7 Common Behavioral Problems in Dogs and How to Deal with them

7 Common Behavioral Problems in Dogs and How to Deal with them

In this video, we’ll talk about 7 most common dog behavioral problems and how to fix them.

Jumping
The best way to prevent jumping is to ignore the behavior. Do not touch or push away your dog when they jump. Simply turn around and don’t give them any kind of attention. Ignore them and walk away if needed. When the dog calms down, you can start greeting them. Your dog will eventually learn they are no longer being rewarded for their jumping and will greet you in a calmer way.
Submissive and excited urination
Many dog owners mistake submissive and excitement urination as a house-training problem when they are actually involuntary behavioral issues.
To help stop submissive urination, avoid making direct eye contact with your dog, and approach them from the side rather than head on. Sit on the ground to make yourself appear smaller and less-threatening. Don’t punish or yell at your dog. Doing so might scare them, which can make them continue peeing in submission.
During situations that trigger excitement peeing, avoid interacting with your pet. When your dog becomes too excited, simply stand quietly while turning away from your dog, and wait for them to settle down. Greet them after they are calm. If your dog starts getting excited, turn away again and let them settle down.
Destructive chewing
Dogs who exhibit destructive behaviors—such as tearing up furniture or carpet—are often doing so because of stress, anxiety, or boredom.
To help prevent separation anxiety, don’t encourage overly clingy behavior. Instead, develop independence by teaching your puppy to be on his own in another room even when you’re at home. Start out with low-intensity separation scenarios using gates or pens and reward them when you come back.
Another reason for a dog’s destructive chewing is boredom.
Your dog probably needs more play, exercise and physical activity to work off some energy.
And keep in mind that young puppies who are teething often chew on things to relieve sore gums and soothe their teeth.
Biting
Puppies chew on our toes and fingers, and they investigate our bodies with their teeth.
To stop dogs from biting you, whenever your puppy bites you, react by saying “NO!” in a very firm voice. Also, give a high-pitched yelp and stop playing with your pup immediately. Then just walk away and ignore them. Let the fun game stop. This should startle your dog and cause them to stop mouthing you.
Remember not to play roughly with your puppy. Rough play encourages biting. And never let your dog chew on your hands or use your hands as toys.
Excessive barking
Barking is a natural reaction for most canines, but sometimes, it can become an annoyance, and there are ways you can stop that.
Oftentimes, dogs may bark to get your attention, some playtime, food, or even get out of the crate. In these situations, don’t respond. don’t touch them, don’t even look at them; your attention only rewards them for being noisy.
Dogs may also bark at people or other dogs if they haven’t been socialized well enough. It’s important to socialize your dog and let them meet different people and dogs. This will help your pup become more comfortable with the world and people around him.

Displaying aggressive behaviors when they are on leash
You’re starting to enjoy walking your dog, he explodes and starts barking and lunging at other people or dogs. Trainers call this problem “Leash reactivity” and it’s a common behavioral problem.
To stop leash reactivity, first identify the distance away from the trigger where the dog will begin to react. Keep the dog under the reaction threshold and wait for your dog to notice the stimulus.
When your dog notices the trigger, get their attention away from the stimulus and reward them with some treats.
This will teach your dog to associate the presence of others with something wonderful. When they look up at you for more, go closer to the trigger and repeat.
Don’t wait for your dog to react! If your pet ignores you or does begin to bark or lunge, you are simply too close to the trigger. Move further away and try again.
Begging at the dinner table
Oftentimes, when you sit down at the dinner table, you end up with a furry beggar with adorable puppy eyes by your side. You’ll probably be tempted to give them some table scraps, but not only does this reinforce this unwanted behavior, but it can also lead to health problems and canine obesity. After all, some foods that are safe for humans can be harmful for dogs.
In these situations, the worst thing you can do is to give in to those sad puppy-dog eyes.
When dogs are well-behaved and don’t beg for food, that’s the time to give them treats.
Your furry friend will eventually realize that their puppy eyes don’t pay off and they will stop begging you.

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