There's no such thing as a good dog which means most dogs will develop some type of behavior Problems at one stage or another in their lives. How we are involved with it will make the most significant difference between owning a dog that is wonderful to have around, or a total agony!
If we respond to their unacceptable behaviour in the wrong way, we risk making the issue worse and setting ourselves off on a downward spiral that could end in an one-way trip to the dog rescue.
Identifying Dog Behaviour Problems
Dog behaviour problems cover a broad range including aggression, biting, snarling and unnecessary barking, eating problems, pulling on the lead, jumping up, stealing food, attention seeking, destructive behavior, chewing, whining, scratching, digging, urinating or pooping in the house, and self mutilation.
Nonetheless some dog behaviour problems are not actually behaviour issues at all, but natural dog behaviour which we don't like. As an example, a dog digging to bury his bone would be considered natural behavior in the wild, but if it's in the middle of your grass lawn you're likely to 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 could be a sign that something else is wrong and their behavior is the dog's way of trying to cope with the situation. A useful example of this is separation anxiety in dogs, which can lie behind a complete range of behaviour issues from urinating in the house, to gnawing the furniture. All these issues are made as a technique of coping with dog anxiety.
Occasionally dog behaviour problems are learned responses to situations. A dog that reacts very aggressively to someone raising their hand could have learned to do that to protect themselves (particularly where a dog has been abused), yet will carry on reacting like this even when the situation has changed and the dog has been re-homed.
Major change in a dog's life can also be the trigger for behaviour problems, as they attempt to adapt to new environment, new territory, new people in the house, or maybe another dog. Triggers can include changes to a dog's health also , as a dog can feel more exposed or be suffering discomfort.
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 program that can help you understand your dog and shows you how to use positive training systems to modify their reaction to the things which trigger their behaviour problems, is most likely to be the right 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 problem, you'll need patience, endurance and a consistent response each time they use the behaviour you need to change. That way you give yourself the highest probability of success.
If we respond to their unacceptable behaviour in the wrong way, we risk making the issue worse and setting ourselves off on a downward spiral that could end in an one-way trip to the dog rescue.
Identifying Dog Behaviour Problems
Dog behaviour problems cover a broad range including aggression, biting, snarling and unnecessary barking, eating problems, pulling on the lead, jumping up, stealing food, attention seeking, destructive behavior, chewing, whining, scratching, digging, urinating or pooping in the house, and self mutilation.
Nonetheless some dog behaviour problems are not actually behaviour issues at all, but natural dog behaviour which we don't like. As an example, a dog digging to bury his bone would be considered natural behavior in the wild, but if it's in the middle of your grass lawn you're likely to 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 could be a sign that something else is wrong and their behavior is the dog's way of trying to cope with the situation. A useful example of this is separation anxiety in dogs, which can lie behind a complete range of behaviour issues from urinating in the house, to gnawing the furniture. All these issues are made as a technique of coping with dog anxiety.
Occasionally dog behaviour problems are learned responses to situations. A dog that reacts very aggressively to someone raising their hand could have learned to do that to protect themselves (particularly where a dog has been abused), yet will carry on reacting like this even when the situation has changed and the dog has been re-homed.
Major change in a dog's life can also be the trigger for behaviour problems, as they attempt to adapt to new environment, new territory, new people in the house, or maybe another dog. Triggers can include changes to a dog's health also , as a dog can feel more exposed or be suffering discomfort.
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 program that can help you understand your dog and shows you how to use positive training systems to modify their reaction to the things which trigger their behaviour problems, is most likely to be the right 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 problem, you'll need patience, endurance and a consistent response each time they use the behaviour you need to change. That way you give yourself the highest probability 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.