Article Title: Understanding Dog Behavior
Author: David Beart
Dogs are considered the most genuinely happy creatures on
earth. Their entire day is filled with you whether you are there
or not. They are waiting for you, sleeping on your bed, watching
for you out the window, wondering where you are while they are
patiently waiting for you in their crate.
Once you come home it's all about you. Your attention, your
love, your food, your commands, and of course, your time. For an
animal that revolves his whole life around you, it can be
confusing why he does some of the things he does. If he loves
you so much, why is he destroying your shoes? If you are the
light in his life, why is he ignoring you when you come home?
Dogs have a very unique way of expressing themselves. Most
people believe that dogs have and show genuine emotion such as
love and fear and even anger. We understand that when they sit
at the door and bark they are telling us they need to go
outside. We understand that when we have a leash in our hand and
they get a little goofy that they are excited about the upcoming
walk. Understanding their more subtle or destructive cues takes
a little insight into your dog's world.
Returning Home Behavior
Some dogs get so excited that you are home after a weekend away
they completely get beside themselves with joy. They follow you
around and may even be uncharacteristicall
about the house. Others get so excited when you first walk in
the door, and then leave you in complete peace for several
hours. People usually say that he is angry with you for leaving
in the first place.
Most experts say their behavior is more about security than
anything. You are your dog's entire world and when for some
reason you disappear for a long period of time, and there is a
sudden change in his routine, his security is thrown a bit. He
is very happy to see you but he also needs a little reassurance
that everything is getting back to normal. Some dogs do this by
following you around the house until they are sure, and others
do this from a more observatory stance. Either way your canine
family member is just looking for reassurance and his typical
routine to return.
The Canine Garbage Disposal
He knows better and he knows that you know he knows better.
However, every chance he gets you see him scampering off with
something that you just absolutely don't want him to chew. He
eats your best shoes while you're in the shower, the corner of
the bedspread while you're getting dressed, and the phone cord
while you were talking on it. And you haven't even made it to
breakfast yet. As much as you love him you are contemplating the
moral issues of drop kicking him right out the door. You've
tried everything that you can think of and yet he is still
eating everything in sight. He is beyond the age where teething
causes chewing but yet he still can't seem to find his own toys
to consume.
There are two key factors in a garbage disposal dog. The first
and easiest to solve is a health problem relating to his teeth
and gums. If his mouth is bothering him, he is going to chew on
everything he can. Start with a vet visit to rule out any
periodontal issues.
The more likely culprit of his unflattering behavior is stress
and anxiety. Yes, your happy go lucky guy can suffer from
stress. Has there been a change in the household such as a new
baby, dramatically increased arguing or is someone who is
supposed to be there suddenly gone?
For starter, confine him when you can't watch him, although
preferably with you. A puppy gate here can go a long way in
simple things like keeping an eye on him while you are showering
and watching his every move while you are getting dressed. Often
the hurried morning is a higher anxiety period for your dog.
Then begin to address the problem. Make sure there's an
appropriate toy available to him at all times and make a big
deal about it when he eats the right things. A sharp reprimand
and a quick and immediate discipline is in order when you catch
him at the wrong chew toys. You don't want to stress him more by
smacking him, although a rolled up newspaper banged on a hard
surface is a quick attention getter. Never strike him with it.
He will make it his mission to eat it if you do in an effort to
eliminate an already stressful period.
Try to identify the stressor and relax him around the problem.
If you can get him comfortable enough around the new baby to lie
down even when the baby is crying, you have made strides. If
there is tension in the house try to tone down the arguing, or
take it to an alternative room. If your dog can be comfortably
confined to an outdoor yard, that is the best option, but don't
get so wrapped up in your arguing that you leave him out there
for extensive periods of time. Whatever the stressor is that is
causing the chewing, try to get him comfortable and relaxed
around it. This may take some time, but relieving his anxiety
will also reduce the tension in your life as well.
Aggression
You know him as your sweet and loveable friend. Your friends
and neighbors know him as the terror on your doorstep who wants
to eat them. Aggression is not a nice quality in your dog.
Aggression comes from the desire to protect, and anything
perceived as a threat is going to be treated like one. For some
dogs this means anyone and anything that doesn't belong. He is
only trying to defend his home and his human family, but
aggression is a serious behavioral problem that needs to be
nipped in the bud.
Check your own behavior. How are you reacting to him when he is
growling and carrying on at the neighbor as she walks by your
house? Make sure the words "good boy" are the last thing your
dog hears. "Be a good boy," or "That's not a good boy," are not
deterrents. Neither is "Shh."
Mild mannered people tend to have more aggressive dogs because
their tones are not consistent with command. If your dog doesn't
believe you enough to listen to you, he certainly isn't going to
believe you can take care of yourself. I can't tell you how many
times our pups have been accosted on the street with an owner
telling their dog that it's ok. It's not okay. The words you are
looking for are firm and sharp and sound like "Sit" and "No."
One word firm commands are much more effective than reasoning.
Aggression is a serious offense and it must be treated as one.
We have one dog who got a little out of control. When sitting
wasn't getting him under control on his nightly walk we actually
went to making him lie down. Right there on the street or
sidewalk we commanded our German Shepard to lie down to get his
attention and then added a "Quiet" command to get our point
across. His aggression quieted down in a week.
Some dogs do better if they can at least see what's going on
even if they can't be a part of the process. Aggressive dogs are
really protective dogs. The delivery man might not want your
growling, snarling beloved pet to join you on the porch, but he
might do better if he has a place he can be directed to sit and
watch provided he stays quiet. Constantly sequestering him does
nothing to solve the problem.
The Overbearing Overgrown Puppy
He is happy to see you. You are his toy and his best friend and
he will pummel you over in an attempt to play with you. He has
run over the children and covered the cat with his doggie
saliva. You love him, but wow does his energy get annoying
sometimes. It's hard to talk to someone one the phone when he's
jumping on you and wrapping his big paws around you and forget
leaving the house looking presentable.
He is the puppy who never grew up. His body got big, but he
seems intellectually stuck at four months old. Most of the time
this behavior is a matter of dominance. When a dog views you as
his alpha leader, he gives you respect. When you are his peer,
you are his play mate. Alpha leaders are by nature a food
related dominance. Of course other factors play into it as well,
but to a dog food is leadership. If you are not already the
dog's food source, consider taking on that responsibility.
Establish yourself as a leader. This isn't all that hard to do
and you don't even have to stop playing with him in order to do
it. Start by giving him random commands, especially around
feeding time. With his food in your hand tell him to sit. With
the food in the bowl and the bowl on the floor tell him to wait,
and then make sure he follows through. When he has looked to you
for permission, allow him to commence eating.
Slowly add random commands throughout the day and rebuke rough
playing immediately. If he wants to play, he has to sit and wait
for things rather than tackle you. You can just as easily give
him commands with playtime as you can any other time. A few
commands before you throw the ball is usually enough to get the
right message across as you are establishing dominance.
Interpreting Your Dog
Understanding your dog's behavior isn't quite as mystifying as
it seems. He really is doing his best to tell you. Watching his
communication with other people and animals in the household can
really open your eyes to how he expresses himself.
A dog wags his tail to express happiness, yawns when he is
content, and growls when he is threatened. With over one hundred
facial expressions, he is constantly telling you something. The
more you get to know your dog the more you will learn what he is
telling you.
Owning a dog is a wonderfully joyous experience. They bring so
much into our world which is why so many people have them. They
look to us to tend to their needs. We owe it to them to give
them at least our very best shot at keeping them safe, healthy,
and happy.
About The Author: David Beart is the owner of
http://www.professo
training, finances, family, cooking and other household issues.
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