Bad Dog Behavior and How To Correct This

A dog is considered Man’s best friend, and is loyal till the end of its days. It is your children’s’ playmate, your companion and sound board for some.

However, a dog which is poorly trained can cause much anguish to its owners. Plus, bad dog behavior annoys other people, and especially if your dog is aggressive, people will naturally become frightened and defend themselves, often causing injury to the dog in question.

To ensure that your dog behaves its weight in gold, you may consider these things: -

• Enroll your pet in obedience school. This should be done when your dog is still a puppy, as its capacity to absorb information is better.
• To make your dog stop begging for food, give it meals during designated times and absolutely no snacking in between. Dogs like to beg because of natural instinct, boredom or just craves company. Abstain from feeding your dog from the dinner table, no matter how much it whines.
• To stop your dog from snapping and biting, get them an assortment of chew toys to distract them. For puppies especially, you can fashion a plastic bottle filled with pebbles, and shake this contraption while affirming a strict ‘no’. Dogs normally snap and bite because they are teething, or are injured and threatened. If your dog is injured, place a muzzle on until its healed.
• Dogs by instinct are predisposition to chase anything that moves, or it could just be jealously guarding its territory. To avoid this, keep your dog away from the street. If your pet starts gunning for a vehicle, use the leash to restrain it. A dog needs plenty of exercise to release pent-up energy.
• Another natural facet to a dog is its uncontrollable need to chew everything it sees. It is actually a part of its teething process. Sometimes they do this out of sheer boredom and frustration. In some cases, dogs chew because they feel anxiety or are startled by loud noises. Chew toys will work wonders. For dogs which are terrified of thunderstorms and loud noises, you might want to consult a dog therapist.
• Never ever give your dog access to garbage bins. This is Nirvana for them. Pets are attracted to different sorts of smell, and will dig relentlessly to find its source. Trash cans should be kept away where the dogs can’t get to them. You can spray bitter apple (available at pet stores) as this will repel them.

One hard habit to break is a dog’s intrinsic need to dig holes. They might be seeking vermin, bury their loot or just ran out of chew toys. Hot weather can also be another reason for incessant and obsessive digging. Fashion a kiddie pool in your yard, and encourage your pet to take a dip when you think it’ feeling hot and bothered. This trick usually works. Better still, have yourself a concrete lawn. If digging is unavoidable, restrict your pet to a specific place so it can dig till it turns blue and find something else to do.