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Dog Behavior Problems: Stop them before they start
Posted on September 20, 2011 by Dr. Denette Cooke
Dog Behavior Problems: Stop them before they start
Behavior problems in dogs and cats are the most serious ‘health’ issues that some pets face in their lives. Every year millions of dogs and cats are needlessly euthanized after being given up to local shelters due to their “unfixable” behavior problems. Problem behaviors are not the fault of the pet as much it is the fault of the human not recognizing early issues and not addressing them early. Sometimes the owner unknowingly makes the problem worse by encouraging bad unruly behavior. Sometimes these ‘problems’ are just simply the owner choosing the wrong pet for the owner’s life style.
Most people don’t think to consult a veterinarian or professional dog trainer before adopting a dog. (We’ll discuss cats later). Before adopting a dog, make sure that pets characteristics fit your life style. If you enjoy being active and outside and on the go, look for an athletic active sporty dog that can go with you. You’ll run into far less problems if you take the time and commit to properly training your dog. What I mean by proper training, is not ‘sit’ and ‘stay’. You need to be ‘in control’ of your dog off leash by voice commands at all times and with different levels of distraction for your dog to focus. Very few owners can have this level of training without professional help. It is not hard to do so with patience and practice AND to work with a professional’s help. We use The Dean’s List Dog Training at The Cooke Veterinary Medical Center. The training is fun and bonding for your dog AND it teaches the HUMANS how to be better dog people!
Examples of mistakes I’ve seen over the past 15 years of veterinary medicine:
- “We got the dog for the kids to learn responsibility and they are charged with all the dogs care”. In reality: this never happens. Mom is always the one saddled with the dogs training and care. Children and young teenagers are not looked at as authority figures by dogs and they are not big enough to properly train and work with the dog.
- Playing aggressively with a dog by wrestling with him and using the hands to the face to encourage ‘play biting’. Teaching a puppy that this is acceptable by an adult (usually this is a fun game the men play with dogs) sends mixed messages to the dog. Later on in life it can become acceptable in the dog’s mind to bite at human hands and be dominant instead of submitting to what you want your dog to do. Examples: the dog now puts up a fight’ to clean it’s ears or trim it’s nails…or give it a pill. You have encouraged the fighting back all along and the dog really doesn’t like those 3 tasks! Also NEVER do this in a dog that is already prone to bite or nip like herding dogs and guard dogs!
- Getting the dog because it looks cool without researching breed characteristics. Even mixed breed dogs have characteristics of the dominant breeds within it’s genetic make up. (Check out http://www.wisdompanel.com/ ). Ask the people who work around dogs what breeds may make up a mixed breed if you cannot tell. There are genetic DNA tests than can be done to help determine breeds within a individual pet. If the dog is very active in the kennel or shelter there is a good chance it will be so at home. This is not always the case. Some dogs are ‘depressed’ in the kennel and once in a new home are completely different than they seemed. Example : If you can tell your new pet has ChowChow in it….don’t be surprised to find it to be an independent thinker ie stubborn and does not listen to you.!
- Don’t encourage any behavior in a puppy that you do not wish to see in a larger 80 lbs dog! Often, if a puppy jumps up on everyone in the house and play nips at people, it is not seen as problem. Yet when that puppy grows up and is 80 lbs and jumps up and nips at Grandma playfully ….it is a HUGE problem. Most people don’t realize that THEY created this monster NOT the dog. The best advice NO MATTER THE SIZE OF THE DOG, is to train it like it will grow up and be a 80 to 100 lbs Rottweiler!
- Not using a crate or kennel to train the dog because it seems too ‘cruel’. Dogs are pack animals and love and need a ‘den’. That crate or kennel is their bedroom that can travel with them where ever they go for comfort. Not all dogs need a crate their whole lives. Crates are especially important when you are house breaking your new dog. They are also a way to protect your dog from being destructive or ‘bored’. My dogs love their crates and go in them to sleep even when the door is open. Also my dogs love their crates during a scary thunderstorm. That is their comfortable place. Dog that are slow to house break are the ones NOT CRATED! Even human infants are conveniently put in a play pen or jump-seat when Mom or Dad need to focus on something else for a while! USE A CRATE TO CREATE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT AND FOR HOUSEBREAKING PURPOSES.
- Not exercising or mentally challenging your dog enough. If you are a couch potato person, look to adopt a small companion breed that doesn’t need a lot of exercise. If you do have a companion breed, it still needs to go for walks and get out of the house for mental stimulation. Dogs that are regularly go on walks and different places are less destructive and bored. Walking to the dog is like stress relieving meditation for us! IT is a necessity to walk the dog to break the confines of their house and yard ‘kennel’! It is their meditation too!
- Not working with the dog consistently through out it’s life! Your dog will need training thru out it’s life. One puppy class will not be all you need in many cases. Adult classes help you be able to take your dog to the beach or the park and take it off lead and still have that dog listen to your commands! Make a commitment to work with your dog in various classes and settings for a year. Most of the time when the pet starts to ‘not listen’ to you, it is because you have been slack with the rules….not the dog! If your dog excels at class, consider training it for Agility, Lure coursing or Therapy Dog work! The dog will love it and so will you!
DOGS RULE!
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