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Canine Behavior/behavioral problems

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Expert: Lee Charles Kelley - 11/13/2007


Question
I have a year old black lab mixed with pitt, I took her to the vet to get fixed and ever since I brought her home she has chewed up shoes and potties in the house now, I started to put her back in her crate. I would like to know if this is normal and if it is how long it will last? thank you for any help you can give me.

Answer
Hey, Lisa,

Sorry to hear about your problem. It's hard to say how long it will last.
I'd ask the vet about it. The behavioral problems are probably the result of her surgery. Your vet may disagree, but there are studies showing an increase in urinary and behavioral problems in spayed dogs. There's even a syndrome called spay-related incontinence.
If she's physically able to play, make sure she gets lots of hard, vigorous playful exercise. Games like fetch and tug-of-war are very helpful at reducing stress and anxiety.
Generally speaking, the more playtime she gets, the more relaxed and better behaved she'll be.
Also, don't scold her or punish her for these behavioral issues. That only builds up more stress. Dogs can't learn a non-behavior. They need to be taught WHAT to do, not what NOT to do. So until she's feeling more like her old self, keep the shoes out of reach and play with her as much as possible, especially outdoors.
I hope this helps!
LCK

Canine Behavior

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Lee Charles Kelley

Expertise

I've been training dogs in New York City for nearly 20 years. My training approach and philosophy are based on the way police dogs, search-and-rescue dogs, and detection dogs are trained--through the prey drive, inherited from the wolf. It's true that there's been a shift away from using the "wolf model" in dog training recently, and to some extent, there's a good reason. That's because trainers have been using the wrong model, the one that says you have to be the "alpha" or the pack leader in order to control your dog's behavior. This simply isn't true. In wild wolves there is no dominance hierarchy, no "alpha" wolf, and no pack leader (not in the traditional sense). The pack instinct only exists to enable wolves to hunt large prey by working in harmony. (Wolves who live near garbage dumps, for example, and who don't hunt together, don't form packs.) So if wolves don't have an instinct to "follow the pack leader" or "obey the alpha wolf," how could dogs have inherited it from them?

Years ago, before I became a dog trainer, I noticed that the happiest, most obedient, and best-behaved dogs I met weren't the ones who'd been to a dog trainer or behaviorist; they were the dogs whose owners always had Frisbees and tennis balls on hand. And while it might seem that my approach would only be relevant to high-drive dogs who love fetch and tug-of-war, it isn't. Even something as seemingly unrelated as a housebreaking issue or greeting behavior are often the direct result of a dog's predatory energy not having an acceptable outlet.

All behavior is an expression of energy. So when a dog's energy isn't utilized in a way that feels satisfying to his or her instincts and emotions, that's when behavioral problems develop. Giving the dog an acceptable outlet for its energy will almost always bring the dog's behavior back into alignment with its instincts

Feel free to ask me questions about any training/behavioral issue.

LCK

Experience

20 years as a dog trainer. I'm also a bestselling author, writing a series of dog-related mystery novels for Avon.

Organizations
Dog Writers Association of America

Education/Credentials
Just a natural gift I have for understanding and training dogs

Past/Present Clients
Too numerous to mention.

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