Common Problematic Behaviours of Dogs and Solutions for Them

Posted by Shaheen Shaikh on March 18th, 2023

You may often misunderstand problematic dog behaviour. Perhaps you are considering getting a dog or are a new owner or like to help your pet with challenging behaviour. To prevent and rectify it, the first step is to properly understand the common behavioural problems of dogs. Giving proper obedience training to your dog can help keep away many of these problems. So, here are some common behavioural issues of dogs and solutions for the same.

Barking

Excessive barking is seen as problematic behaviour. When you find your dog barking too much, try to understand the cause for it which can be:

• Warning or alert
• Excitement and playfulness
• Attention-seeking
• Boredom
• Anxiety
• Responding to other dogs

Consider training your dog by giving him quiet/bark commands. Be patient and consistent and address any underlying issues for this behaviour.

Chewing

Excessive chewing can be a dog behaviour problem if that leads to destruction. Dogs usually chew due to:

• Teething at the puppy stage
• Excess energy or boredom
• Anxiety
• Curiosity (mainly in puppies)

Encourage your furry buddy to chew on suitable things by giving him proper chew toys. Keep personal things away from his reach. When you are outside, keep him in a place where he can't cause much destruction. If you find him chewing an inappropriate item, distract him with a distinct noise. After that, replace it with a chew toy. Consider making your dog exercise sufficiently to wear off his excess energy so he is stimulated enough and doesn't turn to chew.

Digging

Usually, dogs dig due to the following reasons:

• Excess energy or boredom
• Fear or anxiety
• Hunting instinct
• Comfort-seeking (like cooling off or nesting)
• Desire to hide possessions (such as toys or bones)
• Gain access to or escape from an area

If your pet starts digging up your garden, it can be frustrating. Try to understand why he digs so you can eliminate the cause of it and consider training your dog suitably. Encourage him to exercise more and if digging seems inevitable, train him to dig in a harmless area like a sandbox only.

Biting

Dogs mostly bite instinctively. Pups nip and bite to explore their environment. Mother dogs discipline them at the right time by teaching them not to bite very hard. If a puppy still doesn't learn, you can show him that biting and mouthing are not acceptable by teaching bite inhibition.

Apart from puppy behaviour, dogs often bite for other reasons. Besides aggression, dogs may bite due to:

• Defensiveness
• Fear
• Sickness or pain
• Protection of property
• Predatory instinct

Dogs often bite if the situation warrants it in their mind. You can try to reduce their biting tendency by giving them proper training and through proper breeding practices and socialisation.

Aggression, separation anxiety, inappropriate elimination, begging, chasing and jumping up too often are some of the other common dog behaviours. Consistent dog training with persistence is the key to checking these behaviours. Consider consulting the vet if you think health issues are related to some of these behaviours.