Many people seem to have questions concerning dog behavior. The American Veterinary Medical Association estimates that over 43 million households have dogs and that there are over 72 million dogs in the United States. http://www.avma.org/reference/marketstats/ownership.asp
I think it is safe to say that dogs are a really important part of people’s lives and understanding their behavior is crucial to creating lifelong experiences for ourselves and our families.
I have had dogs since I was a child and I have a lifetime of experiences, good and bad, so I feel I can provide some insight into how dogs behave and how owners should behave to create the most satisfying experience for us and our dogs.
If you are thinking about getting a dog for the first time, your lifestyle will play a key role in what type of breed is best. The main piece of advice I can give is that you do some research on different breeds and what their characteristics are before you jump in to ownership. The American Kennel Club website www.akc.org has loads of information on every breed and is really a great place to start your search for answers. Please keep in mind that this information will help you to recognize traits in different breeds, so it will be easier to find an animal that fits your life, but purebred dogs are only a fraction of the animals that are out there. When considering making a dog a part of your family; please don’t forget about dogs in animal shelters. Most dogs in shelters will be mixed breeds, but the research you do will still help you in determining what characteristics make the best fit for you.
Here are two opposite examples of why lifestyle is so important. My parents have a Jack Russell Terrier who is absolutely the most active dog I have ever seen. Luckily, both of my parents are very active, so having to play ball with him and walk him for about three hours every day has not been a problem. A dog like this is not cut out for just laying on the couch with you while you watch TV in your apartment if that is your only activity. On the other hand, I have had two basset hounds in my adult life and they are a pretty laid back breed. A small amount of exercise and plenty of rest is great for this breed, so if your want your dog to go jogging in the park with you, a basset hound would not be the best choice.
In general, a lot of dog behavior problems can be solved by just providing great exercise and time outside of your home for your dog. Barking, digging, fence jumping, and destruction problems are most usually caused because your dog is bored out of its mind being in the house all day. A dog needs to be walked everyday rain, snow, or shine. Just think of how boring it would if you had to stay in your house or yard forever while looking at the same things day in and day out with no break from the monotony. Most humans would go insane if they had to do this, so please think before you do this to a dog. This is the main reason dogs begin having behavioral problems. In fact, some dogs actually need a job. Whether it is pulling a wagon to help with gardening, or helping to carry groceries from the store; the dog needs this activity to keep it healthy. Again, do your research because some breeds need this stimulation and some don’t. If you cannot provide exercise and time away from your home for the dog-don’t get one.
Remember that dogs are social creatures and a pack animal, so in households with one dog, the humans become the pack to the dog. This pack mentality creates the need for the human to be the leader of the household. Many people find that when they treat their dogs like humans, problems start surfacing. This will be especially true for breeds that are very strong willed. Breeds that are strong willed need a strong human leader to give them direction. Do not confuse being a strong human leader with being mean or abusive. Some people think that by being abusive to a dog they are creating respect between themselves and the dog which is just simply not the case.
Treating your dog with kindness and affection, while being firm, will create the best experience for your family and the dog. Treating your dog like another human will more than likely create some behavioral issues, so again research is important.
Let me clarify a point that I am sure someone will ask. Something that confuses many people is how to decide when to treat the dog like a human or treat the dog like a dog? When I wonder if it is too cold or hot outside to leave my dog in the yard I think about how I would feel. When I wonder if I should leave my dog in the car when it is warm or hot, I think about how I would feel sitting in the car. These are examples of treating your dog like you would treat a human. When I wonder if I should give my dog whatever I am eating because I feel like my dog is being deprived of something good, I give my dog an appropriate dog snack instead. This is an example of treating my dog like a dog because most food we humans eat that we consider really great is usually not that good for dogs.
Mostly, if you provide a consistent and loving home, dogs are fantastic at being able to adapt to most any situation. I feel that every family should have the experience of having a dog if your lifestyle permits. I cannot imagine my life without dogs, or any animal for that matter. I consider myself really fortunate in that I grew up with many dogs and I hope to always have a dog in my life.
