In order to discourage your dog’s habit of soiling your home, it’s important to understand why he’s doing it in the first place. There are several possible reasons, including a host of medical conditions, marking behavior, separation anxiety, and showing submission. We’ll explore each of these factors in more detail below. We’ll clarify the reasons your canine may be eliminating inappropriately, and offer a few tips to help you curb the behavior.

Health Conditions

Dogs often suffer health problems without their owners realizing it. Some of these problems are direct contributors to house soiling. For example, your pooch may have a bladder infection or gallstones. Both can increase urination. Or, he may have Cushing’s disease, a disorder that commonly affects older canines and leads to urinary accidents.

Another common condition in senior dogs is cognitive dysfunction. This is an aging disorder that is accompanied by mental deterioration, increased thirst, and inappropriate urination. Diabetes, issues with the pancreas, and gastrointestinal problems can also play a role.

Make an appointment with the veterinarian to conduct a physical examination for your pooch. If a health issue is causing a urination or defecation problem, it should be identified and addressed as quickly as possible.

Marking Territory

Many animals mark their territory by urination. Leaving a trace of their urine behind is a way to tell others that an area belongs to the animal marking it. Both males and females do it, and learn to do so at an early age.

If you have not yet neutered your male dog, he will be much more likely to exhibit marking behavior in your home. The same is true for an unspayed female. Neutering and spaying often resolves the issue. If your canine continues to mark inside your home, clean the area thoroughly and use a product to eliminate the odor. You may need to cordon off the marking site and confine him to certain areas of your home if he persists.

Separation Anxiety

Sometimes, dogs eliminate inappropriately when their owners are away from home for long periods. As long as their owner remains nearby, the problem is nonexistent. If this describes your canine’s behavior, the issue is likely due to his suffering a degree of separation anxiety.

Does he follow you around the house? Does he appear anxious when you grab your car keys or open the garage door? Does he bark relentlessly when you leave, and greet you excitedly when you return? These are signs that separation anxiety is triggering an elimination problem. The solution involves counterconditioning and desensitization training.

Showing Submission

This problem is more prevalent with young dogs and usually dissipates with obedience training. A young canine may use urination as a way to let others know that he will be submissive to them. Sometime, this is done to show deference to a dominant animal. Other times, the behavior is less discriminatory, which can be particularly frustrating for the dog’s owner.

An effective strategy for breaking the habit is to instill a sense of confidence in your canine. This can be accomplished, in part, by avoiding confrontational training methods, playing retrieval games (e.g. fetch), and exposing him to a variety of environments. Dog treats are a valuable training tool for encouraging confidence and discouraging undesirable urination.

Regardless of the reason for your dog’s inappropriate elimination, realize that he will have accidents, even as you’re trying to curb the behavior. Avoid becoming frustrated since doing so will likely worsen the problem. This is especially true in the case of submissive urination. As with all canine behavioral issues, modification and shaping take time. The payoff is worthwhile.

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This article will provide five important tips for adopting a shelter dog. The following suggestions will help ensure you bring home a healthy, happy, and affectionate canine.

1 – Identify Your Ideal Match

Some breeds are more active than others. Some are perfectly content to sit on the couch all day while others need plenty of exercise. Think about your lifestyle. If you enjoy hiking, jogging, or bicycling, an active breed, such as an American Foxhound, might be more appropriate than a Basset Hound. Also, think about your living space. If you live in a small apartment, a Chihuahua may be more suitable than a German Shepherd. Adopt a pet that accommodates your life.

2 – Get Up Close And Personal

The only way to know whether a given canine will make a good companion is to visit his kennel up close. Take the time to walk through the entire facility and visit as many dogs as possible. Signs of friendliness are easy to spot; you’ll notice a wagging tail, an eager approach, and an excited playfulness. In contrast, if a shelter animal remains in the back of his kennel, and refuses to approach you, that may be a sign of things to come.

Keep in mind, however, that some dogs remain standoffish because they are unfriendly while others are merely shy. The latter can make wonderful companions once they get to know you.

3 – Ask Questions Of The Staff

There’s a good chance the shelter’s staff will have spent significant time with each animal in their care. They’ll know which dogs have quirky personalities, special medical needs, and a spotty history. Speak with the employees (or volunteers) and ask questions regarding the canines that interest you.

Ask about the results of a temperament evaluation (if one was conducted when the dog was admitted). Ask about behavioral tendencies that emerged while in the shelter. Ask whether the canine is friendly, reserved, withdrawn, or playful. It is in the best interests of the shelter to make sure you adopt the right pet. Hence, they’ll be happy to answer your questions.

4 – Get To Know The Frontrunners

It’s one thing to look through the front of a kennel and be immediately drawn to a canine. It is another thing entirely to interact with him. The animal shelter should provide you with the chance to spend time with the dogs you’re seriously considering adopting. Some facilities will let you take the canines for a walk. Others will encourage you to spend time playing with them to see whether you enjoy the interaction. Take advantage of the opportunity. It’s the best way to determine whether a given canine’s temperament is a good fit.

5 – Avoid Rushing Your Decision

Most shelters are willing to hold a dog for you for twenty-four hours. This is a good chance to leave the facility and consider whether a specific canine will fit your lifestyle. Moreover, you’ll be able to do so more objectively without his longing eyes staring expectantly at you. Come back the following day and make your decision. There’s no need to rush.

Adopting a shelter dog is a great way to find a lifelong companion. Use a methodical approach and ask plenty of questions to ensure you bring home a canine that adds to your life.

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Various types of training is available for dog owners. From spray bottles and clickers to treats and training collars, you will find the options are many. If you are unsure of which method will work on your dog, consult the advice of a professional dog trainer. By thoroughly researching, you will be able to find a solution that is going to enhance how quickly your dog learns and put an end to the dog behavior problems.

After you have selected the technique you are going to employ, you have to make your dog understand that their training is not an option. Even though you want to reward the dog for good behavior with treats and kind words, totally ignoring a dog’s bad behavior is not going to make them understand that they must behave well. Instead, be sure you learn the proper way to discipline your dog by using the right tone of voice.

You will need to make your dog’s training sessions fun for them but it needs to be required as well. Providing them the extra attention may be all that it takes. However, some dogs need and want more action in their training. Combine the training with the activities your dog enjoys, such as long walk or run, and you will find your dog is more willing to learn the right behaviors.

When dog behavior problems occur, they are generally dismissed. This can lead to the dog owner thinking there is no way their dog is ever going to behave and they often give up on the dog and some even end up in new homes. Instead of giving away your canine friend, learn how to put an end to their bad behavior. It may take some time to correct them, but once you do, you and your dog will be much happier

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Aggressive dog behaviour can be a major problem for dog owners. In some cases, their dogs are so aggressive and threatening that they are afraid of their own pets. Dogs can sense when someone is afraid and this only magnifies the problem. Such behaviour has led to many heartbreaks through injuries, loss of life and loss of a pet. The ones that end up in shelters are frequently put down as they are considered too dangerous to put up for adoption. This is unfair to the dog because there could be another reason for his aggression.

Diets that are high in protein content contribute to this problem, as indicated during the study. Many members of the study group switched their dogs to a low protein diet and saw significant improvement in their dog’s behaviour. The tests proved that switching to a low protein diet works.

One of the problems with some commercial dog foods is that they contain too much protein for most dogs. Dog owners think that high-protein is good, but that is only true if the dog is under one year old, pregnant, nursing or is a working dog. In these circumstances, a high-protein diet provides many benefits that those dogs need. For example, puppies require protein to help their bodies to grow properly. Too little protein can lead to serious problems.

Working dogs need a lot of energy to do what they do and for this, they require protein that will provide the energy and help them stay healthy and fit. With insufficient protein intake, the dog will get its energy from the body itself instead of from the food, which would be an unhealthy situation.

According to the study, puppies under one year need a diet of 28% protein content. High-performance dogs can benefit from 32% protein diets.

Dogs are instinctively territorial, and to protect it they need some degree of aggression. If he didn’t intruders can kill their young, steal their food and take over their shelter. The difference between a dog protecting his territory in the wild and a domesticated dog is the degree of aggression. If it is excessive, it must be dealt with as soon as possible to prevent injury to their owners and others.

Switching to a low protein diet might be all that is required. Of course, some dogs have behaviour problems that are more extensive and require a different kind of treatment. Dogs that have been abused, isolated or malnourished are likely to have issues that acquire a dog behaviour specialist to overcome them.

Switching to a low protein diet will soon show you whether or not this is the reason your dog is aggressive. Allow enough time to see results, and then switch back to the old diet and see if he changes back to his former behaviour.

You will soon be able to tell whether diet is the cause of the aggressive dog behaviour. If it appears not to be, then your dog might need the help of a dog behaviour specialist who can offer other solutions.

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Most dogs develop a deep and loving bond with their owners, so it makes sense that they would miss you when you’re gone, however there is a difference between this natural and healthy emotion and a much deeper problem. If your dog tries to dig out of your house when you are gone or is exhibiting severe issues about you not being around, he may be suffering from separation anxiety.

In the way that a child can become severely stressed when their parents aren’t around, a dog can also exhibit extreme behavior during separation, usually due to a life change or a past traumatic incident. We’re going to give a few examples of situations that could lead a dog to develop an unhealthy “neediness” to be with their owners at all times.

A year ago, Roscoe was an abandoned puppy—scared and lonely—when his owner found him. He now lives a happy life with a very caring and loving owner. One would think that Roscoe’s story is one with a simple, happy ending…until Roscoe’s owner leaves the house. Suddenly, the neighbors are complaining that Roscoe barks too much, and his owner often comes home to find furniture chewed, trash bins overturned, and scratch-marks on the door.

This is a very common case with animals with a past that includes abandonment. Although a rescued dog can live a happy life and be a great pet, they can still retain issues of feeling as though they will be abandoned again every time their owner leaves the house.

Max is usually a very good dog and rarely creates a fuss. He became a member of the family when his “mom” was pregnant. He was used to “dad” being gone at work most of the day, but was content to man the fort until dad got home to play. This had been the routine for about a year now. Then suddenly, mom starts disappearing during the day as well, and Max is scared and stressed at being left by himself all day.

Life changes can have a huge affect on a pet. This can be a number of things, such as the death of another pet or family member, changes in your work schedule (or the amount of time you’re with your pet decreases), or moving frequently.

There are ways to treat this, but nothing will work instantaneously. These are psychological issues that take time to overcome.  For tips on handling doggy separation anxiety, read the Dog Food for Life eBook. You can also read their free Confidential Dog Food Report, which explains the harmful ingredients that are found in many name-brand dog foods, as well as the brands of food you should avoid or pursue.