Arrgghhhh! What is going on?! Why is my pet doing this thing they’ve never done before?!
Hang in there buddy, take a breath. You likely already have the skills to work through this– or at least to get you started on a plan.
This blog’s all about troubleshooting, so get your thinking caps out for how this can work for you. We’re going to be drawing upon the skills, observations, and resources that you’ve already collected so you can work smarter, not harder, towards your goal. If you can take your observations and apply our enrichment framework, you can troubleshoot without starting from scratch. Let’s do this!
When a new behavior pops up, it can cause panic and frustration for us as caregivers. If you’re like me, you may quickly spiral from “my dog is pulling out his tail hair” to “my dog is depressed and he hates his life and I’m not doing enough for him and I’m failing him as a parent and I’m embarrassed that I’m a consultant who doesn’t know what to do.” Speaking on behalf of a friend, of course. But new behavior is not necessarily a catastrophe.
There are so many reasons our pets might show new behaviors, they’re just learners, after all, like you and I. Behavior might happen because of new stress, change in developmental periods, something physical/medical going on, a change in the environment, really anything! The most important thing we can do as the humans who help to mitigate the environment for our pets is to switch modes. When you’re seeing a new behavior, practice observing with curiosity. Here’s how.
Step 1: Observe body language and context
The important thing here is to take out any words that make assumptions on how your pet is feeling, but rather describe what you are observing/seeing. Act like you don’t know this pet, you have no idea what makes them tick or thrive, and you’re not utterly obsessed with their smushy little faces.
Instead of: “Daisy was scared and angry that George entered the room,” try to articulate your observations like, “Daisy was laying down grooming her legs with her belly facing the room when George approached from behind. Daisy flipped onto her feet, ducked her head away from George, lowered her ears, crouched and walked slowly towards the scratch tree and then jumped up and hid in her box.”
I like to pretend that I’m a scientist when I do this. I focus on documenting when it happens, where it happens, how often it happens, and who/what is a part of the environment when it happens.
Remember, you’ve gotta observe with your senses, not your stories.
Step 2: Identify possible causes
Now we can rope in your expertise as this pet’s champion of all champions. This is a time where you reflect on everything you’ve observed objectively and combine it with all the things you think to be true about them. Here’s the three common causes we typically see with new behavior expressions (note, that these can interact with each other as well):
- Medical: pain, illness, GI upset, allergies, ear infection, age-related changes
- Environmental: noise, guests, construction, new routines
- Emotional: stress, fear, frustration, boredom, overstimulation
We can’t assume that we know what is the cause, but thinking of these possible issues can give you more questions to ask yourself/your vet/your consultant to hone it in.
Step 3: Mitigate the problem
Say it with me now: management, baby, management! Before we can solve the problem, we’ve got to see if we can reduce the likelihood of the behavior recurring (and thus, being practiced or, if medical, creating bigger problems). Our goal for this step in troubleshooting our problems is to help our pet feel better as soon as we can. If this mitigation works, then we’re able to know what is contributing to the issues and can plan our next steps (if any, because sometimes this can fix the problem!).
If medical: vet check, meds, supplements?
If environmental: sound masking, gates, move safe space, window film?
If emotional: safe spaces, calming activities, reduced access to triggers?
Step 4: Adjust the enrichment plan
You know what we’re gonna say, using enrichment helps with behavior issues, but don’t forget, that doesn’t mean you’ve got to plan extravagant forage fests all over the apartment and give a thousand food puzzles. Enrichment means meeting needs to increase welfare and wellbeing. When you’re trying to figure it out, go back to our Enrichment Framework –list, prioritize, plan, and reassess (here’s a free guide if you haven’t practiced it yet).
But this is where we can go astray! You don’t necessarily need some new finagled product that doesn’t already fit into your lives. Think about what you already are doing. Think about the outcomes that you’ve already seen with that. Reassess if you can use it at a different time, in a different way, or for a different purpose.
- Already do foraging? Can you try before or during a time that your dog is currently struggling?
- Already use management? Can you try it in a different location?
- Have you given shredding in the past but forgot it was awesome? Reintroduce it?
- Temperatures changing in the house? Adjust safe space with cooling/warming tools?
Step 5: Know when to call in reinforcements
And while this is my last tidbit, your reinforcements are certainly not your last resort. The fact that you even have reinforcements is something to celebrate (but if you’re feeling alone in this, please know that you can reach out to us through the comment section here or our socials to connect). This support system comes in so many different shapes and sizes. You’ve got your vet team for medical or supplement guidance. You’ve got your behavior professional for a set of objective eyes on your issue and lots of options to offer in tweaking your plan. You’ve got your family, your community, your friends, etc for implementation help and an understanding ear or relief valve.
Still feeling a bit lofty?
Let’s try to put it into practice with a case: Your cat suddenly starts eliminating out of the litterbox.
- Observe: when/where it happens, what body language you see
- Identify: possible triggers (new litter? Day of week? Change of environment noises?)
- Mitigate: clean/change litter box, add a new one near the accidents, visit vet
- Enrich: prepare litter box, timing of stress reduction exercises, medicate if needed
- Call in: vet or trainer if it persists or increases frequency
You already clean your litter box. You already monitor the environment noise level. You already make choices for litter texture and depth. You already had all of these tools. It’s just about observing and tweaking what you’re already doing to see how that impacts behavior.
Use what you already know. Observation. Enrichment. Management. Support Options.
Working smarter, not harder is not just about your training and enrichment strategies, but it’s also about leaning on your abundant support system and expressing your perspective with others in all of this so you’re not holding onto the burden of caregiving alone. You are enough and you do a lot. Your pet(s) are lucky to have you.
Here’s to harmony,
Corinne
Now What?
Create a “Troubleshooting Checklist” from what you’ve learned today with an issue that’s already weighing on your mind. Drop a comment with your pet’s behavior that’s inspiring you. 😉
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