EzyDogTraining.com - Dog Behaviour

Dogs Barking and Bad Dog Behaviour - Naturally

The next time you catch your dog sniffing another Canines behind, don't be so
appalled. Dogs Are actually exchanging important information about their social
status, eating habits and readiness to mate.

Position changes are like the ABC's of dog training. Although you can achieve a reasonable level of control
over your dog just by having a reliable 'sit', teaching 'stand' and 'down' gives you greater control

What might seem like puzzling dog behaviour to us, like bum sniffing, may actually be a vital ritual in the dog world. Dogs Life caught up with animal behaviourist Dr Joanne Righetti, who said a dog's raw instincts have evolved to help them survive.

"There's a wealth of information that comes from each end of the dog. That's how they greet each other. They learn about the other dog's diet, their status for mating and where the dog fits into the hierarchy of the pack," she said.

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It's a bit like catching up for a coffee in canine circles, but with far less social finesse than chatting over a latte. Righetti, who helps owners teach naughty dogs new tricks, said bad behaviour in pets often stems from their natural instincts, which become misinterpreted in domestic situations.

Barking mad

Barking is the most commonly cited problem from dog owners, who are desperate to calm their noisy mutts after midnight or face the wrath of cranky neighbours, or worse still - the council.

Righetti said barking harks back to the dog's ancestor, the wolf. Although it didn't bark, it did communicate to the pack through howling. Living with humans has made doggy talk escalate from simple howls to a wide range of emotional barks that can be loud, aggressive or whimpering.

"We as humans have trained dogs to bark," the doggy shrink said. "We have bred that into them mostly for guarding purposes. We've selected good barking dogs to breed from, like terriers and some of the small ones, like Chihuahua, Maltese and Shih Tzu." Righetti, who has joined television's new animal program - The Pet Show - as an advisor, said finding the motivation behind the barking is the first step towards stopping it.

"If you know why the dog is barking, you're half way to finding a solution. Anything outside the normal routine of the household might cause a dog to bark, like somebody arriving at the house," she said.

Righetti has helped clients curb nuisance barking - like dogs having a go at possums at tam - with simple training exercises, such as moving the dog inside. She said many dogs will bark at inappropriate times because of their natural instinct to play or protect.

"With possums, it's a bit of excitement and another animal in the dog's territory that causes it to bark," she said. As a mother of three boys, Righetti understands the dilemmas of family life, which can start a dog barking for attention. When pets are left alone for long periods of time, barking becomes their stress release and their message of loneliness.

"Barking is thought to be related to communication with an animal's own group, like wolves howling to bring back members of their own pack. It's an emotional response that says 'Come back, you've left me'," she said.

For working dogs that have been bred to perform a job, like herding or retrieving, the need to perform can lead to destructive acts, such as digging up the garden, barking or escaping.

"It is their way of being useful," Righetti said.

Boredom busters, like regular walks, agility training, sand pits, raw bones and toys with hidden treats, can help calm the dog while it's waiting for you to return, and give working dogs a sense of purpose. Dog behaviour can be treated.

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Quote of the Day

"The next time you catch your dog sniffing another canine's behind, don't be apalled. They are actually exchanging important information about their social status, eating habits and readiness to mate"