It can be difficult to live with your dog’s aberrational behavior. It is painful to see your pet’s unbalanced emotional state prompting them to overreact to normal everyday life. It is heartbreaking to know that your puppy or dog is unable to find peace and happiness, because they perceive everything as a threat.
Neurotic puppies, if not helped, will turn into neurotic dogs. The first 20 weeks of a puppy’s life shape the emotional base of a well-adjusted or poorly adjusted dog. Puppies should be exposed to as many new situations as possible. If they overreact, ignore them. If you pamper them at this age, you will definitely have a neurotic adult dog! Share many positive experiences together. Show them with your behavior, there is nothing to worry about.
Aside from serious medical problems, the most common causes of neurosis in pets are: lack of socialization, adverse reactions to their diet, injuries, trauma, neglect, abuse, and, believe it or not, over-protection by a good owner deliberate.
Don’t be overprotective! It only reinforces your dog’s abnormal behavior. Your pet receives an incorrect message from you. You are confirming what they misinterpret as a threat, it really is something to worry about. Ignore them. They are looking at you for clues. If you behave relaxed, they will follow. If you respond to their aberrant behavior with anger or if you spoil them, they will react in the same way.
It is normal for dogs to overreact from time to time. What you need to watch out for are extremes and duration. If your pet exhibits any or all of the following signs, they need help. Be on the lookout for displaced anxiety, aggression or anger, overprotectiveness, hyperactive behaviors, fears / phobias, depression, and stress. Observe how they behave in unfamiliar situations / places, with other dogs or people they are not familiar with, and with loud noises.
Is your pet constantly on guard? Are they constantly licking, barking, whining, pacing, growling / snapping, fidgeting, or hiding?
His lack of self-control and coping skills should be a warning for you to follow up with a visit to your vet. The answer can be something as simple as a drug, a change in diet, or a hormone replacement.
Once medical issues are removed from the equation, you can help your pet by going out on short field trips. Keep trips short and fun. As your dog learns to relax, relax longer and more challenging. Socialization is a wonderful way to desensitize them. Enroll them in an Obedience or Kindergarten class for puppies without punishment and positive reinforcement. There they will meet more adapted puppies and dogs. Dogs are fantastic teachers to other dogs.
More exercise! Interact with your dog. Take them to a dog park or to the beach. Keep them busy and tired. Walk your dog. It’s a nice way to bond with them and desensitizes them to change. Mix. Find new locations. Keep them guessing where this hike will take them.
Massages work wonders. Do it yourself or ask for a professional massage. The results will surprise you!
Bottom line: your time on this rock is short. You can help your dog relax and enjoy life. Be patient. It won’t happen overnight. Go out and do cool and fun things with them. Show your dog that the world is not behind them and that good things happen when they learn to relax.
