14 Common Dog Behavior Myths Decoded

Although dog training has become more of a science than a craft in recent years, some persistent myths still mislead us when reading canine behavior. Don't let a myth harm your relationship with your pooch. Here, we dispel 14 common myths and look at the facts. Although dog training has become more of a science than a craft in recent years, some persistent myths still mislead us when reading canine behavior. Don't let a myth harm your relationship with your pooch. Here, we dispel 14 common myths and look at the facts. 1. An old dog can't learn new tricks. False. Old dogs not only learn new tricks but they thrive when trained. My late Pomeranian, Mr. Teddy, who was adopted at an estimated 10 to 13 years of age, was a training superstar in Vetstreet videos, which were filmed two weeks before he passed away. By the same token, older dogs without housetraining experience as puppies can successfully be housetrained. As long as a dog is mentally and physically capable of learning to perform a behavior and is properly motivated, it's entirely possible to train her. While intense agility training for Teddy was not realistic, teaching basic commands was. 2. A dog shouldn't sleep with you or be allowed on furniture, or she'll think she's the boss and will misbehave. False. Just like humans, dogs simply want a comfortable place to lie down. If comfort can be combined with being next to their beloved human, whether it's right next to you on the couch, or even on top of your lap, then they're all for it. In rare cases, dogs will guard their sleeping and resting areas, and will show aggression when humans approach these sacred areas. This type of behavior will require remedial training. But for the average Rover, sleeping in bed or resting on the couch has no adverse behavioral effects. 3. When your dog has a potty accident, it's important to rub her nose in it to let her know what she did. False. When you rub a dog's nose in her own mess, she often sees no association between that and her having had a potty accident. Nor does rubbing her nose in her accident teach her not to potty on the floor again. Instead, rubbing her nose in her accident teaches her that humans are dangerous and unpredictable, and she will likely begin to hide in safety by sneaking into another room to go to the bathroom, making housebreaking even more difficult. 4. A dog who cowers from people was likely abused in the past. False. There are various reasons for dogs cowering, and not all of them are because a dog was abused. Commonly, the dog was not properly socialized or had negative experiences during her prime socialization period as a puppy. Genetics also play a role in the fearful dog. Other reasons for a dog to duck away might be that she has learned to dodge people who try to grab her collar, or she is uncomfortable with petting, such as having her ears handled. Unfortunately, well-meaning strangers often approach dogs by bending over the top of their heads and reaching down to pet, which will send timid dogs into a cowering position. A better way to approach is by getting into a kneeling position, with your body turned toward the side, and then inviting the dog to approach you. If you practice this method, it will be less likely to cause a canine to cower.

5. Shelter dogs have too much baggage. It's better to adopt a puppy to start with a clean slate. False. Many shelter dogs are well-behaved pooches who, for an endless list of possible reasons, could not be kept by their original owners. Older shelter dogs make ideal candidates for people wanting to skip the puppy stages of chewing, potty training and mouthing. The interview process at most shelters also pairs canine candidates with the family setting that will best suit the dog's temperament, which can create cohesion from the beginning. 6. All dogs should enjoy being around other dogs. It's essential for dogs to go on outings with other dogs, such as at the dog park. If a dog doesn't enjoy other dogs, there is something wrong with her. False. Not all people are social butterflies and neither are all dogs. Some dogs may prefer solitude and only a small, select group of people. Dogs also have their own preferences when it comes to other canines. Breeding can play a big role in their sociability, with terriers being notorious for contentiousness with other pooches. Other times, whether from lack of socialization as a puppy or simply an individual preference, dogs may not enjoy canine comradery. Even though plenty of dogs enjoy the dog park, not all of them enjoy the idea of dozens of other dogs frolicking around them and would instead prefer a quiet walk with their owners. 7. You should let dogs just fight it out when they get into a scuffle. False (well, at least partly false). It's true that you should never get into the middle of a dog fight, because some of the most damaging dog bites occur when owners try to separate fighting dogs. There are some tactics you can use to break up the scuffle without actually getting in the middle of the fray. Try using water, a really loud noise, or even a distraction like grabbing a treat bag or using voice to direct them to do something else. Owners should do everything they can to prevent another fight in the future. Often dogs don't settle matters on their own, and fighting intensifies over time, especially with dogs in the same home. This calls for advanced training with the help of an animal behaviorist or a certified professional trainer. 8. My dog is trying to show she's in charge when she doesn't listen to me. False. It's easy to attribute human motives like "getting even" or "being spiteful" to our dogs, but dogs don't have the same complex emotions as humans. The more realistic reasons why a dog doesn't do what's being asked is either because she doesn't understand what she's being asked to do, or the dog doesn't have the proper motivation to want to perform the behavior. For example, most dogs don't come when called because the payoff isn't worth it. When they do, they usually are put on a leash or taken into the house when they'd rather stay outside. 9. My dog knows she was bad after she goes potty in the house. Her guilty face says it all. False. Dogs show a perceived "guilty face" not because they feel an actual emotion of guilt, but they are actually showing appeasement behaviors in response to their owners intimidating body language. Whether we want to or not, it's difficult not to display negative body language when we're upset with our pets. A 2009 study by researcher Alexandra Horowitz at Barnard College in New York revealed that the "guilty look" dogs display is solely attributed by humans and has no relation to whether the dog is actually responsible for an offense. The study found that dogs who had not actually eaten the forbidden treat, but were scolded by their misinformed owners for eating a treat, showed guiltier-looking body language than dogs who had actually eaten the forbidden treat. The guilty look is simply a response of the dog to her owner's behavior.

10. It's always the owner's fault when a dog misbehaves. False. Most owners are well-meaning, but are simply misinformed or lack knowledge on how to train their dogs effectively. Blaming the owner for all of a dog's problems makes for good TV, but there are a myriad of reasons why a dog misbehaves, including lack of proper socialization or preventive training, or even the genetic tendencies of the dog. It's important for pet parents to push past feelings of shame or guilt; instead get started in the right direction with help from a pet professional using positive reinforcement methods. 11. Using treats for training is bribery, and the dog won't do the behavior later if you don't give her a treat. False. It's true that dogs need motivation to perform a behavior. That said, the motivation doesn't always have to be a food-based reward. Dogs can be rewarded in many other ways. Reward them with playing, petting or getting to go outside. They can also be put on a random schedule of rewards with a lottery-ticketlike system so they never know when the payout will come. This system helps keep them motivated. For example: learning to walk on a loose leash may be taught in the beginning by using treats, but once the behavior is learned, treats can be phased out so that the only reward becomes getting to go on the walk itself. 12. When a dog chews up shoes or destroys furniture it's because she's punishing the owner. False. Dogs chew on shoes, furniture and other human items not to punish their owners, but simply because it feels good on their teeth, it relieves boredom, releases energy and, in some cases, may indicate separation anxiety. 13. A dog can't really be happy unless she can run off-leash. False. Leashes are made for a dog's safety. They should be perceived as tools that keep your dog from running into oncoming traffic, going up to unknown dogs or people, and prevent them from running way. Although regular off-leash play in a fenced area is essential for a dog's well-being, while out in public, dogs can learn to be perfectly content on a leash at their owner's side. 14. Dogs are great judges of people, so if a dog doesn't like someone, it must mean there is something wrong with that person. False. In the majority of cases, dogs who react aggressively or fearfully to a person are not doing so out of a negative moral evaluation of the individual, but are responding out of their own self-preservation. With that said, there have been plenty of circumstances where pets have used an apparent sixth sense to pick up on cues that went unseen by their human and actually saved their human's life. However, the majority of dogs I see in my training practice are unfriendly with a person because they are reacting out of fear to a certain physical attribute, movement or the physical proximity of a person, and are not reacting based on any moral evaluation of the individual.

Wealth or Waste? Rethinking the Value of a Business Major

Undergraduate business majors are a dime a dozen on many college campuses. But according to some, they may be worth even less. More than 20% of U.S. undergraduates are business majors, nearly double the next most common major, social sciences and history. The proportion has held relatively steady for the past 30 years, but now faculty members, school administrators and corporate recruiters are questioning the value of a business degree at the undergraduate level. The biggest complaint: The undergraduate degrees focus too much on the nuts and bolts of finance and accounting and don't develop enough critical thinking and problem-solving skills through long essays, in-class debates and other hallmarks of liberal-arts courses. Companies say they need flexible thinkers with innovative ideas and a broad knowledge base derived from exposure to multiple disciplines. And while most recruiters don't outright avoid business majors, companies in consulting, technology and even finance say they're looking for candidates with a broader academic background. William Sullivan, co-author of "Rethinking Undergraduate Business Education: Liberal Learning for the Profession," says the divide between business and liberal-arts offerings, however unintentional, has hurt students, who see their business instruction as "isolated" from other disciplines. Schools are taking the hint. The business schools at George Washington University, Georgetown University, Santa Clara University and others are tweaking their undergraduate business curricula in an attempt to better integrate lessons on history, ethics and writing into courses about finance and marketing. Along with more than 20 other U.S. and European business schools, those institutions met last month at George Washington for a conference to discuss ways to better integrate a liberal-arts education into the business curriculum. It was organized by the Aspen Institute, a nonprofit group with an arm that studies management education and society. Other participants included Franklin & Marshall College, Babson College and Esade, a business and law school at Barcelona's Ramon Llull University. Doug Guthrie, dean of the George Washington University School of Business, is planning to draw on expertise in the university's psychology and philosophy departments to teach business ethics and he'll seek help from the engineering program to address sustainability. He expects to introduce the new curriculum, which will also include a core course on business and society, in the fall. Such changes should appease recruiters, who have been seeking well-rounded candidates from other disciplines, such as English, economics and engineering. Even financial companies say those students often have sharp critical-thinking skills and problem-solving techniques that business majors sometimes lack. "Firms are looking for talent. They're not looking for content knowledge, per se," says Scott Rostan, founder of Training the Street Inc., which provides financial training courses for new hires at a number of investment

banks. "They're not hiring someone just because they took an M&A class." Business degrees have been offered since at least the 1800s, but they were often considered vocational programs. Some experts argue that the programs belong at trade schools and that students should use their undergraduate years to learn something about the world before heading to business school for an M.B.A. Next fall, the University of Denver's Daniels College of Business will provide a required course to teach firstyear students how to view business issues in a global context. The class, being piloted this spring, will have instruction in business history, ethics, social responsibility, sustainability and other subjects. Introducing such concepts early in students' academic careers should help them "connect the dots," says Daniel Connolly, associate dean for undergraduate programs at the business school. Even some European schools, which have encouraged a narrow focus in college studies historically, are looking to expand. "Education is more than technical learning," says Alfred Vernis, director of university programs at Esade. He says the humanities need to be "embedded" in the rest of the program. Esade expects to unveil a new undergraduate business curriculum for the fall of 2013. Are schools going far enough? It's too early to tell, many recruiters say. But in any case companies will probably continue to look at nonbusiness students to ensure a diverse pool. Facebook Inc., a hot destination for many college graduates, doesn't recruit based on a particular major. "It's not about what you have or haven't studied," says Kristen Clemmer Meeks, a recruiting manager at the socialmedia company. She says some jobs require more analytical know-how, though new hires for those teams can come from business, economics, math or other programs. Margaret Copete is director of North America campus recruiting at consultancy Booz & Co., which increased undergraduate hiring 59% this academic year. She says that about a third of the newest class studied business in school, and the rest majored in subjects including math, nursing and economics. At the undergraduate level, Ms. Copete says, she's looking for students with "the basic building blocks" who can be trained "to be great consultants." Many schools already require students to take at least some courses outside their business major. Jed Somers, a 22-year-old senior at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, says that while much of his schedule was filled with Wharton-specific requirements, he enrolled in Brazilian drumming and art history, among other courses. (Wharton says about half of its students' courses are in the liberal arts.) Mr. Somers will begin a job in fixed-income index product sales at Barclays Capital in July. He believes that studying business helped him secure the position because it showed he's "passionate" about the field. Tara Udut, the head of campus recruitment for the Americas at Barclays, says that about half the bank's new analyst hires in recent years have come from business, finance, economics or accounting but that "students from nonfinance backgrounds bring a valuable perspective." Still, she says, applicants from the liberal arts often need to "undertake extra due diligence on the industry."

7 ways you can beat bill shock and save money

Ever had bill shock? You're not alone. As we scoop up more electronic devices, keep our cars longer and use pricey medical services, bill shock is becoming more common. But here's the good news: There's a growing consumer toolbox for beating high bills. You can download free smartphone apps to track utility expenses or visit websites that compare health plans or analyze mobile service bills. "The greatest source of bill shock is lack of consumer awareness," adds Schwark Satyavolu, CEO of BillShrink.com, which manages everyday expenses. "And services are getting more complex." Reading the fine print and doing Internet research is more important than ever to save money. To fight back, follow these easy, fun tips for seven much-used services.

Track mobile phone use Texting, data and talk are triple threats that can quickly balloon into wallet busters. Deciphering talk plan details can be daunting, says Satyavolu. For example, a 600-minute talk plan may vary widely among cellphone companies. "Anytime minutes" can be a nebulous term, he says. Consequently, most people make the mistake of overbuying, Satyavolu says. To find out if that's you, upload an electronic version of your mobile bill to a cellphone analysis service such as BillShrink or Validas.com. "Most carriers also offer phone apps that track usage, but only prepaid phones send alerts," Satyavolu says. Prepaid phones can help control texting and data costs. For example, AT&T's prepaid plan gives you unlimited talk, text and data for $50 monthly. "But watch out for hidden charges," adds Satyavolu. Another way to save money is opting for free text messaging via sites such as txtDrop.com. You can also make free or low-cost calls by using Skype.

Play online games for less (or free) Buying premium content to go further in your favorite online games, such as "FarmVille" and "World of Warcraft," can be addictive and chew up cash. To beat bill shock and save money, don't link your credit or debit card to game payments. "Use a card that has limits," Satyavolu says. "If your card is automatically debited, you'll find yourself suddenly spending $200." As an alternative, use sites such as FreeGamePick.com and MyRealGames.com that let you play online games for free. To stream games for less, try services such as OnLive.com and Gaikai.com. For example, OnLive offers unlimited play for $9.99 per month. Much like Netflix, rental game services such as GameFly or Gamerang let you play your favorite games cheaply without buying them.

Save on utility bills Heat and cold spells can spike utility bills fast. To defend your pocketbook and save money, fix energy leaks in your home, says Ronnie Kweller, a spokeswoman for the Alliance to Save Energy in Washington, D.C. Properly sealed homes can boost energy efficiency up to 20 percent year-round. Downloadable smartphone apps also can track usage. For example, MeterRead is an iPhone app that lets you check the number of kilowatt hours of power you've used. And the iGO Green "vampire power" calculator app tells how much electricity you're wasting in each room. Some utilities also offer time-of-use plans, where off-peak usage costs you less money, Kweller says. Talk to your utility company about them, she says. Lastly, ask your power company about a fixed-bill plan, where you can pay set amounts each month based on an annualized utility bill. That way, your payments don't balloon during hot summer or cold winter months.

Do regular maintenance on your car As a sluggish economy lingers, more people are hanging on to their cars longer. The average age of a vehicle is 10.8 years, the highest on record, according to the research firm R.L. Polk in Southfield, Mich. The upshot: Repair bills can be daunting. So, doing preventive maintenance such as changing brake pads and timing belts can decrease your costs down the road, says John Nielsen, director of AAA's Approved Auto Repair Network. For big-ticket repairs, get an estimate on the cost first, he adds. "Many states require that shops give you written estimates, and they can't vary by more than 10 percent from the final bill," Nielson says. Don't sign an open-ended contract with a repair shop when you won't know costs until the car is taken apart. Get educated on fair car repair prices by heading to sites such as RepairPal.com or DriverSide.com. They estimate repair prices for your car's make and model year. Choose your repair shop wisely. Several studies show that dealers charge more for repairs than independent repair shops. Building a relationship with your shop also can help prevent overcharging, Nielsen says.

Fend off high veterinary bills Like human health care, veterinary bills also are rising, especially costs for exams and surgeries, says Ernie Ward, a practicing vet and author of "Chow Hounds." Keeping your pet at a healthy weight is the easiest way to control costs, Ward says. The No. 1 pet health threat is complications from obesity, such as heart disease or high blood pressure. Getting regular exams for your pet helps catch diseases before they turn into expensive care. To fend off unexpected $5,000 vet bills, Ward suggests getting pet insurance. "Over the life span of a dog or cat, these policies save money and they give you peace of mind," he says. For example, PurinaCare pet insurance offers three types of insurance, including "accident only" insurance. Pet insurance is fairly inexpensive and can save you thousands of dollars in surgical bills, making them cost-

effective, Ward says.

Track health care costs Health insurance costs for employer-based plans rose 9 percent in 2011, according to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation in Washington, D.C. Hospital and acute-care costs are rising, too, says Aaron Ginn, a spokesman for Simplee.com, which helps manage health care expenses. And the more renowned hospitals usually raise their rates the fastest, Ginn says. "They simply say, 'Here's our rate,' because everyone wants to go there," he says. Also, going out of your network quickly adds up, Ginn says. So he advises double-checking your plan statement of benefits. Enlist a friend or even a health advocate to track mounting health insurance expenses, if you're not up to it. "Track your bills as they come in, so they don't pile up," Ginn says. On front end, it can be difficult to obtain quotes for hospital care. "Hospitals aren't very consumer-friendly," he says. "Their billing is more complicated to follow and can use 50 different codes." Emergency care clinics are usually cheaper and will give you accurate quotes, Ginn says. Consult Healthcare Blue Book for online estimates on health care prices such as hospital services.

Shop for dental care Root canals and crowns aren't just ouch-inducing. They also cost a lot. But costs between dentists can vary by thousands of dollars. Fortunately, the dental world is friendlier to consumers than the health care world, Ginn says. The reason is many patients pay with cash and don't have dental insurance. "You can do a lot of research and usually get dental quotes upfront," he says. The website Brighter.com helps you compare dental costs, listing more than 25,000 dentists by price and consumer reviews. Another good source is DentalPlans.com. It offers discounted dental plans and helps you find a dentist by ZIP code. "DentalPlans.com is straightforward and helps you manage your costs," Ginn says. "As a dental consumer, always take a step back," he says. "Getting dental quotes works in your favor."