Despite your best training, your lovely canine companion can experience behavior changes at some point in life.
These behavioral changes could indicate an underlying problem hence understanding them is crucial as it will help you determine the corrective action to adopt.
Here are 5 dog behaviors you must not neglect.
Aggression
While all dogs regardless of the breed have the potential to show aggression, it’s more prevalent in certain breeds due to genetics. Aggression can manifest in various forms including biting, growling, or snapping.
Aggression in dogs can arise due to fear, lack of proper socialization, or territoriality. It’s important to consult a vet if your dog suddenly begins to display aggression tendencies as it could signify an underlying health issue. Proper socialization and obedience training can also help address this issue.
Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety is a common behavioral issue that can be a real issue in some dogs. This arises when a dog is separated from people they have developed an attachment to for a long period.
Separation anxiety can lead to other destructive behaviors such as excessive barking, destructive chewing, and inappropriate elimination.
You are keeping your dog busy while away and practicing small intervals of separation as well as giving medication or supplements can help.
Excessive Barking
While barking is a natural communication method for dogs, excessive barking can be a nuisance not only to the dog owners but also to other people around.
Barking in dogs can be due to various reasons. The most common causes for dog barking include excitement, boredom, warning, lack of stimulation, fear, anxiety, or attention-seeking.
To correct excessive barking, it’s important to understand its cause first. Consult your vet to rule out any underlying medical issues. Do not yell at your dog but rather ignore it. Also, ensure that it gets enough exercise and do obedience training.
Destructive Chewing
Chewing is natural for all dogs as this is how they discover the world around them. However, chewing can become a main cause for concern if it becomes excessive and destructive. The most common reasons for dog chewing include separation, puppy teething, boredom, and curiosity.
To solve this problem, provide plenty of chew toys, give enough exercise, and keep items out of your dog’s reach.
Resource Guarding
Some dogs can be quite possessive of their spaces and possessions and would do anything to protect them in case of any threat. Dogs who resource guard are likely to show signs of aggression such as growling, fighting, and pausing if someone or another dog attempts to invade their space. This behavior can be very harmful, especially to children.
To correct this behavioral issue, you should train children to respect their dog’s space and ensure that you separate resources.
There you have it 5 dog behaviors you should not neglect. Sign up for our email list for more dog tips.
