Is your older dog more irritable or is he someone to be treated with reverence?

You give your dog food and shelter to satisfy his basic physical needs. But there are three other things that he needs in order to stay healthy, happy and well rounded (and when we say “well rounded,” we don’t mean the shape of a beach ball.) First, he needs regular exercise to keep his body in shape. Second, he needs mental stimulation to keep him alert and occupied (while most dogs enjoy sudoku- actually, su-dog-u- the overwhelming majority can’t hold pencils in their paws.) And third, he needs constant socialization in order to stay confident and happy.

Helping Your Adult Dog Remain Occupied And Not Punishing Him For Unexpected Failures

Since dogs can feel highly attached emotionally, they feel upset when neglected by family members or if not enough time is spent with them. This upset emotion can lead into negative behavior; “acting up” to get noticed. They have their unique ways of doing so, not like humans who might watch tv and neglect social responsibilities to feel better. The dogs might displeay the following negative behaviors: too much barking, chewing on important stuff, digging, and worse, they might even run away from you. They didn’t mean to do so purposely, but because they have been neglected, they tend to go back to their natural canine instincts and impulses. They communicate with their actions since there is a lack of verbal communication between him and his human companions.

Loving Your Dog Only When He’s Good Is Highly Discouraged

Boundless love is also a great way of letting your dog feel secured. Owning a dog must have the commitment similar to that of a human ‘family’ relationship. There will be many good and bad times in the course of the average 7 years that you and your dog will have together. Loving your dog unconditionally means that when a negative behavior occurs, scolding and punishing the dog must not be an option. Since your dog is already fully grown, there must be a problem that he encounters, since most of the time, he’ll behave as expected. This essentially makes your dog’s negative behavior justifiable. Seeking out the underlying cause for your dog’s misbehavior and treating the issue rationally will work wonders for your dilemma. Unlike us, our dogs do not behave negatively to rebel against us. There is just something that we have missed out on – a primary need like food or maybe more time. Most of the time, the needs that the dog might want us to fill with is a more emotional fulfillment.

Keep Your Adult Dog Socialized

Sometimes as our dogs get older and become more mature, we tend to not take them out as much as we did when they were puppies. Interestingly, “not being taken out as much” is the same complaint husbands often hear from wives. Adult dogs do seem to enjoy just lounging around the house in their adult years and watching TV with you, and scientists have discovered that dogs and humans are both capable of laziness. However, to keep your dogs’ mind stimulated and his social skills intact, do your best to take him out as often as possible to greet other people and other dogs. But remember, biting does not count as greeting. You will find that, just like with people, your dog will establish solid friendships with other dogs. And, on occasion, he’ll talk trash behind their backs.

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