Your Pets Behaviour

Because all pets have their own personality and lifestyle, each animal will have differing behaviour. Some animals love to have a routine by which they run their lives and don't like change. Others seem to thrive on all the excitement they can get. Getting older changes the personality of our pets much in the same way we change.

If a pet has behavioural problems that make either the pet or the owner unhappy the best thing to do is seek help. It may be that there is a simple answer to understanding why your pet has reacted in particular way to an event or situation.

If it is a new problem such as starting to chase cars in the street or growling at strangers the sooner you get to the bottom of the problem the better. You could simply buy a book on animal behaviour that will supply you with a programme of helpful steps. Alternatively you could arrange to meet with an animal behaviour expert. You local vets may be able to put you in touch.

Dogs

In the meantime you should always try to reinforce good behaviour with attention & praise. Your dog will notice if you only give it attention when it behaves badly. Your dog will always respond much more to kind treatment and not harsh training techniques which will make it fearful. Make sure your puppy is socialized with other dogs and people at an early stage. Try to get it used to its environment as soon as possible. Traffic and people can be daunting if you have never come across them before. Take your puppy to socialisation classes – fun for dog and owner.

All pets like to have play time included in their day. Encourage your dog to play games. Different breeds respond to different games - find out what your dog enjoys the best. They need to be able to escape from over enthusiastic children and should be allowed to rest alone, if they become stressed their behaviour will change and this could be seen as aggressive, common sense should tell you that they just need to be alone. Remember that your dog will need regular exercise, this will help stop boredom and add a welcome break to their daily lives.

Cats

As with dogs, you may have a particular problem that requires professional help whilst others may find that a trip to the library for a book on behaviour sorts the problem out swiftly. Cats need to be stimulated and even more so if they are an ‘indoor' cat. Provide sleeping areas in different places, some higher up, to offer variety and give it an opportunity to climb. Provide interesting play opportunities using fishing rod type toys. Scratching posts are a good way to exercise your cat.

If your cat is having problems using a cat tray then it may be best to visit your vet to have it checked out. Cats will behave better if they are allowed to feel in control and so should not be forced to interact if they don't want to.