There may come a time when your dog seems to act out of character. This may
happen even when he has been with the family for some period of time, although
this may be more noticeable in dogs that have just joined your family. This
signals to you that your dog needs some retraining to help him adjust to a
behavior that allows him to be the healthy, happy dog he wants to be.
A new puppy may suffer from loneliness now that he is away from the familiar
companionship of other animals and exhibit signs of nervousness in his new
surroundings. Perhaps you adopted your dog at a shelter and he has a background
resulting in a mistrust of humans. In such cases, something as trivial as a
person’s ordinary speaking voice could trigger a memory that makes your dog
nervous and possibly defensive. He may urinate in odd places or exhibit signs of
irrational behavior, and behave in a manner that is either overly submissive or
over-boisterous.
You need to have patience with your dog and understand that he can’t
rationalize the way humans can. Your dog will need to overcome such behavioral
issues and learn new routines without fear of you or overbearing dominance on
your part. Understanding is key, as is love and care. Having these as the
cornerstones of your approach to training will win you trust and devotion from
your dog.
Do take the time to consult with your vet so that you can check your dog for
any underlying illness. However, if your dog exhibits aggressive behavior, he
should be brought to the vet as soon as possible, not only for his sake but for
people and other animals he may come in contact with. The vet will be able to
check him over, and if your dog has a clean bill of health, it would rule out
ailments as the root cause for behavioral problems.
Should you need help in retraining him, the surgery may be able to point you
in the right direction by suggesting an animal behaviorist that could solve your
problem. Aggressive behavior in dogs needs to be checked and controlled. You
will also need to learn how to handle him. There are several reasons for
aggressive behavior in a dog, and he needs to regain his respect for your
position in the family hierarchy.
It’s simply a matter of figuring out the reasons for a dog’s behavior and to
find solutions that will lead to more trust on his part. He will need to see you
as the pack leader so that his behavior does not run the household, but you need
to do this without frightening him or making him cringe with submissiveness.
Fear isn’t love or devotion. Using fear and abuse to control your dog is a form
of cruelty.
Always remember that your dog should be able to trust you to treat him well
and not to hurt him – and that it is a true privilege to win an animal’s
lifelong devotion.
