Understanding dog psychology can be a difficult prospect, because, unlike human patients, dogs cannot explain their impulses. Instead, owners, veterinarians and dog trainers need to figure out a dog’s motivations from the animal’s behaviour. Understanding these motivations can help caregivers to correct behavioural issues such as anxiety, aggression and inappropriate elimination. Because many dogs are surrendered to shelters or put down because of these behaviour problems, solving them is extremely important.
Aggression and Biting
Aggressive dogs are dangerous pets, so it is no surprise that aggression is the most common problem seen by canine behaviourists. Unfortunately, because there are many reasons why dogs become aggressive, there is no one cure for all aggressive dogs. However, a large percentage of aggressive dogs respond well to treatment once their owners can find and treat the issues that cause them to bite, growl, lunge or display other signs of aggression.
Causes for aggression in dogs can include:
- Fear.
- Competition for food or other resources.
- Territorial defense.
- Predatory behavior.
- Pain.
- Medical issues.
In order to determine which of these factors motivates a particular dog to act aggressively, behaviourists interview the owner about each aggressive episode and try to find clues as to the dog’s motivation. They also physically examine the dog to rule out a medical problem as the cause of the aggression. Once they have a better understanding of when and why a dog is aggressive, behaviourists can recommend appropriate treatment. Common treatments include training, avoidance of situations that provoke aggression and medications.
Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety is another common complaint of dog owners. Some dogs destroy furniture or possessions, claw at doors or windows, bark incessantly or urinate and defecate inappropriately whenever they are left alone. These animals may also whine, tremble or become depressed each time their owners prepare to leave the house. Because dogs are social animals, one does not need to be a dog psychologist to understand why these animals prefer not to be left alone. However, the realities of a typical dog owner’s lifestyle require that most dogs spend some time alone. This means that dogs with separation anxiety require treatment to help them deal with necessary separation. Treatment for separation anxiety usually includes medication and behavioural modification.
Fear
Dogs can be afraid of many things including thunderstorms, loud noises, certain people, colors, objects, etc. Signs of fear in dogs can include:
- Hiding or attempts to escape.
- Growling, scratching or biting.
- Whining or other vocalizations.
- Urination.
- Defecation.
- Anal gland discharge.
- Pacing.
These behaviours usually worsen as the cause of the fear gets louder or closer and improve once the cause is removed. In the context of evolution, some fear is healthy. It causes dogs to run from predators, fires or other dangers. However, sometimes dogs show fear of inappropriate everyday objects or occurrences, or their fear responses become extreme.
In cases where the trigger for the dog’s fear cannot be removed or where the fear produces dog behaviour that is out of proportion to the cause, treatments are available. These include medications and desensitization therapy. It is important to note that desensitization should only be carried out under the supervision of a qualified veterinary behaviourist. If done incorrectly, attempts at desensitization can worsen fear.
Problems with Housebreaking
When most people think about dog training, they think about housebreaking. After all, having a dog that does not urinate or defecate in the house is very important to most dog owners. Because dogs are social animals, what is important to their owners is important to them. For this reason, most dogs are relatively easy to housebreak.
Problems, however, do occur. In many cases, these problems are due to medical conditions such as urinary tract infections, neurological problems, arthritis or other issues. In other situations, the problems are behavioral. Most of the time, this means that the dog has become fearful. The cause of the fear can be something upsetting that happened on a walk, something new in the neighborhood or the yard or another issue.
Treatment in these cases involves finding and avoiding the cause of the fear and retraining the dog not to eliminate in the house. If these measures are not sufficient, the dog might need medication or desensitization therapy.
The Bottom Line
A better understanding of common canine behavioural problems, such as aggression, fear, separation anxiety and housebreaking issues, will lead to happier owners and happier dogs. It can also help to keep dogs from being surrendered to shelters or put down due to their behavioural issues. In this way, understanding dog psychology, while sometimes difficult, can actually saves lives.
