What A Dog Psychologist Looks For With A Client When Evaluating Problems


The relevance of certain facts about a problem dog may seem elusive when viewed out of context. However, when considered in relation to each other, a behavioral profile emerges which can help you further evaluate and determine the source of the issues between the owner and the dog itself. The behavioral implications of the following questions can shed light on the problem:

1. Is the breed known to be prone to the problem (for example, excitable, aggressive)?
2. Is the problem sex related, such as a male dog's over-protectiveness or sexual aggressiveness toward women? Is the dog neutered? If so, was this related to a change in behavior?
3. Is the dog now in, or did the bad behavior begin during, one of the known behavioral transition periods?
4. Facts about the age at which the dog was obtained are important. If taken from the litter before 5 1/2 weeks, the dog may tend toward over-dependent shyness. If taken after the age of optimum socialization (after 6-8 weeks), the dog may tend toward aggressiveness if not correctly handled.
5. From whom was the dog obtained? This may reveal a caged or pet shop background in the litter. The price of the dog gives insight as to the owner's perception of monetary value in the consideration of treatment costs, but this is not always indicative.
6. The dog's litter behavior may indicate basic behavioral tendencies, such as dominance, submissiveness, etc.
7. House-training punishment procedures may explain some exaggerated behavioral reactions. Questions about other training and success ratios in any efforts made to up to the current date also helps.
8. Where the dog sleeps and its in-house activities allow some evaluation of social interaction within the family.
9. Health information and its impact on behavior are of prime importance in analyzing a problem. The diet, feeding practices, and who actually feeds the dog also are important.
10. Knowledge of family structure can help determine who should be involved in consultations and remedial programs. Children over 10 years of age usually do well in consultations with their parents and the dog.
11. The owners' occupations may suggest their general orientation. For example, a salesman may differ in outlook and, therefore, would require a different consultative approach than, say, an attorney. Though not specifically true, occupations often reflect social orientations and logic patterns.
12. Involvement of other pets may be important in some cases. There are cases in which clients show preference to another pet, which can trigger competition and problems ranging from fighting to household urination.