Behavior Problems in Dogs

Does Your Dog Exhibit Behavior Problems?

Some of the behavior problems that dogs exhibit are constant barking, digging, chewing, fighting, chasing cars and begging for food.

Why do dogs constantly bark? There are many reasons that could cause this behavior. First of all, you need to determine what is causing your dog to bark. This will be difficult to do if you work during the day. You could ask your neighbors if the dog barks while you are out of the house. This is one of the reasons dogs keep barking – being left alone. Make sure your dog has plenty of safe toys to play with when you are not home.

Other things you can do when you are home is to take your dog for a walk as the exercise is good particularly for an active dog and will help get rid of some of the energy. Teach your dog some tricks and commands. One of the best things to do when your dog is barking is to firmly state the command "quiet". When the dog does quite down, you can provide a small treat to reward the good behavior.

Often owners will feed the dog from the dinner table. This is something that should never be done, as it will encourage the dog to keep begging for food. Chewing is something that can occur from either teething or boredom. Be sure your dog has plenty of safe chew toys to prevent this. If you catch the dog in the act say "no". Be sure to exercise the dog.

Biting is something that can occur due to teething or feeling threatened. Once again, be sure to have plenty of safe chew toys around for the dog.

Dogs will chase cars because they want to protect their territory or they simply don’t like cars. Be sure to keep your dog in a secure yard if the dog likes to chase cars, as this can be very dangerous. If the dog tries to chase a car while on a leash, simply jerk the leash to let the dog know this is now allowed. If nothing else works, you can always take your dog to a dog obedience class.

Resources for Dog Behavior Problems
Resource directory fo help with dog behavior problems.