Dog Behaviour according to a TV show
Vet
He
actually
said to parents of a girl who was scared of her German Shepherd
jumping on her when she ran around the yard playing, to make a dog
run alongside the shed and lock up the dog when she is home and let
the dog have the run of the yard while she is at school. I
never heard such crap in my life, have you?. He needs to watch the UK show
with the animal behaviourist Victoria, she knows what she's talking
about.
This
bloke is a good Vet, but most of the time where he gives advice on animal
behaviour you need a bulldozer to come clean it up. If he does know
the answer then he should take a few weeks to help train the animal
and owners or avoid these questions for TV.
Dog Behaviour Problems
It would be
impossible to cover all types of behaviour problems here so I will talk about the
most common ones people seem to have. All Information here is a guide only so do
not take it as gospel.
BARKING I don't see as a problem,
so long as its for a reason like some one at the door or a prowler or stranger
or excitement when a liked visitor arrives or you arrive home. However continued
barking at night upsetting neighbours, well that's real annoying and in my books
a great NO. In almost all cases the night barker is lonely, bored or
scared or wants company and is locked up alone in the yard with no one home or
the owner simply doesn't care and wants the dog outside. The cure is to
leave the dog inside, a second dog for company. Usually these dogs don't have a
great deal of attention from the owner. Such owners should look at giving the
dog to some one who will treat them with love as they will either dig or bark
forever and be unhappy.
RUNNING AWAY or wandering the
streets is also usually a unhappy dog who does not get much attention. Find them
a home. The exceptions are if they go looking for you or they where scared by
loud noises, weather, fireworks. All mine never go out the gate, even if its
open, they are happy pooches.
CHASING OTHER DOGS, ATTACKING DOGS,
PEOPLE this will be covered more under training. If you
can't trust your dog then when in public a lead is essential with a chocker
chain for large strong uncontrollable dogs. Until trained prevention is better
than cure and court problems. Hopefully you are not approached by another
dog or stranger as you may have problems. In a dog fight lifting both dogs back
legs off the ground by both owners will make the dogs let go of each other
(usually within thirty seconds). Trying to separate them by any other means
could end up in a owner being bitten. A lone approaching dog can back off if you
make a noise with a bunch of keys and make like you going to throw it at them
while also shouting at them, however this may not always work. Never run away.
Move slow away and stay facing the aggressor who will follow you for a distance.
If you turn your back and walk away he will come up to your dog so keep facing
him.
Dog Bite Prevention
We hear a lot these
days about dog bites. The media love it probably because there is no better news
so they dramatize and take it as far as it will go. The dog of course is nearly
always put down, weather guilty or not guilty, at least I have never heard of
one not put down. Who cares about the reason?
In most dog bites
its the fault of the person, parent or kid through lack of knowledge. Never
approach, attempt to touch a strange dog, never approach from behind and touch,
don't enter a property with a dog without the owners knowledge, consent.
A owner knows his
dog best. If owner consents then hold out your hand slowly standing in front of
the dog with owner present so the dog can sniff you and if no sign of aggression
then its presumed safe to touch.
Training
To train a
aggressive dog desexing, professional obedience classes is recommended. I
have had success with a dog who wanted to rip into any people and animals in
its sight by using a chocker chain and while amongst people and animals
distracting him with heel, walk, stop and NO with a shark jerk to the lead each
time he wanted to go some one. He settled down surprisingly quicker than I
expected and became docile. So long as the owners kept up what they learnt that
day he will remain a nice dog. Never forget though if in doubt take no
chances. Successful training works best with trust on both sides and for this
there must be a bond and to get that there must be a relationship and to get
that spend time playing, training, take them with you as much as possible, treat
them like one of the kids in the family, after all, that is what they should be.
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