Dog Behaviour Problems

Does your dog bark too much? Does he jump on people when he first meets them? Does he have occasional accidents in the house, pull your back out when you walk him on a leash, or chew your favorite shoes when you are not at home?
Sometimes your dog will do all of the above or just one of the above and then behave like a pretty good dog the rest of the time. The question is , does your dog have behaviour problems?

The reason why this question needs to be asked is because your dog can display these irritating habits and they aren’t necessarily “behaviour” problems. Some of these will require some time and effort with training and other habits will be solved with very little training on your part. No matter what the magnitude of the situation is, it all starts with him understanding that you are the leader of the pack. You are the boss. Dogs are born into the world as pack animals and thus have an expectation that someone is in charge of the pack.

By teaching your dog basic obedience commands at the start, it establishes a line of communication with your dog. The relationship begins to be established and when he starts behaving in a way that is undesirable , he already has a base-line for what is expected of him. When the behaviour that he is displaying is not desirable, you can isolate it and communicate what you want from him based on the relationship that you have established.

Most dog behaviour problems are not behaviour problems, but relationship problems. They are the result of insufficient training at the outset and insufficient time spent with your dog.

Most of the dog behaviour problems out there can be narrowed down to a combination of things:

* Your dog is bored or frustrated due to lack of exercise

* Your dog is mentally stagnated because he is not stimulated nor does he spend enough time with you

* Your dog is lonely and spends too much time by himself without enough human companionship

* Your dog has bad nutrition and health-related problems

There are solutions for some of these all too common causes of dog behaviour problems.

Exercise

There is a common dog law:  “A tired dog is a happy dog”.

Dogs that get sufficient exercise and can expend their energy through running, playing with other dogs, training, and or doing agility or gaming , rarely display bad behaviour. It’s simple, if a dog doesn’t get sufficient exercise then he will redirect that energy into behaviours that are less desirable.

Dogs even engage in behaviour that is completely instinctual. Like digging for instance. I own a terrier for example, the word terrier comes from an ancient word “terra” meaning dirt, soil. Give you any clues? This dog was bred to dig in the ground. So when you go outside in your garden and the petunia bed is in shambles and your dog is happily wagging his tail and obviously proud of himself that he prevented the ground rodent that he smelled from getting into your petunias, how mad can you get?  So he is obviously not bored or crazy. Give him an outlet. Give him and area in the yard where he allowed to dig. Teach him it is okay to dig there. Or take him out and exercise him everyday so that the thought of digging sounds stupid to him.

Rather than trying to correct the behaviour itself, the easier way is to address the need that brought about the behaviour in the first place. The lack of adequate exercise is probably the pre-dominant cause for bad behaviour problems.

Companionship for Your Dog

Your dog needs not only your companionship, but the companionship of other dogs as much as possible. Dogs that are left alone will display unruly behaviour more so than a dog that spends a lot of time with his owner or with another dog or dogs in the household. Dogs that spend a lot of time by themselves are more prone to run away, have food obsession issues, and be possessive about toys.

Socialization is a key element in your dog’s development and they are by instinct pack animals. Some solutions are to bring your dog to doggie daycare if you are going to be at work all day. There are so many of these available now all around the country, it is just a matter of finding the right one for your dog. He can meet other dogs there and engage in normal dog play and behavior instead of being stuck in the house all day by himself. You can join clubs where your dog can engage in club activities. There are now numerous dog parks available in urban areas where you can take your dog to get some much needed exercise and there he can meet other dogs and socialize.

Good Health For your Dog

Being aware of your dog’s overall health is paramount in knowing whether some of your dog’s behaviors are involuntary due to discomfort. If your dog is not feeling well he can become more timid or more aggressive.
If he goes the bathroom in the house, he may have eaten something bad. He may growl or snap because he has
a muscular condition that makes him sore all the time. Discipline or training are not going to be the solution
for this. This requires an awareness of your dog’s body language and overall disposition. If there is a change, whether it be gradual or sudden, it should be cause for a look at your dog from a health stand-point instead of
a behaviour stand-point. A trip to your veterinarian for a check-up and a look at your dog’s eating habits should be the first step. It may be related to your dog’s breeding, nutrition, or overvaccination, or exposure to something in the outdoors. But it could be threatening to your dog and have nothing to do with behavior.

Good Nutrition for your Dog

If you yourself are a poor-eater, then chances are your dog is a poor-eater as well. Your are what you eat applies to dogs as well as it applies to people. When your dog is getting the proper nutrition, it will have a profound effect on his health , well-being, and behaviour. There are a lot of dog foods out there on the market and it can be difficult to figure out what is best to feed your dog.

Here are a few ways to go about it:

* Stay away from foods that have corn , wheat, animal “by-products”, and for some dogs grain will be an issue.

* You can use a combination of a high-quality kibble mixed with raw foods.

* You can buy a dehydrated version of a natural dog food and add some meat to it.

* You can make your own dog food.

This will all depend on your commitment to your dog’s health, time, and your level of knowledge. See our Dog Food Secrets article for the excellent information on how to make informed choices about what to feed your dog.

Mental Stimulation for your Dog

Your dog needs mental stimulation just as we humans do. Consistent training will provide mental stimulation for your dog. It does not need to be boring or super regulated. Always make it fun with a great reward at the end. Once the basics are mastered, teach your dog some tricks. This will keep his mind active and challenge him. When I have taken my dogs hiking, I have them carry a backpack. This gives them a sense of responsibility and a job. And I don’t have to carry their food or water!

Bad Behaviour is in the Eye of the Beholder

There are different levels of dog behaviour problems. More often than not, an owner will let some behaviour slide but if their friends or others were to experience their dog, the behaviour would be very disagreeable.
When you visit your friends and their untrained dogs jump all over you… Are you critical? Judgemental? Is it annoying when they scratch you? Your dog does not come when he is called. Which is not just annoying but dangerous to your dog’s life. He doesn’t just get on the furniture but he chews it all up when you are not around.

Dog lovers understand dogs and know that most behaviours can be changed with a little good training. Ten minutes a day, so many days a week. It is a small investment for the great dog you can have as a result. When you have a trained dog you have a dog that can integrate into society and bring places and who is happy and balanced.

You have some choices in all of this:

* You can tolerate the behaviour

* You can train your dog in an effort to change the behaviour

* You can find a new home for your dog

* You can take your dog for a one-way trip to the shelter or veterinarian.

The only dog behavior problems that you shouldn’t tolerate are those that endanger your safety or the safety of others, such as biting people or aggression. For most people, dog ownership is a compromise between tolerating and working with their dog. Some behaviours are objectionable but we can’t do anything about them. As long as the happiness of owning your dog outweighs the headaches, you can usually put up with dog behaviour problems.