Dog Behaviour

Most common dog behaviours or body language can be completely normal in certain situations but in other contexts can signal worry, distress or discomfort.  
Learning these signs will help you be more receptive to these signals and improve communication with your pet.
 

It is common for dogs to pant for short periods of time during exercise, play, or hot weather. This helps them cool down, but some other causes of dog panting include stress, anxiety, illness, pain, or fever. 

Monitor your dog for any unexpected change such as:
•    Your dog panting for no reason
•    Your dog panting at rest
•    Your dog panting heavily all the time
•    Your dog is still panting once in a cooler environment

If your dog is constantly panting, especially at night (during rest), it can indicate that they have a health issue. Always seek veterinary advice in these cases, as your dog may be dealing with a medical condition such as heart or lung disease, pain, fever, or toxicity. If excessive dog panting seems to be triggered by anxiety, a vet can also help to identify possible reasons and support your pet in feeling better.
 

Many dog owners will witness a series of destructive chewing problems. Many dogs have an intense urge to chew everything, including:
•    Soft toys
•    Dog chew toys
•    Sticks
•    Shoes
•    Dog beds
•    Even pieces of furniture

Depending on the age of your dog, aggressive chewing habits can be related to  different things. Puppies, for example, may display constant biting during teething, while an older dog may exhibit constant chewing behaviour to self-stimulate, as an outlet for anxiety when left alone, or as a sign of frustration from inadequate exercise or a lack of attention from family members. 
If you notice your dog chewing their paws or skin, this may be a sign they are struggling with itchy skin from an allergy or parasites like fleas or mites, so it’s best to consult with your vet if you notice this behaviour regularly.

Chewing isn’t always destructive, it can also help dogs keep their teeth clean and their jaws strong. 
To promote healthy chewing behaviours rather than destructive chewing, provide your dog’s meals in interesting formats such as puzzle feeders. As part of their training to stop chewing on inappropriate items, why not give your dog a safe, healthy dental chew or dog chewy?
 

Digging is a natural behaviour for dogs, though it can be undesirable when they dig holes around the house and garden. Potential reasons that dogs may dig include:
•    Seeking Shelter: A dog digging holes under fences or in gardens may be trying to find shelter from hot or cold weather, wind, or rain.
•    Escape Attempts: Some dogs dig to escape and find their owners when left alone, during panic attacks from noise phobias (storms or fireworks), or due to separation anxiety.
•    Burying Items: Dogs might dig to bury or unearth smelly items. 
•    Self-Settling: Digging in bed can be a normal part of a dog's self-settling routine, or an attempt to create a secure and comfortable space when feeling nervous, spooked or separation anxiety.
 

To stop digging, identify the reason behind the behaviour and create a tailored solution. For example, if your dog digs out of loneliness, increase their interaction time through more walks or play sessions.
 

Unpredictable biting behaviour is a confronting and very undesirable trait, and there are several triggers that may cause it. 

•    Puppy Biting (Mouthing): Young dogs use their mouths to explore their environment, similar to how children use their hands and mouths. This can include nibbling on skin, fur, or clothes. Puppies may engage in playful biting, which can develop into dangerous habits without targeted training to stop biting.
•    Fear-Induced Biting: Fear is a common cause of a dog bite, often preceded by warning signs like stiffening, staring, growling, or snapping.

Knowing the difference between these contexts is crucial so that you can correctly interpret the situation and seek support in learning how to teach dogs more acceptable behaviours and, ultimately, prevent biting in the future.
 

If you notice your dog walking in circles, it may be getting ready to perform normal behaviours and activities like urinating, sniffing, and exploring its environment. 

However, in some cases, a dog pacing in circles can indicate underlying pain or a neurological disease. Seeing a dog repeatedly walking in circles or chasing its tail can also be a sign that it is dealing with a compulsive disorder. It is important to consult your vet if your dog exhibits unusual or unexpected behaviour and if you would like help learning how to train to stop circling.
 

Unlike human communication which relies on words, dogs communicate through body language. Wagging the tail is a way dogs convey what they are feeling to those around them: Examples of tail wagging and emotions include:
•    Contentment: A relaxed resting tail position often signifies a content dog.
•    Happy and relaxed: Happy dog tail wagging usually involves the tail in a relaxed or slightly raised position with a broad, wide wag.
•    Excitement or Nervousness: Rapid tail wagging by dogs can signal excitement or nervousness, particularly if the tail is slightly raised.
•    Fear or Apprehension: A very low and fast tail wag can indicate fear or apprehension.
•    Tail Wagging in Sleep: If your dog wags its tail while sleeping, it's likely experiencing good quality sleep and may be dreaming.

Other clues, such as panting, eye movement, and muscle tension, can help you better interpret this dog-tail language.

Dog aggression towards people and other dogs is a difficult challenge for owners to overcome and can be caused by factors such as anxiety, fear, pain, frustration and territoriality. Undesirable behaviours such as excessive chewing, pulling on the leash, whining for attention, barking, and digging can be signs of social anxiety, panic, generalised anxiety and separation distress.  

Since aggression can have different causes, it is best to seek help from a veterinarian or animal behaviourist to make a diagnosis and develop an appropriate treatment plan which may involve training and in some cases medication. Understanding and properly responding to these behaviours can help in avoiding future behavioural problems and reducing dog aggression, by properly managing risk situations before they escalate.

Signs of aggression in dogs can arise from any number of triggers that incite fear or anxiety, such as:
•    Defensive or protective behaviours
•    Territorial aggression
•    Guarding of valued resources (such as food aggression)
•    Pain
•    Confusion
•    Illness

Dogs generally want to avoid needing to use these responses at all costs, and they will almost always be preceded by displacement behaviours or warning signs. Looking out for signals such as growling, baring teeth, stiffening, or fixed staring can warn you of potentially escalating dog aggression.
 

There are a variety of young and older dog training methods that you can employ to care for your pet, reinforce positive dog behaviours, and reduce problematic ones. 

With consistent dog training techniques using positive reinforcement, you can ensure that your pet enjoys a positive experience while you instruct them on the behaviours you want them to exhibit. With options for everything from puppy behaviour and biting training, to training for abnormal behaviour in dogs, there are a variety of techniques to help train your dog, especially with the support of accredited trainers. Punishment based training methods do more harm than good and should be avoided. 
 

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