Cindyr Wilson

You love your pet pupper. He’s friendly, lovable and oh-so-adorably cute. But every once in a while, you notice those big white teeth coming out of the sides of his mouth. What gives? Why does your pup bite down on anything that moves? And why do you get so mad when he chomps on a pair of your favorite shoes?

 

First off, let’s talk about what dogs actually chew. They’re omnivores like wolves, which means they eat meat as well as plants. Dogs have been domesticated for thousands of years, and their natural instincts include eating meat and other animal products.

 

However, it’s important to note that this doesn’t mean your pooch should go around biting people with no provocation. All animals need to feel safe and secure, including your canine buddy. If you don’t take care of these needs, you could end up with an angry dog who has nothing left to lose.

 

Dogs will also chew because they’ve got something else going on inside that causes them to want to gnaw away at whatever happens to cross their path. For instance, some dogs are simply moody individuals. When they aren’t feeling happy or content, they tend to look for outlets for their anger by chewing on stuff. Other dogs may be bored, lonely or anxious.

 

They’ll turn to the nearest available object for comfort if they’re having trouble coping with life. In short, there’s really no reason to punish your dog for chewing. It’s normal behavior. That said, if you’d rather your furry friend didn’t gnaw on your favorite dresser drawer, then here are some tips to help you control his bad habits.

 

Why Your Dog Chews

 

There are lots of reasons that dogs chew. Some dogs are born with behavioral problems that cause them to bite objects. Others pick up on bad habits from other dogs or even humans. Still others are just plain old grumpy. Whatever the case, most dogs eventually learn to associate certain behaviors with reward.

 

For example, let’s say you train your puppy to sit using food treats. Every time he sits, you feed him a treat. Now imagine that you start giving your puppy a bone instead of a treat. Eventually, he’s going to figure out that sitting gets him the best rewards (treats). This is called operant conditioning. Operant conditioning refers to any type …

If you’ve ever been in a situation with an animal whether it was a cat stalking you or a dog barking at you aggressively then you know that animals can sometimes come across as very threatening.

Whether it’s a small pet like a puppy or a larger one like a large breed dog, pets can have big personalities and strong feelings about people. They’re also typically more protective than most of us give them credit for. And just because we don’t understand why dogs act the way they do doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be prepared to deal with it. The following tips will help keep you safe and won’t escalate the situation into something worse.

1. Stay calm

It’s important to remain calm during any interaction between yourself and another person (or animal). You never want to provoke an angry response from either party. It can lead to other problems later down the road.
When dealing with an aggressive dog, it’s especially crucial to stay calm. Dogs pick up on subtle cues from humans and respond accordingly. If you start to get nervous, this could cause the dog to become even angrier.

2. Keep your distance.

This goes without saying, but it’s still worth mentioning. The closer you stand to the aggressor, the further he’ll need to move back in order to avoid contact with you. Remember, dogs have natural territorial instincts. They aren’t always going to react well when someone encroaches upon their space.

3. Don’t make eye contact.

Avoid making direct eye contact with the aggressor. This sends a message that you’re challenging him, and it gives him the upper hand. Your best bet is to maintain eye contact with the ground so that he has no idea who you are looking at.

4. Stay away from weapons

You probably already know not to touch anything sharp or pointy, but don’t assume that means you’re free to use firearms or other objects that might harm the animal. We live in a time where many homeowners carry guns around with them for self-defense purposes, but it’s dangerous to assume that others will do the same.

In the case of an aggressive dog, you have to remember that the animal isn’t necessarily trying to physically attack you. He may simply be trying to intimidate you in order to scare you off. In this instance, a firearm could easily be used …

­If you’ve ever had a dog, then you probably already know that they’re great companions. And most people who haven’t had pets would agree that it’s nice to have one around even though there are some very good reasons why you might not want one. Dogs are messy, smelly and expensive. They eat lots of food and destroy furniture. They chew on electrical cords and run away from fences. And sometimes they bite people (like assholes).

But those aren’t the only reasons to avoid owning them. There are also health issues associated with having dogs as pets, including but not limited to canine hepatitis, distemper, rabies and parvo. If you have allergies, or asthma, you should think twice before getting a pooch. It may seem like an easy way out, but you could end up living with a cat instead. Or maybe just take care of a ferret.

Why Get a Dog?

As we mentioned earlier, dogs are really cool. You can play with them, teach them tricks, give them baths, feed them and cuddle them. Plus, they lick themselves clean after accidents. That’s pretty sweet. The downside is that dogs eat and defecate often, making their presence around the house annoying.

Most people don’t start looking into getting a dog because they love dogs so much. Instead, they’re attracted by the idea of being able to walk Fido outside whenever he wants. For many, this is really all they need. Others are more concerned with the fact that dogs require more maintenance than cats do, which include cleaning litter boxes, feeding, bathing and grooming.

There are also safety concerns with dogs. Many experts point out that kids shouldn’t have dogs because they’re too unpredictable. Their owners say that the same thing goes for teenagers. Some schools ban them altogether. When kids have dogs at home, they can become aggressive with each other and with strangers. This isn’t necessarily true, however, since dogs in shelters tend to be more aggressive toward humans than those owned by their owners.

On top of these issues, dogs are generally more expensive than cats to own. This doesn’t mean that you should never get a dog, but it does make you think harder about whether you really want one. Here are some other questions you should ask yourself: Do I have enough room in my apartment/house to accommodate a dog? Can I afford to …