Meeting your dog's Needs
Are you meeting your dog’s needs?
Chances are you are in some areas, but perhaps falling a bit short in others.
You may have heard the term “Enrichment” scrolling through social media, or browsing online. That’s just a fancier way of saying ‘meeting dog needs’. One of the most critical things that you can do to support your aggression or reactivity behavior change plans is to ensure you’re adequately meeting your dog’s needs.
Behavioral challenges such as aggression, reactivity, and resource guarding are expressions of a dog having big feelings about something or someone (think: another dog, another person, or grooming). Often, these big feelings arise because some basic critical need hasn’t been fully met. I often find big city living, such as in SG, can make it harder for devoted dog parents, to meet their dog’s needs, just because of the nature of the environment and its fast pace.
I’ve broken down the basic needs into six simple categories below. If you’d like to know more about them, or receive a simple guide, reach out through our contact form.
Health
Obvious right? Of course, you’re taking care of your dog’s health! However, taking care of their health goes far beyond ensuring they are protected against illnesses through vaccinations. One of the major causes of behavior challenges can often be tracked down to pain. Pain in the joints, or pain from gastric or dental issues, or infections (think eyes, ears).
Makes sense right? If we’re not feeling our best, we’re definitely not going to be acting our best either. I know when I’ve got a stomach ache, I tend to get a bit more snappy with the people around me (not proud, but facts).
Often something as simple as diet can lead to pain. Perhaps Fido isn’t tolerating chicken too well which is causing a stomach issue, or itchiness, which in turn makes them less tolerant of petting which in turn looks like them snapping or growling at people that reach for them. This is why it’s important to stay on top of things like dental care, allergies, or food or environmental intolerances they might have.
Hygiene
Seems like a no-brainer, but ensuring your dog is well-groomed, with clean ears and teeth and clipped nails is another way you can meet your dog’s needs. Now our idea of hygiene might be very different than that of our dog’s, but making sure your dog is bathed at the right intervals (not too much and not too little), has clean ears, and gets his teeth cleaned regularly enough to prevent dental issues is another way you can prevent health issues in the long run. This doesn’t mean you need to bust out the toothbrush and put your dog through a nightly brushing ordeal, especially if they haven’t been desensitized to the process, but something simple like providing raw meaty bones regularly to chew on goes a long way in helping keep plaque in check.
Ensuring their nails are a comfortable length is another way you can prevent longer-term health issues. Most dogs, if they get enough outdoor time, might naturally grind their nails down to the optimal length, but some of our more couch-loving companions might need your assistance here.
Nutrition
Ensuring your dog gets a species-appropriate diet is another easy way to meet their needs. We’re pretty lucky here in SG, having access to a so many options when it comes to dog food, but often it can get confusing. We want to ensure they get the appropriate quantity with variety in formats, textures, smells, and flavors (inclusive of chews and treats). Far too often, behavior problems arise because of an unsuitable diet.
Just like humans, no two dogs are alike, and what food works for one might not work for another. Dogs can develop food intolerances and allergies just like us, which can cause stomach or skin issues or even make them more prone to infections. Staying vigilant about how your dog is responding to what they eat is another simple way you can meet their needs and ensure that your behavior change plans are set up for success.
Environment
Providing an environment that is safe and secure from the dog’s perspective—free from what they perceive as threats (sights, sounds, smells)—will also help you see progress in your behavior change plans. Think about it: if your work is a toxic place, how likely are you to learn and thrive there? Same goes for our dogs. Ensuring they feel safe and secure enough to get adequate rest is imperative to the success of any behavior modification plan. Living in SG, it’s also important to consider specific environmental factors, such as the heat, which can stress dogs and affect their behavior. Make sure they have a cool, comfortable places to rest with plenty of access to water, especially during peak heat hours.
Physical Stimulation
Another obvious one, but not in the way you might be thinking. Making sure our dogs get the right amount of physical activity for them can be trickier than you might think. We often tend to overload our dogs with mindless walks twice a day and tons of fetch in an effort to get them tired, but there’s more to physical stimulation than just these two things.
While neighborhood walks can do the trick when there is a time crunch, Taking our dogs on different terrain such as for hikes at the Rail Corridor or Coney Island, or to the beach at Tanjong Beach where they can dig to their heart’s content can do wonders every now and then. Even teaching them tricks that require them to maneuver their bodies into different positions, all pose as activities that can be physically stimulating for your dog.
Mental Stimulation
Finally, this is the one most of us fall short on. Let’s face it, we’re busy with work all day, and on weekends, our idea of activities with our dogs consists of perhaps a longer walk or more time at the dog park, or perhaps an outing together to a restaurant or the beach.
But most dogs are bored out of their minds for the better part of the week. Dogs are scavengers and natural-born problem solvers…just think about how they manage to get into just the things we don’t want them to! Ensuring that their brains are worked out as much as their bodies is another important way you can make your behavior change plans more effective. Utilizing food puzzles, training new tricks, or joining a local nose-work or agility class will ensure your dog gets to put that problem-solving mind of theirs to good use!
Conclusion
That’s it! These are the six ways you can meet your dog’s needs to make your behavior modification plans more successful. You might already be meeting some or most of these in some way, but if you want to know more about what you could be doing, reach out through the contact form and I’ll be happy to share a more detailed guide with you!