Possible Physical Causes for Behavior Problems in Geriatric Dogs
Different breeds of dogs age at different rates. A large breed such as a Great Dane or Newfoundland will reach old age sooner than smaller breeds like Chihuahuas or Toy Poodles. Life spans range from 7 to 15 years, with each year equivalent to 6 or 7 human years. Despite whatever breed your dog may be, you will have to watch them closely and take him on regular visits to the vet to determine where he is in his life cycle and what special needs, if any, are required at each stage.
Regardless of when the onset of old age begins, there are changes that are common to all dogs. Behavioral problems, such as indifference to food, increased wandering, house soiling, and changes in the way your dog interacts with other dogs and people, are all signs that your dog is getting old.
The first thing you should do upon noticing any of these behavioral changes is determine the cause. That means a physical workup and a talk with your dog’s vet. Aging pets will begin to have many more health issues than they did when they were younger and many times those issues will be the cause of problems such as aggression. You are grumpier when you don’t feel well and your pet will be also. Unfortunately, a grumpy pet may be more likely than a human to lash out physically, and that means biting or snapping. If a previously non-aggressive dog begins to exhibit aggressive behavior, determine whether it is a physical problem that may be handled with medication. If not, simply make sure that family members and visitors realize that Fido no longer likes to be touched in that particular spot if, for instance, the problem is an arthritic hip.
Sometimes, however, decreased functioning of eyesight or hearing may cause fear aggression in a pet. In that case, make sure people know that they should warn the pet of their approach, and not to approach the pet suddenly. Simply calling out, “Hey Fido, it’s me,” if the pet has eyesight issues, or making sure he can see you coming if he has hearing issues, will usually do the trick.
Even if your pet is not exhibiting aggression, you will want to be alert for other changes in behavior associated with pain or failing senses. Pets with these problems may also become withdrawn and depressed. If he starts lying around all day and refuses food or playtime, then that may be a sign of depression in your pet. You will want to make the effort to deal with the physical problems, and also to make sure that the pet is still included in interactions with the family.
Any sudden changes in your dog’s habits may indicate that he is getting old. However, you should try to first rule out that it is not a physical problem that is causing the change in behavior. Decreased bladder control or aching joints could keep your dog from wanting to go out as often as he should. Nutrition is also to be taken into consideration, as older dogs have different ones from their younger, more active counterparts. Above all, have patience. Your dog’s life and yours is changing. Don’t give up or abandon him, because he needs you now more than before.
Jeff Clare runs dog training News where you can read many more articles on dog training. For more general advice on dog health go to Dogs And Dog News.
Dog Training – Getting Obedience and behavior in a dog park
I’ve had some email requests to see my dog in a dog park listening even though all the smells and other dogs may come up to him in there. I went to the dog park today, and asked someone to take the camera and shoot some video which I thought would be entertaining to listen to their feedback, since I knew they would not be familiar with the camera. Sometimes this can produce funny comments. In any case, here is me and “Nash” with no toys, collars, food, choke chains, pinch collars, electronic collars or any other training aid on the dog. This is very good random training in that the loose dogs make it a completely uncontrolled environment and your training has to maintain if you do not have the aids of leashes or cookies. This is good to do to see where your attentiveness in your dog is at. Of course the dog parks are also good to let the dogs play as well. A lot of the people around sometimes try and keep their dogs away because they think they will be disturbing my dog while he is training, but dog parks are there for the people to enjoy, and at Sit Means Sit dog training, we always welcome the distraction. www.sitmeanssit.com
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How To Solve Dog Behavior Problems Separation Anxiety
dog behavior problems separation anxiety is one of the most common problems that dogs develop.It’s an anxiety disorder, and is defined as a state of intense panic brought on by the dog’s isolation/separation from her owner(s). In other words: when you leave for work in the morning, your dog is plunged into a state of nervous anxiety which intensifies extremely quickly. Dogs are social animals – they need plenty of company and social interaction to keep them happy and content. No dog likes to be left alone for long stretches of time, but some dogs do a lot worse than others: these are the ones most prone to separation anxiety.
There are a number of contributing causes to the condition: – Some breeds are genetically predisposed towards anxiety and insecurity, which is something you should consider when deciding which breed you’re going to go for (particularly if you’re going to be absent for long stretches of time).
A few of these breeds include Weimaraners, Springer Spaniels, German Shepherds, and Airedales – A significant proportion of dogs from shelters develop separation anxiety. Most of these ‘shelter dogs’ have undergone significant trauma in their lives – they’ve been abandoned by their previous owners – and thus they have little trust that their new-found owner (you) isn’t going to pull the same trick.
Dogs that were separated from their mothers and siblings too early have been identified as being especially prone to separation anxiety. Puppies from pet-stores are a perfect example of this: they’re usually taken from their mothers well before the earliest possible age (which is 8 weeks), and confined to a small glass box in the petstore for anywhere between a few weeks to two months.
This early weaning, coupled with the lack of exercise and affection while in the petstore, is psychologically traumatic for the dog. – Neglect is the number-one cause of sepration anxiety for dogs. If you’re absent much more than you’re present in your dog’s life, separation anxiety is pretty much inevitable. Your dog needs your company, affection, and attention in order to be happy and content.
The symptoms of dog behavior problems separation anxietyare pretty distinctive: your dog will usually learn to tell when you’re about to leave (she’ll hear keys jingling, will see you putting on your outdoor clothes, etc) and will become anxious. She may follow you from room to room, whining, trembling, and crying. Some dogs even become aggressive, in an attempt to stoptheir owners from leaving. When you’ve left, the anxious behavior will rapidly worsen and usually will peak within half an hour.
She may bark incessantly, scratch and dig at windows and doors (an attempt to escape from confinement and reunite herself with you), chew inappropriate items, even urinate and defecate inside the house. In extreme cases, she might self-mutilate by licking or chewing her skin until it’s raw, or pulling out fur; or will engage in obsessive-compulsivebehaviors, like spinning and tail-chasing. Upon your return, she’ll be excessively excited,and will leap around you in a frenzy of delight for a protracted period of time (more than the 30 seconds to one minute of a happy, well-balanced dog.) This extended greeting is a source of some misunderstanding: without realizing that such a greeting actually signifies the presence of a psychological disorder, some owners actually encourage their dog to get more and more worked up upon their return (by fuelling the dog’s excitement, encouraging her to leap around, paying her protracted attention, and so on.) If you’re behaving in this way with your dog, please stop.
I know it’s tempting and very easy to do, and it seems harmless – after all, she’s so happy to see you, what harm can it do to return her attention and affection in equal measure? -but in actuality, you’re just validating her belief that your return is the high point of the day. So she’s as happy as Larry when you return – but, when it’s time for you to leaveagain, her now-exaggerated happiness at your presence is under threat, and she gets even more unhappy when you walk out that door. Fortunately, there are things you can do to minimize your dog’s tendency towards anxiety.
Here’s a short list of do’s and don’ts: Do:
Exercise the heck out of her. Really wear her out: the longer you expect to be away, the more exercise she should get before you leave. For example, if you’re leaving for work in the morning, she’ll probably be by herself for at least four hours; and, if you’ve got a dog-walker to take her out mid-day instead of coming back yourself, she won’t see you – the person she really cares about – for at least nine hours. So she needs a good, vigorous walk (fifteen to twenty minutes is the absolute minimum here!) before you walk out that door.
More is even better. – Distract her from her boredom, loneliness, and anxiety by giving her an attractive alternative to pining, pacing, and whining. All dogs love to chew – why not play on this predisposition? Get a couple of marrowbones from the butcher, bake them in the oven for 20 minutes (so they go nice and hard and crunchy – and so she can’t smear marrow all over your furniture), slice them up into chunks of a few inches long, and give her one about 15 minutes before you leave. It’ll keep her happy and occupied, and will act as a smokescreen for your departure.
When you leave, put the radio on to a soothing station: classical music is ideal, but any station featuring lots of talk shows is also ideal. Keep the volume quite low, and it’ll calm her down a bit and give her the feeling that she’s got company. – If at all possible,supply her with a view: if she can see the world going by, that’s the next best thing to being out and about in it. – Acclimatize her to your leaving. Taking things nice and slowly, practice getting ready to go: jingle your keys about, put on your coat, and open the door.
Then – without leaving! – sit back down and don’t go anywhere. Do this until she’s not reacting any more. When there’s no reaction, give her a treat and lavish praise for being so brave. Next, practice actually walking out the door (and returning immediately), again doing this until there’s no reaction. Gradually work up – gradually being the operativeword here! – until you’re able to leave the house with no signs of stress from her. Do not:
- Act overtly sympathetic when she’s crying. Although it sounds very cold-hearted, tryingto soothe and comfort your dog by patting her and cooing over her is actually one of theworst things you can do: it’s essentially validating her concern.
Make sure she can’t tell that you feel sorry for her: don’t ever say, “It’s OK, good girl” when she’s upset! If you’re interested in getting a more detailed look at how to deal with your dog’s separation anxiety, you might like to check out dog behavior problems separation anxiety. It’s a great learning tool for anyone who wants to learn how to deal constructively with their dog’s problem behaviors. All of the common behavioral problems are dealt with in detail, and there’s a great section on obedience commands and tricks too. You can visit the Secrets to dog training site by clicking on the link below:
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Dog Behavior Training – Dog Training To Correct Behavior Problems
Have you ever wished that the secrets of dog behavior training were available to anyone who wished to take their dog obedience training to a new level? The truth is that proper dog training can be simple for anyone who is willing to educate themselves on the best way to communicate with man’s best friend. In order to succeed at puppy training or adult dog training you must first understand why dogs do what they do. There are only two reasons why a dog performs any behavior:
1- To increase pleasure: Have you ever wondered why your dog pees on the floor, chews up your couch, and jumps on your guests? That’s right, these activities produce pleasure for your dog. It’s as simple as that. If these behaviors didn’t produce a fun experience then your dog wouldn’t do them. Any time you wish to correct behavior problems with your dog it is important to first realize that your dog is doing these things out of pure pleasure.
2- To avoid discomfort: Old school dog behavior training prescribed a very harsh method of correcting behavior problems and fomented a dog obedience regimen that was very disciplinarian in it’s root form. That type of dog training is unnecessary and will often do more harm than good.
Very skilled dog behavior training, though, should use humane corrections that merely provide an annoying deterrent to help correct behavior problems. Humane corrections can run the gamut from spray bottles to annoying noises all the way to training collars. Yes, used properly, a training collar can be a very valuable and humane tool for getting rid of unwanted behavior problems. It is recommended that you seek out the services of a qualified professional if you are going to use such a tool. These dog training collars are merely used to provide an annoying feeling and not a painful feeling.
In understanding these two concepts it is then much easier to formulate a training program that will fit your individual dog. With my own dogs or with the dogs of clients I always have a two-fold approach to training:
1- Obedience training must be mandatory. This is where the new school of dog trainers go wrong. The new school of dog obedience training uses lots of treats. The correction for an unwanted behavior is often a simple ignoring of said behavior. This style of dog training will never make obedience a mandatory endeavor for your dog. Think about it, if your dog has the option to come when called to get a treat or run wildly towards a busy street in the direction of a fleeing cat, which option do you think your dog will take? Likely he will head to the street and risk life and limb for the cat. This is because the owner never enforced their training efforts to the point where obedience is mandatory.
2- Obedience training must be fun. Just because something is mandatory doesn’t mean it also shouldn’t be fun. Dog behavior training is intrinsically fun for your dog because your dog gets to work side by side with you. Your dog is able to bond as he learns from you and learns a deep level of trust as you guide him along with his training. If you skip this step then you may have an obedient dog, but he sure won’t enjoy it.
I have referenced old school and new school dog training practices. Old school training is harsh and rough. New school is all fun and games. To truly have the best trained dog you need to combine the best of both schools. From the old school we use corrections to get rid of unwanted behaviors. From the new school we use a great deal of motivation and fun. The end result is the best trained dog on the block.
When you understand dog behavior training and how your dog views his world you can truly accomplish amazing things with your canine companion. Dog training can truly be made easy when you live these principles, rather than practice them at random intervals throughout the day. It’s time to get to work!
Ty Brown is a leading dog training authority with numerous radio and television appearances to his credit. Visit his website for Free dog training videos and otherdog behavior training resources.