Dog Behavior Wellness Quiz

By Marilyn Marks
Owner of The Good Dog Spot! a dog day care, training and boarding facility in Bloomfield, CT

"Behavioral" wellness isn’t a common topic.  While your dog gets an annual physical workup, few ask whether they’re meeting their dog’s emotional needs.
What is behaviorally normal for dogs?  How do you know when things aren’t right?  How can you balance what you want and expect and need in terms of your dog’s behavior with what dogs naturally do?  How do you know if the amount of time you’re crating, playing, training, scolding or whatever with your dog is safe and sane – from your point of view as well as your dog’s? 
We’re not talking about the obvious here – we all know that if a dog is destroying things when you’re not home or is biting people regularly, there is something out of sorts.  But how often is your dog getting too this or so that to a point where you are concerned or have to scold?  How often are you disgusted or embarrassed or worried about your dog’s behavior enough that you have to segregate him/her from your normal family life (having friends over, taking the dog to events or on vacation, for example)?   How much do you have to adjust your life because your dog can’t be left alone for too long, can’t be boarded or stay at friends, can’t ride in the car well, etc.?  If you answered "frequently" to any of these, your dog’s behavioral wellness may be in question.
Why does this matter?  Too often we wait until the last straw (the bite that finally occurs, the vacation or move that will stress the dog out too much…) to do anything, and by that time there is nothing to do but take the dog to the shelter and hope for the best.  It also matters because a dog without limits and boundaries, a dog without effective two-way communication with his/her owner, a dog without an understanding of the world around them is a spoiled dog, a nervous dog, a hyper dog, a clueless dog…..a suffering dog.
Animal Behavior Associates, an on-line dog behavior consulting site, offers a Behavioral Wellness Quiz, www.animalbehaviorassociates.com.   They ask questions like:  "My dog is affectionate without being needy, clingy or annoying," to which you answer "always," "sometimes," or "never."   There are 15 questions through which you can ponder your dog’s mental health and explore ideas on how to improve in any areas you need.   Dr. Suzanne Hetts and Dr. Daniel Estep, both of whom have a Ph.D.  in animal behavior and who are Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists (something only people with Ph.D.s can get), are the owners of this site that helps pet owners understand and meet their dogs’ needs.*
The relationship between each dog and owner is a unique one.  If yours isn’t broken, even if you do let Muffin have a piece of your dinner when she asks or let Buster-Boo sleep in your bed, it doesn’t need fixing.  But if you frequently feel frustrated, your dog probably does too (no matter how much you think it’s "spite"), so maybe a little look-see into your dog’s needs wouldn’t be so bad.
*The author is not affiliated with this company in any way, nor does she receive any compensation for referrals.