A Simple Guide To Preventing Behavioral Problems At Home

Are you experiencing increasing signs ofproblem dog behavior?If the answer is "yes", then maybe it's time to start taking steps to correct it.

While it might involve the services of a canine behavior trainer(depending on how serious it has become to manage your dog), changing your pet's behaviordoesn't have to be that hard, if you can understand what the root cause is.


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Generally, when wepick up on incidents of problem dog behavior, we tend to judge it from a limited perspective and react out ofangerfor them to stop.Unfortunately, this does little for an animal whose actions might be driven byfear, recollections of abuse oremotional stressof some kind.

In these types of circumstances, it is impossible to know what to make of the 'irrational'behavior, whether it results in indoor urination, chronic anxiety or incessant barking.There is something going oninside the dog's headthat we cannot feel or comprehend when this is occurring.

That is why it's beneficial to develop a personalawarenessof how our pets think and interact in the world.What may seem unimportant to us may, in fact, be making a greater impact on them than we realize, especially inemergency situations.

Canines operate from a completely differentmindsetthan ours, and if you are seeking to establish asound, trusting relationship with youranimal, it's worth learning about how their inner mind works.


1) Understanding How Our Dogs Think

Dogs are essentially animals that are only too pleased toobey when trained correctly. They find true contentment living in a group and are all too ready to express their loyalty towards their owners.

Dogs originated from the wolf, and are very muchpack-orientedanimals. They are instinctual by natureand live according to a hierarchical order.Canines always look to astrong leaderto ensure their survival in the world and togive them direction.If your instructions are neither clear or direct, then it is impossible to expect your dog/s to give you clear, direct action in return.

Canines are sensitive, highly aware animals that readily make use ofbody languageandsoundto communicate. This not only applies to their communication with fellow dogs but also us, humans too.

Any dog can immediately identify submissive and dominant behaviors in other dogsandpeople, and this innate ability can sometimes lead them into having aggressivebehavioral patterns.

If not kept in check from an early age,major issuescan arise, such as growling, biting and jumping up."All dogs need education and disciplinein order for them to develop into well adjusted pets. They will develop behavioral problems if this need for disciplineis not met."[4616]

Backing up your actions withrespectand lovingauthorityevery day will speak to your pet's heart. Often these two factors will decide whether a dog will obey you or not.


2) Becoming Aware of Your Emotions

Some destructive behavior problems in dogs are the result ofemotional disturbancesrelated tofear.Separation anxiety is one specific fear-based problem that arises frominsecuritiesa dog has about its owner, and it will panic once left alone for any period of time.

As an owner, you can learn to take active responsibility foryouremotional well-beingand this lessens the chance of your dog picking up on feelings of uncertainty or worry you may have. However, if your emotions are regularlyout of control, it is incorrect to assume that your dog is going to ignore your behavior it can't.

Dogsare naturally hard-wired to sense emotional and physical changes in their living environment which may threaten theirsafetyandsurvival. Negative or positive, emotions have a great influence over a dog's behavior.Wilson states, "a weak, indecisive owner will make their dog feel fearful and vulnerable."[4616]

Non-socializationis another problem dog behavior that needs to be correctly managed and is also related tofear. "Socialized dogs are normally friendly dogs, but isolated dogs can become fearful which may lead to aggressive behaviour ... often when a dog bites, it is reacting from instinct."[4616]


3) Rewarding Your Dog with Treats

Dogs, for the most part, have lost theirinstinctual desire to huntas they would in the wild, yet have a high tendency to eat quickly and gorge their meals. This is due to the lingering influence of feeding habits from their distant ancestors.

With dogs strongly associating food with survival,edible treatscan be an effective way of rewarding your animal for good behavior.The giving of food reinforces thepositiveaspects of its training sessions, and strengthens a dog's desire to listen and obey its owner's commands.


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Foodis a powerfulsymbolof reward for your dog.Treats, such as pieces of chicken jerky, small dog biscuits or cheese, can be used to effectively teach a dog to recognize the difference between its acceptable and non-acceptable behaviors.

A lasting and distinct contrast is made when a loud no! command is expressed which draws the dog's attention towards changing its inappropriate behavior. Dogs are moreproactivewhen receivingenthusiasm, pats and an edible reward.


Happy Endings

By approaching yourdogfromtheirperspective, rather than your own, you can gain a bigger pictureas to what drives theirbehaviors.Their way of being in the world comes down to having aunique psychologythat differs from your own.

Games and a bit of stick chasing might be fun to start out with, but in the long run, what I find a dog really thrives on is anemotionally stable lifeandgood leadershipfrom its owner.

With the right amount ofawarenessanddiscipline, and a fewrewardsthrown in for good measure, your dog will not only seek to behave well on a daily basis, but teach you howunderstandingis the mostfundamentalkey of all.