Common behavioral problems w/dogs and cats

Why they do the things they do

A friend comes to your door, thrilled to see you, but wary of your easily excited pooch. As per the usual routine, your dog leaps happily onto the visitor, muddy front paws planted squarely onto the reluctant guest’s freshly pressed outfit. Your eyes widen, you yell, your pup backs off, and you sheepishly apologize while offering a clean towel to your disgruntled guest. You turn around and your cat, which just urinated outside his litter box, is clawing the edge of your new sofa! Swearing you will never have guests again in this house with these crazy animals, you simmer in anger and confusion. Sound familiar? Cats and dogs often behave in ways baffling to their human counterparts. There are things animals do that seem to have no reason to us, but are actually normal and do possess motivation and purpose. This article will target common actions of cats and dogs, along with some explanations for them. Steps to correct and train animals are a whole different subject.

Some standard behaviors dogs engage in that perpetually confuse owners can include jumping, leash pulling, barking, owner absent barking, chewing, and digging.

One commonly misunderstood behavior that dogs engage in is jumping, usually on people. Dogs jump on people for two reasons. First, they want to greet you at face level. Second they are testing the water to discover if their position in the group is dominant or subordinate to yours. Which one is the cause for your pup’s actions depends on the dog.

Another misconstrued common behavior of dogs is leash pulling. This is more of a training problem than a behavioral problem. When a dog feels a restraint, she will naturally pull harder, trying to break free. This is similar to the manner in which draft animals behave. It is necessary to teach your dog to walk at you heel, keeping pace with you and to sit when you stop. A qualified trainer can teach you how to teach your dog to heel, in addition to other useful information.

Barking, perhaps the universally misunderstood dog behavior that both irks and frightens people. Barking is a natural behavior for dogs. Essentially, it is the way dogs communicate, such as talking is for us. Barking also relieves tension and drives strangers away. Most dog owners want their dog to bark if they hear someone at the window or entering the yard. Dogs are natural warning devices.

Owner absent barking, another common canine behavior, can be disruptive to others, and leave the owner confused and helpless. This behavior is most commonly caused by separation anxiety from the owner. Dogs are social creatures, as are people. This is, of course, what makes people and dogs such comfortable companions. It also accounts for a dog’s sadness and anxiety when their owner leaves.

A canine behavior all furniture owners dread and hate is chewing. There is nothing worse than splurging on an expensive pair of shoes, and returning home to find them in pieces and your dog sheepishly hiding in the corner. Dogs start chewing as puppies. Just as babies teeth and chew on toys to relieve the pain, puppies do the same thing for the same reasons. Chewing becomes a problem when a dog does not grow out of it and becomes destructive. We all know someone who is a persistent nail biter, constantly nibbling at his or her fingers. In a similar fashion, dogs sometimes chew because they are bored, lonely, anxious, or stressed.

Digging is yet another confusing, destructive and yet common canine behavior. Digging, however, is a very natural thing for dogs to do. There are a variety of reasons to explain why dogs dig. They dig to escape. They dig to find a cool spot in the summer. They dig to bury a bone, or treasured object. They dig out of frustration. They dig to search for an object.

Cats are as guilty as dogs when it comes to baffling behaviors. Cats can make noise constantly, blink slowly, and use the area outside the litter box, chew plastic wrappers, chatter their teeth, and spray.

The first misunderstood feline action is frequently making noise, or ‘meowing.’ This can sometimes happen simply because your cat is very vocal. Other times, it can occur because your cat has medical problems. If you have ruled out the latter and your cat is still extremely vocal, closely observe his environment and try to empathize with your pet.
Is she out of food? Is she lonely? Is she in pain? Is the litter box clean enough for her to use? Have you recently changed your life or routine in some way, like moving to a new house, got another pet, started a new job?

Your cat is huddled in a corner bathed in sunlight sitting on a favorite pillow; you take a break from the novel you’re reading and she glances at you, slowing blinking her eyes in slow motion. This is a pleasant kitty behavior to observe, because it shows your cat is happy and calm. It also signals the beginning of a catnap. Blinking in return shows your cat that you love them, and can be a sign of mutual love and respect.

If your cat is scratching around the floor or area around the litter box, she is trying to convey a message to you: something is wrong about her litter box. Maybe she dislikes the texture of the litter, the feel of the litter, the smell of the litter, the type of box or the location of the box. But the only way she can demonstrate this to you is to trying to bury the area outside of the box. Otherwise, if all is satisfactory, she would do her business, bury the evidence, and leave.

Another less common, but equally confusing, feline behavior is chewing or licking plastic wrappers or bags. There is no definite explanation; this depends more on the individual cat. Some likely reasons cats enjoy chewing or licking plastic are that the odor of the plastic, the texture, and the temperature are appealing. Another explanation may be that it is an oral compulsive behavior.

Another feline action we don’t always understand is the teeth chattering that occurs when birds or squirrels are present. This noise may is likely an instinct from when all cats were undomesticated. Animal behavior experts claim the teeth chattering is similar to the neck bite cats implement to kill prey quickly. Young cats in the wild have the opportunity to practice this biting technique; house cats may be showing their excitement at seeing potential prey, or possibly their frustration in seeing potential prey that they cannot hunt.

Perhaps the most unpleasant feline behavior is urine spraying. This is a normal action for cats; it demonstrates their presence, advertises sexual availability, and maintains territorial limits. There are several reasons for spraying. These include when a new threat is perceived, the environment is changed, medical problems like cystitis, or when a cat is frustrated with his diet or owner.

There are ways to train pets and correct those behaviors that, while natural, can be destructive or disruptive to the home. A qualified trainer often does the trick. Empathizing with your pet, understanding how their mind works and their motivations for acting in certain ways can be extremely helpful in having a mutually enjoyable relationship with your pet.