Sometimes dogs can behave in a way that we don’t understand, and we can label this behaviour as bad. However, it may be the case that your dog isn’t behaving badly, but just acting out because of an underlying problem that needs action, some of which are identified and discussed below.
Anxiety and Depressed
We often think that psychological conditions such as anxiety and depression are limited to us humans. However, this isn’t the case, and dogs are also susceptible to feeling anxious or depressed.
An anxious dog may whine frequently and unnecessarily, as well as show harmful repetitive behaviours like pacing, fidgeting, and even panting.
Worms
Worms are a fairly common problem in animals like dogs, especially as we don’t always have control over what they are eating or interacting with. The symptoms of a dog with worms can be mistaken for poor behaviour because though, as they may end up soiling inside the house or even scraping their hindquarters along the floor to alleviate the itching that is associated with the condition.
Of course, telling your dog off for such behaviour is likely to be ineffective as it does nothing to resolve the underlying cause. Instead, it is necessary to treat them for worms, usually with a solution in their food for the time recommended on the label. Of course, if you are concerned that the infestation is particularly virulent or problematic, then a visit to the vet will be in order.
Laziness
You may think that you are cursed with a lazy pooch, but sometimes your canine’s lack of energy can be due to an undiagnosed health problem. In particular, an infection of heartworms can cause lethargy in dogs, and it’s also incredibly difficult to treat successfully. Sadly many pooches lose their lives to this serious condition.
Luckily, it is entirely preventable if you seek immunization from your vet. Therefore for their sake, it is best to have this done and prevent such conditions from occurring in the first place.
Boredom
Bored dogs can create havoc in the home, destroying items of furniture through chewing, making it difficult to leave them for even a short space of time. Of course, dogs that act out due to boredom are nearly always labelled as bad, but in fact, it is often us the owners that are at fault.
After all, dogs are social animals and can find it very difficult to be left alone all day without any interaction or stimulation. Therefore, if you are dealing with a bored dog that is acting out it may mean you need to change your routine so you can come home to exercise them in the day. You should also provide a lot of toys like the ones listed at rover.com to stimulate them while you are not there if you want them to change from a bad dog to a good dog, that is!
