Library
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Docking may be defined as the removal of whole or part of a dog's tail. From 2010 this procedure has been illegal under Australian law unless carried out by a registered veterinarian for valid medical reasons.
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Dogs are social animals whose evolutionary history makes them willing and able to live in groups. Group living enables a range of co-operative activities to take place efficiently as long as everyone knows what is expected of them.
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The terms dominance or status related aggression are confusing and outdated, although they are still widely used in the popular media. It is useful to spend a bit of time trying to understand why these terms are now generally rejected by those with a deeper understanding of dog behaviour.
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When an animal repeatedly tries to do something, we might say that it has a compulsion to do the behaviour. Compulsive behaviours are often derived from normal behaviour patterns but appear to be abnormal because they are excessive, exceedingly intense, or performed out of context.
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Many dogs will react to the sight or sound of passers by but for some owners this behaviour can get out of hand and it can be very embarrassing to have a dog that goes wild whenever someone comes to the door or even walks past the house.
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For any social group to function properly, rules and boundaries need to be established and maintained. This does not involve the use of force but rather the consistent application of boundaries which leads to the formation of realistic expectations.
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Many excitable and boisterous behaviours are normal for puppies and will diminish with time and with appropriate early training. However, if the behaviour persists, is difficult for you to manage, does not respond well to basic training it is possible that it is driven by an emotional disturbance, rather than bad manners.
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False pregnancy (also known as pseudocyesis, phantom pregnancy or pseudopregnancy) is the term used to describe the condition whereby a non-pregnant dog undergoes bodily and behavioural changes similar to those you that would expect if she was pregnant.
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Play with owners and with other dogs, not only provides the dog with some of its exercise requirements but also helps to meet its social needs.
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Separation anxiety is a term used to describe a condition which afflicts dogs that are overly attached to or dependent on family members. They become extremely anxious and show distress behaviours like vocalisation, destruction, house-soiling or inactivity when separated from their owners.