Animal Behavior Essentials – What You Need To Know About Fido!

Woof woof, Woofin’ It at You! Dog’s communicate all the time telling anyone who will listen how they feel, what they see or hear, and what they want! Understanding their behavior will help us know how to interact with dogs, keeping in mind every animal is different, but our guide will help along the way!

Aggression:

An otherwise non aggressive dog will show signs of aggression such as gowling, snapping, or biting when they are unwell and in pain. Pain is a very common contributor of aggression in dogs and you should seek medical attention right away.

Barking:

Dogs bark to communicate! Barking is normal behavior for dogs to express their fear, boredom, or anxiety. They are calling out to their humans or other dogs to gain attention and express their feelings.

Separation Anxiety:

Being left alone can sometimes trigger separation anxiety in your dog. Some dogs resort to destructive behavior such as digging, scratching doors, chewing, or continual barking/howling in an attempt to be reunited with their human. Some conditional training will help ease your dog’s anxiety.

Jumping:

Usually, dogs will jump on people as a way to greet them. As an undesirable behavior pups should be trained early on how to wait for humans to initiate the greeting. Establishing who is the dominant power of the greeting will help minimize the behavior.

Digging:

This is a great stress reliever for dogs and is somewhat tied to genetics! Dogs naturally seek shelter in dens and digging is a natural behavior. To help control unwanted digging, never leave your dog unsupervised or provide a space for them to dig. If you suspect your dog is stress digging, you’ll need to address the stress, not the digging.

Excessive Licking:

Behavioral dog licking is far more common than medical licking as dogs lick for a large number of reasons. Dogs will lick to groom themselves, to taste salt on humans skin, as a calming technique, or boredom. Some medical reasons may be skin irritation, allergy, GI issues, or underlying pain. If licking becomes an issue, seek professional advice to rule out a medical problem, then try behavior replacement training.

You know your dog best, keep a watchful eye and seek professional help if your dog shows signs of unusual behavior. Your vet can help rule out any health concerns early!

Consistent behavior and obedience training, right from the very start, is the key to ward off ill mannered dogs and living with a well-behaved dog!