BAD BEHAVIOR

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The second generality is to be patient, especially with young puppies and kittens, and with the geriatric animals (these days considered to be any dog or cat over nine years of age). Raising a puppy or kitten is similar to raising a small child. Time and perseverance, which in our hectic daily lives can be hard to come by, are of utmost importance. Youngsters are not going to learn new behaviors within a week or two; some may take a month or more. Repetition is also a key.

You, as a parent, must think through all aspects of the situation that may result in the unwanted behavior, and then either avoid these or change certain aspects. It may be helpful to arrange a time to speak to your veterinarian to devise a program that analyzes and modifies the way you, the owner, reacts to the behavior. For instance, is it the older dog who's at fault for chronically jumping on the couch, or you for moving to another couch and avoiding him every time he jumps?

Physical punishment of any behavior, especially aggressive behavior, is counterproductive, as it usually leads not only to fear and bodily harm, but a significant aggressive response from the pet. Positive reinforcement is not only conducive to long-term learning, but helps bond the animal to the owner, relaying a sense of trust and understanding, instead of intimidation and frustration.

Dear Andrea:

Our six-year-old German shepherd has become very protective of his food bowl recently. We have a baby in the house and are afraid that one day the baby will wander too close to his bowl and get bitten. Can we train him at this age?

Anne Marie Baker
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Dear Anne Marie:

Food guarding is a common behavioral problem that may be linked to a syndrome in dogs known as dominance-aggression. Owners are almost always unaware that control of food is a critical aspect of the social relations among dogs. For instance, it is not uncommon to learn that when the dog was young, it growled anytime it was approached while eating. The owners believed that the puppy was afraid its food would be taken away and wanted to reassure it that they were friendly, so they left it in peace. The consequence was that the dog learned it simply had to threaten people to drive them away from food. Dogs with this syndrome commonly growl at people who approach their favorite resting area, such as a pillow or couch. Again, family members may have fostered this behavior by assuming that the dog should not be disturbed when resting, even if this meant giving up their own favorite couch.

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