There is no such thing as a very good dog meaning most dogs will develop some kind of behaviour issues at one stage or another in their lives. How we deal with it'll make the greatest difference between owning a dog that's fantastic to have around, or a complete pain!
If we respond to their bad behaviour in the wrong way, we risk making the problem worse and setting ourselves off on a downward spiral that would 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.
Training a dog out of natural behaviour isn't particularly seasy so you might have to accept a compromise. In the digging example above, a solution could be to find an area in your garden where you don't mind them digging and use positive re-enforcement to train them to use it instead.
How do Dog Behaviour Problems Develop?
Dog behaviour problems can be a sign that something else is wrong and their behaviour is the dog's way of trying to deal with the situation. An example of this is separation anxiety in dogs, which can lie behind an entire range of behavior issues from urinating in the house, to chewing the furniture. All of these problems are created as a means of dealing with dog anxiety.
Some dog behaviour problems are learned responses to situations. A dog that reacts aggressively to someone raising their hand may have learned to do that to protect themselves (particularly where a dog has been maltreated), 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 Address Dog Behaviour Problems
If you can work out what lies behind your dogs bad behavior, you are 1/2 way there, as instead of handling the behaviour problem itself you can cope with the root of the problem and the behaviour should change quite naturally.
Never use punishment based training, as this can backfire and has been shown to make the difficulty worse. It could also encourage some dogs to do it again, because while you are shouting at them you're also giving them attention, and for some dogs even the negative sort of attention you are giving them is better than none.
A good training programme that helps you understand your dog and shows you the easiest way to use positive training techniques to alter their response to the things that trigger their behavior issues, is likeliest to be the best way forward for you and your dog.
If you do not wish to tackle the problem alone, a vet or professional dog behaviourist could help you to decide on the right plan 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 respond to their bad behaviour in the wrong way, we risk making the problem worse and setting ourselves off on a downward spiral that would 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.
Training a dog out of natural behaviour isn't particularly seasy so you might have to accept a compromise. In the digging example above, a solution could be to find an area in your garden where you don't mind them digging and use positive re-enforcement to train them to use it instead.
How do Dog Behaviour Problems Develop?
Dog behaviour problems can be a sign that something else is wrong and their behaviour is the dog's way of trying to deal with the situation. An example of this is separation anxiety in dogs, which can lie behind an entire range of behavior issues from urinating in the house, to chewing the furniture. All of these problems are created as a means of dealing with dog anxiety.
Some dog behaviour problems are learned responses to situations. A dog that reacts aggressively to someone raising their hand may have learned to do that to protect themselves (particularly where a dog has been maltreated), 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 Address Dog Behaviour Problems
If you can work out what lies behind your dogs bad behavior, you are 1/2 way there, as instead of handling the behaviour problem itself you can cope with the root of the problem and the behaviour should change quite naturally.
Never use punishment based training, as this can backfire and has been shown to make the difficulty worse. It could also encourage some dogs to do it again, because while you are shouting at them you're also giving them attention, and for some dogs even the negative sort of attention you are giving them is better than none.
A good training programme that helps you understand your dog and shows you the easiest way to use positive training techniques to alter their response to the things that trigger their behavior issues, is likeliest to be the best way forward for you and your dog.
If you do not wish to tackle the problem alone, a vet or professional dog behaviourist could help you to decide on the right plan 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.