Dog behavior & training

While sometimes confused with normal behaviors in high-energy, excitable dogs, restlessness or agitation is an abnormal symptom that can be associated with serious medical conditions and is often secondary to pain or discomfort.

Estrus, or “heat,” is the period of a female dog’s reproductive cycle when she is most fertile and receptive to breeding.

Deafness in dogs describes hearing loss, which may be present from birth or develop afterwards (acquired).

Head shaking is a common symptom in dogs with multiple underlying causes.

Panting is rapid, open-mouthed breathing that is characteristic of dogs. Dogs pant to regulate their body temperature through evaporative cooling of the respiratory tract.

Fatty liver disease in dogs, also known as hepatic lipidosis, is an uncommon condition typically caused by lack of calorie intake. Fat stores in the body are released to make up for lack of calories taken in, which leads to an accumulation of fat in the liver.

Coprophagia describes the behavior of eating feces. While distasteful to humans, this is a relatively normal behavior for dogs. There are a few medical causes which include malnutrition, Cushing’s disease, cognitive dysfunction, and anxiety

Regurgitation is the passive expulsion of matter from the mouth, upper throat (pharynx), or esophagus. In dogs, the expelled matter often takes the appearance of chewed food combined with a little saliva or mucus. It can also be tube-like in shape. 

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder affecting the brain characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and spontaneous or emotion-triggered collapse (cataplexy). This is an uncommon condition in dogs, and can be caused by a genetic predisposition or in rare cases, a brain disorder or nerve disease.

Canine bowel incontinence is the inability to control defecation. Incontinence is distinct from inappropriate elimination or house-soiling, in that the bowel movements occur without the dog’s awareness.

Anal scooting describes the behavior of a dog when it drags its rear end across the floor; usually characterized as sitting, lifting hind legs, and using anterior legs to drag the body forward while the anus area drags on the floor

Undescended testicles (cryptorchidism) is observed when one or both testicles are not present in the scrotum after 4 months of age.

If a dog tilts his head involuntarily or chronically, especially when along with other symptoms like ear pain or lack of balance, it may be a symptom of an underlying medical condition

Separation anxiety occurs when a dog develops a disproportionate fear or agitation in response to being separated from their owners or housemates.

Reverse sneezing is defined as a sharp inhalation, or sometimes multiple in quick succession, occasionally accompanied by a honking noise.

Motion sickness (also known as car sickness) is when a dog shows signs of nausea and/or vomiting as a result of being in motion outside of their control.

Obsessive compulsive disorders are uncommon in dogs and characterized by repetitive behaviors so intense they are difficult to interrupt and interfere with daily life.

Canine anxiety disorders are characterized by disproportionate fear in response to stimuli that are not dangerous. Examples include storm phobia and separation anxiety.

Dogs are not selective about what they eat compared to humans, and their indiscretion often leads to gastrointestinal symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, and flatulence.

A dog may obsessively lick and chew themselves, objects in their environment, or towards nothing in midair.

Noise aversion describes a true phobia (mental disorder) triggered by a particular noise or loud noises in general. It affects approximately 30% of dogs.

Pica is an uncommon, abnormal behavior where dogs will obsessively or habitually consume non-food items such as rocks,

Dementia, or Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CDS), is an age-related degenerative disease which affects memory and learning in dogs. Dogs with CDS present with a wide variety of progressive symptoms, including disorientation, anxiety, abnormal interactions, disturbances in  sleep/wake cycle, learning or memory changes, house soiling, and changes in activity levels.

Head pressing is a behavior demonstrated when a dog compulsively faces a wall or corner and remains there without moving or appearing engaged in any kind of activity for a period of time.

Deafness in dogs refers to the partial or total loss of hearing in one or both ears. Deafness can occur from a variety of reasons such as heredity, birth defects, infection, trauma, blocked ear canal, or old age. Deafness in dogs is actually quite common.