Behavioral Problems – How to own a happy and healthy dog

Whether you dog has just joined your family or he has been around for a while, there may be a time when the way he acts seems out of character. You will need to help him retrain and adjust to a behavior that allows him to be the healthy, happy dog he wants to be.

A new puppy may find that he is lonely now that he is away from the companionship of other animals and he may be fearful of his new surroundings. Perhaps you found your dog at a shelter and he has a background that has makes him mistrust people. It may even be that someone's ordinary speaking voice triggers a memory that makes him nervous and possibly defensive. He may urinate in odd places, become self-destructive. Perhaps his behavior becomes irrational, overly submissive or over-boisterous.

You need to have infinite patience with your dog, and understand that he can't rationalize. He will need to overcome this setback without learning how to do that through fear, or overbearing dominance on your part. Understanding is key, as is love and care. Have these as the cornerstones of your approach to him and you will win his trust and devotion.

Have a word with your vet so that you can check your dog for any underlying illness, and if you need help in retraining him, the surgery may be able to suggest an animal behaviorist to point you in the right direction.

If your dog exhibits aggressive behavior he must see the vet as soon as possible, not only for his sake but for people and other animals he may come in contact with. The vet will be able to check him over, and if your dog has a clean bill of health he must be retrained into a better behavior - and you will need to learn how to handle him. There will be many reasons for aggressive behavior in a dog, and he needs to regain his respect for your position in the family hierarchy.

It's simply a question of understanding why a dog is behaving in the way he is and to pinpoint areas that will lead to more trust on his part. He will need to see you as the pack leader so that his behavior does not run the household, but you need to do this without frightening him or making him cringe into submissiveness. Fear isn't love or devotion - it's just fear, and it is plain cruelty to abuse him.

Always remember that he should be able to trust you to treat him well and not to hurt him - and that it is a true privilege to win an animal's devotion.

Next article: Dog Behavior Problems: Understand and Solve Them!