Why Your Good Dog Is Turning Bad (And What You Can Do To Help)

Right now, the United States is dealing with a serious dog bite problem.

Every year, nearly 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs, data from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) show.

Well, it seems that good dog raising is a responsible dog ownership rule that many dog owners are breaking.

So, I set out to find out why.

Why Good Dogs Are Turning Bad

Turns out, we're one of the reasons good dogs go bad. Here's why.

1. You're Not Socialising Your Dog

The mass majority of people that own puppies are too busy to socialise their pets. That means that so many puppies are missing the learning process they should have gone through to acquire key life skills that will enable them communicate effectively within their social group.

Many dog owners also believe that socialisation ends at puppyhood. Nothing could be further from the truth. Socialisation doesn’t stop at puppyhood. Dogs must continue to have pleasant social interactions with adults, children, vets, adult dogs and other animals, as well as careful exposure to different situations in the environment, like traffic, crowds, travelling in the car, vacuum cleaners and any sights and sounds they will have to cope with in life.

2. You're Not Giving Your Dog Plenty Exercise

Not every dog breed is going to require sedentary lifestyle. Depending on the breed, age and health condition, some dogs will need between 30 minutes and 2 hours of exercise every day.

While daily exercise isn't everyone's habit, a lot of dog owners don't give their dogs the physical activity they need.

I've found that high-energy breeds such as Border Collies and Belgian Malinois behave well when given plenty of exercise.

3. You're Not Consistent With Commands

No, you're not obligated to spend all day in dog training. But if you want to raise a well behaved dog, every member of your household must be consistent with the command they give to your dog. If not, there's every tendency that your dog will become confuse and disobey your commands in future.

4. You're Correcting Your Dog The Wrong Way

Your good dog can turn bad as a result of the methods and tools employ in correcting him. Kicking and other forms of inhumane treatments will not only make your dog fearful, it will also lead to anger and aggression.

5. You're Not Paying Attention To The Well-being Of Your Dog

Many behaviour and health problems in dogs can be treated if noticed on time. But if their wellbeing is neglected, dogs can go through pains that manifest in destructive behaviours.

6. Lack of Mental Stimulation

Many owners do not give adequate toys to their dogs. Dogs that are not physically and mentally stimulated can become bored and destructive.

7. Your Dog Is Predisposed To Bad Behaviour

If your dog is genetically predisposed to behaviour problems, such habit might take time to manifest.

What You Can Do To Help Turn A Bad Dog Into A Well Behaved Canine

Turning a bad dog into a good family pet is easy if you know the root cause of their behaviour problems. Since you've known some of the reasons now, here's what you can do about it.

1. Exercise Your Dog Daily

Since we've learnt that majority of behaviour problems in dogs result from lack of physical activities, the only way you can expect to turn a bad dog into a good one is with plenty of exercise.

Your dog isn't just going to stop digging holes, barking and destroying household items if he's not getting the needed exercise. So, start now to take your dog along on your next adventure, walk, or any other forms of exercise.

You can also buy or create some activities that will stimulate your dog mentally thus leaving less room for aggression.

2. Visit More Places With Your Dog

Since we've established that lack of socialisation leads to shy and insecure dogs, this next step only makes sense.

If you focus all your dog raising efforts on training and neglect socialisation, you risk turning a good dog into a bad one.

In fact, it's one of the biggest mistake I see new dog owners make.

Instead of concentrating only on dog training, spice it up with socialisation.

Walk your dog to parks and places where he can experience new sights, sounds, smells, humans and other animals.

You can also invite your friends and relatives to your home so that your dog can be conversant with them.

3. Train Members of Your Household On How To Raise Your Dog

Most dog owners are finding it difficult to train their dogs because of inconsistencies in the issuance of basic and advanced commands.

Since dogs most frequently learn through visual cues, observation and body language, you should train members of your household to be consistent with any forms of command they're adopting during training. This will prevent confusion that may ultimately lead to bad canine behaviour.

4. Hire A Dog Trainer or Certified Behaviourist

There are times when you will find it hard to correct your dog's destructive behaviours. This is the right time to hire professional dog trainer or behaviourist that have many years of experience in turning bad dogs into well-behaved canines.

These professionals can tell if your dog's destructive behaviours arise from underlying health problems, or is genetic in origin.