Today's blog will be about our most common house calls, what the real root causes are, and a basic glance over on how to fix these issues.
5) "Anxiety"
I put this one in quotes like that because typically what people (and many trainers and breeders) mistake a few behaviours for anxiety when its not actually the case. Most cases of "Anxiety" that we get is either a case of a dog and human having a broken relationship or trust problem, or a role reversal problem. When a dog acts bonkers when a human is missing, this is a role reversal problem. When a dog reacts, avoids, or otherwise seems to be nervous or anxious about something, this is typically caused by the dog not believing the owner is going to protect them properly - broken trust. First things first, you need to get that relationship back in order!
4) Fear
Next up is common fear issues. This does overlap with the last one, but classic fear goes beyond anxiety. Fear is classically associated with cowering and hiding, but it can also represent with aggression, contact, charging, and even biting. Fear is usually caused by anxiety being allowed way too far, or some kind of trauma. The only way past fear is through it. You have to safely show your dog that whatever they are afraid of isn't going to hurt them.
3) Dog-on-Human Aggression
When a dog believes humans are a threat, it can be difficult to solve. Either stemming from dominance or fear, a dog being aggressive towards a human usually stems from a dog either not believing their owner can protect them, or that it is their job to do the protecting. Usually, it's caused by the owner having social anxiety, fear of men or women, or unconsciously protecting a dog from certain people. It can also stem from abuse, or maltreatment. Just like with fear, the only way to solve this one is through safe exposure and behaviour management.
2) Dog-on-dog Aggression
Whether it's because of bad socialization, a trauma, or other relationship-based problems, dog on dog aggression is normally caused by inexperienced breeders or owners that do not address the early signs or do not properly introduce a dog to other dogs. It can also be due to a dog spending too long in a kennel or rescue, or simply being a street animal. No matter the case, it is best for everyone involved to train the dog in question to safely IGNORE other animals.
1) Hyper!
Our number one complaint is excitability, hyperness, and general too much energy for the owners to handle. Typically, we hear a variation of "We walk him 3 HOURS every day, and run him in the park, I just don't understand! My dog is CRAZY!" Would it surprise you to know that the root cause of this type of problem isn't usually an absence of physical exercise, but rather a lack or complete absence of mental exercise? Dogs need to think and learn just as much as children do, if not more. If you're doing the same paths, the same runs, the same games - your dog is telling you he is BORED! Dogs need new, exciting things to learn and do. You should always be spending time every day teaching your dog new games and commands!
