Connect with us

Blog

Behavioral Therapy for Dogs

Published

on

Behavioral Therapy for Dogs

Behavioral therapy for dogs consists of various components that together form a total package. To start with, an extensive intake interview takes place to get a picture of the dog itself, the history, the undesirable behavior, and the circumstances in which this presents itself. This first consultation often takes 1.5 to 2 hours.

If necessary, video recordings are made to further study the behavior and specific behavioral tests are administered. Based on this, the behavioral therapist establishes a diagnosis and a therapy that is tailored to each individual owner-dog combination. The owner is well and clearly informed and guided so that he can get started with motivation. In consultation with the owner, the progress is evaluated and further adjusted if necessary.

What is Behavioral Therapy

Behavioral therapy, therefore, focuses primarily on the origin of the undesired behavior. Problem behavior is best solved by tackling its cause and not just treating its symptoms.

Of course, this is not always an option. Insufficient socialization cannot be undone by therapy. The therapist can try to improve the dog’s behavior in such a way that the problem becomes manageable. A behavior therapist cannot change anything about genetic predisposition, but in consultation with the owner it is possible to look for possibilities to use the property present in the dog in a different way.

The behavior is then reversed, but not trained away. With these kinds of problems, it is of course important that the owner remains constantly alert. As soon as the adjustment of the undesirable behavior is stopped, the dog will sooner or later revert to its old behavior.

Learned unwanted behavior

When there is learned undesired behavior, it is possible to permanently change this. Here too, the cause of the origin of the problem and the cause of the dog’s persistence in its behavior is again the first puzzle to be solved. It is not always easy to solve that puzzle, but that is precisely the challenge that you do not have to take on yourself; that is a challenge for the behavioral therapist.

Yet behavioral therapy for the owner is just as challenging, because it is not easy for the owner, especially in the first weeks. Suddenly a daily routine has to be completely turned around and everything that has happened so unconsciously until now has to become a thing of the past; every action towards the dog must be thought through. All this is often not easy at all. However, for the dog. He usually picks up on the changes very quickly. They are changes that are made in a language he understands all too well: dog language.

In consultation with the owner, the behavioral therapist can decide to support the therapy with aids. Many aids have now been developed, all of which have their own good qualities. For example, think of the Gentle Leader, the Follow Me or the MasterPlus; all animal-friendly aids with which good results are achieved. Sometimes a blockage has to be removed from the dog first.

Consider, for example, fear. We humans may be of the opinion that there is no reason to fear the dog, but that does not take away the fear in the dog. As a result, he may not be open to new impressions, rendering the therapy meaningless. With the support of Bach Flower Remedies, this blockage can be removed.

fear of failure

In addition, it may be that a dog only thinks it can fail, just like the owner who has already tried everything without success. In such a case it is important for both to be able to do good and to be rewarded for doing so. With the clicker – which is only used to teach things and not to unlearn things – certain problem behaviors can be retrained into new behaviors that are incompatible with the problem behavior.

The clicker quickly shows results and is therefore particularly motivating for both the boss and the dog. The interaction between the two does the rest. In some cases, you can also choose the discs. This teaches the dog that certain undesired behavior that he wants to exhibit, no reward and therefore will not produce the desired result. This removes the motivation for this behavior, so that the unwanted behavior will disappear.

Problem behavior in dogs

Despite all the good care of you as owner and despite the fact that you have indeed followed an obedience course, it is possible that the dog still shows undesirable behavior. When you, or those around you, experience this unwanted behavior as a problem, you have problem behavior.

Examples of this are:

  • Disobedience
  • Fear (of thunder, fireworks, cars, etc.)
  • Can’t be home alone
  • Chasing joggers, cyclists, cars
  • Aggressive behavior towards food or objects
  • Aggressive behavior towards other people and/or dogs

Many owners then try all sorts of things to remedy this problem behavior. Well-intentioned advice from friends and acquaintances is followed, but often without the desired result. Incorrect assessment of the seriousness of the situation often plays a major role in this. Despite all the measures taken, the dog persists in its problematic behavior. In some cases, the unwanted behavior even appears to be reinforcing. The measures taken have then in fact only led to a rewarding factor, which is generally so strong that it is perceived by the dog as more important than the punishment it has received for its behavior up to that point.

Thus, the dog may have dog problems which, if they are not dealt with adequately, can make it a problem dog. It is therefore a good thing, if the dog exhibits undesirable behavior that is experienced as a problem, to call in the expertise of a behavioral therapist. It is wise not to wait too long before calling in this expert, because the sooner a problem is tackled, the greater the chance of success.

Leaving your ear to the well-intentioned advice of other dog owners in your area for half a year is generally half a year of maintaining or even exacerbating the unwanted behavior, while this half year could already have been used to tackle the problems .

puppies

Even puppies, even if they come from a recognized breeder, can show behavioral problems. When the puppy is about eight weeks old, the learning process has played a major role, but not yet played a major role, so there could be a biological cause. If you, as the owner, suspect abnormalities in your puppy’s behavior, it is a good idea to call in a behavioral therapist as soon as possible.

The sooner action is taken, the better. Depending on the breeder, a puppy that is not collected until after twelve weeks may have a lack of socialization. Of course there are breeders who know their responsibilities very well and who spare themselves neither time nor effort to sufficiently socialize a dog that due to circumstances stays a little longer. Unfortunately, it also happens very often that breeders are less conscientious about their puppies.

Pups that stay a little longer are often kept a bit afterwards in the hope that a buyer will come soon. These puppies are not taken outside enough to meet different kinds of people, children and other kinds of dogs, traffic and everything they will have to deal with for the rest of their lives. In addition, there are unfortunately always the so-called “bread breeders”, where the puppies stay in sheds and lofts and do not actually come out until the moment of sale.

These puppies, with a poor to very poor socialization, are not easy to convert into social family dogs; they are disabled. There may even be a kennel syndrome. In that case, the dog is no longer open to its surroundings at all and lives in a hell, as it were. Sometimes, however, it is still possible to make up for the damage step by step, but that requires a lot of patience, time and craftsmanship.

In the case of a very poor socialization, it is not always possible to guarantee in advance whether a therapy will be successful. It is then up to the owner to consider whether he can and wants to invest a lot of extra time in the dog, without guarantee of results. It is also possible that you meet a puppy out of thousands, who behaves well, but who has a traumatic experience. You will often not notice anything about the puppy at first.

Nevertheless, there is a good chance that after a few months he suddenly turns out to have a phobia. For example, if your puppy has been attacked and bitten by another dog, it is a good idea to give him therapy with a behaviorist to prevent possible problems in the future.

Adult dogs

It is often the adult dogs for which a behavior therapist is called in. Of course this includes dogs that are taken from the shelter and that have the necessary scars from dealing with their previous owner. In those cases, intensive re-education comes into play. But it also concerns dogs that have been with their owner from the start.

Sometimes it concerns dogs in whom problem behavior suddenly arises at a later age. The cause often lies in a shocking event, such as moving house or the loss of a family member to whom the dog was particularly attached. Other times, it concerns dogs that gradually developed the problem behavior. Because the owner has never really noticed certain behavior of the dog, has always ignored it, has not corrected properly or has hoped that it would go away on its own, behavior can slowly but surely arise that is experienced as a problem.

Again, the sooner action is taken, the better. This does not alter the fact that many adult dogs, even if they have been causing problems for a very long period of time, are capable of surprising improvements. When we as humans get under the skin of the dog and thus start to think like a dog, we can learn to “understand” the dog and we can adequately “tell” him what we do and do not expect from him.

Dogs generally respond quickly and positively to this. If there is more clarity for the dog, there will also be more relaxation for him. At first, the owner only comes with effort, but soon he will be rewarded for this effort when he can see the improvement in his dog’s behavior.

Of course one problem is not the other and it will often depend on the cause of the problem behavior and the way in which it has been dealt with, how quickly results can be achieved. For example, if his unwanted behavior has always brought something to the dog, you will achieve results faster than it was only once. In some cases, the behavioral therapist will also draw the owner’s attention to the fact that certain undesirable behavior will first increase in intensity, then weaken and disappear completely.

In any case, every improvement stands or falls with the efforts and possibilities of the owner. After all, he is the one who has to do it – under the expert guidance of the behavioral therapist, of course.

Older dogs

That behavior therapy for older dogs is pointless may be referred to the land of fables. Undesirable behavior in older dogs that have been showing this for many years is of course ingrained and cannot or can hardly be remedied anymore, but it is possible to look at dealing with these ingrained problems as well as possible. A behavioral therapist can give valuable tips and advice and help everything in the right direction by means of dog-friendly aids.

There may also be an older dog that has to be transferred due to family circumstances, for example. Such a transfer is not easy for an older dog. His environment and routine were completely familiar to him and he will miss his previous home for a long time. If they come out of the shelter and have had to experience a lot of stress there in their old age, that also has its influence. If an older dog has difficulty with a transfer, whether or not from a shelter, and develops problem behavior as a result, it is certainly useful to call in a behavior therapist.

Just in case there is no transfer at all, we often see an older dog becoming part of the furniture. He does not immediately demand attention and sometimes gets it less and less or not at all. This can cause dogs to become depressed. They may also suddenly develop separation anxiety or show senility symptoms at a later age. This then manifests itself in asking to be let out while they have just returned, not knowing their way any more, living in a “little world of their own”.

The older dog also undergoes quite a few changes physically, which are not all equally easy. For example, they may need to be let out more often because their bladder and bowels are not functioning as well. When an older dog starts to show behavioral problems, it is therefore advisable to call in a behavior therapist. With an objective view of things, he can often put his finger on the sore spot and give advice that both the owner and the dog themselves can use.

Education versus action

When training, you gradually teach the dog something in a positive way. For every piece of an exercise that the dog performs well, he is rewarded and that way you achieve the desired result. So you teach the dog to show certain behavior when you ask for it. Parenting, on the other hand, has to do with social rules.

This applies to both dogs and humans. You can teach a child to read and write at school. Then you talk about education, but if the child then starts writing all kinds of protective words on the wallpaper, the aspect of upbringing comes up for discussion. You will have to let the child know that some things are acceptable and others are not.

The same goes for dogs. Education is therefore about setting boundaries. This is allowed and that is not allowed. In order to discover those boundaries, dogs will often first cross them once. That is the moment when the dog must be made known where exactly the boundary is. Communication is therefore of great importance. We cannot require our dogs to speak our language, but we can master their language.

Continue Reading

Blog

The Ultimate Guide to Finding Your Perfect Pet on a Free Online Classified Ads Website

Published

on

Many people like to buy pets on a free online classified ads website. These websites offer various options for dogs, cats, horses, and chickens. They also feature listings for lost and found animals.

Look for the Right Breed

Whether you want to buy or sell a used toaster, find the perfect date, or adopt a pet, classified ads websites like AmericanListed are a great way to do it all. These sites are easy to use and allow browsing by category or keyword. You can even search for a particular animal by name or color. When looking for your next pet, consider the type of lifestyle you have and what kind of personality you’re looking for in a companion animal. Some pets require more daily attention, including exercise, grooming, and feeding. If you have children or other pets, select a pet breed that gets along well with them. If you’re a relatively sedentary person, consider looking for a small dog or cat that doesn’t need a lot of daily activity.

On the other hand, if you enjoy daily walks and jogging, then a high-energy dog might be perfect for you. Also, remember that many shelter and rescue animals are mixed breeds. These animals may have ended up in shelters for various reasons, from owner deaths to relocation to places where pets aren’t allowed. Regardless of how they came to be there, most of these dogs and cats are wonderful companions. If they do not get adopted, they are typically euthanized.

Look for the Right Breeder

Having a pet is a long-term commitment, and while impulsive purchases are tempting, a new furry, feathery, or scaly friend will cost you money in the form of food, toys, supplies, and vet bills. This is why it’s essential to consider what type of pet you want and whether your lifestyle can handle its needs. Some people go straight for dogs, cats, pigs, or rabbits, while others have more exotic tastes and purchase snakes, lizards, or birds. Whichever animal you’re looking for, it’s essential to consider its personality, what kind of time you can devote, and if you’ll be able to house-train it. There are many ways to find your perfect pet, including animal shelters, rescue organizations, and breeders. But be sure to look for a responsible breeder with pedigree papers and a guarantee of their animals’ health. Another option is to adopt a stray or abandoned pet. Thousands of animals are put up for adoption and may be the perfect fit for your family. Some charities can discuss your lifestyle and suggest the right pet for you. This will help you avoid an animal that won’t be a good match or end up homeless because of insufficient space. The right pet can improve your life, but choosing wisely is essential.

Look for the Right Place

Whether looking for your next pet or getting rid of one, online classified ads are a great way to do it. These sites are free and can provide you with various options. However, it’s important to remember that these websites may have limitations. For example, they may restrict ad placement or the number of listings that can be posted. This can make it difficult for you to stand out in a competitive and crowded marketplace. You can also find information about local veterinarians, shelters, and pet resources. These can help you find a new home for your pet or get advice on caring for it. Additionally, these sites can help you diffuse conflict with your landlord if you plan to bring your pet home.

Look for the Right Price

When posting an ad, include a clear photo of the animal and a description. Be sure to include the age and breed of the pet, as well as any other relevant information. Also, be sure to avoid using any slang or profanity. These types of words may turn off potential buyers. Another tip for finding your perfect pet on a free online classified ads website is to look for the right price. A pet can be expensive, but you don’t have to spend a fortune to find a good deal. You can often save money by adopting a pet from an animal shelter or rescue group. Before you decide to purchase a pet, make sure you do your research and check out the website of the pet shop or breeder. Also, check the Better Business Bureau website for any complaints against the business. This will help you determine if the pet shop or breeder is legitimate and reliable.

Continue Reading

Blog

The Essential Guide to Choosing the Right Veterinary Hospital for Your Pet

Published

on

Choosing the right veterinarian should be one of the top priorities for any pet parent. Veterinary clinics can vary widely in practice philosophies, staff experience and availability, hospital facilities and equipment, and hours of operation.

Start with recommendations from friends, family, colleagues and local animal shelters or rescues. Consider a vet that accepts credit cards like CareCredit.

Experience

Veterinary hospitals vary in the level of care they offer. Some are rural mixed animal practices, while others are state-of-the-art referral centers and veterinary teaching hospitals. Even if you have had a good experience with your current vet, exploring other options in your area is worth exploring. Practice philosophies, staff experience and protocols can all differ from one facility to the next.

When visiting a veterinary hospital in Cold Spring Kentucky, look for empathy and effective communication between veterinarians and pet owners. It would be best to feel comfortable around your veterinarian, as they will play a significant role in your pet’s health. This includes ensuring that you understand their professional advice and recommendations. In addition, the hospital should provide you with a clear understanding of the costs associated with your pet’s care.

Staff

A quality veterinarian and a great hospital go hand in hand. A good vet will also maintain a thorough record of your pet’s health, from routine vaccinations and heartworm tests to emergency treatments and surgical procedures.

The staff at a hospital can also make or break the experience. Look for friendly and helpful people who love pets and want the best for them. You should also be able to communicate easily with the staff, especially when you have an urgent need or a serious diagnosis.

If possible, ask to see the staff “behind the scenes.” You’ll get a better feel for how much your pet and your health matter to the hospital. You should never be pressured into a decision or feel you must be taken seriously.

Reputation

While a vet’s experience is important, so are the facilities and equipment. You’ll want to look for a clinic with in-house X-ray, ultrasound, dentistry and laboratory testing capabilities. These services allow a veterinarian to treat your pet more quickly and efficiently without transporting them.

In addition to basic veterinary tools, like stethoscopes (traditional mercury ones and digital models) and thermometers, ensure the clinic has a warming unit for animals during and after surgery or as needed. Warming units help keep your pets comfortable and may aid in recovery.

Ask friends, family members and neighbors which vet or hospital they take their pets to. You can also check online reviews to see what other pet owners say about the clinic and its staff.

Equipment

Whether you have a dog, cat or exotic pet, your veterinarian’s location can significantly impact your pet’s health care. It’s important to know your area’s veterinary hospitals and their services.

Some facilities do laboratory testing, dentistry, surgery and X-rays in-house, while others have to send these tests away for processing. This can delay treatment time significantly and may even cost extra.

Ask your prospective vet about their equipment, including how they sterilize their instruments and kennels. Also, find out what payment types they accept and if they have any financial assistance options for needy pet owners.

Location

Having a vet close to home can make a difference regarding regular visits. It also can save you time in an emergency when seconds and minutes can mean a lot.

Ask friends and neighbors for recommendations, or check online for client experiences. You can also look for accreditation, such as AAHA or Fear Free.

After narrowing your list, schedule a meet-and-greet to get better to know the veterinarian and staff. During this visit, observe cleanliness and ask questions about clinic policies. You can even tour the facilities to see if you like them. You and your pet must feel comfortable with the vet and hospital. Then, you can focus on ensuring your pet is happy and healthy.

Continue Reading

Blog

How to Choose the Right Artificial Grass for Your Canine Companion

Published

on

Pet-friendly artificial grass is an excellent option for dog owners seeking to save time and money while maintaining their outdoor space. However, picking the right product depends on many factors. Ensure that your turf is made from non-toxic materials. Also, ensure it includes a weed membrane or an antimicrobial layer that prevents bacteria and mildew growth.

Safety

Unlike natural grass, artificial turf is free of toxic elements that can harm pets. It’s also more durable than natural grass and can withstand regular use, ensuring your furry companion’s safety while playing on the lawn. Prospective pet owners can choose from various synthetic fibers, each with benefits and drawbacks. A denser pile is recommended as it can withstand heavy usage and reduce the risk of injuries from sharp sticks or other objects.

Additionally, with artificial grass for dogs, muddy paw prints are a thing of the past, so you can save time and effort cleaning your dog’s paws. Furthermore, if you want to go the extra mile, antimicrobial sand infills and specialized turf deodorizers are available that eliminate unwanted odors for a clean, fresh environment. This way, you can focus on your pet’s well-being. Ultimately, these features will make installing artificial grass a worthwhile investment for dog owners.

Aesthetics

Artificial backyard grass has been developed to resemble the real thing, providing the aesthetics of a beautiful lawn with less maintenance. It doesn’t require mowing, weeding, or water usage, eliminating the need for potentially dangerous fertilizers and herbicides. Dog owners are tired of cleaning muddy paws and floors, so pet-friendly turf can be a great way to eliminate this nuisance. Look for turf varieties with a soft, comfortable feel under your dog’s paws, and select one durable enough to resist matting and tangling. The best synthetic grass for dogs will have a dense pile structure that withstands heavy foot traffic, ensuring durability and a natural appearance. It will also have an antimicrobial coating, which protects against harmful bacteria and ensures the surface remains clean and safe for your pets. This will also help to keep it looking fresh all year round. The coating can also help to prevent the accumulation of waste and odors. A reputable artificial grass product will be designed to withstand the occasional wear and tear that comes with having a pack of dogs play on it. However, this isn’t to say that a synthetic lawn won’t need attention from time to time. Regular rinsing with a hose is necessary to prevent odor buildup and keep your pet’s turf fresh. Periodic visual examination is also recommended for any signs of damage or wear that may require repair.

Maintenance

As a pet owner, you want to create an outdoor environment that will provide your pups with a fun and comfortable space. Whether it’s natural or artificial grass, certain essential elements are needed. Natural grass has the classic appeal but requires significant care with water use and exposes your pet to certain risks, like brown marks from dog urine. Artificial turf eliminates this problem by allowing you to avoid fertilizers and grass food, which can be toxic to dogs. It’s also easier to maintain since you won’t spend much time and money mowing, edging, weeding, or using potentially dangerous chemicals. If you’re looking for synthetic grass that’s easy to keep hygienic and free from foul odors, look no further than our revolutionary antimicrobial products. These include antibacterial sand infills and specialized turf deodorizers that will eliminate unpleasant smells and ensure a fresh, clean environment for your pets. These products are a must-have for any pet owner who wants to ensure the safety and comfort of their furry friends.

Continue Reading

Trending