING AND BEHAVIOR

Are you readily able to understand the expressions your dog makes? The answer is more likely to be “yes” if your dog has a plain face of a single color rather than a face with more than one color or a lot of markings. So say the results of a study of more than 100 dogs and their people called “What Is Written on a Dog’s Face?”

You know that you’re not supposed to pet a service dog without obtaining permission first from the dog’s person. The dog is working and could be distracted by your attention.

As many as one in 10 dogs is deaf in one or both ears, according to the American Kennel Club. And many dogs that are not completely deaf don’t hear as well as a dog should. People often assume it’s only white dogs that can be deaf, but a dog doesn’t have to be all white, or even mostly white, to be genetically predisposed. The merle gene, present in collies, dappled dachshunds, American foxhounds, and other colorful breeds, increases the odds for deafness. So does the piebald gene, found in Samoyeds, greyhounds, beagles, and Dalmatians.

See if you can profile the dogs in these three scenarios:

A number of years ago, the American Animal Hospital Association published a chart listing a number of things that stand in the way of weight loss for overweight dogs. Topping the chart: begging. Also way up there: guilt on the part of the pet “parent.”

Indoor dog gyms are on the rise all over the country, and we’re all for the trend. In some locales, for months on end the weather is either too hot or too cold for adequate outdoor activity. Just like for people, a climate-controlled fitness center is the solution for getting a dog’s muscles moving and her brain’s mood-stabilizing endorphins flowing.

Perhaps your dog barks when you and your partner hug or kiss or show other signs of amorousness. Maybe she even tries to stop acts of physical intimacy, getting between you and your mate. Is she jealous?

Some dogs have access to a doggie door that allows them to exit and re-enter at will, so they can “go to the bathroom” whenever they want. Fortunately for those who are unable to go out when they want, dogs are generally excellent at “holding it in” and can wait for the appointed times at which you take them to do their business. But still, there are those moments when they really need to relieve themselves even though it’s not time for their scheduled walk. What then?

Q: Our 3-year-old Havanese is a great leash puller and sniffer, a mostly wonderful dog except for her absolute certainty that the poop of other animals makes a terrific snack. Since her legs are close to the ground, she’s fast and very good at lunging suddenly when she wants to grab some “delicacy.” We — not the youngest kids on the block — are outwitted at every turn. Bunny poop, goose poop, dog poop — she is not particular. A trainer we consulted thought we might try using a device that issues a high-pitched sound to make negative associations for her at those moments. But I’m not sure I have enough hands to carry the device on a walk, much less mobilize it in a timely fashion. And I’m not sure it’s a good approach. I’d appreciate any advice you can offer.