Owning a dog is a wonderful experience and one that brings happiness and joy when the dog is well-behaved and socialized. Unfortunately, dogs can develop challenging behaviors at any point in time that can become frustrating.

The good news for Pennsylvania dog owners is that bad behavior can be changed for the better. In many cases, it really isn’t the dog’s behavior that has to change, but rather the actions of the owners.

For dog owners that want to take their pooch to a doggy day care, ensuring that these three common behavior problems are under control will help your dog to have a wonderful experience in any environment.

Barking Behaviors

At a doggy day care, barking is a common occurrence and is not a concern for the staff. However, at home, it is a problem and one that needs to be quickly managed. Obedience training with a certified dog trainer can be instrumental in stopping ongoing, continual barking. Regular exercise can assist with dogs that bark from boredom. Changing the location of the dog in the home or even moving the dog from outside to inside can often correct the problem.

Separation Anxiety Issues

It is not at all uncommon at day or pet boarding facilities to see separation anxiety in dogs. Owners can help prevent this by starting off with very short periods of time away from the dog, even just 5 to 10 minutes, then gradually extending this time as the dog understands the owner will return. Keep a radio or television on and providing a calm greeting when returning will also help with this common issue.

Attention Seeking Behaviors

Whining to get attention is a problem many Pennsylvania dog owners face. The best option is to avoid petting, speaking to or looking at the dog when he or she is whining. When the dog stops, provide attention to reinforce that being quiet gets the dog what he or she wants.

Talk to your doggy day care provider about trainers in your area. These professionals often have trainers they can refer that provide compassionate, positive dog training services.