Canine Neuroses: A Study of Behavioral Disorders in Dogs - Coursework Example

CANINE NEUROSES A STUDY OF BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS IN DOGS 21st JANUARY, 2009 ABNORMAL BEHAVIOUR IN DOGS It is difficult to define what the normal behaviour of dogs should be, may be because of the difference in their breeds and distinct characteristics they are associated with .Many dogs display behaviours which are normal to their type of species but are unacceptable to humans due to which they try to restrict such behaviours which aggravates the situation and limits the dog’s ability to behave normally and express its normal gamut of behaviours (Stafford K, 2006). Such restrictions posed by humans in most of the cases may lead to abnormal behaviours that may be anxiety-based, aggression based or different areas. Abnormal behaviours clearly indicate that the management or environment of the individual dog is inadequate or inappropriate. Activities such as continuous circling, licking, barking, and digging may impact on the physical wellbeing of the affected dog. It is important to extend an enriched environment for a dog to stop engaging in abnormal behaviours for which dogs may be put on medications or other preventive strategies as well to help them cope with the problem and the environment (Stafford K, 2006). Behaviour disorder is a common phenomenon observed among dogs. Activities such as self-mutilation, pawing, scratching at unsuitable objects and fittings, nervousness and fright, furious biting, extreme fear etc are linked with such kind of behaviour. The main reasons for such unaccepted behaviour could be unfavorable conditions in the early stages of life, wrong or bad treatment, hereditary factors, but above all the environment and surroundings in which a dog is brought up is one of the vital causes for generation of such behaviour disorders. There can also be certain kind of imperfections in the nature of dogs which can be typical for the breed. Behavioral problems in dogs are often a cause of worry for the owners. Problems can be numerous such as submissive urination to dangerous aggression, destructiveness to disobedience etc. The recognition and classification of the kind of behavior problems in dogs is a systematic process that is initiated by acquiring a detailed behavioral history of the problem from the owner, and analyzing the functional and causative properties of the problematic behavior. For the past few decades, the animal behaviorists who have a special interest in animal psychology have been trying to establish different ways to help pet owners prevent and solve behavioral problems. The basic information that led to the development of treatment techniques has its source rooted to the past research, from the clinical application of animal learning techniques to human problems and also from the fundamental drug research. Even though many areas are yet to be explored, still the trained animal behaviorists have gathered enough information to improve the health and well-being of our pets and those who deeply care for them. Few common preventive measures such as, spaying or neutering the pet, supervised exercises, proper time and attention, early socialization, training, etc can prove to be most important actions one can take to prevent behavioral problems later in life. In a study conducted by Wright J C and Nesselrote M.S ( 1987, one hundred and seventy behaviour problems were identified in 105 dogs related to three major categories aggression, stimulus reactivity and separation related behaviour problems. Some of the behaviour disorders which are quite frequent in most of the dogs include: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in dogs - which is a group of repetitive behaviour patterns which have no significant meaning or purpose. For instance, barking incessantly, circling, fly snapping, flank sucking, chewing, licking, and self-mutilation etc are few of them. Biting Biting is a very common problem posed by little puppies and adult dogs. Such unacceptable behaviour should be discouraged. However, if the behaviour persists, it can be positively reinforced with a light tap on the snout. The dog should be distracted from what it is doing before undertaking stern methods. For little puppies small techniques such as pushing its bottom lip into its mouth underneath at the time of biting would generate the effect of making it bite itself and usually cures the problem if used in concurrence with a voice command. Tone modulations are important to convey specific messages to the dog .The dogs can also be enrolled in training classes. Separation anxiety and Noise phobia Separation anxiety is one of the most common disorders developed in dogs affecting 20 to 40 percent of them (Seksel, Lindeman, 2001), due to intense panic brought on by the dog's isolation or separation from its owner(s). Changes in routine of the dog can result in separation related distress. The symptoms include distress at being separated from the owner, vocalization, elimination and destruction. Indicators of separation anxiety among dogs can be through destructive behavior, such as chewing on furniture, persistent howling or barking, house-soiling inappropriate urination or defecation, self-mutilation etc. It is imperative that veterinarians should be able to diagnose and treat the separation anxiety affected dogs, because if it’s left untreated, the behavioral symptoms of affected dogs are troublesome for the owner become common reasons for abandonment or euthanasia. Noise phobias are also recognized amongst the most commonly occurring behavioral disorders associated with phobic responses in dogs. Noise phobia results in several behaviours that are often considered to be unacceptable and can result in renouncement or abandoning of dogs (Overall K L, Dunham AE and Frank D (2001). Barking Barking is generally a universally misunderstood dog behavior that both displeases and frightens people but it cannot be denied that barking is a natural behavior for dogs. It is a way through which dogs communicate. It helps a dog to relieve tension and drives strangers away. Dogs bark for a number of reasons, some good while others not acceptable. Sometimes dogs bark only for a short period of time and at other times they just won’t keep silent and here’s the time when the problem is quite visible. Owner absent barking is certainly a common canine behavior which can be troublesome and upsetting for others. Destructive chewing Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CDS) Cognitive dysfunction syndrome is an age-related behavioral disorder which is generally observed in old dogs and is featured by a reduction in cognitive ability that cannot be linked to any general medical condition such as neoplasia, infection, or organ failure. In dogs, symptoms of age-related behavioral disorders such as CDS include memory loss which may be generated due to disorientation or confusion, altered interaction with family members, changes in sleep-wake cycle, reduced activity level and frequent inappropriate elimination (peeing and pooing). Destructive Chewing and Digging: Chewing is another type of canine behaviour Dogs start chewing as puppies. Just as little chew on toys to relieve the pain of teeth, puppies do the same thing for the same reasons. However, Chewing becomes a problem when a dog does not overcome it in a period of time and becomes destructive. Digging is yet another confusing and destructive common canine behavior but at the same time a very natural thing for dogs to do. Again there are a variety of reasons to explain why dogs dig, may be to escape, to find a cool spot in the summer, to bury a bone or any other object or merely to dig out of utter frustration. Evolution has aided dogs with an inner instinct to dwell in a protected area, if there is an absence of such an area, the dog will dig to obtain it. Sometimes dogs even dig to imitate others, generally called as “allelomimetic behavior." Some dogs need a home range much larger than what the modern day houses have, due to which the dogs dig in order to attempt to escape simply to increase social contact. TREATMENT OF BEHAVIOURAL PROBLEMS IN DOGS In a research conducted by Mekhedova AIa; Kozlovskaia MM; Neznamov GG; Nikuradze VO, (1985) , focus was made on the modelling of neuroses whereby consecutive stages of development of neuroses were observed in dogs. The initial phase was marked by three distinct features comprising of disorder of conditioned activity, vegetative shifts of compensatory character and intensification of individual characteristics of behaviour. At the commencement of the second stage, sharp turbulences of conditioned reflexes and with vegetative dystonia which is a distortion of emotional reactions were noticed in dogs. On the whole the analysis which was drawn on the basis of neurotization episodes in experiments on dogs with the second stage of disease highlighted a development of depressive-like states. The appropriate treatment applied in the first phase included ‘Diazepam’ which helped in the modification of the behavioral and vegetative shifts in the initial stage of neurosis. Non-typical antidepressants were used in the second stage which was successful in eliminating the manifestation of complex symptoms. Another study was conducted by Seksel K; Lindeman MJ (2001) in order to identify the efficiency and tolerance of planned treatment protocol for obsessive compulsive disorder, separation anxiety and noise phobia in dogs. Twenty four were diagnosed whereby there clinical assessments were carried out, taking into consideration one or more of three behavioral disorders stated above. The treatment designed included medical interventions comprising of Clomipramine and behaviour modification. The researchers acquired behavioral and clinical history for each dog. Obsessive-compulsive disorder was established in nine cases mainly related with tail-chasing, shadow-chasing, circling and chewing; only case out of twenty four was diagnosed with concurrent separation anxiety , however separation anxiety was prominent in fourteen cases in all mainly dealing with troublesome behaviours relating to destruction, vocalization and escaping in the absence of the owner; four cases also exhibited noise phobia. The study also included one dog diagnosed with noise phobia only and another with inappropriate fear responses. As an effective way to treat such disorders, Clomipramine was administered orally twice daily starting with to 2 mg/kg dose. The dose was increased incrementally to a maximum of 4 mg/kg if needed. Along with the medication course, a behaviour modification program was structured and the dog owners were explained about the implementation of the designed plan. The medication was carried on for at least one month after clinical signs disappeared or were acceptably reduced. After which the medication was gradually withdrawn by decreasing drug dosage at weekly intervals while behaviour modification continued. The results of the study confirmed that clinical sign was largely improved or completely disappeared in 16 dogs, 5 revealed mild to moderate improvement and the behaviour was unchanged in 3. Clomipramine withdrawal was attempted in nine cases out of which five showed positive symptoms. On the whole it was analyzed that use of Clomipramine was effective and well-tolerated in controlling signs of obsessive-compulsive disorder and/or separation anxiety and/or noise phobia in 16 of 24 assessable cases which is quite a number for the justification of drug used along with the use and importance of effective behaviour modification plan which resulted in improvement in clinical signs in five other dogs. Many of the disorders can be treated with psychotropic drugs such as anxiolytics or anti-depressants which are quite useful in reducing fears and promote the onset of specific therapy. A good collaboration between veterinarian and the owners is quintessential. Incorporation of desensitization, controlled immersion, counter conditioning, and education can be very effective in most of the cases. Timely treatment does have tremendous impact on the success rates (Mège C, 2006). The behavioral therapy for dogs under separation anxiety was also analyzed by Takeuchi et al. (2001) which included therapies such as counter-conditioning, desensitization and obedience training in order to overcome the defined problem. The results of the therapies confirmed that dogs are able to adapt themselves to new desirable behaviours. Overall K L, Dunham AE and Frank D (2001) also supported the fact that early and timely treatment of separation anxiety gives the dog less opportunity to react to the anxiety-producing stimulus resulting in less neurochemical alteration and reduced phenotypic manifestation of anxiety. Obsessive-Compulsive disorder treatment can include drug therapy which can help in normalizing brain neurotransmitter levels. Drugs along with behaviour modification work best as they facilitate in reduction of or exploring new methods of decreasing the sources of arousal and conflict. The dog can be distracted from the behaviour by use of some remote indirect devices, and once dogs stop that particular behaviour, alternative measures may be encouraged and rewarded. Stimulation in form of exercise, play and social attention may also be helpful. Treatment for anxiety disorders among dogs aims to change the pet/owner interaction to something that is less dependent. Habitual attitude to the leaving routine and planned departures must be so designed in order to teach the dog to be left and overcome separation distress. Counter conditioning and desensitization are also some of the treatment available for the treatment of noise phobias. Other alternatives may include limiting exposure to the stimulus, and pharmacological intervention with tricyclic antidepressants, long acting benzodiazepines or SSRI's etc (Warshaw S, 2007). Phobic behaviour generally occurs due to a prolonged t fear of a situation to the extent that a dog may panic and place itself in danger. Erratic behaviours such as whining, salivating, eliminating, panting, running, trembling, pacing etc are the stipulated outcomes of such phobias. In a study conducted by (Crowell-Davis S L, Seibert L M, Sung, W, Parthasarathy V, Curtis T M, (2003) , intervention through the use of clomipramine, alprazolam and behaviour modification was preferred for the treatment of thunderstorm phobia. Clomipramine as already mentioned in the paper is a drug used to induce control of anxiety in many dogs. Alprazolam has strong anxiolytic properties along with the drugs, desensitization was also applied and the owners were advised to expose their dog to an audio recording of the phobic sound at increasing intensities and also to ignore e their dog when it was exhibiting signs of noise phobia to avoid the unwanted behaviours. The owners of the pets were also requested to keep a daily log of weather conditions, desensitization treatment sessions, medication administration and their dog's response to storms and other voices. The results of the study confirmed that behavioral disorders such ads panting, pacing, trembling, remaining near the owner, hiding, excessive vocalization, self-trauma and inappropriate elimination all decreased due to the treatment. The study also supported the use of anxiolytic drugs in conjunction with the behaviour therapy to reduce the frequency of phobic behaviours. (Crowell-Davis S L, Seibert L M, Sung, W, Parthasarathy V, Curtis T M, 2003). In one of the other studies undertaken by Mills D S, Gandia Estelles, M, Coleshaw P H & Shorthouse C (2003), three treatments were used for curing firework phobia in dogs. The treatments comprised of DAP (Dog-appeasing pheromone), psychoactive medications (acepromazine or diazepam), and desensitization programme through a CD recording of firework sounds. Owners were free to choose from the available alternatives and were instructed to ignore their dog when it appeared anxious. The results confirmed that the CD desensitization programme and DAP, both were effective in reducing a large number of the signs associated with fear of fireworks. DAP had string effects when used singly in comparison to other alternatives for single treatment in reducing the tendency to hide or vocalize whereas CD method was successful in diminishing levels of restlessness in dogs. (Mills D S, Gandia Estelles, M, Coleshaw P H, Shorthouse C, 2003). Treatment of inappropriate digging behaviour involves various steps, the first and foremost being to identify the reason for digging. Prevention, remote punishment, and booby traps can also be applied .It is very important to understand the dog’s behaviour and his reason behind digging, inhibiting or preventing all digging without understanding the root cause of the problem can actually result in new behaviour problems such as chewing, excessive vocalization, or escape behaviours. Dogs who dig in search of prey will continue to do so until unless the preys exist, those who dig to get shade and cool in summers should be provided with ample water and shady area to rest. For some dogs who find pleasure in digging, should be absorbed with other activities such as additional play and exercise times. Dogs, who still continue to dig irrespective of all measures taken to restrict it, must be provided with extra stimulation to keep them occupied. For some of them, creating a specific area where dog is permitted to dig can also prove to be a successful exercise. Or it can also be possible that the dog be allowed to dig in a spot chosen by the dog itself and help in prevention of further digging in other locations by constant surveillance. When the dogs dig to seek attention, it is always better to ignore them and give positive attention for an incompatible desirable behavior. Barrier techniques are also useful and can be used in conjunction contingency management theories. The FDA has approved a special drug called Anipryl to treat the symptoms of CDS in dogs. The clinical interventions proved that Anipryl relieved most of the symptoms of CDS in more than 50 percent of CDS diagnosed animals. The recent treatment for CDS includes daily tablet of medication that can be prescribed by the local veterinarian. The aim of the drug is to slow the degenerative processes occurring in the brain of CDS dogs. Studies on canine subjects have clearly revealed that the medication can improve the symptoms of CDS, but the intensity varies between the dog and severity of the problem. It is generally observed that the owners observation and reporting of clinical signs, is the only authentic way to detect cognitive dysfunction in dogs. Some of the pets which are trained for a higher level of performance such as the agility trained working dog, signs of cognitive decline are easily detected but in most of the other cases, various laboratory cognitive tasks such as discrimination learning, reversal learning, and spatial memory are used to identify a decline in performance in older dogs. The dogs are placed in a testing apparatus, called as the Toronto General Testing Apparatus (TGTA) to detect the possibility of the syndrome (Landsberg G, 2004). Many other treatments have also been established in due course of time such as neuropsychological tests which are useful for the validation and assessment of cognitive decline in senior dogs. With the help of such tests it is possible to determine whether a particular therapeutic agent is effective at improving learning and memory before moving ahead with different clinical trials. Therapeutic agent such as Selegiline increases 2-phenylethylamine (PEA) in the dog brain and decrease free radical load in the brain, a new canine therapeutic diet helps in the improvement of a number of cognitive tasks performed by the dogs (Landsberg G, 2004). Environmental enrichments such as exercise, toys etc do have a dramatic effect in treating the problem. Specific drugs can enhance the aging-related behavior disorders in dogs by increasing the cerebral blood flow, neuronal transmission, and have a neuroprotective effect. Apart from the above mentioned alternatives, complimentary therapies including neutraceuticals, herbal extracts and vitamins can also be applied in pets to help them keep calm, reduce anxiety and induce sleep (Landsberg G, 2004). CAUSES AND PREVENTION OF BEHAVIOURAL PROBLEMS IN DOGS Behavior problems may be primary problems which may also occur as signs of underlying medical problems. Nutritional, infectious and genetics factors can lead to behavioral disorders among dogs, absence of attachment can be a cause for anxiety and separation disorders. Poor socialization to human species can also lead to social phobias and predation on humans. A lack of early stimulation can lead to privation syndrome (Mège C, 2006). Anxiety disorder for instance can be caused due to numerous reasons such as few breeds are genetically predisposed towards anxiety and insecurity, separation from their mother and siblings can also result in anxiety disorder, neglect is also considered to be one of the most prevalent causes (Warshaw S, 2007). Excessive barking is also associated with separation anxiety from the owner. Dogs are also social creatures and separation accounts for a dog’s sadness and anxiety when their owner leaves which he relieves through barking. Destructive chewing can also be entailed due to a number of factors such as relieving stress, loneliness, anxiousness and boredom. To accustom themselves with the environment, dogs continuously use their mouth and teeth. Chewing is self fulfilling and enjoyable for the dogs. They can’t differentiate among the products and kind of punishment or negative reinforcement doesn’t make any difference. All one can do is to catch them in the act and render a momentary stimulation, then give him something that he can chew on again replacing inappropriate behavior with good behavior. The most convenient solution to play-related destructiveness is provision of a dog crate. A dog should be made to adapt and get accustomed to a crate from the initial periods. Moreover, a crate limits the dogs access to valuable items while allowing him to rest and chew at its own leisure on appropriate items provided by the owner. If the chewing is related to some anxiety disorder, then the problem could be treated indirectly by addressing the anxiety itself. Service and advice of the veterinarian can be useful in addressing the problem. However, in some of the cases a temporary anti-anxiety medication can also be beneficial in combination with behavior-modification program in order to make the dog more comfortable, calm and less stressed (Reisner I, retrieved on 21st Jan, 2009). The actual cause of the occurrence of CDS is still vague and unknown. Past studies have however revealed that the symptoms of CDS increase with age, and many pathological changes also take place in aging dogs which can lead to CDS. Such changes may include formation of β-amyloid plaques, decline in activity of several neurotransmitters, including acetylcholine, serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine etc. Irrespective of the causes responsible for CDS in dogs, it can have a huge impact on the health and well-being of an animal suffering from it. Problems such as depression, anxiety, and/or generally decreased health become more severe. CDS results from the accumulation of abnormal proteins in the brain which further accelerate degeneration of the brain tissue and result in cognitive changes associated with the behavioral disorder such as aimlessly wandering or pacing, not responding to name etc (US Patent 6951873). Apart from the regular causes, a very different aspect was brought into the picture in one of the studies conducted by Feddersen-Petersen D (1991), regarding the behaviour disorders in dogs and their classification. The study reflected on the human-canine relationship which often results in a distorted and disturbed behaviour characterized by man's overdoing in any direction. The study emphasizes on the most common forms of canine abnormal behaviour which were classified after BUCHHOLTZ (1989). The study focused on the congenital disorders with pathologic manifestation and aggression in dogs towards human. The author points out the fact that in most of the cases “ritualized misunderstanding" between dog and man depending on unrealistic conceptions and expectations of men about canine behaviour leads to over diagnosing of the problem which further adds on to the complexities of the situation. IMPORTANCE OF PREVENTION RATHER THAN CURE Many families and animal behaviorists focus on treating the problems or disorders after they have developed, one can always avoid problems before they occur by rendering proper advice about the selection of appropriate breed which is apt for the family and establishing proper behaviour expectations as effective preventive measures for all kinds of possible behavioral disorders. The most effective means of dealing with behavioral problems is to prevent their occurrence which should ideally begin as soon as an individual prepares himself to keep a pet. A prospective guardian must consider all ways and aspects of pet care because many behavioral problems result from guardians' failure to meet their pet’s physical or emotional needs. First and foremost it is important to understand that one should always visit the local veterinarian in order to rule out any physical ailments present in the dogs that may be causing behavior problems. For instance, dogs that have physical discomfort may become aggressive when handled. Proper management and regular training facilitates raising an emotionally well-balanced companion. A lot of problems occur in animals due to the fear factor. Every animal fears the unknown. It's of vital importance to introduce pets especially dogs to a variety of people, situations etc. such early exposure to a variety of experiences, help them to inculcate proper social skills and avoid fears and aggression later in life. Prevention also includes understanding of personal lifestyle needs and grooming the dogs in accordance with the need and requirements. It cannot be denied that as social constraints increase such as longer working hours for owners and smaller houses etc, the behavioral problems in pets especially dogs is also aggravating due to the changing lifestyles. The development of behaviour preventing tools such as toys, CD’s and training aids specifically designed to help pet owners deal with the behaviour related issues is highly beneficial. Behavioral diseases are generally noticed in growing dogs. The symptoms appear as soon as the pet has been purchased. However, it may be possible that those problems are undetected early on, but are able more prominent and noticeable later in adult life. In such cases, the veterinarian must ensure the cause of such occurrence which may be due to numerous reasons, for instance poor breeding conditions, over-protection of the pet etc. It is observed that almost all of the common behaviour problems in dogs can be easily prevented with a few simple preventive measures. Socialization and habituation could prove to be the effective measures. Socialization is a process whereby the dogs learn how to interact with its own species and other species which it regularly comes into contact with such as humans and other pets (Key Note 2). Puppies in specific should be given wide range of experiences during their socialization period. Preparation of such kind of environment helps the dog to react in a positive way when exposed to different types of people and pets. Habituation on the other hand is a process in which an animal accepts and becomes accustomed to harmless stimuli through regular exposure to environments, objects, sounds and experiences (Key Note 1). Increased exposure to habituation helps the dog to prepare himself for any sort of incident which may or may not occur in future. In the modern times, ‘Puppy Classes’ are also organized which consist of 6-10 puppies in each class and give owners an opportunity to socialize their new pup with other puppies of similar age. Sounds Sociable CD’s are the perfect tool for all puppies to get accustomed to various sounds and overcome phobia later in life. It is important to take care that only those dogs should be taken into considerations who have been properly vaccinated in order to avoid the danger of any possible virus contraction. A lot depends upon the caretaker or the owner of the dogs also, the owners abilities to continue or to enhance the dogs education is of vital importance. Skills to stimulate certain acceptable behaviours etc also play an inevitable role in grooming up dogs. Ignoring poor advises and generally accepted ideas and myths can prove to be an effective prevention strategy in treating the behavioral problems among dogs. The care takers of the dogs should adopt strategies such as maintaining minimum amount of stress, offering moderate exercise and provide environmental stimulation for older dogs especially. The importance of environmental stimulation certainly should not be disregarded. A sound nutrition plan, frequent health examinations, appropriate laboratory testing, as well as behavior counseling are few of the preventive measures for behavioral issues. Discussion of potential problems and prevention is important. Consistency is the key factor. Once corrective techniques are implied to treat a dog, one has to be consistent. Training and other preventive measures can’t be left in between; they have to be constant in order to not let the dog to revert back into old habits. Barking in dogs could be prevented by modes of attention withdrawal whereby the bad and the unwanted behaviour should be ignored and response should be made with all attention only when the dog is calm and quiet. Bridging stimulus strategy can help in producing a quick resolution of attention seeking barking because this therapy focuses on diverting the dog’s attention on the consequences of his action. Audible punishments can also work sometimes especially in the cases of sensitive dogs. Counter-conditioning can also be fruitful in training the dog to perform actions which were incompatible with the previously conditioned behaviour that is barking. In order to handle the problem of eliminating in dogs it is important to deal with three basic things, firstly training the dog to relieve itself at a proper place, secondly to develop bladder control and thirdly to make the dog aware and sense an idea of where it is not ok to relieve itself. It becomes the wholesome responsibility of the care takers or the owners to ensure that there dog is relieving itself in the designated area each time it tries to avoid it. Use of confinement is also an important tool for proper training of a dog. Developing bladder control is often difficult for the little puppies as their bodies are not developed and capable of retaining much urine and also those they are not aware about the right and the wrong, however as the dog grows, proper training and physical development will enable the dog to hold it for longer times. Housetraining a puppy would require an observation work in the first few weeks.  Dogs have an inner instinct not to pee where they live.  The dog needs to be trained in such a manner as if the whole house is "where he lives,”.  When dogs get an urgent need to go, they would automatically look for a place which is farthest away from where they live. It is important to make the dog understand about the places and the real concept by checking his actions. The dog should be kept away from the places like beds, furniture etc especially when he is all alone and one must supervise him more closely for a while.  The problem vanishes away by passage of time and as long as the dog is not permitted to do it over and over again. CONCLUSION After analyzing numerous disorders in dogs, it can also be deduced that in most of the cases, it is the human factor that needs psychological support rather than the dog as the correction of behaviour disorder, as its causes are explored and intervened by humans through proper considerate and supportive behaviour. In most of the cases humans are themselves is responsible for generation of such causes because of over pampering and over doing of the jobs and not keeping animal in ways appropriate to his species. It is responsibility of the humans to give dogs enough love and care which they deserve in a disciplined manner. It’s also pretty evident that early detection and treatment of behavioral disorders can help in the improvement of prognosis of the affected dogs. It is imperative to clearly establish the risk factors and behavioral manifestations of the related disorder. A deeper insight into the understanding of the behavioral traits and the use of therapies can help the veterinarians to take important decisions regarding management of their patients. Behavioral modifications should be involved in all cases along with concurrent drug therapy where needed. References Crowell-Davis, S.L., Seibert, L.M., Sung, W., Parthasarathy, V., Curtis, T.M. (2003) Use of clomipramine, alprazolam and behaviour modification for treatment of storm phobia in dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 222(6):744-748. Giroux L, Housetraining, retrieved on 21st Jan, 2009, http://www.k9station.com/articles/housetraining.htm Key Note 1, Preventing Behaviour Problems in Dogs!. Part 1 – Socialisation and Habituation. Retrieved on 21st Jan, 2009, G. Landsberg / Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry 29 (2005) 471–479 Mekhedova AIa; Kozlovskaia MM; Neznamov GG; Nikuradze VO. (1985). Stages in the development of neuroses in the dog and effects of preparations with antidepressive and tranquilizing properties. Zh Vyssh Nerv Deiat Im I P Pavlova.; 35(6):1147-55 Reisner I, How to Deal with a Chewing, Destructive Dog, retrieved on 21st Jan, 2009, http://www.petplace.com/dogs/how-to-deal-with-a-chewing-destructive-dog/page1.aspx Seksel K; Lindeman MJ. (2001). Use of clomipramine in treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder, separation anxiety and noise phobia in dogs: a preliminary, clinical study. Aust Vet J.  2001; 79(4):252-6 Stafford K. 2006. Animal Welfare: The welfare of dogs. Published by Springer Netherlands. Mège C. Small Animal Edition. (2006). PROCEEDINGS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN VETERINARY CONFERENCE, VOLUME 20 , JANUARY 7-11, 2006 ORLANDO, FLORIDA, http://www.ivis.org/proceedings/navc/2006/SAE/638.pdf?LA=1 Overall, K.L., Dunham, A.E. & Frank, D. (2001) Frequency of nonspecific clinical signs in dogs with separation anxiety, thunderstorm phobia, and noise phobia, alone or in conjunction. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 219 (4) 467-473 US Patent 6951873, 4th October, 2005, Methods for treating age-related behavioral disorders in companion animals, retrieved on 21st Jan, 2009, http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6951873/description.html Warshaw, S. (2007, December 7). Anxiety Disorder Dog Separation - Prevention and Cure. Retrieved January 21, 2009, http://ezinearticles.com/?Anxiety-Disorder-Dog-Separation---Prevention-and-Cure&id=870790 Wright J C & Nesselrote M S. (1987). Classification of behaviour problems in dogs: distributions of age, breed, sex and reproductive status. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci, 19: 169-178. Read More