If you have a dog that displays obsessive behavior, you may have an accident waiting to happen. You must understand that fixations are almost like obsessions in human beings, so getting between a dog and his or her object of fixation can lead to an attack. This is why Purebredbreeders.com urges you to learn how to identify the signs of fixation or obsessive behavior, as well as how to respond. This post will deal with identifying the signs.
Some Signs Your Dog Has a Fixation
It is safe to assume your dog has a fixation if he or she is willing to face danger or self-harm in order to get to that object, be it living or inanimate. Dogs have been known to dart across roads to chase every cat, squirrel or ball they see, and have even been known to bash themselves against fences or even get dangerously entangled in the leash to get to objects. Purebredbreeders.com knows that some of this may seem normal to you, but your pooch is also likely to ignore the physical pain or discomfort that comes with their actions.
Added to this, your dog is likely to ignore any commands to stop, heel or come back. He or she will not respond when called, nor will your four-legged friend even be aware of your presence unless you attempt to physically bar the object of the fixation. Again, Purebredbreeders.com urges you not to do so.
In terms of energy and physical changes, your canine companion will usually get a glazed look in the eyes, followed by a stiffening of the body. His or her energy will also change. The dog will become alert, start panting and may only move the eyes while searching for or trailing the object of fixation. The pooch may then dart off to find it or start displaying signs of pent-up energy if chasing after it is not possible. Some owners will notice a change to aggression or overwhelming sadness when the object cannot be found, so their dogs may resort to growling, crying or whining.
Overall, a fixation can make an otherwise intelligent dog abandon common sense, a sociable dog can lose the ability to properly socialize with others, a friendly dog can become threatening, and a dog who is usually highly engaged loses interest in everything except the object of fixation. Purebredbreeders.com would like to point out that the best way to identify if your dog has a fixation, and on what, is to get to know your pooch well, and observe any changes in behavior to see if it is normal or excessive. You must then try to link the changes to the correlating object. Once this is done, then step one is complete, and you can move on to step two, which is safely responding to the situation.
