If you're the owner of a hyperactive dog, you're already well aware of how frustrating even the simplest of tasks can be with your pup. Obedience class? No way! He's way too hyper and loves to chase the other dogs. How about the dog park? Nope! He won't stop jumping up on other owners. How about having some friends over? Forget it! He'll just jump up on those people too. Oh, and he just might have a run around the house once or twice for good measure.

At the end of the day you still love and adore your furry friend, so you grumble and accept the fact that your dog is nuts. Certifiably insane. Maybe he even suffers from ADD or ADHD. It's totally possible! Or, maybe he just thinks we don't see him, so he has to ensure we know he's around at all hours of the day/night. "Hello! I'm here! Look at me! I know how to jump!" At first I really just blamed myself because, after all, your dog's manners are often a reflection of your own behavior. Maybe I'm the one who's nuts?

The truth is, you and I are not nuts. Neither is your dog. He may just be in his puppy or adolescent stage where this kind of behavior is quite common. Certain breeds are also prone to be more active, so there are a couple of different factors involved. One thing's for sure, it would be really nice to learn how to calm a dog, right? Try these quick fixes to help break Fido's "sugar rush" behavior.

Teaching your dog a new trick can be quite a task! When first training my dog, it seemed like no matter what I tried teaching her, she would just lay down. To her, every hand signal and verbal command meant, "Okay, time to lay down!" Eventually, I was able to get her to understand the basics.

These folks have taken it way behind the basics of sit, stay and paw! Check out these cool dog tricks.

Now that you've decided to adopt a new puppy, or adult doggy, it's time to start thinking about the things you'll need to help you start training. But where do you even begin? Just walk into any pet store and you can find yourself overwhelmed. There are so many different kinds of leashes, collars, dog foods, not to mention isles of toys.

Don't worry, it's not as complicated as it seems! You'll just need a few essential items to begin with. Check out our list of the 10 best dog training tools for new dog owners to guide you through the process.

Nothing reminds me more of summertime, barbeques and American suburbia than the quintessential sound of a barking dog. I'm sure that most people don't share my sentiment, but for me it invokes this strange feeling of comfort and care-free laziness. This goes to show that not all barking is bad. In fact, sometimes it's a great thing that our furry companions can alert us to things we really need to give our attention to.

Remember that dogs are very social and, therefore, can be vocal about things they want to communicate to their "pack." Unless you are the proud owner of a Basenji dog, which does not bark in the traditional sense, you're going to have moments where your pup will speak their mind. There may be times when you find yourself scratching your head, wondering what on Earth her problem is. Dogs have an amazing sense of hearing (as you already know) and might be able to pick up on the things that you can't. It helps to have an understanding of what different barks and/or body language means.

So why do dogs bark in the first place?

One of the most common and disheartening problems that dogs develop is separation anxiety. This is more of an anxiety disorder where the dog is left in a state of intense panic that is brought on by separation from their owner(s). To put it into perspective, if your dog is suffering from this disorder they will fall into a state of nervous anxiety each time you leave the house.

Part of this is because dogs are naturally social animals and need lots of interaction to keep them content and happy. While no dog likes to be left alone for long periods of time, so have an even harder time. These are the ones most likely to develop separation anxiety.

Learn about the factors that cause separation anxiety in dogs after the jump!