Bad Dog! | Teen Ink

Bad Dog!

May 19, 2009
By Laura Carroll BRONZE, Marietta, Georgia
Laura Carroll BRONZE, Marietta, Georgia
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

Behavior problems are common in all dogs. Labradors, and Dalmatians are two dog breeds that are said to have a wide variety of behavior problems. Behavior problems in dogs can range from eating other animal feces to digging holes in your back yard. There are simple solutions to all of these. A dog’s behavior is very different from time to time. When dogs are being dominant they try to be the “pack leader”. They will try to get every dog and person to submit to them. Sometimes a dominant dog will stare at you. When this occasion happens NEVER break your stare. Always let them break their stare first. Breaking your stare first will tell the dog that you are submitting to them. So always have your dog break the stare first to let them know that you’re the pack leader and not them.
Another common behavior of a dog is to eat other animal’s feces. Some veterinarians say they eat feces because their food that they are getting fed is not providing them with enough protein. Try feeding your dog a dry food that is at least 23% meat protein, and about 25% raw meat. In addition, add an egg or a tablespoon of vegetable oil every few days with his/her food. When dogs eat feces they have the risk of getting internal parasites. If your dog does eat feces then just have it checked routinely by your veterinarian. But, if you want to try putting a stop to your dog’s eating feces try this. Put Tabasco or vinegar on the feces. When the dog eats the feces it receives an unpleasant taste. This is not guaranteed to stop your dog from eating, but it may help them not do it as often.
Have you ever come home to your dog and find all the of your trash cans dumped over? Well if you said yes don’t think that only your dog does it. If you do you’re wrong. Digging in the trash can and eating trash is a behavior problem most dogs suffer from. From the start you should train your dog never to do this. But if you didn’t you’re in luck. One helpful solution is to spray bitter apple in the trash can. Or take the time to wrap some jalapeños in Kleenex and put them in the trash can. This will let your dog know that there are unpleasant surprises in the trashcan. If both of these are unsuitable for you try putting your trash can somewhere your dog can’t get it.
Have you ever noticed strange behavior in your dog right before you leave your house? Is he barking, acting depressed or even whining. These behavior characteristics may be the sign of separation anxiety. Separation anxiety is a very serious problem in dogs. Every one out of fifteen dogs suffers from separation anxiety. This may not be a bad behavior, but it can lead to bad behavior. When you bring a dog into to your house they become part of your “pack”. When you leave the dog alone, without its pack it gets nervous or panicky. Some common characteristics of separation anxiety are, drooling, panting, barking excessively, using the house as a personal bathroom or engaging in destructive behavior. They may also try to escape from their homes. All of these signs are very serious. Though there are simple solutions, these solutions are not guaranteed to stop the weird behavior. Also try ignoring the dogs five minutes before leaving and five minutes after returning home. Also try using alum on the furniture to interest the dogs. Trying all of the previous suggestions for each behavior is not guaranteed to stop the behavior, but it may help lessen the stress of these characteristics.


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