What causes dog behavior problems?
Dog behavior problems can be due to medical or behavioral causes, or both. A clinical history, physical examination, and diagnostic testing will determine if there are underlying medical conditions contributing to the problem. Although there may be a single cause for a dog behavior problem it is often the combined effect of the environment and learning on the pets mental and physical health that determines behavior. For example, the pet that is fearful of children, may begin to become more reactive, irritable, and aggressive as diseases such as dental problems or arthritis make the pet more uncomfortable, in pain or less mobile. Another example is the cat that had been exposed to other cats roaming across its territory, but only began to mark when it developed an overactive thyroid at 10 years of age. Correcting the thyroid problem as well as behavior modification techniques resolved the problem. What are some behavioral causes of dog behavior problems? Any change in the environment ma
