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From a dog's perspective, there is no such thing as a problem behavior. He's doing what he's doing for his own dog reason. And to look at from another perspective, a behavior you don't consider a problem might be one to other people. You might like your dog jumping up on you when you get home but others don't. If your dog's behavior is harmful to the environment, other people, other animals, or you, it deserves immediate attention.
In most cases problem behaviors are caused by an imbalance of nine ingredients. Exceptions are those cases where your dog's behavior is influenced by a physical or mental health problem. Therefore, before implementing any behavioral modification program, ask your veterinarian to do a thorough exam. Nine Ingredients for Optimum Health High Quality Diet Is your dog chewing things or misbehaving because of hunger? Or is his diet low in essential nutrients? Sometimes a dog chews on objects because the body, in its wisdom, is seeking nutrients that are missing or underprovided in the diet. For instance, if your dog chews on grass (a little bit can be okay), eats feces, or eats from a cat's litter box, his body may be looking for nutrients. Is your dog "hyper" because of all the sugar he's being fed due to low quality pet food? Is he having problems "holding" while in the house? Maybe he's been drinking more water than usual because of too much salt in the food, rawhide bones, and other chewies. Play, Exercise, and Socialization Many dogs are simply bored and frustrated because they're not getting enough physical, emotional, and mental stimulation. They don't get enough exercise. They don't get to socialize with their dog pals and other human beings. They may be bored because they haven't been presented with anything new or exciting lately. Employment Does your dog have a "job" to do? If you don't provide an environment for him to express himself, he'll chew, or bark, or jump just to keep himself employed. Jobs include retrieving toys, doing tricks, and playing games. Then institute canine currency, pay your dog for appropriate behavior, which is looked at as his work or job. Rest Is your dog getting enough rest? Many problem behaviors, including snapping or growling, can manifest because your dog is exhausted and beyond his stress management threshold. Training Some people think their dogs are stubborn or dumb. In reality, many dogs are simply confused because they don't know what to do. This is because a behavior hasn't been positively reinforced enough times and in enough different situations to make it stick. Quiet Time Does your dog have a place to "get away from it all" for quality time out? Maybe him jumping and chewing are simply stress relievers. Health Care Does your dog have a physical problem that may be contributing to the chewing problems? Unintentional Training As well intentioned and diligent as you may be during your dog's training, you may be responsible for eliciting the opposite of the behavior you intended. When Fourth of July fireworks start or a summer thunderstorm rumble, your nervous dog starts to shake and pace, and you reach to soothe him and murmur: "It's okay, Benjie. Everything's fine. Gooood dog." You may have inadvertently practiced unintentional training because your dog views the praise as a reward. You have actually reinforced behavior you're trying to discourage. Or let's say you're talking on the phone and your dog starts barking for attention. A normal response is to interrupt the call and yell at the dog, "Be quiet!" Once again, you may be reinforcing the undesirable behavior. In this case, you are giving your dog what he wants - your attention. When considering what to do with your dog's problem behavior, try to look at the situation from your dog's point of view. Take a mental snapshot of the environment at the time of the problem behavior. Become aware of what your dog is actually learning from the people and events around him. Ask yourself what you want your dog to do rather than what you want you dog to stop doing. Remember-your dog's behavior can be increased or decreased by your response. The trick is to stop reacting and remember to respond instead. Pause before you act. Reacting denotes an emotionally based knee-jerk behavior to a particular situation. On the other hand, a response means we bring all our wisdom, creativity, intuition, and emotion to the situation. When you stop to consider what you are about to do with your dog, you are able to focus on how to deal with the problem rather than the symptom. Signs of Separation Anxiety Signs include whining, whimpering, and barking. Urinating and defecating, runny nose, panting, and sweaty paws. Pacing, shivering, jumping, clawing, digging, and crashing through windows. Chewing the furniture or other objects, ripping up the linoleum, or chewing himself. If your dog exhibits signs of separation anxiety, contact a professional trainer for assistance. It's important to create a safe environment. Make sure there is nothing your dog can chew or destroy. If necessary, segregate him in a kennel or pen on in the kitchen, using baby gates as doorway barriers. If a kennel or pen is used, exercise caution as it can make the problem worse if introduced incorrectly. It's also extremely helpful for someone to take a week off from his job to work with the dog. Separation anxiety is directly and powerfully affected by the Nine Ingredients for Optimum Health and Growth (see above). Review, integrate and balance these ingredients with the following tips.
By Paul Owens with Norma Eckroate, authors of The Dog Whisperer: A Compassionate, Nonviolent Approach to Dog Training
Disclaimer: Unless otherwise noted, individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified holistic veterinarian
or alternative practitioner and is not intended as veterinary advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Healthy Pet Boutique, its owners and our community. We encourage you
to make your own health care decisions for your pets based upon your own research.
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