How To Avoid Dog Manias

Each dog is a world of its own, with its own peculiarities. However, if there are attitudes that to humans seem strange or annoying, but that are absolutely natural for them, there are others that can be framed in what specialists call compulsive disorders. Anyway, today we explain how to avoid dog manias.

Dogs often look like us

We assume that most of the behaviors of our four-legged friends, whether they are normal or not, are usually influenced by the behavior of their owners. Curiously, it now seems certain that dogs resemble their owners.

The truth is that with so many years of domestication, dogs have learned to mimic some of our behaviors – just like some manias. In fact, if the owner is nervous, the dog may be nervous as well. And if he’s aggressive, the dog will likely behave the same way.

In any case, it is good to pay attention to the behaviors of our four-legged friends that are annoying and try to understand the reasons why they occur, in order to find an effective solution to the problem.

Although many dog ​​behaviors – which humans may find strange or annoying – are absolutely natural to them, others can instead be framed as compulsive disorders. In any case, there are methods to correct dog manias.

Some dog manias

Here are some typical “manias” of our dogs:

• Urinating and defecating in separate places in the house.
• Digging holes in the garden.
• Stealing – even burying – food or various objects.
• Tearing apart clothes, shoes, paper material, etc.
• Eating your own excrement.
• Being aggressive with your bosses or strangers.
• Barking at the intercom, ringing telephone, etc.

Try to correct dog crazes

In many of these cases it is possible to find the solution by remembering or re-educating our four-legged friends with some training practices. Patience and perseverance are the winning cards to be able to properly educate a dog.

Remember that:

• What is called positive reinforcement should be used : rewarding good behavior and ignoring bad behavior.
• In no case should the animal be punished. It only risks increasing the problems.
• The animal should only be scolded if it is caught in the act in the wrong attitude. Punishing him later will only confuse him, as he will not be able to understand the reason for the punishment.

What to do when dog fads continue

If the delusions persist, it is likely that some of them are a sign that something is wrong with your pet. They could be a symptom of:

• Some health problems.
• Stress (mainly due to a change in his routine).
• Separation anxiety.

Consult your vet to help you identify the symptoms and find the right solution.

However, often the answer may simply be that you are not paying enough attention to your four-legged friend, and that the animal is exaggerating some of its attitudes to get your attention.

Compulsive disorders in dogs

However, it can also happen that the dog begins to repeat certain behaviors in a compulsive way. Among what are referred to as compulsive disorders are:

• Constantly licking an area of ​​the body, until it causes a wound.
• Chasing your own tail.
• Go around in circles.
• Hunt non-existent insects.
• Attach your own food bowl.
• Growl and himself.

Although some dogs have a sort of genetic predisposition to develop this type of disorder, the main reason that causes them is due to conflict situations that arise around the animal.

When these situations occur, it is advisable to consult with a specialist in animal behavior, so that he can identify the reasons that push the animal to act in this way and indicate the most appropriate treatments to avoid the occurrence of this type of mania in the dog. .

Dogs look like us, but they are still dogs

In any case, always keep in mind that the dog is a dog, and all that may seem strange to him is the absolute normality : barking, digging holes, lifting the paw to pee in different places …

The secret lies in finding the right balance to achieve a good coexistence between dogs and people, and this will be achieved with great perseverance and, above all, with a lot of love.

Image courtesy of Mark.