What to do if your Dog is Misbehaving
Your dog misbehaving is not necessarily a health issue. A lapse in house training may be cause for concern and an examination by your veterinarian may be needed. Otherwise, misbehavior is generally caused by your dog’s inability to properly express themselves about their uncertainties, boredom, or anxieties.. Proper training is essential in having a well-adjusted companion. If you are not sure you know how to properly train your dog, a professional dog trainer can be hired or you can enroll your dog in a training class.
Dogs that are bored or need more exercise should be given plenty of social interaction, room to play and interactive toys for play. This will keep them sharp mentally as well as wear them out physically so they do not look for ways to occupy their time. This will drastically reduce, if not completely stop, the misbehavior.
Research your dog’s breed characteristics before you bring your dog home. Know exactly what the exercise requirements and training requirements are for that breed. Take your dog to a training class or hire a professional trainer for one-on-one training.
Provide plenty of room for your dog to play and run. Social interaction with other dogs and people is very important to keep your dog happy and stop them from misbehaving. Interactive toys or even just time with you, playing games, can help them become more willing to please you and stop misbehaving.
If your dog is suffering from a medical condition, costs will vary depending on the diagnosis and treatments provided. If it is not a medical condition and a professional dog trainer is needed, costs can range from $50 per hour to $150 per hour. Some trainers will offer a package of classes at a reduced rate.
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1. You’re not giving him enough exercise:
If you’re gone 12 hours a day, and your dog’s walk consists of a quick dash into the backyard, you’re not providing your pet with adequate opportunities to use up all his energy. Instead, the excess will go into chewing your shoes, stealing your food, or scratching your walls. As the old saying goes, “A tired dog is a good dog.”
2. You haven’t trained him enough:
It sounds like a no-brainer, but if your dog’s training stopped after he learned to sit, lie down, and go to the bathroom outside, you need to up your game. And don’t believe what they say: You can teach an old dog new tricks. Try to introduce a new command a week, and practice old ones with him. Besides being able to understand what you want him to do, the mental work involved in him learning commands will tire him out as well.
3. You’re reinforcing his bad behavior:
If your dog is barking for attention, how do you respond? Do you yell at him to stop? Guess what? You just gave him what he wanted. Or if he steals a hot dog roll off the counter, do you yell at him then watch, defeated, as he eats it? Again, you’re letting him know his bad behavior paid off. Think about what your dog is trying to accomplish when he’s misbehaving and don’t allow him to be rewarded for it. Instead, give him an opportunity to succeed (for example, tell the begging dog to go to his place and lie down, and give him a treat when he does).
4. You don’t know your dog’s breed:
This goes hand-in-hand with #1. If you have a Border Collie who is terrorizing your home, but you give him a walk each morning and night, you might think you’ve fulfilled the exercise requirement, right? Wrong. While a twice-daily walk might suffice for a breed like a Greyhound or a Labrador Retriever, Border Collies were bred to work and need opportunities to run and “do a job.” A fast-paced game of fetch should do the trick, but sports like agility offer the kind of structure and exercise this breed needs (and you can earn titles and ribbons in the process!).
5. You’re dealing with an adolescent:
OK—this one isn’t necessarily your fault, but the way you respond to it can make a difference in your dog’s behavior. Like humans, dogs go through a rebellious “teenager” phase (around 5 months to 18 months). During this time, they’ll often test their owners, seeing what they can get away with. Being firm and consistent with your training will help establish boundaries. And be patient! They’ll grow out of it.
One great way to introduce your dog to better behavior is getting him involved in Canine Good Citizen, which will make him a more well-mannered dog and you a more responsible dog owner! https://www.akc.org/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php Get Your Free AKC eBook
The first step in controlling poor behavior is determining the cause of the dogs reaction. Different medical conditions could lead to poor behavior, such as a dog with an ear infection being more sensitive to noises and barking in protest, or a dog with a bladder infection urinating more around the house. Stress, anxiety or unfamiliar stimuli could also trigger bad behavior. Once the source of the poor behavior is discovered, it is possible to control the dogs response with different techniques, such as…
While the occasional incident with any of these behaviors is not usually a problem, ongoing, repeated behavior can be a challenge to correct. Fortunately, there are ways to help control a dogs bad behavior.
Diabetes can be a challenging condition to manage, especially in pets that cannot verbally communicate how they feel. Recognizing the symptoms of diabetes in…
Every dog owner wants their canine companion to be well-mannered and obedient, but there will always be times when a dogs behavior is anything but perfect. Learning how to control bad dog behavior is essential to properly train your pet and teach it how to recognize and fulfill your expectations of being a “good dog.”
There are many different dog behaviors that may seem bad. Just how bad the behavior is depends on a range of factors, such as…
Bad Dog or Bad Owner? What does my dog need? Dog Behavior Explained
OK, we’ve all heard of the “terrible twos” that often overtake previously happy and contented little babies. Well, the same thing happens with our canine friends, just a little sooner than with their human counterparts.
Depending on the pup, sometimes around 6 or 7 months old a previously well-mannered puppy can turn into a terror. House-training accidents, chewing, barking, the bossing around of other pets, and generally unruly behaviors might start to surface. You might find your dog doing things he hasn’t done since you first brought him home or even things he’s never done before. Sadly, it’s during this particular time that many dog owners give up and give a dog away or surrender the dog to a shelter. Dogs of this age are among the most commonly surrendered to shelters. However, with some work, you can get through the terrible twos and end up with an even better behaved dog. Below are some tips to help you out.
You should start working on behavior and obedience training with your puppy from the moment he enters your home. It is never too early. House training comes first, followed by basic obedience – commands like “come,” “sit,” and “stay.” Even puppies who are a couple of months old can learn these behaviors quickly and easily. And starting early will help establish your position as “the leader of the pack,” which will help when your dog tries to test your limits.
It’s probably going to be food, but some puppies respond more to praise or physical interaction with their owner (a pat on the head or a big hug). You need to understand what is going to be most valuable to your puppy when you want him to stop doing something undesirable and get him to pay attention to you. Digging a hole in the yard might be fun, but a piece of a hot dog or pepperoni might be 10 times better.
Develop a simple and consistent set of words and commands that you use with your dog.
Keep it simple and always use the same words. “Sit,” “stay,” “no,” and “come” are obvious choices; but also remember “leave it” (for when you want the dog to ignore something or leave it alone), “no bark” (for when you want him to be quiet), and “drop it” (when you want him to release whatever is in his mouth). When your dog complies with any of these instructions, give him lots of praise and a treat.
During training sessions or while walking, make sure you use the right equipment to manage your dog. Such equipment may include different collars or harnesses. Your veterinarian or a professional dog training expert can help you figure out what is right for you and your pet. For more information about safe, comfortable, and effective training equipment, visit www.aspcabehavior.org.
Positive, rewards-based training always works best. Negative or punishment-oriented training will make your dog fearful of you and lessen the bond you have with him rather than strengthen it. It could also lead to aggressive behaviors in the future. You want to be your puppy’s center of attention and the person he wants to please and looks to for love and satisfaction, not fear and punishment.
Many dogs of this age will exhibit certain behaviors that you want to make sure you correct:
1. Resource guarding or being possessive of food or toys. You should ensure that your dog doesn’t get possessive of his food and that you can always get between yourdog and his dinner. Make your dog wait while you get his food ready, seated and calm. When you put his dish on the floor, make him wait until you give him whatever your command is to tell him it’s OK to begin eating. Then gently interrupt your dog’s dinner a couple of times. If your dog begins guarding toys, the best correction is elimination of the toys in question. Growling or other aggressive expressions shouldn’t be tolerated and you should correct the dog with a firm “no” and then remove the toy. Once he has relinquished the toy in question, praise him and give him a treat.
We know a lot of doggie daycare facilities that “outlaw” toys altogether to avoid such conflicts and almost none of them have rawhide toys, as they seem to encourage this kind of possessiveness more than any other toy.
2. Tugging, pulling, and generally bad on-leash behavior. If your dog pulls when on a leash, don’t pull back. Instead, stop where you are and let the dog realize that returning to you is the way to get you to move forward. Once he stops pulling and returns to you, praise him and give him a a treat. That makes you the reward, rather than just the person tugging him in the direction he doesn’t want to go.
If the tugging or pulling is directed at something like a dog or person, give your dog a verbal correction and walk him in the opposite direction. He’ll begin to realize, “hey, when I lunge toward something, I don’t get to check it out.” Most dogs quickly understand that if they don’t pull, they will get to greet the other person or pet, and if they pull, they head in the other direction. Utilizing the right training equipment can help correct this problem.
3. Jumping and overly excited greetings. While it’s cute to have a 10 pound puppy jump on your leg when greeting you, it’s a lot less fun for you and your guests when that puppy is 70 pounds. This behavior is generally easily cured by a verbal correction (“no,” “off,” “down”) followed by a firm but gentle physical correction. The physical correction needs to be clear to the dog that this is a “don’t do this” correction vs. “we’re playing a game of push and shove.” Take the dog by his shoulders and firmly place all four feet on the ground or block the dog by turning or raising your leg in front of you so he can’t place his feet on your chest. Also consider turning your back when your dog begins to jump and ignore the behavior. Doing this repeatedly will generally end the behavior fairly quickly.
4. Aggression is never good. This is probably the toughest problem – outright aggression on your dog’s part toward another pet or toward people. Because this is probably the most serious of dog behaviors, we recommend talking with your veterinarian right away; he or she can help assess your dog’s behavior and make recommendations, including directing you to a professional, certified trainer. This isn’t a problem to try to solve on your own.
If nothing else… Remember the four most important things in training and caring for your pooch:
When you have a problem you just can’t manage on your own, give your veterinarian a call and they’ll be able to help! Never be embarrassed to ask for help.
If you have any questions or concerns, you should always visit or call your veterinarian – they are your best resource to ensure the health and well-being of your pets.