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Are your dog’s behavior problems worrying you? We’re not talking here about puppies who piddle on the carpet, dogs who jump up on visitors at the front door, or other similar issues which all dog owners deal with. But if you have a dog who seems to be showing unusually difficult behavior to control, you may be wondering how to handle it.

One natural way to deal with your dog’s behavior problems is to get him or her better trained. You could take a dog training class locally, or consult a trainer if you find one whose approach you like. There are a lot of excellent dog training books. The internet is full of advice, of varying quality, though! If you work at it and Lady Luck shines on you, you will solve the behavior problem through one of these means.

It’s often suggested that you have a veterinary examination for your dog because that could either find or rule out various health issues that could be affecting behavior. One example is that any dog in pain, anywhere in his body, is more likely to be irritable.

Plenty of exercise can also improve your dog’s behavior. Does your dog really get a lot of exercise? Dogs are meant to be active a lot of the time, yet their modern lifestyles in our homes rarely provide this. Make sure your dog gets abundant exercise and you may be quite amazed at the changes in his behavior.

But in many cases none of these approaches will solve the behavior problem.

One puppy I know about had been trained, examined, and exercised thoroughly, yet he continued to attack and even bite the human members of his family. The mother, who emailed me that she was at her wits ends, after some months did figure out what was going on: if there was beet pulp in whatever commercial dog food the puppy ate, he would attack. When she fed a dog food without this fairly common ingredient, his attacks ended completely. They had been caused by an allergy.

An allergy to beet pulp isn’t at all that common, but the point to keep in mind is that dog food can and often does have an effect on dog behavior. We often think this way about people; for example, it’s well known that when children eat a lot of sugar, they may be hyperactive. But most people don’t think this way regarding their dogs.

Don’t rely on your veterinarian to have the best information about dog food and behavior. Veterinary school doesn’t teach it, and the dog foods that they sell are not necessarily the best.

I’m happy to report that some veterinarians have made a specialty of studying these matters closely, as have some dog breeders. Their recommendations are to feed your dog homemade dog food within guidelines they provide.

By feeding a homemade diet to your dogs, you may well be enhancing not only their behavior but also their health. One breeder has seen the longevity of her dogs increase gradually over the more than thirty years that she has been developing a natural diet which she shares freely on her website.

For any dog with behavior problems, it’s an excellent idea to try a homemade dog food diet and observe any differences that may turn up over time!

Tags: Pets

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