Eliminate Bad Dog Behaviors Most people who have been around dogs for a period of time can identify some familiar behavioral problems. Some are more serious than others. Some problems can be traced back to a genetics and normal canine behavior gone astray. Others are caused by the environment, either through poor socialization as a puppy, trauma, or simply through owners who have unwittingly encouraged behaviors that eventually become problems. Unless pet owners have been trained, the average dog owner may recognize the problem but have little idea where the problem originated or how they can help their dog overcome or even eliminate the problem. If you are one of those owners, relax, you are not alone. Most people misunderstand and mishandle their dog’s behaviors. There are 10 common dog problems that most people will experience with their dogs at one point in their life:
Almost all dogs bark, howl and whine to some extent. However, excessive barking or nuisance barking is considered a behavior problem because it is disruptive and annoying. Before you can correct the barking, one must decide why the dog is vocalizing in the first place. These are the most common types of barking: • Warning or Alert • Playfulness/Excitement • Attention-seeking • Anxiety • Boredom • Responding to Other Dogs There are ways to curb excessive barking. A complete analysis can be found on our page, Barking. Click for More Information. 2. Chewing Chewing is a natural action for all dogs - it's just a part of the way they are wired. However, chewing can quickly become a behavior problem if the dog chews on objects not meant to be chewed, shoes, furniture, electrical wires and so forth. Again, there are commonly recognized reasons why dogs chew. The most common reasons dogs chew are as follows: • Puppy Teething • Boredom / Excess Energy • Anxiety • Curiosity (especially puppies) You will never be able to eliminate all chewing in dogs, and of course you would not want to. But you can encourage appropriate chewing. Methods for helping a puppy/dog overcome a destructive chewing habit can be found on our Chewing page. Click for More Information If given the chance, most dogs will do some amount of digging, it is part of their instinct. Certain breeds, like Terriers, are more prone to digging because of their hunting histories. In many cases, we have bred certain dogs to dig. In general, most dogs dig for these reasons: • Boredom or Excess Energy • Anxiety or Fear • Hunting/ Prey Instinct • Comfort-Seeking (such as nesting or cooling off) • Hiding Possessions (like bones or toys) • To Escape or Gain Access A dog that digs holes in the back yard can be frustrating. A dog that digs their way under a fence to escape can create a very dangerous situation. There are ways to eliminate this behavior. Click on our Digging Page for More Information. Separation anxiety is one of the most commonly discussed dog behavior problems. This disorder manifests itself in excessive vocalization, chewing, inappropriate urination and defecation, and other forms of destruction that occur when a dog is separated from his owner. Not all of these actions are the result of separation anxiety. Signs of true separation anxiety include: • Dog becomes anxious when owner prepares to leave • Misbehavior occurs in the first 15-45 minutes after owner leaves • Dog wants to follow owner around constantly • Dog tries to be touching owner whenever possible True separation anxiety requires dedicated training, behavior modification and desensitization exercises. Medication may be recommended in extreme cases, but this should be a last resort Click on our Separation Anxiety page for More Information. Inappropriate urination and defecation are among the most frustrating dog behaviors for their human families. . They can damage areas of your home and make your dog unwelcome in public places or at the homes of others. It is most important that you discuss this behavior with your veterinarian first to rule out health problems. If no medical cause is found, try to determine the reason for the behavior, which can come down to one of the following: • Submissive/Excitement Urination • Territorial Marking • Anxiety • Attention-seeking • Lack of proper housebreaking Inappropriate elimination is unavoidable in puppies, especially before 12 weeks of age. Older dogs are another story - many require serious behavior modification to rid them of the habit. Another common problem associated with elimination is coprophagia, or the eating of feces. This is a common problem but thoroughly revolting to human. Starting in puppy- hood it can become a habit that is difficult to break. Click on our Inappropriate Elimination page for More Information. Begging is a bad habit, but many dog owners unfortunately encourage it. This can lead to digestive problems and obesity. Worse yet, it can undermine your role as Alpha or the pack leader. There are ways to curb this behavior and we will discuss them at length on our Begging Page. Click for More Information. A dog's desire to chase moving things is simply a display of predatory instinct. Many dogs will chase other animals, people and cars. All of these can lead to dangerous and devastating outcomes! While you may not be able to stop your dog from trying to chase, you can take steps to prevent disaster. There are ways to prevent this behavior. Click on our Chasing page for More Information. Puppies jump up to reach and greet their mothers. Later, they may jump up when greeting people. Dogs may also jump up to exert dominance. A jumping dog can be annoying and even dangerous. There are many methods to stop a dog's jumping, but not all will be successful. Lifting a knee, grabbing the paws, or pushing the dog away might work for some, but for most dogs this sends the wrong message. These methods are often considered Old School and newer ways seem to work better. Click on our Jumping Page for More Information Dogs bite for reasons that can be traced back to instinct and pack mentality. Puppies bite and nip on other dogs and people as a means for exploring their environment and learning their place in the pack. Owners must show their puppies that mouthing and biting are not acceptable by teaching bite inhibition. Beyond puppy behavior, the motivation to bite or snap typically comes from the following: • Fear or Defensiveness • Protection of Property • Pain or Sickness • Dominance Assertion • Predatory Instinct Some breeds bite more than others, but biting can be control through proper training. Click on our Biting Page for More Information. Dog aggression is displayed by growling, snarling, showing teeth, lunging and biting. All dogs have the potential to become aggressive, irrespective of breed or history. However, dogs with violent or abusive histories and those bred from dogs with aggressive tendencies are much more likely to exhibit aggressive behavior towards people or other dogs. Reasons for aggression are basically the same as the reasons a dog will bite or snap, but overall canine aggression is a much more serious problem, one which can be dangerous to humans as well as the dog. Click on our Aggression Page for More Information. |
Small Dogs Behavior
How to reduce & eliminate bad behaviors in dogs
How to reduce & eliminate bad behaviors in dogs
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