10 Bad Dog Habits

You adopted a dog in the hope of finding a true friend, but instead you got a complete headache: the pet gnaws things, pursues everything that moves, constantly barks, is afraid to be alone, makes puddles at home, begs and steals from the table, jumps on passers-by, rushes on dogs and people and eats all sorts of filth … What bad habits do dogs have and what are they connected with?

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1. gnaw dog. When a puppy destroys shoes or furniture, it is explained by the desire to explore the world and the change of teeth. But sometimes an adult dog continues to spoil the property of the owners. Most often this is due to boredom (the pet has fun in this way) or stress (chewing helps the dog calm down). As a rule, this problem is solved if the owner provides the dog with the necessary minimum of comfort – 5 freedoms. 
2. stalker dog. Walking for some owners turns into hell due to the fact that the dog chases everything that moves: cats, runners, cyclists … Chasing moving objects is a natural behavior for a dog, because by nature he is a hunter who pursues game to feed himself. But in the conditions of modern life, this behavior becomes unacceptable. What to do? First, teach the dog to call, that is, to strictly follow the command “come to me”. And secondly, to offer an alternative to hunting, since the need to pursue prey does not go anywhere, and it cannot be destroyed by punishments and prohibitions. Play more with the dog, direct the hunting energy in a peaceful and controlled direction.
3. Scolding dog. Are neighbors threatening to complain because your dog barks almost continuously? There can be many reasons for excessive barking: boredom, inappropriate vigilance, and the desire to please the owner … Yes, owners often unwittingly reinforce this behavior when they pay attention to the pet during bouts of barking. And the dog understands that the best way to get the owner to talk is to give a voice. In many cases, the same five freedoms will come to the rescue. As a rule, dogs whose lives are orderly and comfortable do not see the need to entertain themselves with barking. Techniques aimed at reducing the level of excitation of the dog also help. And, of course, you need to take care of yourself so as not to encourage unnecessary barking.
4. Boyac’s Loneliness Dog. Some dogs, left alone, even in the next room, begin to bark, whine or howl, sometimes damage to property or uncleanliness is added to this. Sometimes the dog screams because she is scared alone, sometimes because she is bored, and sometimes she tries to call the owner – they say, “I fell into a trap, come and save!” If the dog flatly refuses to be left alone, first of all, you need to provide the dog with all 5 freedoms so that he feels that life is a success. In addition, there are specially developed humane methods of behavior correction aimed at accustoming a dog to stay alone.
5. Dog – pre-walk-not-tolerant. There are many reasons for uncleanliness – according to various classifications, up to 16. This may be an attempt to mark the territory, and health problems, and manifestations of anxiety, and banal ignorance of what needs to be endured, and many others. If we are talking about a puppy – perhaps he is still too small to endure 8 – 12 hours. If an adult dog relieves the need at home, first of all, you need to contact a veterinarian to rule out illness. If the dog is healthy, then it is worth considering whether you explained clearly enough that puddles and piles are best left on the street, and not on the carpet. And, of course, do not forget about 5 freedoms, including full-fledged, high-quality walking. If it seems to you that you have done everything, but the problem does not disappear, it makes sense to consult with a behavior correction specialist.
6. begging dog. This bad habit, as a rule, has one reason – you once treated your pet with a piece from the table. It is worth doing it once – and that’s it, begging has formed. It is possible to cope with this, but prepare for the fact that the eradication of this bad habit will take time. And the only way is to ignore all (absolutely everything – this is important!) attempts by the dog to get a treat by begging and rewarding behavior that is acceptable to you. For example, treat your dog when he’s outside the kitchen.
7. Thief dog. In principle, both the cause and the solution to this bad dog habit are similar to the previous ones. It is important to ensure that the dog does not accidentally self-reinforce itself by stealing a piece from the table, that is, do not leave the dog unattended where he can take something without asking. And, of course, encourage all attempts by the dog to behave correctly.
8. Dog – on-people-jump. The fact that a dog, when meeting a person he likes, tries to jump on him with his paws and “kiss” him on the face is natural canine behavior. This is how puppies and cubs greet their mother and other adult members of the pack when they return to the den. And they lick adults in the corners of their lips so that they regurgitate the brought prey to the kids. The difficulty in breaking this bad habit is that sometimes we reinforce this behavior (for example, when we are wearing sportswear and the dog jumps are not a problem), and sometimes we are outraged (for example, if we have a clean coat and the dog has dirty paws). This only brings confusion to the dog’s life – he does not understand what you want from him. It is important, firstly, to ignore all attempts by the dog to jump on you (you can use, for example, a backpack or a large sheet of cardboard as a shield, turn away, etc.) and reward when the dog is on the ground with all four paws. It often helps to spread treats on the floor that you brought with you or put in advance on a shelf by the door – this will distract the dog, encourage him to get down on all fours and slightly reduce the intensity of passions. So she will understand that you can achieve what you want (your attention and affection) while standing or sitting on the floor.
9. Dog is a nasty eater. Few people manage to remain calm, seeing that the dog has picked up and chews some kind of muck. And it’s not just about disgust – it can be simply dangerous, as the pet runs the risk of poisoning. It is important to teach a dog not to pick up, but to do it humanely – fortunately, such methods exist.
10. attack dog. Aggression towards other dogs or people is not only unpleasant, but also quite dangerous. There can be several reasons for aggression. This is fear when a dog, unable to escape from a terrible object, tries to drive it away. This is a negative experience when someone offended a dog, and similar people or dogs began to evoke bad associations. This is unintentional training on the part of the owner, when he begins, for example, to gently talk to the dog at the moment of aggression, trying to calm it down, thereby involuntarily reinforcing this behavior. Or vice versa – when the owner yells at the dog at this moment, she perceives this as a signal “Together we are strong and will drive the enemy away!” There may be other reasons as well. The difficulty is that aggression on the part of the dog often causes panic in the owner, he tries to “crush” her, thereby only exacerbating the problem. Nevertheless, aggression can be dealt with, and only by humane methods.

Whatever the bad habits of the dog, it is important to remember that most of them, the owners, one way or another, form with their own hands, albeit without realizing it. And first of all, it is important to analyze your own approaches to communicating with the dog, to check whether it is healthy and provided with everything necessary.

Photo: ramstein.af.mil

Bad habits of a dog are always a symptom, the reason lies much deeper. 

It is extremely important to find the cause and work with it. Then it is highly likely that you will help the pet cope with bad habits and really find a true friend, and not an inexhaustible source of problems.