Ever Wonder What Your Dog Is Trying To Tell You? We Have The Answers!

Dog parents better than anyone else know their fur babies inside and out: their likes, dislikes, quirks, etc. But you may be surprised to learn what some dogs are trying to tell us with their behavior, according to veterinarian Dr. Julie Ashton.

Does your dog like to chew, rip, or destroy your possessions whenever you leave the house? It doesn’t necessarily mean that he is angry at, or “punishing” you, for leaving.

Animals also experience separation anxiety and it’s a very common phenomenon among canines. Throughout centuries of domestication, humans have bred dogs to be great companions, so it makes sense that man’s best friend feels anxious and stressed when he’s left all alone.

Other common signs of separation anxiety include pacing, not eating food or treats you have left, howling, whining and barking.

According to Dr. Ashton, “dog parks are not for all dogs.” If your canine actively avoids other dogs or becomes aggressive when you’re both at the dog park, he’s likely exhibiting stress and anxiety. Just like people, every dog is different, and not every dog enjoys playing with members of his own species!

Related: Signs your Dog is in Pain

It’s a sad fact of life but just like their owners, dogs can get dementia also. If your older dog shows signs of disorientation or confusion, becomes either withdrawn or very clingy, has a change in activity levels or sleeping patterns, increased anxiety, or relieves himself in the house, he may be experiencing canine dementia.

Does your dog keep doing something unwanted in spite of your efforts to stop his behavior? Dr. Ashton believes that you may be inadvertently rewarding the action! Anytime you give your animal attention (eye contact, play, etc.) you may actually be reinforcing his behavior, because for animals most attention is interpreted as positive attention.

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But Dr. Ashton discourages the practice of punishment as a training method. Extensive research has shown that dominance-based training is not as effective as first believed. Experts now discourage punishment as it can increase aggression and anxiety, decrease your dog’s trust in you, and cause physical harm.

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