Behavior Issues
Behavioral Consultations
At Patton Veterinary Hospital, we can help you with many behavior dilemmas, from litter box issues to house training, separation anxiety and aggression. Sometimes these can be fairly simple to resolve, such as adding more litter boxes or cleaning them more often. However, separation anxiety can be very complicated and may take several visits and much time and patience on your part. We offer behavior modification and medication to help relieve your dog’s anxiety.
Both litter box concerns in cats and aggression in dogs can sometimes be caused by physical problems, so a thorough physical exam is always the best place to start. Sometimes what people think is a behavior issue is actually just a poor match between pet and owner. Of course your Jack Russell is going to bark when you’re gone and bounce off the walls if you do not keep both his little body and his mind occupied. Lots of walks and playtime, as well as interactive toys, are necessary if you are going to keep your Jack and yourself happy and sane! These are just a few examples of some of the behavior problems we address – we’d be happy to help you with a wide variety of issues.
Separation Anxiety
Some dogs, and occasionally, cats, become very anxious when separated from their owners. Separation anxiety can cause a variety of destructive behaviors including urination or
defecation in the house, excessive drooling, destruction of objects, furniture, walls and doors, howling or barking and escape or
Inappropriate Urination or Defecation Outside the Litter Box
One of the most common and most frustrating problems we deal with are cats that go to the bathroom outside their litter boxes. Inappropriate elimination may occur for a variety of reasons including: not having a clean litter pan, conflict with other cats or dogs in the house, preference for a specific location or type of surface or substrate, other changes or stressors in the household and medical problems such as constipation, urinary tract infection or bladder stones. It is very important never to scold, strike or punish your cat for inappropriate elimination as it may often worsen the problem.
There are a number of steps that can be taken to correct inappropriate elimination in cats. After first ruling out and correcting any medical problems, we may suggest a variety of changes to the house and, sometimes may recommend medication for your cat. If your cat is urinating or defecating outside the litter box, please make an appointment to determine if it is a medical or a behavioral issue so your cat can receive appropriate treatment. More information is available at https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/common-cat-behavior-issues/litter-box-problems.
Link to Litter Box Rules???
Destructive Scratching in Cats
More information is available at https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/common-cat-behavior-issues/destructive-scratching.
Puppy and Kitten Play-Biting
Puppies and kittens explore their world with their mouths much like babies do. Sometimes, play can get a bit rough and puppies and kittens may try to bite while playing. While it seems cute and harmless to see a tiny pup or kitten chewing on someone’s finger, this type of play can turn destructive or even aggressive as the pet grows and play biting should be discouraged. Having lots of toys for your pet to chew on and substituting a toy for you hand during play may decrease this unwanted behavior, but, if you are having issues with a pup or kitten that plays a little too rough, talk to one of our veterinarians about how to curb or correct unwanted play biting. More information can be found at https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/common-dog-behavior-issues/mouthing-nipping-and-biting-puppies.
Eating Poop
Many dogs like to eat poop. They may eat their own stool or the stool of other dogs or cats. While there could be an underlying medical condition like maldigestion or severe anemia, in most cases, it is a behavioral issue. It may be simply an investigative or play behavior, it may be a way to remove another dog’s scent from territory, or some dogs will eat stool if they have gone to the bathroom in the house as a way to “remove the evidence” especially if they have been punished for eliminating in the house. While it is not inherently harmful to the dog, it is an undesirable behavior and may cause parasite infestations and other issues. There are supplements and behavioral training that may help to eliminate this problem. Contact us or make an appointment for your dog for more information.
Nuisance Barking in Dogs
Dogs bark as a means of communication. Sometimes this can be beneficial as when a dog barks to alert his family to a fire or an intruder. But, barking can also be a nuisance behavior, especially if the dog barks incessantly or at inopportune times. Dogs may bark if they are being territorial, if they are sounding an alarm, if they are seeking attention, as a compulsive behavior or as a way to express excitement or frustration. There are multiple training techniques and non-harmful training devices that can be used to correct nuisance barking. Please contact us for more information on dealing with excessive barking. More help can also be found at https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/common-dog-behavior-issues/barking.
Digging Dogs
Dogs love to dig for many different reasons. Dogs may be trying to escape an enclosure, searching for prey, digging because of excess energy or boredom or digging just because they enjoy it! All that digging can damage your garden, yard or flower beds. There are ways to either limit your dog from digging or create a specific area in your yard to which you can direct your pooch to dig. Contact us for more information on excessive digging.
Jumping
Aggression
Dogs and cats can display aggressive behavior for a variety of different reasons including pain, fear, possessive or protective behavior, dislike of another animal and many other
reasons. Some forms of aggression may be justified or normal depending on the circumstance. Other types of aggression are
More information can be found at https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/common-dog-behavior-issues/aggression.
House Training
House training your new puppy or even an older dog is often the most time-consuming aspect of owning a new fur-baby. There is no one right training method but consistency and positive reinforcement are key for most dogs. Some dogs also pick up training quickly with little effort. Others are a little slower to grasp the concept. Most do not immediately give a signal that they need to go outside and it can take months to fully train a puppy. Most pups are house-trained by the time they are six months old, but you should not consider your pup fully trained until he or she is a year of age.