Doggy Disasters: Coping With A Dog With Behavioural Issues

It can be extremely difficult to accept that your dog has behavioral issues, especially if you’ve had them since they were a puppy. When a dog has behavioral problems, it can begin to feel like somewhat of a blame game; this is why many owners are hesitant to say that their dog has these kinds of issues, due to the stigma related to admitting that there’s an issue.

However, covering up the fact that your beloved pooch is not behaving in a way that you deem to be acceptable, will only make the situation worse. You need to approach the problem head on - whether your dog has problems with off-leash recall, is showing signs of anxiety and stress, or is becoming aggressive, you need to make sure the issue is quickly addressed.

If you leave the problem, it will get worse and worse, and you may find that other areas of your dog’s behavior begins to deteriorate. That’s why it’s so important that you address the issue immediately. Of course, knowing how to go about doing that isn’t always an easy task - you need to work out what the best route is for you and your pet.

Bearing that in mind, below are some useful tips and pieces of advice that should help to make coping with your dog’s behavioral issues, that little bit easier.

Photo source: Pixabay

Determine your strategy

The first step to effectively managing the situation with your dog’s behavior is to determine the strategy that you are going to take. It’s important that you are clear on what steps you are going to take, ensuring that you don’t choose an option that has the potential to end up making things worse.

For instance, it’s best to avoid the use of overly harsh physical or verbal punishment. What you don’t want to do is scare your dog, because this will most likely just make their behavior worse. Instead, you need to think of an approach that allows you to tackle the problem in a positive way. A great option to consider is the use of positive reinforcement - when your dog is behaving well, you can use treats to reinforce the fact that they are behaving in an appropriate manner. You can learn more about the best ways to use positive reinforcement by taking a look at some of the resources available online.
 

Source professional help

While you may be hesitant to find professional help for managing your dog’s behavior, it could be something that is worth considering. The fact is that by choosing to work with a professional trainer, you can ensure that your dog’s behavior is being combated in a way that’s guaranteed to be successful. Rather than attempting to deal with the problem yourself and ending up making it worse.

While you could opt to take your dog to weekly training classes, it might be better to look for something that should offer a quicker path to training success. You could look to hire a specialist trainer to come into your home and provide some one-on-one training with your dog, or you could look at sourcing a ‘Board and Train’ specialist who will have your dog living with them for a short period of time, while they retrain them for you. While it might seem strange shipping your dog off to live somewhere else, if a few weeks away could significantly change their behaviour, then it is something that is worth considering. 

Be an advocate for your pet

It’s far too easy to keep quiet when it comes to dealing with your dog’s behavioral issues, however there’s no need to be embarrassed or afraid of being judged. It’s okay to explain about your dog’s behavioral problems when people ask.

Don’t be scared to be open and honest with people. If your dog gets scared of being stroked by strangers, tell them that. If your dog is aggressive to other dogs, warn other owners to keep their dogs away.

Hopefully, the above tips and pieces of advice will help you to make coping with your dog’s behavioral issues a little easier and less stressful

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