While we firmly believe that there are no “bad” dogs, the reality is that there are many dogs that demonstrate unwanted behavior. In some cases, it might be annoying habits such as excessive barking or perhaps dangerous issues such as aggression. No matter what dog issues you need to remedy, the team at Tip Top K9 can provide you with expert dog behavior training in Troy.
Common dog behavioral issues can range from minor nuisances to more serious problems that affect the quality of life for both the dog and its owner. Understanding the reasons behind these behavior problems is crucial for effective dog training and management. Here are some common problems and their typical causes:
- Aggression: This can manifest as growling, baring teeth, snarling, snapping, or biting. Aggression can stem from various factors, including fear, territorial behavior, protection of resources (like food or toys), pain, or past abuse. It can also be a learned behavior if a dog has had positive outcomes from being aggressive in the past. Our intensive dog training for aggressive dogs in Troy can correct this issue.
- Barking Excessively: Dogs bark for numerous reasons: alerting to danger, anxiety, seeking attention, boredom, or responding to other dogs. However, excessive barking often indicates that the dog’s needs (physical or mental) are not being met. This issue can be resolved with proper obedience training.
- Chewing: Dogs, especially puppies, naturally explore the world through their mouths. Chewing can become problematic when it’s destructive. Causes include teething, boredom, excess energy, anxiety, or lack of training about what is appropriate to chew.
- Jumping Up: Dogs often jump up to greet people or get attention. This behavior is typically rooted in excitement or seeking social interaction. Without proper training, a dog might not understand that this is not an appropriate way to greet humans.
- Separation Anxiety: This is marked by a dog displaying distress and behavior problems when separated from its owners. Causes include a lack of training to handle solitude, traumatic experiences, changes in routine or environment, or innate disposition. We do offer dog separation anxiety training in Troy, and this can help boost your dog’s confidence and lessen anxiety.
- Leash Pulling: Many dogs pull on the leash during walks, often due to excitement, eagerness to explore, or lack of proper leash training. It can also stem from a natural instinct to roam.
- Begging for Food: This is a learned behavior where a dog has been rewarded with food for begging in the past, reinforcing the action. We definitely don’t recommend rewarding this behavior, as it can become quite annoying and most human foods aren’t good for a dog’s sensitive tummy.
- Not Responding to Recall: Some dogs may not come when called due to distractions, lack of proper training, or negative associations with the command (like being called for an end to playtime). We teach dogs to come 100% of the time, as this is a crucial safety issue.
- Digging: Dogs may dig out of boredom, excess energy, hunting instincts, fear or anxiety (like trying to escape), or to create a cool place to lie down.
- House Soiling: Inadequate house training, changes in the environment, medical issues, or anxiety can lead to inappropriate urination or defecation indoors. Potty training can be incorporated into our dog behavior training in Troy.
Keep in mind, that while behavior training can fix these issues, if they are caused by boredom, it is highly recommended that you provide your dog with plenty of exercise, such as walks, playing with toys and perhaps even agility training. When dogs can expend their energy, they tend to exhibit better behavior in general, and exercise also can reduce anxiety.
Why Use Tip Top K9?
With more than 15,000 satisfied clients (and 7,000+ 5-star reviews), Tip Top K9 is the nation’s highest-rated dog training company. We have a 99.3% success rate using our proven step-by-step training method.
Teaching your dog or training your dog on your own can be a daunting task, but our professional dog trainers have years of experience. We’ve trained more than 130 different breeds of dog, so we have the know-how to deal with everything from a high-energy border collie to a stubborn little Shih Tzu. Not only will we train your dog, but we will also help dog owners learn how to reinforce proper behavior.
Our training programs include in-home dog training in Troy, as well as dog boot camp in Troy and group classes. For most dogs, we recommend our in-home training option. During these lessons, we will teach your dog everything from how to walk on a leash to obeying commands such as sit, stay and come.
We also can tackle behavior modification for dogs that exhibit excessive barking, jumping on people and other common issues. For dogs with severe aggression issues or anxiety issues, we strongly recommend that you opt for doggy boot camp in Troy. For boot camp, your dog will stay 24/7 with one of our professional trainers for about two to four weeks to provide intensive and consistent training.
Once you’ve completed in-home training and/or boot camp, it’s time for a group class! These classes are meant to help dog parents reinforce training skills and are not meant to be the first step of dog behavior training.
Almost all of our packages include group classes because we want you to feel comfortable bringing your dog in for reinforcement training throughout his or her lifetime. This also provides an excellent opportunity to keep your dog socialized.
How Much Does Training Cost?
We don’t put one-size-fits-all prices on our website because, frankly, every dog is unique, and our trainers first meet with you and your dog to determine what level of training is needed. This first lesson will be just $1 and this initial session includes discussing your training needs and evaluating your dog and their responsiveness to training, personality, etc.
We will then create a custom training program that addresses all of your dog’s behavioral issues. Whether you simply need your dog to obey basic commands and walk properly, or you have more serious issues, we can help!
Get Started Now!
If you need any level of dog behavior training in Troy, the expert trainers at Tip Top K9 are always equal to the task. To book your $1 first lesson, just click on the Schedule Lesson tab on your homepage and fill out our quick contact form. In addition to Troy, we also serve Birmingham, Madison Heights and the surrounding area.