canine ethology is the branch of behavioral biology that studies the natural behavior of dogs, focusing primarily on instinctive behaviors. An ethologist is a licensed veterinary professional who is knowledgeable about dog behavior, needs, and communication.
It is highly recommended to go to this type of specialist whenever we encounter serious behavioral problems such as fear, aggressiveness or anxiety. The professional will make a behavioral diagnosis and offer us guidelines and advice to improve the quality of life of a dog.
Do you want to know more about canine ethology? Keep reading:
How can an ethologist help you?
The vast majority of behavioral problems that dogs suffer are the result of poor training: lack of socialization of the puppy or Punishment systems (collar with shocks, choke collar, aggression, etc.) can lead to the appearance of serious behavior problems. However, there are dogs with clear social or mental problems that are not capable of normal behavior, without the influence of their owners' education. In all these cases, the figure of the ethologist becomes indispensable.
The ethologist must be able to make a diagnosis of your dog's problems while explaining possible causes and proposing a treatment to follow. It will depend on the specific case to follow some indications or others. The specialist must work always in person, for this reason be wary of those who give you a quote or offer you guidelines from a distance.
Types of problems that ethologists work on
Many people go regularly to an ethologist because, although we don't want to admit it, perhaps we don't know how to communicate properly with our pet. It may also happen that the dog has social problems derived from a shelter or serious stress problems that we do not know how to solve.
Some of the problems that an ethologist can work on are:
- Stereotypes
- Aggressiveness
- Fear
- Coprophagia
- Stress
- Separation Anxiety
- Jealousy
- Socialization
- Possessiveness
The specialist will identify the causes that make our pet behave in a certain way and through advice, changes in the routine of this or other factors will be able, with more or less effectiveness, to solve a problem.
We can't say that all ethologists have the solution to our dog's problem and there are serious cases (such as dogs used for sparring). These serious cases will take a long time, even years to recover, and canine psychology is a complex issue, as is the case with people.
That is why on our site we always repeat the importance of educating our pets, beings that have feelings, in a he althy, positive and appropriate way and that require a responsible owner.
How to choose the right ethologist
It is difficult to choose a specialist because there are many ethologists in the current market. The important thing is that they meet some requirements and demonstrate their ability on the job:
It is important that the specialist has a approved title, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact the center.
Usually ethologists offer a prior estimate, estimating the particular case, this price may vary depending on the problem
Beware of those who ask you for money in advance
Search for information and professional opinions on the Internet. As with other services, it is a good way to get to know it beforehand
Before starting work you must receive information about the praxis you are going to use and you must never accept those who propose using punishment methods.
We hope this information has been useful to you. If you have a problem with your pet, the ideal thing would be for you to seek the help of a specialist because he is the one who will best advise you and advise you on how to educate your dog. Luck!
