Dogs are often misunderstood. Their needs are different from those of humans yet we attribute many of our habits to them. This can lead to dog behavioral problems. Here are a few of the more common “dog behaving badly” situations and how you can deal with them.
Have you ever heard someone remark that they don’t know what has gotten into their dog? The behavior comes as a surprise to them. But, dogs don’t usually do things without a reason. When they act out, something is wrong.
Here is an interesting fact: Dogs are not people. When we treat them as such, that is when trouble begins. Dogs are pack animals. They like living in groups with others.
Dogs also like a leader. Whomever the leader of the pack is, they will look up to and try to please that dog, or in the case of pet ownership, that human. It takes a strong and firm leader to keep a dog happy and satisfied.
With that said, there are only a few reasons why dogs exhibit behavioral issues:
- Lack of proper leadership by their owner
- Confusion with commands given by owner
- Lack of proper training
The 4 Common Dog Behavioral Problems
You may have already experienced some of these. If not, consider yourself lucky and keep reading to learn how to continue to avoid them.
1. Digging
Dogs love to dig to bury bones or to discover already buried treasure. It can ruin your lawn if you’re not careful. One way to stop the behavior is to give a strong “NO” command when your dog is in the act of digging the hole. Another solution: build a special digging area like a sandbox for them to explore as freely as they like.
2. Chewing
Dogs like to chew. It can help them to relieve stress. But, chewing on your furniture is less than appealing. For your dog, eating decorations, yarn, socks and other small items can cause them to choke and become seriously ill. Provide your dog with plenty of chew toys to sharpen his teeth.
3. Poor manners
This centers on your dog not coming when you call him. For whatever reason, the dog doesn’t want to mind your command. It could be the way that you are giving the command. Keep it simple so as not to confuse him. The last thing you need to do is go to the dog. Instead, try moving a few paces further away and calling him again. If all else fails, run and he will follow.
4. Begging
It’s not polite to beg at the table. A good way to discourage this is to refuse to feed your dog table scraps. Don’t allow others to feed him from the table either. This will only encourage more begging.
Is your dog behaving badly? Curb that undesired performance right away. Most dog behavior problems can be cured by adhering to one or more of the guidelines above.
Conclusion
As you can see, the root of many common dog behavioral problems is the misunderstanding of their natural instincts and needs. Rather than treating these behaviors as disobedience and scolding your dog (which they won’t understand anyway), it’s important to address the root causes through proper training, clear communication, and consistent behavioral correction. A veterinary televet service like our own PangoVet can put you in touch with a veterinarian from the comfort of your home, so they can help you identify the problems and help you find solutions.
Patience and consistency are key and you need to make sure that everyone in the household is on the same page and giving the dog the same instruction so as to not confuse them. By understanding why dogs act the way they do and providing the right guidance, you will be able to stop these unwanted behaviors and keep your dog happy, healthy, and out of trouble!
Featured Image Credit: freestocks-photos, Pixabay
