7 Annoying Dog Behaviours and How to Fix Them
All dogs, regardless of breed, have some instinctual behaviours that are perfectly normal but might not be suitable for human cohabitation.
These actions are usually aggravating, uncomfortable, or sometimes harmful to the dogs and their owners.
While the urge to carry out these actions is ingrained in your pet, it is utterly possible to reduce or stop this kind of behavior completely.
Patience, consistency, and a positive attitude are some of the qualities that are necessary to fix your dog’s undesirable behaviours effectively.
Here are seven common annoying dog behaviours and how to fix them.
Barking
Dogs bark for a wide variety of reasons; to alert their owner to the presence of visitors or strangers, to scare off other animals, to get their owner’s attention, or in response to sounds such as doorbells or knocks.
A dog barking can be beneficial as it serves to keep you alert and conscious of your environment.
However, excessive barking can constitute a nuisance for the household and the neighbourhood.
A simple way of curbing your dog’s barking is to remove the source of agitation or steer your dog’s attention from it.
You can also train your dog to follow the ‘quiet’ and ‘bark’ commands so you can effectively make them stop barking when you need to.
Chewing
Dogs chew on things as a way of strengthening their teeth and jaw muscles. It is also a way of burning energy and reducing boredom.
A dog’s chewing is often not restricted to only his toys, as cushions, shoes, books, and clothes are some of the articles that fall victim to this destructive habit.
To stop this, you need to teach your dog to know things that are his and things that are not. Whenever you catch your dog chewing on your stuff, stop them immediately and offer them items such as chew toys or puppy treats.
Continue to do this every time you observe this undesirable behavior. They will soon become accustomed to chewing on their own stuff.
Jumping on People
Your dog usually jumps and puts their paws on your legs to show their excitement and express their love for you.
However, this action can become problematic, especially when the dog involved is particularly heavy.
You can fix this by denying your dog the required attention until their feet are back on the ground.
Inform other family members and visitors to refrain from petting the dog or giving them treats. A ‘stay’ or ‘sit’ command is an ideal option in this kind of situation.
Aggression
Dogs have natural aggressive instincts, with some breeds more vicious than most, hence there might be times when your dog would display a certain level of aggression to humans and other dogs.
Aggressive behavior can also be the result of an underlying medical condition. This is especially true if such behaviour is uncharacteristic of the dog.
Take your pet to the vet for a full check-up to eliminate the possibility of illness. Once you determine that your dog is healthy, you can begin to reduce their hostile attitude. You might require the help of a professional to help with shaping your dog’s behavior.
Passing Waste Indoors
Even the perfect house-trained dogs can have accidents occasionally. This might be due to some medical conditions, separation anxiety, or simple recklessness.
You need to first ensure that your dog is not exhibiting this kind of behaviour due to a severe anomaly.
After this, you can then potty train your puppy all over again, preferably with the same techniques you used to teach them in the first place.
Running or Wandering Off
Dogs have a lot of energy and usually love playing or frolicking in the outdoors. They are typically attracted by sights and sounds and are prone to wandering off to explore their surroundings.
Although expected, this habit can prove harmful to the dog, especially in areas of high traffic. Train your dog to respond to your ‘come,’ ‘stay’ or ‘sit’ commands when you are outside.
Another option is to keep them on a leash that is appropriate for their strength while taking walks.
Biting
Puppies have a habit of clamping their mouth and, sometimes, their teeth on their human’s body parts.
While this act is usually harmless, there is a tendency that the dog might end up inflicting pain or damage as time goes on.
Some actions you can take to let your dog know you are not pleased with their behavior are to remove your hand from their mouth while making a sound of pain. Or, redirecting your puppy to a toy when they start to bite.
By doing this consistently, you can get your pup to understand that putting their mouth on you or any other human is unacceptable and that biting is for toys.
