ohmidog!

Cooper, a five-year-old chocolate Lab, had such a bad case of separation anxiety he broke through a window, tore out the screen and got himself  wedged in a gate in pursuit of his owner.

Firefighters in San Diego had to cut the wrought iron rails to free him.

“How in the world the dog got his head and shoulders through a 4-inch gap we’ll never know,” Dan DeSousa of the San Diego County Department of Animal Services, said of the Monday incident.

According to NBC 7 in San Diego, Cooper has separation anxiety and doesn’t like to be far from his owner. He’s reported to be doing fine.

(Photo: San Diego County Animal Services)

(Behave! is a monthly column on dog training and behavior, written for ohmidog! by Lauren Bond and Carolyn Stromer of B-More Charming School for Dogs. To see all of the columns, click on the Behave! tab on the rightside rail.)

While dogs bring lots of wonderful things to our lives, they can also bring muddy paws, dog breath and, sometimes, enough noise to drive you ,or worse yet your neighbors, crazy.

Incessantly barking dogs can, and have, led to full-fledged war between neighbors. But as with much bad behavior — not just canine — the key to stopping it is understanding why it’s taking place.

First, let’s debunk some myths: Barking is not the dog version of conversation. Dogs don’t communicate that way, they use body language for most of their “discussion” with us, and with other animals. Dogs don’t have a barked vocabulary. Nor do dogs speak English, so you can’t reason with your dog to be quiet.

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