Problem Dogs; Dealing with a Nuisance, Even When He Is Your Own
You love your dog, but sometimes he can be a real pain!
If you know what might
be causing his annoying behavior, though,
you might be able to do something
about it.
Digging
Some dogs just love to dig holes!
Their reasons for doing so, however, will
vary depending on the breed and the situation.
Your dog might be digging holes
out of sheer boredom.
If you suspect this might be the case, simply exercise
your dog more frequently.
He'll be too tired to dig.
Maybe your male dog is
digging in order to get to the female dog that is in heat next door.
In this
case, having your dog neutered will solve the problem.
If your dog is digging
holes to bury items or just for the sake of digging, then set aside one area in
which he can engage in that behavior.
Protect the rest of your yard by spraying
a non-toxic dog repellant in and around the off-limit areas.
Barking
A dog that barks all the time, for no apparent reason, is not only a nuisance
to the owner, but can be a nuisance to an entire neighborhood as well.
The most
common reason for consistent barking is boredom and loneliness.
Have your
neighbors told you that your dog barks all day long while you're at work?
If
so, then you should consider enrolling your dog in doggie day care.
There will
be plenty of activities to keep him busy all day long and he'll have lots of
other dogs to play with.
If day care isn't an option, make sure that your dog
has plenty of toys to keep him occupied while you're away from home.
You might
also try leaving the radio or television on while you're gone – hearing human
voices might help your dog feel less lonely.
Destructive Chewing
Most dogs engage in destructive chewing for one of three reasons: teething,
attention or boredom.
If your puppy is chewing up everything he can sink his
little teeth into, there's a good chance that he is simply teething.
Make sure
to provide the teething puppy with lots of chewable toys so that he won't go
after your shoes or other household objects.
If your dog isn't teething, then
perhaps he's engaging in this destructive behavior in order to get your
attention.
If you don't spend a lot of time with your dog, but will chase him
around for hours if he has your favorite shoe in his mouth,
then your dog will
understand very quickly that this is an effective way to get you to "play" with
him.
Spend more time with your dog and you may get him to stop chewing up
things around the house.
Bored dogs are also inclined to become chewers.
If
there's nothing or no one to play with, they'll make their own fun at the
expense of your furniture and clothing
. Provide your dog with plenty of toys
and activities to keep him occupied.
Jumping
You might think its adorable when your big dog greets you at the door by
jumping up on you and licking your face,
but most of your guests probably won't
get the same kick out of this behavior.
When a small puppy jumps on you it's
cute because you can control him and he's not heavy enough to knock you over.
Not so with adult dogs.
Having a large dog hurl himself at you is not an
experience that most people, even dog lovers, enjoy.
So, how do you get your
dog to stop jumping as a way of greeting you and your guests?
Consistent
training is really the only way.
Ideally, you should begin discouraging this
behavior when the dog is still a puppy.
If you are unable to get your dog to
stop jumping up onto people,
then a stint at obedience school is highly
recommended.
Disobedience
Most of the time, dogs disobey their owners because they're not sure what is
expected of them.
In order to get your dog to be consistently obedient, you
have to spend lot of time training him.
Obedience training should start when
the dog is still a puppy and be reinforced throughout the years.
Some owners
can train their dogs without any outside assistance;
however, most will need to
enroll themselves and their dog in a local obedience school.
You and your dog
will enjoy your time together much more once you can communicate effectively
with each other.
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