Dog Behavior Problems

Dog behavior problems often exhaust pet owners, and cause them to feel they should give up on their pet. Barking, chewing, separation anxiety, chasing and biting are common behavioral problems. Identify the behavioral problem, find everything that initiates it and give proper treatment to the dog to defeat the battle of behavior problems.

1. Barking. Obsessive barking is one of the most common dog behavior problems. Constant howling, whimpering and barking will irritate pet owners, neighbors, family and more. Constant barking may be caused by playfulness, loneliness, the dog sending a warning, attention seeking, anxiety or boredom. Training is the most effective treatment for barking problems. Teach the dog "silent" commands.
2. Chewing. Chewing is a normal habit for dogs, but some will obsessively chew until it becomes a behavioral problem. Anxiety, boredom, teething and curiosity can lead dogs and puppies to chewing. Provide the dog with plenty of chew toys, and spray furniture or hot spots with "no chew" spray to prevent chewing. If the dog is seen chewing on a prohibited item, correct it immediately with a strong command.
3. Separation Anxiety.  Separation anxiety is very stressful for the owner and the dog. Dogs with separation anxiety become extremely anxious when the owner leaves; causing the dogs to destroy the house, bark, chew, defecate and urinate for about 20 to 45 minutes after the owner leaves. Medication is available for extreme cases of separation anxiety, but training with desensitizing exercises will normally calm the dog down.
4. Chasing.  Desires to catch moving objects and chase down other animals is instinctual for dogs. Dogs with chasing behavior problems will dangerously chase cars, animals and peoples. Chasing is very dangerous for dogs. Keep the dog on a leash at all times, and train it to come and stay.
5. Biting. Dogs will not attack for no reason, and some dogs have a very high level of becoming quickly aggressive. Excessive fear, the need to protect, pain and dominance assertion cause dogs to attack. Put a muzzle on extremely dangerous dogs, socialize puppies early to prevent aggressive behavior and train older dogs well to prevent dangerous biting problems.