Dog Behavioral Issues – Puppy and Dog Training

How To Deal With Separation Anxiety In Dogs

04/21/201908/09/2017 by Maureen

In order to know how to deal with separation anxiety in dogs we first need to know what it is and what causes it. It is surprising how many dogs actual suffer from separation anxiety. Research shows that between 10 – 14% of puppies and dogs suffer from separation anxiety. What Is It? Simply put … Read more

How To Stop Your Puppy From Jumping Up

08/17/201708/26/2016 by Maureen

Is it really necessary to learn how to stop your puppy from jumping up? Definitely! Right now your puppy is not that big but if he is a large breed dog and you do not correct this behaviour now when he is full grown he could actually hurt you or someone else.

Puppies jump up on us for a variety of reasons. The main reason is for attention. They are curious by nature and they do explore by scent. Since they are so small for now they need to jump up to investigate you better.

Some people believe that the puppy is just happy to see them when they display this behaviour. They may be happy to see you but that is not why they are jumping all over you.

If this behaviour is not corrected at an early age the jumping up could take on a more dominant overtone and you definitely do not want that.

So if your puppy is looking for attention then it seems logical that when they jump up on you and you give them attention you are just reinforcing the bad behaviour. Therefore you need to ignore your dog when they display this bad behaviour. When they jump on you, you need to turn your back on your puppy and walk away and totally ignore them. Cesar says it best, “No Touch, No Talk, No Eye Contact”.

After your puppy settles down, then you can try it again. Call your puppy and if the same behaviour is again displayed some trainers recommend that you totally isolate your puppy. You can do this by leaving the room or putting your puppy in another room, hopefully one that is puppy proof.

Aggression – One Of The Most Feared Dog Behavior Problems

04/21/201906/18/2016 by Maureen

One thing that many dog owners fear is when their dog shows sign of aggression. There are many dog behavior problems that owners deal with but aggression is the one that usually ends up with the dog being surrendered to a shelter.

Dog Behavioural Problems — dog in shelter

I would have to say that the majority of dogs are aggressive by nature. Breeders have for years tried to breed the aggression out of our dogs and have had a degree of success. But a dog’s aggression is an instinct that they have had since the beginning of time. It is their survival instinct.

Years ago dogs hunted for food, fought to protect their territory and their mate. They also fought their pack members for their position in the pack. Maintaining the alpha position did not come easy especially as one aged.

How To Stop My Dog From Barking

04/21/201911/01/2015 by Maureen

In order to learn how to stop my dog from barking I first need to know why is my dog barking and what is he barking at. It is very natural for a dog to bark and some dogs do bark more than others.

Reasons For Barking

• Warning another animal
• Sounding the alarm
• Fear driven
• Looking to play
• Excitement
• Insecurity
• Bark for the sake of barking
• Combination of all of the above

So you can see that not all barking is bad. If your dog is alerting you to danger then you certainly do not want him to stop that type of barking. However if he is mindlessly barking as he looks for your undivided attention often you may want to stop that type of barking.

An owner needs to know just what their dog is barking at. An owner must also show confidence around their dog to let him know that you are the type of leader that he can trust.

It all come down to the Alpha spot. As the owner you need to be the pack leader and show your dog that you are able to deal with certain situations. You really need to get to know your dog and find out what triggers his barking. Sometimes it takes awhile but you need to learn and understand what your dog is telling you.

Not All Dog Aggression Is The Same

08/19/201710/16/2015 by Maureen

One of the most feared bad dog behaviour is dog aggression. It is also the number one reason why pet owners seek the help of professionals.

Types of Dog Aggression

Dominant
Defensive
Possessive
Territorial
Parental
Plus others

A dog can exhibit more than one type of aggression. So when dealing with dog aggression it is paramount to know what type of aggression you are dealing with.

What a pet owner wants to do is to prevent any aggression in their dog whatsoever and this would start when your dog is just a puppy. If your puppy is trained right from the beginning and knows his place in the pack then usually you will not have an issue with aggression. They may sometimes challenge for a higher position but as the pack leader you need to know how to control your pack.

Some dogs may challenge more than others so another aspect to look at when talking about dog aggression is you need to make sure you are getting the right dog for you.

If you are a mild laid back sort of person then a Rottweiler or even an Akita would not be a good fit for you and they would also not be a good fit for a person looking for a tough aggressive dog.