Canine Cabin Fever - Part II
In my article last month I promised to begin a series of articles describing various behavior problems and how to correct them. Although cabin fever is not a behavior problem in itself, the side effects are. It is not unusual for most of us to begin to get a little cabin fever this time of the year in Western New York. Our canine companions are not immune from the phenomena either. After spending nearly three months in a semi-state of hibernation, it is inevitable that some strange yet familiar feeling begins to set in.
The weather begins to warm up and the sun peaks through the clouds. The air smells fresh and clean and although there may be a crisp bite in the breeze, there is an expectation that something is about to explode. Spring is coming and our dogs may be able to sense it before we do. The excitement can be seen in our dog’s behavior. It may first appear in the form of restlessness.
This restlessness can manifest itself in many different ways depending upon your dog’s personality and temperament. In extreme cases, you may begin to think that your dog is becoming neurotic. One example of neurotic behavior might include, but is not limited to what is affectionately referred to as the “zoom dog mentality.”
If you see your dog suddenly jump up out of the blue and begin running through the house like a wild animal bouncing off walls, knocking family pictures off coffee tables; your dog may have cabin fever. This explosive behavior is the zoom dog mentality. Most of us limit our outside activities during the colder months and as a result our dogs get much less exercise than they would normally get other times of the year. Your dog has a tremendous amount of unspent energy. The explosive zoom dog behavior is quite normal and can be remedied by simply providing your dog with more exercise. A tired dog is a happy and content dog. Every dog will have a threshold of what actually constitutes exercise. Some breeds may only need a one mile walk to tucker them out while others may need to be tied to the bumper of your car for a 10 mile run. Obviously I am exaggerating. However, anyone that has a dog like this knows what I am talking about. There are some breeds that seem to be able to go and go and go without ever getting tired. If you are not a high energy outdoor type person you may want to try using a treadmill to help burn off some of your dogs pent up energy. If your dog is causing you to feel a little neurotic, you may have cabin fever too. You may feel the temptation to “self medicate” or you could just get up and grab the leash and the dog and get some exercise. You’ll both feel better.
There are other behaviors such as aggression (barking and growling when visitors stop by); excessive chewing (the leather couch was mistaken for a rawhide) or your dog may begin eliminating in the house. These are all signs that your dog has cabin fever. The best way to curtail these menacing behaviors is to get some exercise. The more exercise your dog has the calmer he will be in almost any situation.
Contact Information
Tom Beitz is the owner of the Academy for Puppies and Dogs and is an authorized dealer for Pet STOP Hidden Dog Fences. Tom can be reached at (716) 628-0651 to answer your questions or he can be found on the web at www.smartdogtrainer.com . E-Mail: Tom@Smartdogtrainer.com
Copyright © Academy for Puppies and Dogs 2007 (All Rights Reserved)
Copies of this article may be freely distributed provided the original source is cited!