Correcting problematic dog behaviors
Undesirable or problematic behaviors refer to any behavior consistently exhibited by our dog that can endanger its physical, psychological, or emotional health, or/and can create problems in its coexistence with other animals and humans.
These undesirable – problematic behaviors are most often misunderstandings between dogs and their guardians (owners) that have gradually developed and, over time, evolved into serious issues that can lead to fears, aggression, stress, and obsessions.
The onset of an undesirable – problematic behavior from one moment to the next is rare, however, significant events and changes such as accidents, illness, fireworks, loss of significant others… can lead to shock and result in Undesirable – Problematic Behaviors.
Examples of undesirable – problematic behaviors include:
- Fears – aggression
- Separation anxiety
- Uncontrollable barking
- Urination – defecation in undesirable places
- Destruction of objects
- Uncontrollable guarding
- Excessive excitement manifested by jumping around, uncontrollable running, loss of urine
- And many more…
The method of correcting an undesirable – problematic behavior varies from case to case. It’s important to remember that every dog, every family, every home is different, and consequently, the experiences that have been created are different as well.
The use of any form of violence (shouting, scolding, nudging, pulling) can, (if we’re lucky) reduce the behavior, but in the long run, it creates bigger problems.
To correct an undesirable – problematic behavior, we need to identify the reason triggering it and (without any form of violence) work on that. Our goal should not be to eliminate the behavior but to address the need that triggers it.
If a dog growls because it’s anxious, scared, protecting… we teach it to remain calm, that there’s no threat, and that it should trust us. If we focus on punishing it every time it growls, we’re just amplifying its anxiety and fear.
