Does your pet display one of the most common dog behavior problems? Is he known to bark incessantly? Does he mark things, chew at things, dig?
Dogs can develop common dog behavior problems and if you’ve just bought a new pup home, there could be some bumps in the road at first.
Working to develop a loving, trusting relationship with your pet starts with you being able to understand its behavior and learning how to train them. Much of these behaviors can be prevented or managed with obedience school if you can’t seem to train them at home.
Chewing
Just like teething babies, puppies like to chew. As they grow into adult dogs, the chewing will continue. This is normal. Chewing is how a dog keeps its gums and teeth clean and healthy.
It only becomes a problem behavior when your dog starts chewing at things it shouldn’t. If your dog starts destroying things extensively by chewing, it’s time to start looking into modifying the behavior.
Dogs will chew because they are teething, they are bored, they are nervous, or they are curious, generally speaking. If you sense it’s becoming a problem, giving in to it is not the best idea.
For example, if your pup starts chewing on the arm of the sofa, rationalizing that it’s an old, ugly piece of furniture sends the wrong message to your dog. Breaking your dog of this habit will take patience.
Try offering a variety of chew toys. If your dog starts chewing on a forbidden item, try distracting it and replace the item with a chew toy.
If you leave the house, make sure to put a couple of its chew toys wherever your dog is. Sometimes giving your dog extra exercise can help alleviate the problem.
For more info on this, check out https://excellentdogsclub.com/5-easy-steps-to-stop-your-dogs-destructive-chewing/
Barking
Dogs are going to bark. They’ll whine and howl. It’s just what they do, and we love them for it. The issue is how often your dog barks. If your dog is barking excessively, it’s considered a behavioral problem.
The reason for barking is usually because your dog is excited. It may be that he wants to play or is trying to warn you of something. He may want attention, is nervous or bored. Maybe he is barking at another dog.
Like with chewing, this behavior takes patience to correct. A voice command delivered with a calm tone is usually an effective way of stopping the barking. Sometimes taking your dog into another room and rewarding them for silence is effective.
Begging
This behavior is taught by a dog’s owner. It’s hard to resist that puppy face at the dinner table, and not give your dog a bit of your dinner. Dogs enjoy human food, but it can lead to digestive issues as well as obesity. It also leads to begging.
This behavior can be corrected by controlling your dog’s access to the table during meals. Giving your dog something to do during meals, or having them sit on their mat is a good idea. However, preventing this behavior from ever starting is the best solution.
Chasing
Like with chewing, chasing is just part of being a dog. This behavior can escalate quickly though, and lead to dangerous outcomes, like chasing cars or people. When your dog is excited or agitated and is in full chase mode, it can be hard to get it to stop.
Some ideas to help with this behavior include: ensuring that your dog is always on a leash when you take it outdoors, carrying a whistle or clicker to get your dog’s attention when it gets distracted, enrolling your dog in an obedience school.
Digging
Digging has a lot to do with the dog’s breed. Some breeds are just more likely to be a wild digger. Regardless of breed, common reasons your dog is digging are curiosity, trying to escape, boredom, burying a bone or a toy, trying to find a cool place.
To correct this behavior, spend time with your dog and try and work out the reason it is digging. If it seems bored, try exercising your dog more, and/or give it more attention.
If it’s hot weather and your dog is outside digging, lead it to a cool place to rest or take it indoors. Redirecting your pet to another task is a good beginning to stop excessive digging.
In Closing, Correcting Common Dog Behavior Problems Takes Time and Patience
Common dog behavior problems take time and patience to correct. It often involves spending more time with your furry friend as well. Why not take advantage of this time with your dog and enjoy yourselves.
Photos courtesy of my photo album and Pixabay
