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Dogs are beloved companions and members of the family. They bring joy, love, and companionship to their owners. But in order for them to be happy and healthy, they need to have certain characteristics that make them behaviorally healthy. Here are 15 characteristics of behaviorally healthy dogs:
- Friendly towards people: A behaviorally healthy dog should be friendly towards people, including well-behaved children. This means they should not show signs of aggression or fear when meeting new people or being around children.
- Friendly towards other friendly dogs: Dogs should also be friendly towards other friendly dogs. This means they should not show signs of aggression or fear when meeting new dogs or being around other dogs in general.
- Not anxious if left alone: A behaviorally healthy dog should not become anxious if left alone for extended periods of time. This means they should not bark excessively, chew on furniture, or display any other destructive behaviors when left alone for too long.
- Not overly possessive: A behaviorally healthy dog should not be overly possessive of their food, toys, or bedding. They should share these items with their owners without showing signs of aggression or fear when asked to do so.
- Not destructive: A behaviorally healthy dog should not display any destructive behaviors such as chewing on furniture, digging holes in the yard, or tearing up items inside the home.
- Not fearful of loud noises: A behaviorally healthy dog should not be fearful of loud noises such as thunderstorms, fireworks, vacuum cleaners, etc., and instead remain calm during these events without displaying any signs of anxiety or fearfulness.
- Not aggressive towards humans: A behaviorally healthy dog should never display aggressive behaviors towards humans such as growling, snapping at people’s hands/feet/clothing/etc., and biting without provocation from a person first doing something to provoke the dog (e.g., pulling its tail).
- Not aggressive towards other animals: Similarly to humans, a behaviorally healthy dog should never display aggressive behaviors towards other animals such as cats and birds either in the home or outside in public places like parks and beaches where there may be wildlife present nearby that could potentially startle the dog into attacking it out of fear or territoriality issues if it is not properly socialized with other animals from an early age onwards (more on this later).
- Not easily startled by sudden movements : A behaviorally healthy dog shouldn’t be easily startled by sudden movements from humans or other animals nearby – this includes things like someone raising their voice suddenly , clapping their hands , running past them , etc . The goal is for your pup to remain calm even when unexpected things happen around them .
- Not overly excitable : A behaviorally healthy pup shouldn’t become overly excited when playing with toys , going for walks , meeting new people / animals , etc . They shouldn’t jump up on people / furniture / counters / etc . excessively either – this can lead to unwanted behaviors down the road if it isn’t addressed early on .
- Not shy : On the flip side , a behaviorally healthy pup shouldn’t be too shy either – they shouldn’t cower away from people / animals / situations that don’t pose an immediate threat but rather take everything in stride and approach things calmly until they understand what is going on around them better .
- Not prone to separation anxiety : Separation anxiety can manifest itself in many different ways – excessive barking while you are away , destructive behaviors while you are gone , pacing back and forth near windows / doors waiting for you to come back home , etc . It is important that your pup doesn’t suffer from separation anxiety as this can lead to further behavioral issues down the road if it isn’t addressed early on .
- Not prone to submissive urination : Submissive urination is another issue that can arise if your pup isn’t properly socialized from an early age onwards – this involves them urinating whenever someone approaches them unexpectedly (especially strangers) due to feeling scared / intimidated by the situation at hand . It is important that your pup doesn’t suffer from submissive urination as this can lead to further behavioral issues down the road if it isn’t addressed early on as well .
- Not easily distracted : A well – behaved pup shouldn’t get easily distracted by things like passing cars , loud noises , squirrels running across the street , etc .. They need to stay focused on what you are asking them to do so that they don’t wander off after something else catches their eye mid – task !
- Able to follow commands : Last but certainly not least – a well – behaved pup needs to be able to follow commands given by their owner(s) ! This includes basic commands like “sit ” “stay ” “come ” “down ” etc .. but also more complex ones like retrieving objects from one room and bringing it back into another room upon command !
These 15 characteristics are essential for having a happy and well-behaved pet! By ensuring your pup has all these traits you will have a loyal companion who loves spending time with you! With proper training and socialization your pup will learn how behave appropriately both indoors and outdoors!