Wellness

I recently met with a client whose French bulldog had suddenly changed from a relaxed puppy to a dog who was aggressive on the leash, nipping anyone who tried to pet her, jumping on people, and barking all the time in the home. She had gotten into a fight with a German Shepherd. This led to her owner reaching out for help. At our meeting, the dog was exhibiting all the signs of a dog who was highly stressed. Her forehead was tense, her body was tense, she was panting even though it wasn’t overly warm, she reacted to the slightest noise outside, and so much more.

After we talked for a bit, I asked if the dog had any health concerns. Her owner mentioned that she had been severely itchy to the point she had scratched herself raw and bloody in places. The owner had taken her to the vet, but that vet didn’t want to consider any options except changing her food, which had not helped. The dog also had started vomiting and vomited nearly every day. These changes also occurred after they moved, at around the same the behavior changes started.

Every analysis of an issue concerning dogs should determine whether the dog in question is facing a medical issue. In the case of this dog, there was clearly a link between how she was feeling and how she was behaving. It wasn’t clear whether the wellness issues were causing the behaviors, but they certainly could not be helping this dog cope with the world around her.

After some suggestions on helping her dog in the short term with her arousal (the owner was inadvertently reinforcing some behaviors she didn’t want), my primary suggestion was to get a second opinion. I advised this client to see a well-respected behavioral vet. We are lucky to live an hour and a half from one of the most respected behavioral vets in the world.

Feeling bad physically will never help a behavior situation. Think about it. If you were itching all over your body, or even in one place, and could get no relief, if you encountered any tension in your life the itching would only make it easier to lose your temper. It’s no different for our animal friends. Wellness is an intrinsic part of the analysis in figuring out why dogs act the way that they do. Once it is clear that an animal’s physical needs are met, it’s much easier to address other behavior concerns.