I was going through some dog photos and found these two pictures. I took them on an Indian Reservation in New Mexico. I went there to see the pueblos and ended up spending most of my time watching the dogs on the reservation.
The dogs weren’t really owned by anyone. They wandered about on their own, some alone and some in small groups. They drank from the stream and ate leftovers that were placed outside for them. Mid-day, they’d find a shady spot and take a nap. I noticed that the dogs weren’t people oriented. I never saw one approach a person, although I don’t know if they would get close to the people who fed them.
Of course, it bothered me to think that they were not clean and probably didn’t have veterinary care. On the good side, what I noticed was that with plenty of space, and no one trying to manage them or fit them into human schedules, there didn’t seem to be behavioral issues.
I certainly wouldn’t advocate free-range dogs, but it gave me some insight into the causes of canine behavior problems.
What do you think are the biggest causes of behavior problems in the dogs you see? Share with everyone in the comments.
AKC's Canine Good Citizen and S.T.A.R. Puppy Director, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist
Lack of socialization is a HUGE factor in behavior issues. Puppies are brought into the home, crated for 8 or more hours, rarely see another dog, and very few other people. These dogs are usually frightened by new experiences because they have not developed the confidence and coping skills needed. Getting the pups out where they see and experience new things, people, other dogs (of all sizes and ages), cats, cars, bicycles, motorcycles, busy streets, hiking trails, etc., would do wonders with behavior problems. The dogs pictured are relaxed because they have seen it all and know how to recognize REAL danger when they see it.
Another issue is lack of adequate exercise! A dog full of unreleased energy can be a problem dog. Get them out and get them running! A tired dog is a happy dog.
Dogs just want to fit in to their family. If there is no leader, how will the dog know where he fits in? They are social creatures – hey, if you put a baby in a box all day, what kind of human would you end up with? A nut case. Thankfully, most dogs can overcome the abuse people call “leaving the dog at home”. I don’t know how a child would ever recover from it, but we can work on NO DOG LEFT BEHIND.
Wolves have no behavioral issues. And they work out anything that arises within their own communication. K9 behavioral issues are mainly due to human miscommunication re: expectations and acceptable/unacceptable behavior with the animal. And bringing the k9 into the human environment. If we were to put a human outright in a wild k9 environment, he would learn to communicate on their fashion or have issues. lol