How To Avoid Dog Manias

Each dog is a world and has its peculiarities. But some of their behaviors that humans can find strange or annoying, are absolutely normal for them. However, other behaviors can fall under what specialists call compulsive disorders. In any case, today we tell you how to avoid dog mania.

Dogs often look like us

Let’s start from the basis that most of the behaviors of the furry, whether normal or abnormal, are usually influenced by the way of being of their owners. Curiously, it seems to be true that dogs resemble their owners.

It happens that, with so many years of domestication, the dogs learned to imitate some of our behaviors and also our tricks. So, if the owner is nervous, the dog may be too. And if he’s somewhat aggressive, your dog is likely to behave the same way.

In any case, we must be attentive to those behaviors of our furry that are annoying, and try to identify the reasons why they occur in order to try to effectively solve the problem.

Although many behaviors of the furry -which can be strange or annoying to humans- are absolutely normal for them, some behaviors can be classified as compulsive disorders. In either case, there are ways to solve the so-called dog manias.

Some dog hobbies

Among the issues that from the human point of view we could call “manias” of our dogs, we can point out :

• Urinate and defecate in different places in the house.
• Make wells in the garden.
• Stealing – and even burying – food and various objects.
• Shred clothes, shoes, papers, etc.
• Eat their droppings.
• Be aggressive with your own or strangers.
• Barking at the doorbell, ringing phone, etc.

Trying to correct the manias of the furry

Many of these issues can be solved by reminding or re-educating our four-legged friend with some training guidelines. Patience and perseverance are the trump cards to successfully educate a furry dog.

Remember that:

• You should use the so-called Positive reinforcement : reward good behaviors and ignore bad ones.
• In no way should you punish the animal. You will only add to the problems.

• It only serves to scold the dog if you find him red-handed in bad behavior. If you do it later, the only thing you’ll do is confuse him because he won’t know what the reason for the challenge is.

What to do when dog manias continue

But if the manias persist, it is likely that in some cases it is a sign that something is not right with your furry. You could be suffering from:

• Some health problem.
• Stress (especially due to changes in your routine).
• Separation anxiety

Consult your vet to help you detect the causes and find the right solution.

Although sometimes the answer may be that you are not paying enough attention to your furry and exacerbate some of its behaviors to capture your affection.

Compulsive disorders in dogs

But it can also happen that the dog begins to compulsively repeat some behaviors. Within the so-called compulsive disorders, the following are included:

• Constant licking of an area of ​​his body, leading to a wound.
• Chase his tail.
• Walk in circles.
• Hunt non-existent insects.
• Attack your food bowl.
• Growling at himself.

Although there are certain dogs that have a genetic predisposition to develop this type of disorder, the main reason is usually found in conflictive situations in their environment.

Consultation with a specialist in animal behavior is essential in these cases to identify the reasons and indicate the most appropriate treatments to avoid this type of dog mania.

The dog looks like you, but it is still a dog

In any case, always keep in mind that the dog is a dog and what may seem strange to you is absolutely normal : barking, digging holes, raising its leg to pee in different places …

The secret is to find the balance to achieve a good coexistence between dogs and people, and that is achieved with a lot of perseverance and, above all, with a lot of love.

Image courtesy of Mark.