Have you ever experienced that your dog is barking continuously without any reason? Or that he is chewing up on your expensive furniture? Or, he is trying to bite everyone? Sometimes, dogs may exhibit such misbehaviors that may let you down in front of your friends or neighbors. But this doesn’t mean they are terrible dogs. It’s just that they haven’t been taught how to behave in a specific situation.
Fortunately, you can fix this image of your dog by teaching them the correct behavior. It sure is a time-consuming process that may demand a lot of patience, but it isn’t that difficult either.
Here are some common dog behavior problems and their solutions:
- Biting:
Play biting is a very common behavior in puppies, and even you may enjoy this nibbling while your dog is young. However, this behavior won’t be endearing when your pup grows up and the bite force would be painful and destructive. Furthermore, it is important to figure out why your dog is biting before you can effectively stop it. It may be because of boredom, anxiety, or curiosity.
How to fix this behavior?
There are various ways, like bite inhibition, to curb your dog’s mouthy behavior. You can teach him that this behavior is not acceptable by giving a high-pitched yelp or letting your hand go numb when he bites too hard. Also, say “stop biting” in a strict voice. Most importantly, praise your dog when he stops. Your dog will soon learn to stop biting upon training him regularly like this.
- Chewing:
Chewing is quite a natural behavior in dogs, but you may end up in trouble when your dog is chewing on the wrong things like your furniture or data cable. However, you need to understand that your dogs don’t have hands to pick up things, so generally, they do it with their mouths, which may encourage them to bite that thing.
How to fix this behavior?
Provide your dog with plenty of chew toys to keep them from chewing on the wrong things. You can also keep them in a crate while you are not around so that they don’t chew on the wrong things. Teach them to understand the command “leave” when they pick up the wrong things by positive reinforcement training.
- Barking:
Barking is one of the forms of communication for dogs. However, dogs may also bark out of excitement, aggression, curiosity, anxiety, frustration, attention-seeking, and territory invasion. Therefore, in order to fix your dog’s excessive barking, it is important to find out the real reason behind it.
How to fix this behavior?
Teach your dog to learn “quiet command”, when he is excited or is barking when someone passes by. Do not shout, just say the command calmly. If your dog remains quiet, give him treats. If this does not work after repetitive attempts, try to teach him associative learning by making a noise with keys when it barks. Your dog will stop barking if the noise startles him. And, if your dog barks at people or other dogs during walks, try to distract him by giving him small pieces of treats like cheese or chicken.
- Humping:
Humping, mounting, and masturbation are normal behaviors in both male and female dogs. They mount and hump against people or objects like pillows or toys, and sometimes, they lick themselves. However, this behavior is more common in puppies. As puppies attain sexual maturity, they start to mount other dogs instead of objects. However, most dogs continue to masturbate thereafter too, as they have learned that the behavior feels good.
How to fix it?
Dog parents need to understand that it is normal for dogs to hump and mount. If your dog mounts less frequently, it isn’t necessary to stop this behavior if it isn’t really bothering you. If it bothers you, try to distract your dog before it starts masturbating by giving him a chew or toy. Sometimes, it is essential to stop them even if it doesn’t bother you because if your dog mounts other dogs, he may get you in trouble. Not all dogs like to be humped and they might take it in an offensive way and start fighting.
- Whining:
Like barking, whining is also a common way of communication among dogs. There are different reasons why dogs whine like to seek attention or due to anxiety. Sometimes, dogs also whine as a result of pain or painful situations or on separating from their loved ones. If you notice your dog vocalizing, it is important to find out the reason behind it.
How to fix it?
If your dog is whining to seek attention, do not pay any attention to them. They need to be taught that remaining quiet is a better strategy for gaining attention. If the reason behind their whining is anxiety, avoiding stress-inducing situations may help. If such situations are unavoidable, use anti-anxiety collars or treatments for your dog.
When it’s about behavior problems, it’s important to understand that dogs do not understand that some of their actions are causing you trouble. And therefore, you need to train them to teach the right behavior. It may take time as learning is a gradual process, but don’t forget that dogs are highly intelligent beings. You may also contact your vet for more apt advice on dog training or other dog owners to know about how they fixed certain behavior issues in their dog.
