Behavior Problems

While nuisance behaviors like barking, jumping, and nipping can be troublesome, they generally do not carry the same damaging potential of some more serious behavior problems like aggression and separation anxiety.

If you have a dog that suffers from a more severe behavioral issue, the best thing you can do is to avoid the use of any confrontational or punishment-based training methods, as this can exacerbate aggression, fear, and anxiety-based issues.

Some 'obsessive-compulsive' (OCD) behavior issues such as excessive licking, spinning and tail chasing can be difficult to curb, but in all cases the key to managing these issues is in first truly understanding how your dog thinks and experiences his world. Fear of going to the vet or getting in the car can cause serious health and lifestyle problems, while common noise phobias to triggers such as fireworks or thunderstorms can be managed and even prevented provided you start training early enough.

Positive training methods are the key to reducing aggression, lowering a dog’s stress level, stopping resource guarding, and more. With patience, the right motivator for your dog, and a great positive trainer, even the most challenging behavior problem is within your reach to solve.