Successfully Changing or Managing Dog Behavior Issues

How many times have you seen a happy dog bounding joyously towards a stranger to say hello... while the stranger looks somewhat scared of this big, unknown dog that's heading straight for him? Dog behavior problems are common. Although we as pet owners adore our dogs, there are people who don't care for them or who are afraid of them. Even dedicated pet lovers can be somewhat put off by a poorly behaved dog, no matter how friendly he is. Learning how to manage dog behavior is simply "good manners", and it will help your dog to know what's expected of him.

Excessive dog barking is one major complaint. If you've ever had a neighbour with a dog that hangs around barking all day, you know how exhausting and frustrating it can be! Similarly frustrating - and even frightening - are pets that don't display proper "dog park behavior". In any area where dogs are allowed to mingle with one another, good etiquette is necessary to ensure the safety of all pets and people.

Some of the more common dog behavior problems include:

Jumping up unwelcome onto people (ever had an embarassing incident where your dog accidentally "canned" someone?);
Dog aggression, including fear aggression, directed to people or other animals;
Excessive barking (many an embarassed pet owner has tried to unsuccessfully "shush" their dog);
Biting - obviously biting can have unpleasant consequences for the victim, for you as the owner, and for the dog;
Destructive chewing (how much do you really want to learn about home repair?);
Digging (say goodbye to a nice yard...);
Flatulence ("the dog did it! No, really, he did!")
Whining;
House training.

Please keep in mind that there may be medical reasons for your dog's behavior. If your dog behaves in a way that is unusual for him, take him to the vet to rule out any medical issues first.

Behavior issues can be changed or managed succesfully. Dogs learn to repeat behavior when they are rewarded, so with time & patience it's possible to teach them new behaviors in place of the old, "unacceptable" behaviors.

Through it all, try to relax and keep a sense of perspective. Dogs are dogs, after all - sometimes they might snitch something they shouldn't, or roll in something we'd rather not think about ... but our canine friends reward us with years of loving companionship, and it's worth the effort to work together to develop "good doggy manners".

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