16/06/2026
🐾 What Causes “Unwanted” Dog Behaviours?🐾
*This is a very complex topic, so here’s a simplified summary.
When dog guardians seek help for behaviours such as:
• Reactivity 🚨
• Resource guarding 🍖
• Separation anxiety 😢
• Aggression 😠
• Excessive barking 🗣️
• Fearfulness 😟
• Destructive behaviour 🏚️
The focus is often on the behaviour itself.
But behaviour is a symptom, not a diagnosis.
Just as a cough can be caused by a cold, allergies, asthma or infection, the same behaviour can have many different underlying causes. If we only address the outward behaviour without understanding why it is happening, we risk missing the real problem entirely.
🩺 1. Pain & Physical Discomfort (Often Overlooked)
The (best in my experience) review of clinical behaviour cases, by Daniel Mills (and others) at Lincoln University, found that undiagnosed pain / discomfort was involved in approximately 82% of referred behaviour cases, depending on the presenting problem. They concluded that pain is significantly under-recognised as a cause of behaviour problems.
Pain can contribute to:
✅ Aggression
✅ Reactivity
✅ Resource guarding
✅ Handling sensitivity
✅ Anxiety
✅ Avoidance behaviours
✅ Reduced tolerance of people or dogs
Think about it.
If your hips hurts on / off or non stop - how patient would you be?
If movement was painful, wouldn’t you try to keep others away?
If you are in discomfort - what’s your ability to cope with life is ?
😨 2. Fear
Fear is probably the single most common emotional driver behind aggression and reactivity.
Numerous studies have shown that fearful dogs are more likely to display defensive aggression, because aggression is often a strategy to create distance from something they perceive as threatening.
A reactive dog is often saying:
➡️ “That thing worries me.”
➡️ “Please stay away.”
➡️ “I don’t feel safe.”
Unfortunately, when those subtle signals are ignored, dogs often escalate to barking, lunging, growling or snapping. And sadly, the subtle signs are almost always ignored.
🧠 3. Previous Experiences & Learning History
Dogs learn through consequences and associations.
If a behaviour works, it is more likely to occur again.
For example:
🐕 Dog barks at another dog.
🐕🦺 Other dog moves away.
🎉 Relief!
From the dog’s perspective, barking worked.
Similarly, a dog that has experienced:
• Rough handling
• Punishment-based training
• Repeated frightening situations
• Attacks by other dogs
• Lack of choice or control
may develop fear, defensive aggression or reactivity as a result of those experiences.
The brain remembers what kept it safe.
🍖 4. Resource Insecurity & Resource Guarding
Resource guarding is defined as behaviours used to maintain control over a valued resource in the presence of people or other animals.
Despite common myths, resource guarding is not usually about “dominance.”
More commonly it stems from:
• Fear, or perceived fear, of losing something valuable
• Competition over resources
• Previous deprivation or scarcity
• Learned associations with people taking things away
• Anxiety around access to resources
In fact, guarding itself is considered a normal canine behaviour that can become exaggerated by fear, conflict or previous learning experiences.
It’s also a normal behaviour across all species - think how you would react if a stranger walked up to you and tried to take away your phone!
😢 5. Separation Anxiety & Separation-Related Problems
Many people assume separation anxiety is caused by a dog being “spoiled.”
Research shows separation-related behaviours are complex and may involve:
• Anxiety
• Frustration
• Attachment-related distress
• Hyperattachment
• Emotional vulnerability
• Individual temperament differences
Dogs with separation-related problems are often found to be more fearful, anxious, excitable or prone to negative emotional states than unaffected dogs.
Common signs include:
🏠 Destruction
🗣️ Barking or howling
🚪 Door fixation
💦 Salivation
🚽 Toileting accidents
😰 Pacing
🧬 6. Genetics & Temperament
Dogs are not born as blank slates.
Genetics influence:
• Confidence levels
• Fear responses
• Sensitivity to stress
• Sociability
• Resilience
Just as some humans are naturally more anxious than others, some dogs are genetically predisposed to be more cautious, sensitive or reactive.
Genetics do not determine destiny, but they influence the starting point.
🧠 7. Neurological & Medical Conditions
Behaviour changes can sometimes be caused by:
• Cognitive dysfunction
• Neurological disease
• Brain abnormalities
• Hormonal disorders
• Sensory decline (hearing or vision loss)
• Seizure disorders
• Chronic illness
A dog that suddenly develops aggression, anxiety or behavioural changes should always receive a thorough veterinary assessment as a matter of urgency.
Behaviour and health are inseparable.
⚡ 8. Frustration
An often overlooked cause of behaviour problems.
Dogs experience frustration when:
🚫 They cannot access something they want.
🚫 They are restrained by a lead.
🚫 They are prevented from reaching a trigger.
🚫 Their needs are unmet.
Frustration can look remarkably similar to aggression or reactivity.
In reality, many dogs are not trying to harm anything at all 👉 they are simply overwhelmed by an inability to access or escape from something.
❤️ The Take Home Message
When we see a dog displaying “unwanted” behaviour, the most important question isn’t:
❌ “How do I stop this behaviour?”
It’s:
✅ “Why is this behaviour happening?”
Because behaviours such as aggression, reactivity, guarding and separation anxiety are not personality flaws.
They are communication.
They are information.
They are clues.
And when we listen to what the dog is trying to tell us, we move from punishment and suppression towards understanding, welfare and lasting behaviour change.
🐾 Behind every behaviour is a reason.
Our job isn’t to silence the message.
It’s to understand it. ❤️
