Dog Behavior

Domminance/territorial aggression occurs whenever dogs feel their status or territory is being unsurped by another animal, usually a dog (sometimes a human). When this kind of behavior occurs, most owners should immediatly consult a professional canine behaviorist rather than try to go it alone, which can (and often does) result in seriouse injury.

To minimize aggression in your dog you should:

Have your dog neutered before six months of age. Male or Female, allowing your dog to remain unneutered will olny encourage dominance/territorial disputes, as well as create tension between you and the pet over issues of exessive marking and disobedience.

Prevent your dog from having unsupervised access to the outdoors, which will nearly guarantee that he will eventually get into fights with other animals.

Do your best to keep your dog's home environment as calm and predictable as possible, to avoid the chance of his experiencing any traumatic episodes, such as a group of small children suddenly chasing him around the house.

Socialize your dog from as early on as possible. Allow him to be around different adults and responsible children right from the beginning, as well as any other dogs you may have in the home. Take him for walks down busy streets as soon as he is old enough. Let willing strangers pet and stroke him and give him treats that you supply.

If you are considering bringing home another dog, introduce the two away from your home at first. Your established dog sees your home as his territory and may become very protective of it. Once at home, do not let the new dog eat out of the established dogs food dish or rest in his favorite spots. Alow the dogs to work out thier own relationship.

When choosing a puppy, opt for one that seems to interact with his littermates in a reasonable fashion. Avoid overly pushy puppies, as well as ones that shy away from any confrontation

Antisocial Behavior

Everyone wants their dogs to be as sociable as possible. Normaly they are, as dogs are among the most social of creatures. Unfortunaltly,this is not always the case, because of either the inherent personality traits of the dog, the behavioral limitations of the breed, or the dog's history.

Here is a solution for antisocail behavior:

If your dog shows timidity around other persons or animals, the first thing to do in not force the issue. Don't allow anyone to chse the dog and pick him up. Instead, let the dog decide if and when he will come over and greet the visitor. You can help him along, though, by first showing him that you have no fear of the visitor and enjoy him or her enough to hug. You can also allow the visitor to place a tasty treat on the floor near where he or she is sitting, in hopes that hte dog will eventually come out and eat it. If children come over, have them act quietly and calmly around the dog.

Antisocial behavior toward other dogs will usually work itself out over time. The timid or cautious dog will eventually have to accept the presence of the more outgoing animal if, in fact, the more outgoing one is to be around on a regular basis. Do not interfere unless the behavior erupts into violence. To avoid this, always introduce dogs away from the home.

If you have just adopted a new dog who seems to be avoiding you, give him some time. Even the most timid dog will eventually come around and learn to trust his owner, provided he or she is calm, patient and gentle. Speak softly to the dog, offer treats, and never initiate contact. Wait for him to come to you. By not forcing the issue, you will allow the dog to develop trust in you, the cornerstone to minimizing antisocial behavior.

Bad Breath

Bad breath can and often does occur in dogs. Any foul or sour smell coming from you dog's mouth can indicate a potentially serious health problem in the making.

The first suspect should always be a health problem in the dog's mouth. Bacterial buildup, tartar, plaque, or food lodged between teeth can cause your dog to develop bad breath. Gum disease, abscesses, or oral tumors might also be responsible for a bad odor. Bad oral odor in your dog could also be caused by a disorder in the pet's gastrointestinal tract. Infection, ulcers, tumors, or severe allergic reaction to a certain food could also be the problem.

The solution:

The first step to take is to bring your dog to the veterinarian, who will perform a thorough exam to establish the cause. Most likely, he or she will want to clean the dogs teeth, wich will most likely cure the problem, while extedning the life of your dog's teeth at the same time. If your dog is over Ten years of age, you may want to think twice before having the teeth cleaned, as the dog will most likely need to be anesthetized, and old dogs, as well as toy dogs have a higher risk of reacting poorly to the procedure.

Brushing your dogs teeth isn't usually an easy task, but if you start from when the dog is a puppy, and you brush quickly and painlessly, you will probably be able to brush the dogs teeth once a week without much objection. Your vet can provide you will a proper tooth brush and paste, or see your nearest pet store. Do not use human toothpaste, it can irritate the canine mouth. If you are having problems brushing the dogs teeth, don't keep doing it, as the dog can begin to distrust you.

Barking

Barking is a normal instinct for a domestic dog. A tool for communication, the bark is often used as a warning sign to other pack members that a potential intruder is close by. In addition, barking ca also be the result of a dog becoming overly excited about something, such as the expectation of a meal or a walk. Some dogs will bark while alone in the home, due to a feeling of loneliness or separation anxiety, while others bark from sheer boredom.
Overly spoiled dogs will us barking as a means of controlling their owners. They may also bark incessantly if they are nervous, timid or fearfull pets. This type of barking is very difficult to stop.

The solution:

The best way to minimize barking is to train your dog from puppyhood to look forward to people coming to the door and entering the home. Though this negates somewhat the benefit of having your dog warn you of an intruder, the advantages of not having to hear constant racket may be a more valuable commodity to you. Your dog, however, will sence the difference if someone where to try and break into your home in the middle of the night. As well he will sence your heightened concern.
To teach your puppy that people coming to the door is no big deal, begin desensitizing him to the sound of knocking on the door, as well as the doorbell ringing. Happily rap your knuckles on the walls and doors all around the house with your dog beside you, and immediatly praise him. Do this several times throughout the day and over a couple of weeks. Then have a friend knock on the door, as soon as the puppy hears it, praise him, and have your friend praise him as well.

For your adult dog who already has a problem barking while you are at home, here is what you can do. Place your dog on his leash and then stand infront of your front door. Have a friend come up to the outside of the door, they do not need to knock as the dog will sence their presence. The moment your dog starts to bark, say "bark! bark!" Then praise him. Try to anticipate exactly when he is going to bark, and give the bark! command right at that moment. Eventually you will teach him to associate the barking with the verbal command. Practice this several times a day for at least a week. Eventually you will succeed in putting a work to the behavior, the first step in controlling it.
Next, have him sit infront of you and give him the bark! command. Alow him to bark one or two times and then say "Quiet!" in a commanding voice. As soon as he stops, praise him for it. Continue to work the exersice but gradually increase the time between when he stops barking and when you praise him.
The final step is to have a friend knock on the door once, let your dog bark a couple of times and then give the Quite! command. After he has been quiet for a second or two, praise him. Then let the friend in and have them praise him. Continue to work this exercise until you can easily halt the barking with the Quiet! command.

The only way to stop a fearful dog from barking is by slowly desensitizing him to his fears. Socailize him as much as possible, and work him with things he knows, like sertain tricks. When he does something good, praise him lavishly for it. This will help to build up his self confidence. Begging

Several factors could be causing your dog to beg incessantly. First, you could be under feeding him. An underfed dog will out of neccesity try to find more to eat.
If your dog was once a stray or shelter animal, at one time he may have had to struggle to get food. If this is so, he might retain a very high food drive for much of his life, which could precipitate the begging behavior.
The most common cause of begging in a dog, comes from the actions of the owner, who may have gotten into the habit of giving his or her dog too many leftovers or treats throughout the day. The dog then gains control over the owner, and the owner unknowingly loses more and more pack status until he or she is plainly viewed as a subordinate.

The solution:

Make sure your dog is at his proper weight, to ensure he is getting enough food

Feed him on a regulay schedule instead of free feeding all day. By doing so you will be able to teach your dog that he gets to eat at a prescribed time, instead of throughout the day.

Give him treats only when you are trying to encourage a particular behavior. If you feed him random treats throughout the day, you will condition him to beg more.

Never feed your dog from your dinner plate. Also, do not feed him food made for human consumption, as this tends to teach him that he has equal status with you. Everything you do with your dog should teach him that, thought loved, he is below you in the pecking order.

Never give your dog food while you are preparing a meal at the kitchen counter. If you choose to give him something, put it in his dish instead, at his prescribed dinner time.

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