Morris County Dogs & Cats: Address Problem Behaviors With Pet Training Tips

The pet professionals at Community Animal Hospital offer information, advice, and resources that will assist you in addressing pet behavior problems. We work with you to find the cause of your pet 's misbehavior and offer solutions and resources to assist you in restoring a positive relationship with your animal companion.

Life changes, like those associated with adding or subtracting family members or a move to a new home, can cause a behavioral change in a pet. We can help determine if there is a physical issue that is causing problem behaviors, such as a urinary tract infection or intestinal parasites, or if basic training techniques would be useful. Consult your Community Animal Hospital veterinarian as soon as you notice developing problems, or prior to life changes, to maximize your efforts at behavioral training.

Obedience Training Prevents Behavior Problems

Early and expert training of young animal companions is essential to a long and happy relationship for pet and owner. It is our belief that prevention is the first goal to addressing behavior problems in your pet. Diagnosing and controlling behavior problems immediately will result in an obedient and willing pet for years to come. Addressing these annoying and stressful issues when your pet is young will pay off in a positive relationship and peaceful home.

We offer personalized behavior counseling on a variety of pet issues, including aggressive behavior and inappropriate elimination. We also assist with such issues as separation anxiety or the socialization of young pets.

Prevent Pet Behavior Problems

We offer pet owners these tips for preventing the development of problem behaviors:

1. Set rules immediately and be consistent.
2. Avoid promoting inappropriate behavior, either by situations or your actions.
3. Meet your pet 's basic needs for food, care, attention, and entertainment.
4. Supervise your new pet diligently and restrict access to a limited area of the house until initial training is completed.
5. Encourage good behavior with praise and attention – set pets up to succeed!
6. Correct bad behaviors by providing positive alternatives (scratching post for the sofa).
7. Expose pets to a variety of positive experiences, people, animals, and environments.
8. See your veterinarian if serious or unresolved pet behavior problems exist.

These general guidelines are only the beginning – we look forward to discussing your pet training successes and challenges at each wellness visit. If you are concerned about some aspect of your pet's behavior prior to your next visit, please contact Community Animal Hospital to schedule an appointment.

Visit Fetch the Facts... a veterinary behaviorist shares advice, knowledge, and interesting tidbits from her practice. Dr. Emily Levine is a veterinarian who specializes in behavior problems at Animal Emergency & Referral Associates in Fairfield, New Jersey.

Visit the AAHA Healthy Pet website for more help in preventing or addressing problem behavior in pets.

Find a variety of articles and videos for basic dog and cat training techniques when you visit the Petfinder website.

The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior has a variety of good articles on common behavior problems for pet owners.