Q&A for How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend

No, that's called marking. It's 100% a problematic behavior if they're doing it inside of your home, and you'll need to do some housebreaking and training, but it doesn't mean they're upset with you. It's an instinctual behavior.

Leash training as soon as they come home is really important. Not only does it establish boundaries early on, but it helps the two of you learn how to interact with one another. So, you end up doing two productive things at once. You show them what's permissible, and you establish a relationship.

Take your dog for walks before you go to school and play with the dog when you get home. Be the sole provider of food and water for your dog in morning and night. Lastly, if your parents allow it, let your dog sleep in your bed - this will greatly strengthen your bond through both physical touch and quality time.

You cannot make your dog go to sleep. You can, however, turn down the lights, turn off distractions like TV and music, and encourage the dog to lay on its bed or a similar soft surface.

Your dog doesn’t trust you and may be fearful. Give it time and work to gain your dog’s trust through treats and quality time. You can also enlist a dog behaviorist to help you if you feel truly lost.

The best thing to do in this situation is to spend extra time with your dog doing activities it loves. If you dog likes to go for walks, continue to do so without the second dog. Try to minimize the time the dog has to spend alone. As your dog seems to cheer up as time goes by you can consider adding another dog or you can start to increase the time the dog is left alone.

There are many commercial products available for cleaning up messes. Look into what the best method is to clean the surface that has been soiled on.