There's no such thing as a perfect dog that means most dogs will develop a type of behaviour issues at one stage or another in their lives. How we handle it'll make the greatest difference between owning a dog that's a pleasure to have around, or a complete discomfort!
If we react to their unacceptable behavior in the wrong way, we risk making the difficulty worse and setting ourselves off on a downward spiral that might end in an one-way trip to the dog rescue.
Identifying Dog Behaviour Problems
Dog behaviour problems cover a large range including aggression, biting, snarling and non-stop barking, eating problems, pulling on the lead, jumping up, taking food, attention seeking, destructive behavior, chewing, whining, scratching, digging, urinating or pooping in the house, and self mutilation.
However , some dog behaviour problems are not truly behaviour issues at all, but natural dog behaviour which we don't happen to like. For example, a dog digging to bury his bone would be considered natural behavior in natural habitats, but if it's in the middle of your grass lawn you will classify that as a behavior problem.
Convincing a dog out of natural behavior isn't always easy so you might need to settle for a more creative solution. In the digging example above, a way around it might be to find an area in your garden where you do not mind them digging and use positive re-enforcement to prompt them to use it as an alternative.
How do Dog Behaviour Problems Develop?
Dog behaviour problems might be a sign that something else is wrong and their behavior is the dog's way of trying to cope with the situation. A good example of this is separation anxiety in dogs, which can lie behind a whole range of behaviour issues from urinating in the house, to gnawing the furniture. All these issues are developed as a strategy of coping with dog anxiety.
Sometimes dog behaviour problems are learnt reactions to circumstances. A dog that reacts with aggression to somebody raising their hand might have learnt to do that to defend themselves (especially where a dog has been mistreated), yet will carry on reacting like this even if the situation has changed and the dog has been re-homed.
Major change in a dog's life can also be the starting point for behaviour problems, as they struggle to adapt to new environment, new territory, new folk in the house, or maybe another dog. Triggers can include changes to a dog's health too , as a dog can feel more exposed or be in pain.
How to Deal With Dog Behaviour Problems
If you can work out what lies behind your dogs bad behavior, you are halfway there, as instead of coping with the behaviour problem itself you can handle the roots of the issue and the behaviour should change naturally.
Never use punishment based training, as this will backfire and has been shown to make the issue worse. It may also encourage some dogs to do it again, because while you're hollering at them you are also giving them attention, and for some dogs even the negative kind of attention you are giving them trumps none.
A good training course that will help you understand your dog and shows you the correct way to use positive training strategies to change their reaction to the things which trigger their behaviour problems, is most probable to be the simplest way forward for you and your dog.
If you do not wish to tackle the difficulty alone, a vet or professional dog behaviourist could help you to decide on the right plan of action for your dog.
Whichever way you approach the issue, you will need patience, persistence and a consistent reaction every time they use the behavior you wish to change. That way you give yourself the best chance of success.
If we react to their unacceptable behavior in the wrong way, we risk making the difficulty worse and setting ourselves off on a downward spiral that might end in an one-way trip to the dog rescue.
Identifying Dog Behaviour Problems
Dog behaviour problems cover a large range including aggression, biting, snarling and non-stop barking, eating problems, pulling on the lead, jumping up, taking food, attention seeking, destructive behavior, chewing, whining, scratching, digging, urinating or pooping in the house, and self mutilation.
However , some dog behaviour problems are not truly behaviour issues at all, but natural dog behaviour which we don't happen to like. For example, a dog digging to bury his bone would be considered natural behavior in natural habitats, but if it's in the middle of your grass lawn you will classify that as a behavior problem.
Convincing a dog out of natural behavior isn't always easy so you might need to settle for a more creative solution. In the digging example above, a way around it might be to find an area in your garden where you do not mind them digging and use positive re-enforcement to prompt them to use it as an alternative.
How do Dog Behaviour Problems Develop?
Dog behaviour problems might be a sign that something else is wrong and their behavior is the dog's way of trying to cope with the situation. A good example of this is separation anxiety in dogs, which can lie behind a whole range of behaviour issues from urinating in the house, to gnawing the furniture. All these issues are developed as a strategy of coping with dog anxiety.
Sometimes dog behaviour problems are learnt reactions to circumstances. A dog that reacts with aggression to somebody raising their hand might have learnt to do that to defend themselves (especially where a dog has been mistreated), yet will carry on reacting like this even if the situation has changed and the dog has been re-homed.
Major change in a dog's life can also be the starting point for behaviour problems, as they struggle to adapt to new environment, new territory, new folk in the house, or maybe another dog. Triggers can include changes to a dog's health too , as a dog can feel more exposed or be in pain.
How to Deal With Dog Behaviour Problems
If you can work out what lies behind your dogs bad behavior, you are halfway there, as instead of coping with the behaviour problem itself you can handle the roots of the issue and the behaviour should change naturally.
Never use punishment based training, as this will backfire and has been shown to make the issue worse. It may also encourage some dogs to do it again, because while you're hollering at them you are also giving them attention, and for some dogs even the negative kind of attention you are giving them trumps none.
A good training course that will help you understand your dog and shows you the correct way to use positive training strategies to change their reaction to the things which trigger their behaviour problems, is most probable to be the simplest way forward for you and your dog.
If you do not wish to tackle the difficulty alone, a vet or professional dog behaviourist could help you to decide on the right plan of action for your dog.
Whichever way you approach the issue, you will need patience, persistence and a consistent reaction every time they use the behavior you wish to change. That way you give yourself the best chance of success.
About the Author:
Author Venice Marriott is a writer and dog owner and runs a website to provide help and information for dog owners dealing with dog anxiety. Get more information about the many dog behaviour problems created by anxiety, when you visit the site.
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