Behavioural problems are quite common in dogs, and even the most experienced dog owners can end up with pets that have one issue or the other. Suppose you are new to the whole concept of looking after dogs, or you’ve just recently gotten yourself a puppy, or maybe you are considering having a dog in your family. In that case, you have to know what the most common dog behavioural problems are.
The next step is trying to understand what could be causing these problems so that you can tackle them better and look for an appropriate solution.
Let’s look at the top 5 behaviour problems in dogs and the underlying causes behind them.
1. Barking
When we classify barking as a problem, we only refer to excessive barking. Otherwise, dogs are in the habit of barking, howling, and whining.
There are several reasons why your dog could have taken to voicing his opinions so volubly. They may be trying to warn or alert you to the presence of a stranger in or around the house or exhibiting anxiety or fear of something or someone. Other reasons for incessant barking could be excitement, playfulness, desire to seek your attention, boredom, or responding to the calls of other dogs.
2. Digging
It is in the instinct of dogs to do some amount of digging, though it is seen more commonly in some breeds than others. Terriers, for instance, are given to digging thanks to their history of hunting. Generally speaking, the following are the common causes why your dog dug up your precious flower patch.
- Need to use up excess energy
- Instinct to hunt
- Hunting for a place to nest or cool off
- Looking for a safe spot to hide bones and toys
- To escape or enter a certain perimeter
3. Begging
Begging is a habit that usually develops because we, as masters, have been silly enough to encourage it. You gave in when your dog was a pup and looked at you all droopy-eyed and longingly for that tasty morsel because he looked so cute. Well, that was your mistake.
To discourage this habit, ignore your dog completely when he begs at the dining table or order him to “stay” in a room where he cannot look at you. Once dinner is over, you can collect all the tasty scraps and put them in his bowl, so he will learn to expect food only from there. Alternatively, you can give him a treat for behaving himself once your family has finished dinner.
4. Chewing
This probably counts among the most aggravating dog behavioural problems of all time. It is certainly not funny when you come home and find your carpets chewed up or your favourite slippers missing a buckle. The most common cause of chewing among puppies is teething, and the phase is just temporary. Other reasons could be boredom, anxiety, excess energy, and curiosity. The best way to cure this habit is to keep plenty of chewy toys on hand. Let your dog sink his teeth into them rather than your antique rosewood side table.
5. Biting & Aggression
Biting and aggression are not always inter-related problems. While biting dogs aren’t always aggressive, aggressive dogs do tend to bite. If you look at biting as a solitary problem, dogs usually bite because it is their way of exploring their environs. That’s just natural instinct to them. Other reasons for biting can be fear, the need to protect property, the pain brought on by sickness, protective instinct, and predatory instinct.
Moving on to aggression, this is a far more serious problem than the occasional bite and nip. Aggressive dogs growl, snarl and very often bite their family. Most often, aggressive behaviour stems from abusive or violent histories. In this kind of dog behaviour, advice from professional trainers or your vet should be taken. Do not attempt to tackle it on your own with half baking techniques. They will only do more harm than good.