People often believe that their dog needs training – however, what dog owners don’t understand is that training can only teach a dog obedience such as ‘stay’ or ‘sit.’ A professional dog behaviorist deals with the dog’s behavior, which includes creating a balance and boundaries in a disobedient or even obedient dog. For example, owners often report that their dog listens to and obeys all their commands, but tends to become aggressive around strangers or other dogs. This behavior is misdiagnosed as being ‘dominant’ and cannot be corrected with only positive re-enforcement or training.

This is where the job of a certified and professional dog behaviorist starts.

An experienced dog behaviorist will look at your dog’s routine in their environment (your home) and the amount of exercise, discipline, boundaries, etc. that are provided to them. A good behaviorist will also take into consideration how you, as the owner and the dog’s leader handle problematic situations. Based on this information, a dog behaviorist will then work with you and your dog to correct his behavior and teach you certain tips and techniques on how to handle, correct and prevent such behavior in the future.

It’s extremely vital yet so easy to find great behaviorists that you’ll want to invest in. They have years of experience in this field, which ensures your dog will be well cared for and have their problems sorted professionally and efficiently. With Dog Harmony, only one or two counseling and training sessions are needed as they are confident they’ll help in controlling your dog’s difficult behavior.

While minor or mild behavioral issues can be corrected through reward-based training, serious behavioral issues need to be addressed immediately. Rather than growing out of aggression, a dog is more likely to grow into it. Other problems such as separation anxiety, excessive barking or digging, chewing, pooping, and weeing indoors, nipping or biting, resource guarding, etc. are signs of behavioral problems which need to be treated by a dog behaviorist.

When your dog is disturbed or is not behaving appropriately, it can affect your entire life and freedom. As owners, you can suffer from problems such as embarrassment, anxiety, or stress, or face legal consequences such as fines or restrictions by the local council. Aggression and other such problems can also disrupt your family life or cause injury to you or your loved ones. In one of the worst-case scenarios, the problematic behavior in your dog can become a permanent part of his personality, which can also lead to a seizure of the pet by authorities.

Hence, consulting with a trained and certified behaviorist will help you obtain faster results which are long-lasting and effective. Hence, here are the top 5 reasons why you should invest in a dog behaviorist.

5 Reasons Why You Should Invest in a Dog Behaviorist

1 – They can help you understand why your dog is displaying undesirable behavior

An experienced dog behaviorist can help you figure out why your dog is showing unwanted behavior such as aggression, snapping, or barking at strangers and dogs. Veterinary behaviorists are specially trained to identify and diagnose the cause of your dog’s problem. Knowing why your dog is doing something is half the battle for training your dog not to do it. Moreover, many problems or behaviors can be easily treated and rectified if caught early.

2 – They can help with severe phobias and fears

According to The Spruce, often, dogs develop serious phobias and fears which lead them to adopt aggressive behaviors like fear aggression, which can pose significant safety risks. Hence, a trained veterinary behaviorist can devise bespoke programs tailored to dealing with any timidity, fear, or aggression in your dog. Specifically, a dog behaviorist can effectively diagnose and treat the following conditions:

• Aggression: This is a common problem amongst dogs, which stems from predatory instincts fear, or it can be a learned behavior as well. Regardless of the reason for it, aggression has to be addressed as aggressive actions by your dog, which can attract heavy legal penalties.
• Separation anxiety: This is a behavioral disorder that results in your dog becoming timid, whiny, or aggressive. Separation anxiety happens if your dog fears being left alone, and the resulting behaviors are a coping mechanism. Reasons for this problem can include illness, trauma, being re-homed, etc.
• Fearfulness and anxiety: Anxious dogs can display many behaviors such as aggression, submissive urination, excessive licking, resource guarding, or other anti-social behaviors.
• Various Phobias: Different fears, such as storm or noise phobias, can endanger you or your dog. Dogs can self-harm trying to escape a storm or may end up lost. Hence, a behaviorist can provide the needed intervention, which can significantly reduce the phobia or fear.

For these problems and more, a dog behaviorist can devise dedicated training, behavior modification, and desensitization exercise programs which can effectively treat the problematic behaviors.

3 – Help reduce boredom driven behaviors

Often, owners are not able to provide the required exercise, training, or time for their canine companions to grow mentally and physically. This can lead to behaviors such as barking, digging, being hyperactive, disobedience, and other such destructive behaviors, the cause of which can be boredom, amongst other problems. Other times, owners simply do not have the required time, expertise, or physical ability to do more for their dogs. In such cases, exercise is not the only solution– therefore, a dog behaviorist will work with you and your dog to find a solution that works for both of you as they understand how essential it is that your dog is being walked regularly and is getting enough exercise (Pets4Homes).

4 –It can teach you to identify harmful play

Sometimes, what seems to be harmless at first can turn into a problem for you. In today’s world of technology, the internet and Google owners are often misinformed about the right way to raise their dogs. For example, aggression in a dog is seen as the dog being dominant, nipping/biting and rough play can be thought of as something ‘cute.’ (The Bark) However, these are signs of more serious problems that your dog might be struggling with.

Moreover, there are many types of ‘play’ which are not healthy for your dog. For example, you must have come across various dog videos where the dog is made to chase the red dot of a laser pointer. While it may seem like some light fun and great exercise for a dog, it can eventually lead your dog to develop obsessive-compulsive disorders. Hence, a certified dog behaviorist can work with you and your dog to understand the problems your dog might be at risk of developing in the future due to harmful play.

5 –Help improve the dog/owner relationship

Along with training your dog for the required behavioral changes, a dog behaviorist can also teach you how to handle your dog constructively. With an improved dog-to-owner relationship, you can significantly reduce the chances of your dog developing behavioral issues in the future. A dog behaviorist can make a detailed exercise schedule and routines for a more harmonious relationship with your dog. Another reason you should consider investing in a good dog behaviorist is that they can teach your dog to master some seriously impressive skills and tricks.

What’s more, dog behaviorists try to work with you and your dog in a familiar environment such as your home. This means that you do not have to take extra time out of your daily schedule to drive your dog back and forth to the clinic or training camp every day. Moreover, as problematic behaviors in dogs cannot be treated instantly, professional dog behaviorists ensure that they take regular feedback through telephone or e-mail support. Hence, if your dog shows signs of reverting to bad habits and behaviors even after training, the problem can be identified early on through regular follow-ups.