Dog behaviour gone south
Dog Behaviour Problems & Solutions
Biting Puppies
Any person who has spent some time with a puppy will tell you two things:
- They’re as adorable as can be
- They have needle-sharp teeth
Is your love towards your bundle of furry joy tempered by constant, painful biting? Do you feel like your pup’s favorite squeaky toy? We can help.
The first thing to keep in mind is that dogs, having no hands to manipulate their environment, use their mouths as both a tool and a play implement. As such, your four-legged shark is displaying normal, if painful or destructive behaviour.
Taking your epidermis off the front line is possible. Puppies are sponges and will learn quickly to differentiate between your sensitive flesh and proper, doggy resistant toys.
Excessive Barking
This one is a classic. Who, after all, hasn’t heard a barking dog going through endless solos for the benefit of the whole neighborhood?
Some dogs bark because they’re anxious when alone. Some bark out of sheer boredom. Others are simply afraid of outside noises or movements.
No matter the reason, chances are that barky Fido is not the best loved by the neighbors.
Now what if this concert artist is your dog ?
Do you avoid talking to your neighbors for fear that they’ll complain about your vocal pup? Do you live in fear of a call from your landlord? Have you received hefty fines for disturbing the peace?
Email us! We’ll help you understand why your dog barks, set you up with protocols to solve the issue and bring peace back to your household.
Fearful Dogs
You’re walking down the street. It’s a beautiful, sunny day. A gust of wind rustles a trash-bag on the sidewalk, or a big truck passes you on the street, or maybe the mailman walks by and all of a sudden, your dog pulls back, tail tucked between his legs and screaming bloody murder while desperately trying to get as far away from the apparently innocuous object.
Welcome to fearful dog land.
Since we worked in shelters for extended periods of time, this issue is one we’re very familiar with.
Fear in dogs is very distressing to all parties involved. People feel bad and often ashamed at their companion’s state of unrest and irrational antics. At the same time, dogs are running a daily gauntlet in a danger-filled world.
There are two things to keep in mind when dealing with fear:
- No matter how silly it seems, to the dog, the danger is real. This discarded bag of chips is out to get him!
- It can be worked on and made much better.
Need help with a fearful dog? Contact us!
Reactive Dog Training
Is your dog lunging, growling or barking at other dogs, other humans or even some inanimate objects on the street? Such dogs are deemed “reactive” and theirs is an issue that’s quite common nowadays.
Reactivity is a common issue with dogs and often takes root in the animal’s fear or discomfort towards certain triggers.
If you feel stressed out during every outing, worried that your pup will “snap” and make a scene or even hurt someone, wait no more and give us a call today!
The Bravo Fido team has had first-hand experience with reactive dogs and can help you fix that problem!
Biting & Aggression
Working in shelters, we saw scared and aggressive dogs every day. We are happy to be able to help committed owners work with dogs with these issues.
Aggressive Dog Training
Aggression is a serious issue, with potential for both bodily harm and psychological damage to humans and dogs alike. We have tools and knowledge to help you with this. You can find peace of mind again and make sure your dog doesn’t hurt anyone or endanger himself with his behavior.
Correcting Dog Biting
Dog bites are painful, scary and even, in the worst cases, potentially lethal.
Nobody wants a companion animal that goes around biting people but one thing needs to be said: under duress, all dogs can bite. Most of them do so to protect themselves from real or perceived threats.
Bites don’t happen out of the blue. There is normally a sequence of events leading to them and we can help you figure it out and give you tools to avoid future incidents.
A Positive Approach for Results
These are serious issues but they don’t require a heavier hand. Aggression is rooted in fear. By punishing a dog for aggression, you may have punished the bite but have increased the fear.
Most biting dogs are desperate to be understood and bite out of sheer fear or discomfort. At Bravo Fido, we’ll help you understand why your dog is biting and how to make it better.
Help! My dog just bit or snapped!
1st – remove your dog from the problematic situation. Do what you need to do to get the dog away but do not punish the dog beyond this. He is already stressed!
2nd – check on the victim. Apply first aid. Be compassionate.
3rd – do not retry the dog in the same situation to see if it will be better. After a bite, your dog’s stress hormones are high and can remain elevated for days after. Allow your dog to settle down in a calm quiet place. It is natural to want to scold your dog but this will only increase stress.
4th – write Bravo Fido to schedule an appointment. We will give you pointers to follow to ensure safety until we can see you.