List of Behaviours
Does your dog display any of these actions?
Identify your dog's behaviours to see which things you would like to focus on during the consultation or training session.
A list of the most common behavioural issues will help you to identify the specific issue that each of your dogs battles with.
Often a few behaviours are linked and many times one will lead to another, causing bigger problems.
Aggression
Shown towards familiar or strange people, dogs or other animals.
Anxiety
Nervous, fearful, high-strung, jumpy or snappy. Uncomfortable with strangers or the unfamiliar.
Astraphobia
Intense fear of adverse weather conditions such as thunder, lightning, wind and rain.
Attention-seeking
Nudging, barking, forcefully pushing in when attention is given to another pet. Object stealing to get attention, needy.
Bad manners
A lack of training, being too spoiled or being stressed in a particular environment.
Barking
Excessively or for no apparent reason. Unresponsive to owner's call.
Begging
For food around the dinner table, or for attention.
Biting
People or other animals; strangers, visitors or family members. Mouthing.
Boisterousness
Endless energy, jumping up, can’t settle. Unmanageable.
Chewing
Destructive chewing as an adult or puppy. Furniture, shoes etc. Teething, boredom, stress.
Coprophagia (eating faeces)
Eating of excrement from the lawn or cat-litter tray.
Depression
An emotional response to an event or lifestyle; unmotivated, disinterested, lethargic.
Destructiveness
Digging, chewing, pulling washing from the line.
Digging
Holes in the garden; along the wall, at the gate, in flower-beds or random areas on the lawn.
Disobedience
Difficulty in training without professional help, unresponsive, ignores.
Dominance
Towards other dogs or the owner. Growling, challenging body language, humping.
Escaping
Running out of the gate, getting through small spaces, jumping over/digging under walls.
Fearfulness
Stressed around new people, animals or environments. Shaking, hiding, cowering, snapping, attacking etc.
Fighting
With the other dogs at home, a new dog at home or dogs at the park.
Food guarding
Lip-lifting, growling or aggressive behaviour when approached while eating or busy with a chew/toy.
House soiling
Lacking, incomplete or extinct toilet training. Common in puppies or in illness/pain, aging/confusion.
Howling
When the family leaves home, when a mate has died or in solitude.
Hyperactivity
Unstoppable energy, boisterousness, constantly on the go, jumping up in greeting.
Jumping up
On family or visitors especially in greeting. Excessive excitement or during play.
Licking
Obsessive licking of paws, forearms, in between digits or other areas. Excessive face-licking. Licking walls or floor.
Lunging
During walks will lunge at cars, joggers, cyclists, scooters or other dogs.
Nervousness
Distrusting and anxious around strangers or new environments. Tries to hide, crouch, turn away or bite.
Nipping
Biting at ankles or legs of visitors, domestic staff or family. Bites when being moved from sofa or bed. Typically a nervous dog.
Over-attachment
Abnormal need to be physically close to a family member; follows the person around. Doesn’t like being alone and has to watch family's every move.
Over-protectiveness
Of home area, family members or objects/resources. Can become aggressive towards strangers.
Phobia
An intense fear of noise, stormy weather, certain sounds, sights, locations or sensations.
Pulling on the leash
A lack of training, stressed, vocal or reactive during walks. Not socialised, under-exercised or previous bad experience.
Pushing other pets out the way
To gain sole attention from a family member or a visitor.
Recourse guarding
Lip-lifting, growling or attacking. Over-protectiveness of chews, toys, food and even people.
Running away
Runs out of the gate at every opportunity. Runs away at the park. Unresponsive to being called back. Fearfulness.
Separation-anxiety
Will do anything not to be alone. Keeps owner in sight at all times. Over-excited greeting; jumping / vocal / urinating. Destructive digging or chewing and vocalisation while owner is out.
Senility
In the aging dog; failing senses and growing confusion. Peculiar or unusual behaviour.
Submissiveness
Overly-sensitive due to bad experience or lack of socialiation. Rolls over and/or urinates when touched. Fearful or nervous nature.
Unresponsive
To being called over or given a command. Doesn’t listen. Deaf. In pain. Illness.
Territorialism (excessive)
Over-protective of the home area or family members. Runs up and down the fence or barks at the gate. Can become aggressive to visitors.