Dog behaviour can sometimes be difficult to understand, especially if your dog has recently started acting differently than usual. Maybe your dog has suddenly stopped doing something that they would normally do, their attitude towards exercise has changed, or they are acting out more. Either way, before you invest in training sessions or chalk it up to your dog being naughty, it’s worth considering the different factors that can have an impact on how your dog behaves.
Health Conditions:
Underlying health conditions can have a huge impact on your dog’s behaviour. If your dog has suddenly started acting differently, it may be that they are suffering from an illness. This is especially true if nothing else has changed in your dog’s life – you haven’t changed anything with their diet, exercise levels, or environment. If your dog’s behavioural change has seemingly come out of nowhere, a visit to the vet to rule out any underlying health conditions should be in order.
Diet Changes:
A change to your dog’s diet can also change their behaviour for better or worse. For example, a dog who normally begs for food all day long might stop doing this if they are fed a better diet that provides them with all the nutrients that they need. On the other hand, a dog who isn’t getting enough nutrition from their food might be lethargic or start acting out more often. If you think your dog needs a new diet, consider Bella & Duke dog meals. These meals are made from all-natural, nutritious ingredients designed to be tailored to your dog, and they come in handy portions to make feeding easy. You can find out more about raw feeding at Bella & Duke.
Mistreatment:
While nobody would like to think that their dog is being mistreated, if they have suddenly started acting more fearful or more aggressive, this could be the case. Think about the places that your dog goes to and who they interact with throughout the day. If your dog has started acting more fearful when you drop them off at the doggy daycare centre or is more aggressive towards you when they come back home from staying with a dog sitter, it is worth considering the possibility that somebody isn’t being nice to them in these places. Of course, this can also be caused by other factors like an underlying health condition, so take them to the vet to get checked out too.
Life Changes:
Just like big changes in your life affect you, they can also have an effect on your dog. If you’ve recently moved house, got a new pet, started a new job, or had a new baby, this can affect your dog too, and you might notice some changes to their behaviour. Try to keep your dog’s environment as stable and as consistent as possible and provide them with plenty of reassurance.
Dog behavioural changes can happen for a wide and varied number of reasons. If you have noticed a sudden behavioural change in your dog, the best thing to do is first get them checked by your vet.
