The below mentioned are only a few common behavioral problems in dogs. All these behavioral issues can be easily treated with patience and love. The first step is to understand the problem before taking appropriate steps to solve and prevent them.
Let’s understand some of the behavioral issues in dogs.
Aggression
A dog that exhibits anger and hostility is usually one that is nervous or afraid of something. Dogs with this kind of behavior should never be left alone with children or strangers, even if you think they will not hurt them.
Look out for signs that are giveaways that your dog is feeling aggressive. Some common signs of aggression among dogs are signs of growling and snarling, showing their teeth, becoming very still, or even trying to lunge at people without actually touching them. Aggression is the most common and most serious behavioral problem in dogs.
When going out in public places, it would be a good idea to keep them muzzled, just to be on the safe side. A professional dog trainer’s advice on what to do for such a problem could tell you how to make your dog less aggressive and help it depend on and trust you.
Barking
Some dogs bark at all and everything, seemingly without any reason. This barking can be really annoying. Shouting at your dog when it barks only makes things worse.
As the owner of the dog, you must identify the cause of the barking, as the dog’s bark is their communication between it and you. They have different barks for different things they might need. Playful barking, barking to seek attention, or the excited barking to greet someone it loves, as well as alarmed barking. Identifying the barks from one another will take time, but you will come to learn.
To solve this barking issue, you will have to teach your dog some obedience training. For this purpose, you might need a dog trainer’s or a vet’s help. The dog will need help in learning to control its impulses.
Biting
Dog bites are quite common. However, if the dog has learned to socialize and has been exposed to various settings from a young age, it will rarely do so.
Spending time and playing with the dogs relaxes them and teaches them that they can trust you. It makes them feel safe.
On the contrary, if you see any signs showing that your dog is feeling uncomfortable or nervous, especially when they are close to children or food, you will need to do something to help them feel better. If the dog still continues to bite, after all your efforts to stop making it bite, you might need professional help for your pet.
Chewing
It is natural for dogs, especially puppies, to want to explore things around them. Chewing things helps dogs to keep calm. But in doing so, they end up destroying or spoiling a lot of your stuff.
Train them not to chew on everything they find! Instead, give them toys that are approved for chewing. Break their chewing habits by saying ‘no’ when you find them chewing on things. It can also be dangerous for the dog if it ever chews on something that can get stuck in its throat or block its intestines.
Pulling the Leash
Teach the dog that the leash is for their safety. Do not give in to their pull! They should know that they can’t get their way. Make sure the leash is not tight but short and loose.
If the dog pulls at it, you must stop walking. This will make your dog stop too! They will learn that pulling on the leash does not get them what they want in a few days. When they have learned to walk calmly beside you on a leash, a reward of some kind will make them happy!
Not Coming to You After Being Called
Calling the dog to you by just calling its name is not enough; the dog may not understand why its name is being called. ‘Come’ or ‘here’ or ‘here doggy’ are the best words to use when you want your dog to come to you. Practice doing it, and the dog will eventually learn to answer your calls, and you won’t have any problem!
Final Thoughts on Behavioral Problems in Dogs
We hope our article will help you better control, correct, and prevent the behavioral problems you might be facing with your dogs. Don’t hesitate or delay in taking measures to fix these issues; it will only aggravate your problems. Be prompt, and if you can’t handle the situation yourself, seek professional help!
