Dog Behavior Problems
When dogs behave badly it can be very frustrating and upsetting to both you and the dog. Most dog behavior problems are caused by people and are generally not inherent in the dog. Behavior problems are frequently the result of unclear communication. Many dog behavior problems can easily be solved when you understand how and why your dog acts the way he does. These problems can be solved, and all it takes is patience, understanding, and an effective training method.
Dog Behavior
Behaviors such as jumping up, mouthing and cheeky barking which you considered to be cute in your young puppy suddenly become a real problem as the dog grows up. Behavior problems develop when a dog becomes confused about his ranking position within the social group. Dogs are naturally adorable and intelligent, a good companion but no matter how lovely they are sometimes dogs behavior is hard to handle and may get out of hand. Disobedience and aggression are the most hard to handle dogs' behavior. Remember, if your dog is misbehaving, he may not know what the correct behavior you want him to do is. The vast majority of bad dogs or dogs with behavior problems arise because the dog has never been taught any better.
Dog Barking
Barking comes naturally to dogs, but the constant barking or whining of a dog can be disturbing or annoying for the neighbours. Barking is a natural dog behavior, albeit an annoying one, if it is allowed to get out of control. Barking is a dog's way to communicate, it is part of the dog's communication system and to suppress that is not only unfair to the animal, and potentially harmful. For a dog barking is a great way to get the attention of a human or another dog. It also announces a dog's territory and helps relieve stress. Barking is inherently rewarding for the dog as people, cars, and especially postal and delivery workers are seemingly "driven away" by the behavior. If left unchecked barking can be a nuisance to you and your neighbors.
Aggressive Behavior
Aggression is the most common behavior problem reported in dogs. Aggression in dogs is a very serious behavior problem and should be dealt with right from the start. Dogs disobedience and aggression may include excessive biting, too much barking, whining, fighting with other dogs and other general disobedience that you can't get your dog listen to you. Aggression based on fear or dominance can be difficult to change once they become an established behavior. Dogs disobedience and aggression are sometimes caused by owners mismanagement or not knowing the right techniques and strategies to teach your dog.
Puppy Behaviour
Puppies of all breeds need to nip, mouth, and chew. Puppies explore their world with their mouths. Chewing is part of a puppy’s development and a natural behavior of dogs. They learn about the strength of their jaws from the feedback they receive from their mom and siblings when they bite too hard in play. Since humans have domesticated the dog and as a result, separate our puppies from the litter at about eight weeks of age, much of this teaching falls on us. Mouthing, chewing, etc. are types of dog behavior problems that most puppies show signs of having and it’s up to you, the owner, to train your puppy to know what is acceptable and what is not.
Almost all dog behavior problems are actually normal things for dogs to do, they just need to be taught there is a time and a place for it, and your home is definitely not the place. Dog behavior problems are easily solved and all it takes is patience and having a creative mind – or someone to tell you what to do. Many dog behavior problems can easily be solved when you understand how and why your dog acts the way he does.
Most behavior problems can be prevented or solved if people put a little effort into dog training. But as we all know, correcting dog behavior problems can be stressful and expensive. That’s why we used, and now recommend, SitStayFetch. It’s a great package that shows you how to stop unwanted behaviors before they start and to correct them if your dog already has behaviour problems. With a free 6-day starter course we felt it had to be worth a try.
