Dog Behaviour
-
Dealing with Excessive Barking
Barking can be a major problem – not just for dog owners but their neighbours also. There are 5 main reasons a dog barks, being: 1) an excited bark, 2) watchdog – guarding either territory or owner, 3) I want something barking, 4) fearful bark and 5) boredom barking. The first step is to find out which sort of barking your dog is doing. If it’s excitement barking, this isnt usually a problem as it stops when the excitement does. Depending on the context and surroundings of the situation, if your dog gets over excited about playing with a toy, then you can come into conflict if other dogs are…
-
What to do if your dog is in a fight
Just like people, there are going to be dogs that don’t get on as well. What we humans can transfer down the leash without realising, restricts our dogs’ movement, stopping them from making the necessary signals in their daily lives. Once a fight has begun there is little you can do without risk of injury to yourself or escalating the problem. The best way as a responsible dog owner to minimise the hazard, is to stop a fight before it happens. You can do this by being aware of your surroundings, paying careful attention to any oncoming dogs, watch how other dogs enter yours and your dogs space – if…
-
Firework Fears – Advice for Dog Owners
Bonfire night will soon be upon us and if you have a pet that doesn’t like the fireworks, here are some tips that may help… First of all, try not to alter your own behaviour in anticipation of what your dog may or may not do. Try to treat Bonfire Night and the surrounding days the same as any other, as your dog will most certainly pick up on any changes. If possible, give your dog more exercise with a second outing earlier in the day, so as not to be out when the festivities begin. Make a safe place/bed somewhere quiet in the home, possibly a few days to…