Pet Training & Behavior Topics

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Welcome to Diana Guerrero's Ark Animals Training & Therapy. This section is dedicated to pets, companion animals, and topics related to their care and training. Pet training, behavior modification, and animal therapy are important steps toward better behavior. You should get professional help for pet problems.

Pet Behavior Problems:
Will Pets Outgrow Behavior Problems?

Pet owners often think that the little annoying problems that arrive with their pet will go away on their own. Unfortunately this is not true! If you are plagued with nipping, biting, clawing, scratching, jumping, barking, digging, chewing, house training or litter box problems, or other annoying habits--they are not things that go away on their own.

Problems only get worse as time goes on. They become more and more "conditioned" as time goes on. This means they become bad habits that are hard to break. These behaviors also are harder to "extinguish," or get rid of, when they become bad habits. This is because you have to untrain the bad habit and train the new good one. If you start right away, you can eliminate half the work since you only have to train the correct behavior you want. The time to take action is right away! There are several points you should consider.

First, animal behavior problems can be solved pretty quickly and easily if you start early. This is possible because the behavior has not become entrenched as an established pattern or habit yet. If you wait too long, then it will take you months to solve a problem that might have been resolved in a few days.

Second, behavior problems are symptoms of something else that is wrong. Quick fix solutions might work, but often the issue surfaces again at a later date. The problem will usually escalate in intensity too. This is common for barking and biting behaviors. It is NOT normal for a dog to bark incessantly, nor is it normal for a dog or cat to bite an owner or guest. Many times these little puppy and kitten behaviors, which are viewed as harmless or cute by the owner, result in an animal delinquent.

Third, it is less costly to handle the problems that come up if you do it right away. Many people find that it would have been cheaper and easier to fix the behavior problem instead of paying for those repairs to the home, yard, and in many cases for the associated medical or veterinary fees, and other miscellaneous charges (like legal fees). You are liable for your pet and for the damage or misbehavior it exhibits! Damage to rental property, trespassing on the neighbor's property, injury to another animal or person are just some of the problems that could come back to haunt you.

Fourth, the faster you start working on a problem the faster it disappears. Some problems, if handled right away, can be solved in a day or two!

Fifth, having a well mannered pet does not have to be costly or take hours of work. Most programs can be adapted to your schedule. The expenditure on animal schooling is minor. Your benefits are peace of mind and the cost saving factors related to the damage or destruction one animal can do!

If you are experiencing this behavior problem help is just a phone call away! Hire Animal Expert

About the columnist: Since 1978 Diana L. Guerrero has worked professionally with both wild and domestic animals. Guerrero has been affiliated with, and certified by, a variety of animal programs in the USA and Europe. Based in California, she writes, consults, and speaks. Information on her animal career programs, training courses, and her books {What Animals Can Teach Us about Spirituality (SkyLight Paths, 2003), Blessing of the Animals (Sterling, 2007), Help! My Pet is Driving Me Crazy (Guerrero Ink, 2007), Animal Disaster Preparedness for Pet Owners & Pet Professionals (Guerrero Ink, 2007)} can be found in this web site and in the shop. Questions for Guerrero should be submitted via the blog comments or membership forum.