“Be the person your dog thinks you are.”

J.W. Stephens

 

Reasons for Your Dog’s Misbehavior

If you’ve already started working with your dog on their training, but you don’t seem to be making progress, it could mean your dog needs more support in a specific area. Pay attention to where they seem to be struggling and note anything you think could be causing it. Their journey to build basic good behaviors and habits shouldn’t be a difficult one, so if your dog is misbehaving it could be due to several things that are fairly simple to remedy. Anxiety, boredom, lack of structure, too little exercise or even poor nutrition are all valid and common reasons a dog may act contrary to their training.

In this section we’ll take a look at a few undesirable behaviors that may come up and examine some possible causes for them.

 

Anxiety

Your dog’s anxiety can show itself in many ways. Not the least of which is whining, clawing, growling, or even diarrhea and vomiting. Some dogs are simply prone to higher levels of anxiety because of their genetic makeup, traumatic past, or fear of loud noises and new situations. Separation from their family or favorite person is a well-known cause for some dogs’ anxiety. Previous training efforts can also be a contributor to this misbehavior, as well as nutritional deficiencies like low B vitamins, omega-3, or magnesium.

A helpful way to counteract this is by giving them a supplement like Petibles Chill Chews that will support their natural energy cycle (rather than suppress it) while giving them the specific nutrients they need to be able to handle those strong emotions. It’s best to make a concerted effort to find the specific triggers that lead your dog to anxious behavior. Begin desensitizing your dog by slowly introducing them to situations they find stressful. Be sure to reward and praise them for their bravery as you display your own confidence of security in the situation. 

Gathering any info you can and spending time redirecting your dog in these ways will help you to know what steps to take and what steps to avoid. It’ll lead to better success identifying how to move forward with their training.  

Boredom 

If your dog isn’t getting enough mental, emotional or physical stimulation, they will try to make their own way of fulfilling those basic needs. Your dog may be acting out of boredom if they’re chewing excessively, barking and scratching, overeating, or wandering aimlessly.

Restlessness or listlessness are clear signs your dog needs more direction and attention to keep their mind sharp and their body active. Regular physical exercise, training sessions and proper nutritional support are absolute musts when it comes to raising a happy, healthy pup that doesn’t fall into the boredom trap.

Your dog’s nutrition has a direct connection to their ability to learn. A poor diet can lead to things like lethargy, lack of energy or inability to focus, while manifesting themselves in destructive habits or behaviors. 

Keep your dog from feeling bored by challenging them to think during their training sessions. Incorporate exercise into your training sessions and you’ll have a winning combo that will combat boredom while boosting your dog’s overall health and well-being. 

 

Lack of Structure

Hey, we get it. Life is constantly changing and shifting. Sometimes schedule adjustments are unavoidable, but you should have regular elements to your routine that your dog can count on. 

Rules and boundaries should be simple, clear and reinforced in your home. Your dog should know when to expect their meals, training sessions, walks or other exercise, and where the expectations are for behavior around other people or animals. When you set the example of consistency for your pooch and back it up with positive reinforcement, it will provide your dog with the structure they need to feel secure and confident.

Look for ways to add consistency into your routine and adjust the individual elements as needed for your lifestyle. This will help your dog understand the structure of your household while feeling stable and knowing what to expect from their pack. 

Your dog’s nutrition has a direct connection to their ability to learn.

The Connection Between Your Dog’s Nutrition and Behavior

You may not think it makes that big of a difference, but what your dog ingests (or doesn’t ingest for that matter) can make or break their training success. 

The strength of your dog’s gut has one of the biggest influences over their brain and its capacity to function correctly. If your dog is lacking in any of the vital nutrients their system needs, it can cause huge problems that go beyond training. Your dog’s microbiome (the good bacteria in their gut) holds the key to many chemical reactions within their body, so it’s extremely important to give your pup the right nutrients to grow good bacteria and keep it stable. 

We know what you’re thinking…

This book is supposed to be about training, not nutrition.

But, that’s just it. Training starts with nutrition. Neglecting this part can create an imbalance inside your dog that leads to outward issues like disease, trouble learning or even trouble developing. No one can expect a dog who is unhealthy on the inside to be able to perform their best on the outside. This is why your first priority is to make sure you’re giving your dog a complete balanced diet and the nourishment they need.

Let’s go through a short checklist of things you can do to give your dog the best opportunity to succeed in their training.

Feed a Balanced Diet (read the labels)

Labels are complex these days. Nearly every dog food company out there wants you to believe they have what your fur baby needs. But unfortunately, looks can be deceiving. One simple, but effective practice is to turn the product over and read the label on the back. Many dog food formulas include harmful ingredients such as GMOs, hormonal additives (BHA and BHT), or preservatives (sodium nitrite, ethoxyquin) which could easily affect the way your dog functions inside and out. You also want to avoid anything with meat by-products, corn meal, high amounts of wheat or soy, and food dyes such as yellow 5 and 6 and Red 40. 

Some dogs have had allergic reactions and others have seen much worse due to these unnecessary ingredients. Be on the lookout for these, dog parent. Make sure the food you feed your four-legged family member is wholesome and healthy. It doesn’t need to be the most expensive, but it does need to be balanced and free of harmful ingredients so your dog’s brain is healthy and able to learn.

Be Consistent with Training (and treats)

One thing we want you to remember is that everyone is different and some techniques won’t work for some dogs. That’s ok! What we hope you’ll take from this eBook is that being consistent with your training is more important than being perfect (which no one is). Pick a method and stick with it. Find ways to make it easier for you to keep going and create nuanced styles that fit your personality and lifestyle. 

If treats will be a key part of your training method, be sure to choose a high quality product and give them to your dog in small amounts, so it won’t upset their digestive schedule. Ice is a fun “treat” that works great for some dogs (especially in the summertime), while others may enjoy raw carrot slices. Whichever method, treat, or structure you choose, give it a fair chance to do its work.

Give a Natural Supplement Tailored to Your Dog’s Needs

A word about supplements: make sure they’re natural. You want to choose a high-quality dog chew supplement made with ingredients designed to support your dog’s overall health and digestion. Several supplements on the market today contain ingredients designed to increase shelf life (Sometimes the actual verbiage says, “to preserve freshness.”) rather than contributing to your dog’s health. The amazing thing is that natural preservatives, such as potassium sorbate, can actually add nutritional value in small amounts while providing the shelf stable benefits needed to make sure your supplements arrive on your doorstep safe and sound.

Do your research and make sure what you're feeding your pooch is 100% tailored to their health, their system, and their needs.

 

 

- Written by Allison Tunin and The Petibles Team