Is your pet acting out? Do you feel that their bad behavior is disrupting the home? How do you know when your pet has a real issue and when their behavior is being caused from a health issue? Regular visits to your veterinarian in Ogden is the best way to ensure your pet is in the best health.
Identifying Triggers
When you are looking at what is causing problems for your pet, look at different times of the day or situations when your pet starts to act out. Putting your finger on the triggers can be challenging for several owners. However, failure to understand what is causing them to act out will only make it harder to train them effectively.
Do Not Reward Bad Behavior
If the pet has always jumped on you when you open the door after a long day in the office, you may find it hard to break this bad habit. To stop this behavior, do not bend down and pet them immediately when you walk in the door. When you do this, you reinforce the bad behavior. When you turn around and ignore them instead of bending down and petting them will train them to stop jumping on you.
Obsessive Barking
Has your dog recently started barking when the doorbell rings? If you notice your dog will start barking every time you open the door, you need to show them you are not pleased with this behavior. Find out what the trigger is and remove it. If the doorbell causes the barking, associate that sound with something positive. Sit your dog calmly and ring the doorbell, when they do not react to it, you give them a treat. Over time the pet will learn to avoid barking when the doorbell rings.
Health Issues or Annoying Habits?
If your dog has started changing their behavior, it can indicate there is a problem. If they start peeing in the home, or they stop eating, you need to take them to Skyline Animal Hospital to find out if there is an underlying issue. Animals often start acting out when they are upset with their owners, or when they have a health problem that is causing issues to occur. The vet will need to look at each issue that is occurring to figure out what is causing it.
