How To End Your Dog’s Food Begging
Begging usually becomes a habit if you feed the dog from the table when he begs. He won’t leave the table if he’s reinforced for staying with tidbits. Command the dog to “settle” at the table and enforce it. He’ll tire of staring up and will soon fall asleep if you don’t reward him for begging. If you give the dog a scrap from the table, give it only when he’s in a settle position.
Dog Injuries Due To Leash Straining
“Who is walking whom?” This question pops into my mind whenever I see owners being dragged down the street by their dogs. Leash pulling usually becomes a complaint only after a large dog has finally succeeding in pulling its owners off their feet, with resultant injury or embarrassment.
Most cases of leash pulling involve dogs that have accommodated to the discomfort of a choke chain, pinch collar or even a leather collar. Some of them cease pulling only long enough to cough, some even regurgitate or take a few deep breaths, then continue struggling forward.
The Psychotic Dog
A psychosis is defined as a mental disturbance of such degree that there is personality disintegration and loss of contact with reality. The line between neurotic and psychotic behavior is not well defined, even by psychiatrists and psychologists. Two prevailing criteria can be added to the definition of a neurotic dog to describe, for this purpose, a psychotic behavior. These involve circumstances in which the dog’s behavior is dangerous to himself or to the safety of others, and in which the dog appears to be unaware of the behavior during and/or very shortly thereafter his actions.
Over-excitability And Inhibition Behavior In Dogs
Over excitability is the term used to describe most of the problem dogs we see, especially when they are stressed by new surroundings, strangers, other dogs, social isolation, physical restraint, stimulation, and sudden loud noises. At the other end of the spectrum of behavioral reactivity, we see highly inhibited animals that react to stress by total inaction or slow, stiff movements, and apparent depression, seeming to lose contact with environmental stimuli. The problem usually occurs while the owners sleep at night, or when the dogs are left alone, especially for a long period of time. The stress of being ignored, even if the owners are there, stimulates the mother to introverted behavior (self-mutilation) and stimulates the extremely excitable son toward extroverted over-activity.
The Neurotic Dog
A neurosis may be defined as a functional nervous disorder with no sign of disease of the central nervous system. Psychoneurosis is described as an “emotional maladaptation” due to unresolved unconscious conflicts, and may also be used to describe the condition of many so-called neurotic dogs. This means, to recognize a neurotic dog, we must identify some defective nervous behavioral functions, while ruling out physical injury or disease, such as hydrocephalus, brain tumors, etc.
Behavioral Problems Associated With Parasitic Disease
Some of the problem behaviors in dogs are a result of an infection from parasite. These include internal parasites such as roundworm and tapeworm, flea infestation, ear mites, and Hypermetria.
Many dog owners are not aware that most parasite infection such as roundworm infestation is a condition that requires immediate veterinary attention. The fact is that it is important for all puppies to be dewormed as well as vaccinated against distemper and hepatitis. Most problems related to internal parasitism involve owners who do not know about the adverse effects of digestive malfunction, but still expect a young dog to control his loose stools, be able to housetrain successfully, and learn all the more complicated lessons of being an ideal household pet. When the puppy does not respond well to the training, the owner sometimes reacts by isolating, punishing or rejecting the pet socially. The resulting confusion and mismanagement of the pet often produce a wide spectrum of behavioral maladjustments.
Dog Pheromones
Pheromones are chemical substances secreted by an animal that influence the behavior of other animals of the same species. Unlike other hormones, pheromones are secreted externally and influence other animals, typically by smell. In this case, pheromones may play a very important role in animal behavior. In dogs, pheromones probably influence group integration and are a factor in fighting and general aggressiveness. Some theorys suggest that dogs release pheromones in urine and feces, and perhaps through exhaled breath, subcutaneous glands at the base of the tail and the foot pads. This would tend to explain why aggressive, fighting dogs are often compulsive urine sniffers and urine markers, and why they become less aggressive when sniffing and urine marking are not allowed by their owners.
Pheromones may act as a trigger or primer for certain types of behavior. This case is typical of many wherein a dog appears to sense, by smell, another dog that may be perceived as a threat. Also typical among some vicious biting dogs is the need to brand a strange territory with their own pheromones before launching an attack. Some take place even when the biting dogs were on their home territory. Remedial programs include restricting urination of the problem dog to a single area of his own yard. This tends to lower the aggressiveness, as well as reduce the incidence of household urination.
Dog Aggression Toward Its Owners
A dog that growls at and/or bites its owner does so for some reason, even if the behavior appears “unreasonable” to the owner. A complete medical examination, including tests for hormonal balance, neurophysiologic function and allergies, may reveal the underlying cause.