Doggy Mentor

Posts Tagged ‘dog behaviour’

Wanting to keep your dog happy and healthy is probably one of your main goals.The main influences on your dog's health and well being are a nutritious diet and getting enough exercise.  This could also affect the way your dog behaves and could be a cause or a cure for problem dog behavior.

Some foods might affect dogs in the same way that they affect humans.There are people who are allergic or sensitive to food additives and some foods.There are different reactions to this sensitivity, an example is hyperactivity in children.  It is a possibility that if you have dog problem behavior, and training does not seem to be working, that your dog could be sensitive to something that it is eating.Think back to the last time that you ate something that didn't agree with you.Did you feel good?  What if you had no other choice but to eat it?Dogs have to eat what their owners feed them, they don't have the option to change their food.

Carbohydrates, fillers and additives make up a large part of the commercial dog food available today.  The high carbohydrate concentration alone can cause wild swings in blood sugar levels and can in turn, cause dog behavior problems.The dogs evolution can be traced back to primitive wolves, but they are not exclusively carnivores.The prey of wild wolves eat plants and the wolves will eat the stomach contents of the prey.You have probably seen your dog eating grass or other fruits and vegetables.Your dog would probably choose to eat food that it could digest easily if it was making the decision.A lamb and rice diet is often prescribed by veterinarinas because of this.

Food that is high quality, protein based and that contains the essential nutrients that an animal would derive from sources such as plants, roots and berries should be chosen to assure that your dog gets the proper nutrition.It might be hard to find a product that has these ingredients in today's market place, but they do exist and you should be able to find one with some research.To help your dog to be healthier and possibly even improve its behavior, proper nutrition is essential.

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

There can be nothing more annoying that the constant bark of a dog. Especially if the dog is yours and your neighbors have started to complain. There are many reasons why your dog’s behavior has changed from being a placid dog to a dog that cannot stop barking. Here are a couple of ways in which you can stop them from happening.

Working Dogs

Working or hunting dogs behavior change when they get bored and have nothing to do. This boredom can lead to barking, barking and more barking. This type of dog loves to run and be active but since many dog owners live in cities one of the simplest solutions is to ensure that the dog is kept motivated. Regular walks are a must, and extra periods of play give your dog something to look forward to. Play has the same effect on dogs as it has on people – physical exercise puts us in a better mood, loosens up our muscles and joints and helps everyone sleep better at night. One way to deal with your dogs boredom is to provide your dog with toys that he can play with while you’re occupied.

Aging Dogs

Many aging dogs behavior change especially if they suffer from arthritis pain, they can feel achy and stiff in cold weather, or may just get less understanding and more crotchety as the years get on. Feeling cranky may cause dogs to bark at things that didn’t bother them much before. If your older dog has begun to bark for no reason check that there are no obvious changes to his health. If you cannot see anything different, take him to the vet for a check-up and talk to your vet about possible physiological changes that may be causing your dog’s new behavior. As an older dog’s hearing starts to go, he may bark at things that are not really there. In your dogs mind it is better to be onguard than be caught asleep on the job. Also anther thing to note in older dogs is that sudden and/or prolonged barking may signify a change in your dog’s mental state—old dogs sometimes suffer from confusion and even dementia just as people may—and there are drugs to help with these problems of aging.

Territorial barking

Normally a dog tends to bark when they are trying to protect their territory from intruders and other animals. This can be a good thing as it can discourage possible housebreakers and mischief-makers. The trouble begins when the dog continues to bark after the threat is gone (or when the threat isn’t real). Some territorial barking may be taken care of by changing physical cues that set your dog off. If your dog barks at the kids on their way to school every morning, moving him to the back yard may be all that’s necessary to solve the problem. If your dog barks like a maniac when the mail arrives, shutting him in the kitchen beforehand might do the trick.

If you find that none of these things work then looking at a barking collar may provide the solution for you. Barking collars come in a variety of styles such as the citronella based which work when your dog barks; a burst of all-natural citrus spray is emitted, which dogs find bothersome to their highly developed sense of smell. While not harmful, it is a sufficient deterrent to excessive barking. Then there is also the barking control system collar. This works when your dog barks, a harmless static correction is emitted to correct the behavior. It is a sufficient prevention to unnecessary barking.

Your dogs behavior does not need to be a nuisance you just need to find the cause of the problem and apply the correct method in correcting it.