Dogs Behaving Badly? Learn 6 signs of Issues

There could be many factors in bad dog behavior. Speaking with your dog is the surest way to get to the root cause.

Is your animal behaving badly? Bad behavior by your favorite pet(s) may be a sign of psychological issues such as depression or grieving. Knowing whether an issue with your pet(s) is psychological or physical can save unwanted and unneeded medical treatments. Learn the six signs of depression and/or psychological issues.

“When Dr Joey contacted me, he wanted my help with his dogs. He had been putting up with really bad behavior from them for a long time. He was grieving terribly for his Forever Dog Friend, Satin, who had passed away.

On top of that, his other best dog friend, Shami, had also recently passed away after a terrible and mysterious illness. He told me his heart was so heavy with grief that he just didn’t know how he could go on. His health was very bad (he was suffering from cancer) and he could hardly move because he was in so much pain.

To complicate matters, his remaining three dogs were out of control. They jumped on everyone, which was terribly embarrassing. They barked and would not quiet down, and they urinated in the house. One dog would go outside — then come back inside to pee! Dutchess was physically launching an attack on the front door anytime someone just walked by, and since the door was largely glass, Dr Joey was afraid she’d break the door and hurt herself in the process!

He couldn’t take them for walks because they would pull in all directions and one dog would have to be dragged along… terribly frustrating and dangerous for all of them.

Plus, little Zena and Zoey were afraid to go outside. And, to make matters even worse, they had begun fighting amongst themselves. He desperately wanted them to behave and didn’t understand why they weren’t.

He also worried that they weren’t happy. And because of the tragic loss of two of his dog companions, he was very concerned about their health. Recently, the vets had insisted that Zena needed knee surgery and he was terrified she would not survive the surgery. He just couldn’t face losing another dog.

After several holistic healing therapy and animal communication sessions, the dogs are much better behaved.  No more inappropriate indoor urination, they are happy to greet visitors more appropriately.  Dr Joey is healthier himself. And to-date, Zena has not had to have surgery as her symptoms are so much improved.

Without giving your animal a voice to speak what’s on their mind, we can only guess at why they are behaving the way they are. After all, who knows better how they are feeling? If they are in pain or discomfort? What works for them or doesn’t work? If something is confusing or frightening, and why?

Here are 6 signs of depression or other psychological issues in dogs that benefit from the services of a professional animal communicator and holistic healing therapies are:

1. Urinating or defecating in their home or kennel is a major clue that something isn’t right in their world. A dog’s natural instinct tells them not to foul their own den, and when they do, that tells us there is something seriously amiss. It could be coming from an undiagnosed physical problem, but it is most often an emotional or mental reaction to their caretaker’s distress and anxiety, creating an unstable mindset.

2. Aggression to others indicates that they are not feeling emotionally stable in mind, body or spirit, or are being mishandled, misunderstood or mismanaged. This is most often a response to their caretaker’s emotional, mental or physical distress which they then take and focus outward onto their world in ways that seem appropriate to them, from their viewpoint. Proper rebalancing of both parties is critical to resolving this issue.

3. Hot spots and chronic skin problems are symptoms of an underlying condition that has to be addressed and resolved at the root or source of the issue. These problems often come from a reaction to improper diets or treats, allergies, a buildup of acquired toxicity that overwhelms their system, a messed up digestive tract because of antibiotics treatments, parasites, lack of proper supplementation, or frequently it can be a symptom of vaccination side effects. It is also a very clear indication that their caretaker is experiencing too much stress in their world, which then bleeds over energetically onto their animal.

4. Lethargy or loss of interest in exercise, play and activities is a clear indication that there is something seriously wrong. Regardless of the animal’s age, they should always be interested in their surroundings and happy to engage with others. Pay attention if they aren’t. The contributing factors can include their experience of grief or loss (of a friend, human or otherwise, or even a favorite toy or object), sadness, or undiagnosed physical discomfort. Other factors can only be discovered by communicating with them directly.

5. Fearful or skittish behavior indicates they have lost their confidence. Allowing our animal friends to continue to live in fear is a disservice to them. What they are asking for is help in regaining their confidence, their sense of place and purpose. Improper management or training efforts that are largely misunderstood or not the right approach to them have to be examined and discussed, to come up with an appropriate training style that works for them. There can also be underlying physical distress that contributes to them feeling out of balance. And of course, we have to look to their human friends to see what fears or underlying anxieties they are carrying in their own bodymind that is contributing to the problems.

6. Physical health or pain problems often have underlying emotional, mental or spiritual components that may actually be coming from their caretakers issues. If this is the case, then you will take them to the vet and they’ll get misdiagnosed or worse, and you’ll spend a lot of money in vet bills. And you’ll be no better off than if you hadn’t gone, and sometimes actually worse off because the real problem got missed and now your animal has even more stress to deal with.

So what if the real issues in all these cases is something going on in you that is causing distress in your animal? Without communicating with your animal first, you’ll take them to the vet and maybe you’ll get lucky and it will clear up anyway. But the truth may be that it wasn’t ever about the animal themselves, it was about a problem with you that they were unable to express in a way you could understand. The bottom line is that if your animal is not properly balanced and stable in their own body, mind and spirit, or are not healing quickly and easily as their body is designed to do, then they may be picking up and carrying their caretaker’s own energetic imbalances.

To get the best long term result, we often have to explore deeper to discover the root of the matter. If we are imbalanced, then they will be too, because we and our animals are intricately connected in body, mind and spirit.

Are you wondering what happened to Dr. Joey and his bad dogs? I heard from him a few months later on the one year anniversary of his best dog friend Satin’s passing. Amazingly, he had been able to move his clinic that summer. And, he said his personal health recovery felt like a miracle. NO more cancer of the bone marrow.

Plus, his dogs, Dutchess, Zoey and Zena were all doing fine – no more bad behavior. Dr. Joey said that his and his dog’s lives had drastically changed in our work together, and he had become alpha once again creating more stability for his household. As you can imagine, Dr. Joey was deeply grateful for everyone’s recovery!

We look forward to your questions and comments!

6 Comments

• 

  By Christine M Buffaloe, September 17, 2008 @ 9:17 pm

  I have a much loved dog by the name of Banjo. He is an Australian Shepherd and I always thought he was a very well behaved dog until about 2 years ago (he is now 4).
  I’ve come to the conclusion that he suffers from being treated to much like a human. Is that possible?
  I have been following Va and value her tips and I will continue to do so. I am using them to help with my Banjo.

  Sincerely,
  Christine Buffaloe

• 

  By Val Heart, September 17, 2008 @ 9:56 pm

  Dear Chris,
  I love hearing about Banjo and I do think your conclusion is likely very true. Unfortunately, we do treat our dogs like we would other humans and it does create problems with them because their viewpoints are not our own. LOL The happiest dogs I’ve ever met are those who have had the most training and also the ones with humans who have taken the time and interest to learn how to communicate with them — in their own language (telepathically, of course!). And I’m so glad too that you’re enjoying my Animal Communication Tips — let me know how things are going, ok?
  Hugs.
  Val

• 

  By Lesley Robertson, September 17, 2008 @ 11:09 pm

  I have two cats that are on the opposite ends of the spectrum. When I heard Val’s interview with Jackson Galaxy, All About Cats, it changed how I interact with them. I found out I have a jungle cat and a brush dweller. I understand their personalities much more and provide environments for them to thrive.

  I have also been guilty of treating my dog, Milo, like a human. After working with Val, I have discovered Milo is just as happy and better behaved when he has boundaries.

  Thanks Val for your tips and wisdom. You have helped make my home a better place for my animals.

  Thanks for all you do,
  Lesley

• 

  By Annie, October 8, 2008 @ 4:01 am

  I just found your website and love it.
  You have a very sweet soul.
  I like you and enjoy your information.
  I will be making an appointment with you soon.

  Blessings,
  Annie

• 

  By Val Heart, October 9, 2008 @ 3:59 pm

  Dear Annie,
  How wonderful to hear from you — I appreciate your comments very much and am looking forward to discovering how I can assist you with your animal friends.
  Love and hugs,
  Val

• 

  By Linda Morse, October 19, 2008 @ 7:11 pm

  My dearest friend “Keesh” a Belgian Shepherd came into my life when I found her at a local shelter. According to the shelter she was 10 ms. old. I never knew her birthday, so in honor of being my valentine I gave her February 14th, and for 13 years I recognized her companionship and love she had given me. On Sept. 30, 2008 I was faced with a decision that I had been in denial for for a long time ( for selfish reasons). My husband and I had Keesha euthanized. I wondered about a few things…. Did I keep her here longer than I should of? Did I let her go too soon? Is she disappointed in me for not being able to stay in the room with her while she made that transition? (my husband did). Is she mad at me for making the decision to let her go? For reasons I can not explain I am having a harder time dealing with Keeshas death than I did with my fathers death. I want her to know that I love her so much and she will always be with me in my heart….My valentine.
  Upon Keeshas passing my mother gave Penelope Smith’s “Animals in Spirit”. it has helped me tremendously.

  Thank you,
  Linda Morse

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