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Rescue Dog Behavior
Often a dog may end up in a shelter or pound because he was unwanted by his first family. This can happen because the dog already had some behavior issues. This doesn’t mean he was a “bad” dog. It just means that he had some issues that the family didn’t know how to handle so they turned him into a shelter. When you adopt a dog from a shelter you should try to find out all you can about why the dog is there.
Before you adopt you need to know if you will be able to handle a particular dog’s behavior. For instance, does he have house training problems? Does he jump on people? Does he bark constantly? There are ways to solve all of these problems but you have to ask yourself whether you have the patience to work with a dog who may have these issues.
A rescue dog can be a wonderful pet. But you should be honest with yourself about whether you are the right person to adopt a particular dog. Otherwise you might end up bringing the dog back in a couple of weeks because you couldn’t put up with his house training problems or other behavior problems.
You may find a rescue dog who doesn’t have these problems or you feel that you can help him work through his issues. That’s great! You bring the dog home and the dog starts acting quirky. He may hide from men. He may bark at people with baseball caps. He may growl at somebody for no reason. What’s going on?
It could be a couple of things. The dog you adopted could have been abused at some point. Maybe not terribly. Maybe not on a long term basis. But he may have some problems with men or with caps…or with whatever sets him off.
Or, your rescue dog may simply be reacting to new surroundings and all of the changes going on in his life. He may be reacting to stress. This behavior may stop in a few days. Dogs are typically more inclined to show fear or aggression toward men than women. And, for some reason, they are more likely to bark at people wearing caps and hats. This may not be an indication that your rescue dog was ever abused. Your dog may simply be afraid because he’s in a new place.
If these behaviors continue you may have a problem. Talk to the shelter and find out about your dog’s background. Has he been abused? You should give your dog a few days to settle into your home and evaluate his behavior after he’s had time to relax a little. If he continues to act this way you should have your vet check him out to see if there could be a physical cause.
Many rescue dogs are very clingy and fearful at first. They may follow you from room to room, afraid to let you out of their sight. It will take time but this behavior will lessen. Your dog loves you and he wants to make sure that you’re not going anywhere. He has been through a lot of change and upheaval. The best thing you can provide your rescue dog is stability and love.
Darcy Austin is a dog lover and editor and chief of Dog Obedience University.
To find out more about dog behaviour problems visit http://www.dogobedienceuniversity.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Darcy_Austin
Author: Darcy Austin
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