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Ingersoll Animal Hospital

Dog and Man Training In grass

Behavioral Training

Sometimes it’s difficult to distinguish whether your pet is misbehaving because he hasn’t been trained how to respond properly, or whether a health issue is causing the problem.

Puppy Playing with a Teddy Bear

Did you socialize your pet when he was young?

  • Socialization is critical to help your pet develop into a fun, enjoyable companion.

  • Socialization occurs when you expose your pet to positive experiences in different locations and with a variety of people, and participate in training classes.

  • Socialization means helping your pet adjust to people, places, and things in which you and your companion will live.

Your pet is more enjoyable and has a better life when he is relaxed with strangers, gets along well with other animals, responds to your commands, and adapts easily to new experiences. Socializing your pet offers the best possible chance for him to develop into a pleasurable companion and helps to develop a positive human-animal bond.

Enjoy this handout explaining the basics of puppy training and socialization: Puppy Socialization

A person kissing a dog

What are other reasons my pet is acting out?

Companion animals act out for a number of different reasons. Sometimes it’s because they weren’t trained properly. Other times it’s a way to get attention. In other cases, an underlying medical condition may be to blame. Whatever the reason, unwanted behavior can drive a wedge between you and your four-legged friend and make it difficult to embrace them as part of the family. If you’re struggling with bad pet behavior, we want you to know you’re not alone. More importantly, we want you to know that we can help!

Whether you’re dealing with a simple house training issue or something more complex, like aggression or separation anxiety, we’ll work with you to offer solutions and resources, and assist you in restoring a positive, peaceful relationship with your animal companion.

Owner Walking Dog on a Leash

We Can Help

At Ingersoll Animal Hospital, we offer information, advice, and resources that will assist you in working with your pet. Dr. N.T. Peterson and Dr. T.J. Frye both have spent many years obedience training their own dogs and teaching obedience classes.We can help determine if there is a physical issue that is causing problem behaviors, such as a urinary tract infection or intestinal parasites. We offer advice on puppy and kitten training from housebreaking to proper feeding behavior and training. We work with a local veterinarian that has specialized training in behavior problems and can refer you for her assistance with more advanced in-home training. We work with you to offer solutions and resources, and assist you in restoring a positive relationship with your animal companion. To get you started, we offer the following resources: