Pet Newsletter - Understanding Your Pet's Behavior

November 2007

Behavioral issues are on the rise, as more pets exhibit aggressive or fearful attitudes and have trouble learning to get along with their human families. Although many breeds are predisposed toward these behaviors, they are more likely to be triggered by chemicals and sugar in their diet, as well as early experiences of abandonment or mistreatment. Therefore, these behaviors are preventable.

Dogs and cats are pack animals who crave the familiar and need close family contact. Love is vital to them as the air they breathe. If they cannot be near you and are not allowed to live within the family unit, they will seek contact any way they can, including drawing negative attention to themselves. Dogs who are left outside or kenneled for the majority of the day live shorter lives and suffer a higher incidence of behavioral or physical problems. Even if you are away at work, if they have access to both the house and yard, they will feel more like they are contributing by protecting the home.

The majority of behavioral problems are created by miscommunication between the caregiver and the companion because you are talking to different languages. Dogs and cats are looking for us constantly for signals and trying to decipher what we are saying, since they desperately want to please us. Begin understanding your animal by putting yourself in his or her point of view. Ask yourself if your companion can rely on:

• Your Love: consistent, fair and gentle; focused and sincere
• Your Attention:daily regard for their emotional and physical well-being
• Your Care:responsive to disorder, accident or illness; acute or long-term
• Your Home: to be a safe and loving shelter; free of fear or stress
• Your Devotion: during the easy, fun times and the difficult ones

Providing your pets well-being and raising then well, exploring and changing certain things to fit their needs rather than only your own can prevent a lot of struggle on both your parts.

LoveYourPetLonger.com offers a free Healthy Pet Hotline where you can ask a trained Holistic Technician questions about the conditions of your pet. For this service and a list of pet medicine alternatives, visit LoveYourPetLonger.com