Dog Behavioural Problems And How To Deal With Them
It is estimated that 33% of people in the world own a dog, increasing to 34% in the UK, 40% in Australia and a massive 56% in the USA.
Dogs can bring great joy to a person’s life.
- They can be a companion when someone is lonely.
- Someone to play with.
- A friend to give unconditional love.
- A companion to drag you out of the house to get some exercise.
- Dogs can create discipline for their owners, feeding them at certain times, walking at certain times etc.
However, dogs can also cause stress and distress when they are unhappy or showing behavioural problems.
How do we know if a dog is happy?
A dog will show clear body language that they are happy –
- They will be playful. They might leap around, run for their ball, “bow” at another dog or their owner to show they want to play.
- They will enjoy the attention of their owner, coming to them for attention, strokes and fuss.
- Their tail will be high and wagging. A wagging tail is the clearest sign that a dog is a happy one.
- Their body will be relaxed and loose.
- Their eyes will be soft.
- A happy dog will have floppy relaxed ears. Pricked ears show they are alert and focussed.
Weird Behaviour
Even happy dogs can show weird behaviour at times.
- Sniffing the bums of other dogs – Dogs rely heavily on scent. There are scent glands in a dog’s bottom, and this gives a lot of information to other dogs, such as if they are a boy or girl, how they are feeling, what they have been eating.
- If a person owns more than one dog, they may all sleep together in a pack. This is because they are pack animals and like that sense of security. They may treat their owners as part of the pack too, sleeping by their legs or on their laps.
- Neutered dogs and puppies can sometimes show pretend sexual behaviour. This is just a sign of excitement and that the dog wants to play.
- Dogs like to roll in fox poo. This is perfectly natural. This is from earlier on in their evolution when they would roll in poo to hide their scent from other predators.
- Some dogs will eat poo. This is again, a bit gross, but perfectly natural. If they do it often, it can be a sign that something is missing in their diet. It’s worth contacting a vet if they do.
- Dogs can howl or bark at the TV. This can be because of the frequency or pitch of the sound.
How do we know if a dog is unhappy?
There are signs that show if a dog is unhappy.
- We mentioned that pricked ears can be a sign that they are alert. This is a sign that they are happy if their other body language indicates happiness. But if they are tense or show other negative behaviours, pricked ears can be a sign they are unhappy.
- If their ears are back or flat against their head, it is a sign that they are anxious.
- Tail down or between their legs means that they are fearful or insecure.
- Tension in their body, head low, avoiding eye contact us keeping very still can also be a sign that the dog is not at all happy.
- Dogs rolling on their back can be an appeasement behaviour. But if they stay still and stiff, it means that they are worried.
- Licking their lips or yawning a lot can also be a sign that a dog is unhappy.
- Turning away from you can be a sign that they are not happy with what someone is doing. If they give you a quick lick and look away, this is a sign that they have had enough of being close to you.
- Walking away or hiding is also a sign that a dog is stressed. For example, hiding under a chair or going into another room is a sign they need time away.
Aggression
Aggression is also a definite sign that a dog is unhappy, scared or angry. When a dog is aggressive, they will usually show certain body language, such as –
- Ears flat or forward
- Stiff, tall body language.
- Head pointed towards the person/animal they are angry or scared of.
- Stiff tail or they may tuck their tail behind them.
- The dog will stare in a fixed way straight into the eyes of the animal/human they are scared of. They may show the whites of their eyes.
- Teeth bared
- Growling
When a dog displays this forms of behaviour, it is important to stop interacting with them. Don’t try to stroke them or calm them down. They may be angry, but they may also feel threatened and not able to escape, so trying to get near to them may make them feel worse. Just because a dog doesn’t have bared teeth or isn’t growling, does not mean that they may not bite or attack.
All dogs can be aggressive at times. If they feel scared, threatened or angry. Or it may be because they are ill or trying to protect their home or family. For example, if someone knocks at the door, some dogs can become very protective and angry.
If a dog demonstrates aggressive behaviour that is out of proportion to the situation, inappropriate or frequent, then it is important to seek advice from a vet or dog behaviourist.
Excessive Licking
Licking can be soothing and calming to dogs. They may also lick as a sign of affection and because they like the salty taste of human skin.
But sometimes it can be because they have a problem. Excessive licking can cause irritation of their skin, redness and hair loss. Excessive licking of themselves, their human companions, other pets or furniture can be because they are bored and anxious, but it can also be a sign of medical conditions –
- Skin conditions
- Allergies
- Parasites
- Bacteria
- Fungus
- Pain – a dog will lick themselves in the same that a person might rub their joints or muscles if they are sore. Licking releases the dog’s natural painkillers, so it can help soothe the pain.
- Gastrointestinal problems
What do we mean by bad behaviour?
What a dog owner considers bad behaviour may be seen by the dog as perfectly normal. Barking at someone for knocking on the door can be irritating, but the dog is simply protecting their family and home.
Dogs can display a range of behaviours that their owners may not like, such as –
- Fouling in the home
- Aggression
- Barking at other dogs and people
- Pulling on the lead
- Separation anxiety
- Chewing eg. Furniture
It can be easy to retrain a dog to prevent some negative behaviours, but sometimes there are far more complicated things going on. If an owner is concerned about the dog’s behaviour, they should seek advice from a vet or dog behaviourist. A vet can be a good first port of call in case the behaviour is due to an underlying health condition.
Want to Work with Dogs? Understand more about Dog Behaviour?
Do you want to help owners and their animals struggling with behavioural problems?
Why not consider a career in dog training and animal behaviour.
We offer courses that can kickstart your career –
Dog Psychology and Training
Dog Care
Animal Behaviour