How to Stop Five Common Dog Behavior problems

Every dog owner has some dog obedience problems at certain times, and it is not hard to believe that you are alone with your dog's behavior problems. Do not fret! Many other dog owners will be having similar canine obedience problems and the good news is that these difficulties can be overcome with little time and patience.

1. Toilet training problems
Dogs naturally prefer to go from the den to Potty. However, there is a problem when the dog does not understand that the whole house is their home and also when the dog cannot go outside often enough to urinate. Therefore, if you do not allow your dog out often enough, the problem is not difficult to handle! Although once a dog urinates inside, he may think that it is okay to do it over and over again.

Develop a routine for the dog to potty at the same time every day, and praise them strongly. However, do not get angry if your dog does not urinate inside. Anger and yelling do not help when you are training a dog. Make a sudden sound, such as clapping, when your dog begins to relieve itself at home, and then remove the dog outside at once so the dog begins to connect outside with urinating. This requires constant vigilance and a lot of patience, but it's worth the effort.

2. Dog Aggression
There are a number of reasons why a dog can become aggressive. If you have adopted a mature dog, it is possible that he may have been badly treated as a puppy. If you brought up a puppy without proper training, the dog may try to assert its dominance over you. When your dog feels bored or has a lot of energy, he could have developed anxiety problems, and these should be moderated by your strong, alpha leadership.

Aggression Directed at children, strangers and other dogs in your home. The training used to eliminate this aggression is used to reinforce the positive re-enforcement. Put the dog on the leash and stand at a certain distance from the cause of the aggression (the children). Give your dog praise and treats and then approach the source of the aggression. The dog will finally begin to appreciate this as a supply of reward and pleasure and will get excited, will not get angry or become aggressive. Often, just by providing clear leadership, you can stop any negative behavior of the dogs inside your home. Also, when you go for a walk with your dog, you should avoid making a fuss when a dog comes close.

3 . Barking
All dogs bark at times, either to show enthusiasm or to tell you that they are bored. The problem is that some dogs never stop barking. The goal is to limit the obsessive barking and not try to stop all barking. Never give your dog what it wants when it barks. If you have to walk away from the dog without paying attention to the barking, do it! Giving what the dog wants (especially your attention) when he barks will simply teach him to continue. Basic training can be especially useful to reduce the barking behavior in your dog. Train the dog to sit and lie down, and be quiet. These basic commands lead the dog to divert his attention to you and away from whatever they are barking about. Therefore when your dog barks excessively, use the sit command, until the barking ends, then reward and praise the correct and calm behavior. Again, this will take a lot of time and a great will to succeed!

4. Chewing
Chewing begins when the dog is small and teething, however as the dog becomes more mature; chewing can become a significant and unwanted problem. Dog owners that give their puppy’s socks or old shoes to chew are basically saying that this is fine. If you did this when your dog was a puppy, then you would have to take some time to correct the pattern of behavior you created.

Make sure you have a substitute, such as a rawhide chew, to give when the dog begins to chew on the cushion or shoe, and immediately give them this to chew instead. There are also aerosol sprays sold by most pet stores, which are unpleasant for the dog and this help prevent the chewing of certain objects. Also, you must train your dog to "leave it". This command takes time to understand, but it will make a big difference to the dog chewing problem and also as helping on other occasions when your dog picks up something unwanted when you are out and about.

5. Separation anxiety
A dog is a very social animal and when left alone, they can grow frightened and worried that you may not come back. From whining and barking to chewing, digging, and tearing. A dog with separation anxiety is very difficult to cope with. When you go out and return home, it is essential that you do not give your dog too much fuss and ignore any excitable behavior. For moderate anxiety, simply taking no notice of your dog for a short time will greatly reduce their anxiety.
For more serious anxiety, start by leaving your dog alone for very short periods of time. Do not pay attention to the dog when you return. Just stay calm and wait until your dog is calm. Then do it all over again. In a period of days or weeks, expand the time of these periods, till you can leave for a whole day.