FREQUENT BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS

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Dogs may display aggressive behaviours towards people they live with or unfamiliar individuals for various reasons. However, these behaviours often stem from emotions such as fear, anxiety, or frustration, which can lead to high levels of stress for the dogs. Underlying pain may also be a factor. Aggressive behaviour in dogs can pose a risk to members of the household and society and can negatively impact animal well-being. Therefore, it's crucial to address and manage these behaviours promptly. 

Dogs may react aggressively towards other dogs, familiar or unfamiliar ones, due to diverse underlying motivations, frequently related to fear and frustration. Dogs that react adversely to other dogs 

may have had deficient socialisation as puppies, unpleasant experiences when interacting with other dogs, or are experiencing conflict in their interactions. These factors may affect both your dog's and other dogs' welfare. 

Some dogs experience anxiety when left alone, which can result in undesirable and sometimes destructive behaviour. This separation-related behaviour can stem from various factors, with the primary one often being a lack of familiarity with being alone, as dogs are highly social animals. Your dog may exhibit high distress when left alone, so it's important to help them build confidence when they are without you.

Many dogs experience fear responses to various stimuli (e.g., noises, people, objects), often due to limited exposure to diverse stimuli when young or negative experiences associated with these situations. Uncontrolled exposure to fearful experiences can induce high levels of stress that may impact your dog's health and require proper management.

 Some dogs exhibit repetitive behaviours that lack an adaptive function (e.g., paw chewing or tail chasing). Dogs often engage in these behaviours as a means of coping with frustration, conflict, and heightened anxiety. In many cases, these behaviours may initially stem from a physical issue causing discomfort. The manifestation of repetitive behaviours can impede your dog's ability to engage in regular activities and, at times, may result in self-harm. 

 Elderly dogs can sometimes display changes in their behaviour. For instance, they may start urinating inside the house when they didn't before, forget their training, struggle to recognise familiar people, or get stuck in small spaces. These changes are often linked to cognitive decline due to brain alterations or other health problems. Early diagnosis and intervention can help delay the decline and improve the quality of life during your dog's senior years. 

At times, dogs exhibit behaviours such as inappropriate house soiling, destructiveness at home, excessive barking, and excessive playfulness or excitability. These behaviours may arise from factors such as your dog's youthfulness and high energy levels, being new to the home environment, or not having learned appropriate behaviour. However, they can also be indicative of more serious behavioural issues mentioned previously. Therefore, it is important to thoroughly investigate these behaviours and manage them effectively to prevent or treat behaviour problems.