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Ear and body handling are essential skills for every dog. Teaching trust and comfort for ear handling is best done before an infection occurs. Training for ear handling should be done when the ears are not painful. Using sedation and anesthesia is always a good idea for painful ears.
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The terms alpha and dominant are often misused when it comes to dog behavior. When dogs exhibit undesirable behaviors, including aggression, they are not attempting to become "alpha". Using confrontational training techniques to subdue a dog and reduce its status can cause physical and emotional damage to dogs and their people.
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Dogs are routinely neutered to prevent undesirable behaviors such as urine marking as well as to prevent unplanned litters of puppies. Neutering has both positive and negative health and behavioral consequences. Talk to your veterinarian about whether and when to neuter.
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Play and exercise are crucial for the wellbeing of every single dog. Choosing the right kinds of play and best plan for exercise helps dogs be well-rounded and appreciated companions.
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Settling in the house and remaining calm when approached or handled are great life skills for any dog. Like any skill, these behaviors are learned through practice. Positive reinforcement techniques can be used to teach dogs how to settle and relax on cue.
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If your dog has threatened or displayed any signs of aggression, the problem is likely to continue until appropriate steps can be taken to identify the cause and modify the pet's behavior. A necessary first step is prevention and avoidance of further incidents. Not only is this essential to ensure safety, but each aggressive display may actually serve to increase the chances that the aggressive behavior will continue.
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When household dogs fight, it can be physically dangerous and emotionally disturbing. An accurate behavioral assessment is critical to learn the motivation for aggressive behavior. Both dogs should be screened for medical and behavioral illnesses that may be causing or contributing to aggressive behavior.
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When household dogs fight, it can be physically dangerous and emotionally disturbing. Often, a treatment strategy that includes behavior modification, management, and medication can create a positive outcome by improving predictability and safety.
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There are multiple reasons that a dog may exhibit aggression toward family members. The most common causes include social conflict-related aggression, fear-based or defensive aggression, possessive aggression, food guarding aggression, and redirected aggression.
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Even though dogs are a social species, some dogs exhibit aggression toward dogs outside their immediate social circle. There are many possible reasons for the behavior, and an accurate assessment is essential. A medical exam is important to check for underlying pain or illness.