Any Sudden Change in Your Dog’s Behavior is Cause for Concern
There are many reasons that dogs can develop behavioral issues. A lot of the time you will see these develop gradually over time. Sometimes you will see behaviors crop up because of a certain event, such as a dog who becomes leash reactive after being charged by a dog. But sometimes behavior problems suddenly appear, seemingly without explanation.
Anytime that we see sudden dog behavior changes, the first thing that is called for is a trip to the veterinarian. Medical reasons have to be ruled out before any training can start. Sudden potty training problems are often due to a UTI or bladder infection. Any aggression that starts without explanation can often be attributed to pain or a thyroid condition.
If you are unsure of what could be causing your dog’s sudden changes in behavior, start with making an appointment with your veterinarian. Once at the office, explain the changes that you are seeing in your dog. Your veterinarian will be able to give you a good idea of what diagnostics to run. If testing shows that your dog does have a medical issue, treatment of that issue will often resolve the issue completely. If testing shows that your dog is medically fine, then your next step is pursuing training for your dog.
Changes With Age
Certain behaviors might seem sudden, when they actually are not. For example, working breed dogs often reach 2-3 years old and then stop tolerating other dogs of the same gender. This is often the case even with dogs that were social, gregarious puppies. This is a behavior change that is permanent and pretty normal, and not something that has a medical cause. Training in these cases can help with management strategies and good obedience around dogs, but doesn’t change the character of that individual dog.
Having a great relationship with your trainer and veterinarian means you always have people in your corner. If you are interested in working with us as your trainer, contact us today!
