Dog Training Dog Training Behavior Problem Solving Questions and Answers 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A dog that barks excessively when left alone, destroys furniture near exits, and urinates indoors despite being housetrained is most likely exhibiting which condition?
- Separation anxiety (Correct answer)
- Territorial aggression
- Compulsive disorder
- Inadequate exercise
Correct answer: Separation anxiety
Destruction near exits, excessive vocalization, and indoor elimination when the owner is absent are hallmark signs of separation anxiety.
Question 2: When using desensitization to address a dog's fear of thunderstorms, what is the correct first step?
- Play recorded thunder sounds at a very low volume while rewarding calm behavior (Correct answer)
- Expose the dog to a real thunderstorm while offering treats
- Confine the dog in a crate during the next storm
- Ignore the dog's fearful reactions completely
Correct answer: Play recorded thunder sounds at a very low volume while rewarding calm behavior
Desensitization begins with exposing the dog to the feared stimulus at a very low intensity and pairing it with positive reinforcement.
Question 3: A previously friendly dog has started growling at family members who approach its food bowl. Which technique is recommended to address resource guarding?
- Trade-up exercises where you offer a higher-value treat in exchange for access to the bowl (Correct answer)
- Forcibly removing the bowl to establish dominance
- Punishing the growl to stop the warning behavior
- Feeding the dog only from your hand indefinitely
Correct answer: Trade-up exercises where you offer a higher-value treat in exchange for access to the bowl
Trade-up exercises teach the dog that a person approaching the food bowl predicts something even better, reducing the need to guard.
Question 4: A dog lunges and barks at other dogs during walks but plays well at dog parks when off-leash. This behavior is best described as what?
- Leash reactivity (Correct answer)
- Dog-directed aggression
- Prey drive
- Dominance behavior
Correct answer: Leash reactivity
Leash reactivity occurs when a dog that is otherwise sociable becomes frustrated or anxious on leash because it cannot freely approach or retreat.
Question 5: Which management strategy is most appropriate for a dog that counter-surfs and steals food from kitchen surfaces?
- Remove food from counters and use baby gates to block kitchen access when unsupervised (Correct answer)
- Spray the counters with bitter apple spray only
- Set up booby traps that startle the dog
- Wait near the counter to verbally correct the dog each time
Correct answer: Remove food from counters and use baby gates to block kitchen access when unsupervised
Preventing access to the reward through management is the most reliable strategy because each successful theft reinforces the behavior.
Question 6: A client reports their dog spins in circles repeatedly for extended periods each day, especially when stressed. This behavior pattern is most consistent with which issue?
- Compulsive disorder (Correct answer)
- Attention-seeking behavior
- Vestibular disease
- Normal play behavior
Correct answer: Compulsive disorder
Repetitive, ritualized behaviors like prolonged spinning that worsen under stress are characteristic of canine compulsive disorder.
Dog Training Dog Training Behavior Problem Solving Questions and Answers 2
A dog that barks excessively when left alone, destroys furniture near exits, and urinates indoors despite being housetrained is most likely exhibiting which condition?