For dog parents, these little canines are not just animals; they’re part of our family. When we welcome them into our lives, we start thinking about every aspect of their well-being. We enjoy their little woofs, wagging of the tail, and all that nuzzling and cuddling.
However, there are moments when we should stop and wonder, is there something wrong with the behaviour of these little cuties? Are they doing something that shouldn’t be encouraged?
Here, we are going to explore some of the most common dog behaviors that suggest they need more training.
They Bark Excessively And Needlessly
As we know, barking and woofing are the most common ways in which dogs ‘speak’ to us. It’s only natural. However, when your dog starts barking and yapping endlessly at cars or passers-by on the road, you should know there’s a problem. This can happen due to a variety of reasons.
Sometimes, dogs, when left on their own, try to look for some ‘thrill’ by barking at others just for the sake of it. Another possibility is that your dog is displaying territorial behavior. They tend to bark at everything that they perceive as ‘intruding’ upon their territory. A third reason for barking is excitement.
All of the above are perfectly normal behaviors and can happen from time to time. But if it’s displayed in excess and in a way that seems concerning, then it’s time to get to the root of it. You can enlist the help of a behaviorist trainer who can tell you where the problem lies.
You can train your dog to obey commands such as ‘quiet’ or ‘lie down’ in order to make them stop barking at anything they see. You can also use the ‘punishment and reward’ system to reinforce good behaviour.
Displaying Aggression Towards Others
We now come to point no. 2: aggression. Unchecked and unaccounted aggression in dogs is something that should never be left unchecked. If your dog has reached the point where it snaps frequently at your face or tries to bite your hand, then you definitely need to seek professional help.
Behaviors such as growling aggressively, biting people, or lunging or snapping at them frequently can come from a deep feeling of irritation or misplaced fear. Such behaviours are risky and can put others in danger.
You should immediately see a professional dog trainer and try to identify the triggers for this kind of behaviour. You need to desensitise them to said triggers or try counterconditioning to make them react positively to those.
If They Fail To Obey Fundamental Commands
If a dog is well-trained, then it should obey the basic commands such as ‘stay,’ ‘sit,’ ‘get up,’ or ‘come.’
But if they continuously refuse to do it, then you have a problem on your hands. Failure has, however, been documented as a feature of worsening behavioral problems. There can be several reasons for it.
One of these reasons is that the commands they learnt over time are not reinforced for a long period of time. It could also be that they have not been trained with signs, which is a common reason that they forget them. Your dog may also stop responding to commands as a result of being overstimulated or stressed out.
You can try re-training them again or take them to a professional dog trainer.
Suffering From Fear And Anxiety
Just like humans, dogs can also suffer from fear and anxiety. There can be occasional times when they are nervous, but if there is a severe, noticeable, and recurrent symptomatic phobia, then that requires professional attention.
Your dog may also become phobic or repelled by something or someone as a result of a past trauma, which needs to be checked and addressed.
If your dog displays traits such as shaking or trembling, running away to hide, needless barking, or destructive chewing, you should take note of it. Nervousness can also be displayed through constant pacing or being restless in general. Do not ignore any of those signs; take care to act on time.
Conclusion
Your dog is just like a member of your family and therefore deserves the very best. If you notice any of the above signs in your dog, then try and observe them more in order to see if you can detect any pattern.
Take them to a dog behavior specialist or any other professional who would be able to help them out and ease their suffering.
You can follow their instructions in retraining your dog, or you can hire a full- or part-time trainer to do the job. The main objective of having a pet is to make our lives better and happier, and not induce any stress to anyone or put anybody in danger.
