If you have found this article, obviously you are searching for help with your pet. You have found the right article, I have studied primitive behavior of animals all my life to better understand my own pets. Most dogs still have instincts from when their ancestors were wild and free. Cats still have carnivore instincts even though they have been domesticated for hundreds of years and have become smaller in stature to there cousins, the big cats. Horses, even domesticated ones still have the same fears that their wild family members do.
Horses:
Have you ever wondered why horses seem to be jumpy around humans?
Well the answer is actually simple,You are a predator and have the ability to eat them. Predators have certain characteristics that mark them as predators and all prey animals know these characteristics. For example: You never want to look your animal directly in the eye and you never want to approach it head on. All natural predators (that includes humans) have eyes that are set close together, this is important because horses and other prey animals see this characteristic and assume that you are a predator and become jumpy and cautious.
The best way to counteract this is to look slightly down when you are approaching them, this signals that you are not in hunting mode and their flight or fight instincts don't go off. Always use calming voices and sounds when talking with your pet and never approach fast or aggressively. If you are having trouble catching your horse, walk up to its side then slightly turn and begin to walk away, you may have to repeat this over a few times, but your pet should begin to follow you. You can even use clicking noises or a piece of apple or carrot to help entice them to follow. The objective is to eventually get them to follow you with out bribery and make it easier for you to catch them.
Cats:
Have you ever got up in the morning and stepped outside on your front deck only to feel something cold and squishy under your foot, you look down and see a died mouse, and as you hop into the house to wash it's guts off your foot, you silently swear to yourself to kill your cat?
This is a behavior that can not be controlled really, but maybe I can shed some light on it so you can better understand why your beloved pet feels it necessary to leave these dead things on your front door mat. No, they are not trying to get back at you because you went away for a few hours and left them alone. It is actually the opposite.
If you watch wild cat behavior you will see that the mother feline will often bring back a kill (live/dead) to its cubs after hunting. This is to insure that her little family eats and if it's alive she is trying to teach them hunting skills for when they are older. Of course this is typically a female response but male cats can exhibit this behavior as well.
Your pet is trying to take care of you, they love you and consider you one of their little ones. This is not an act of revenge or punishment, but one of love. The best advice I have for you is to do what I do, I look down at my precious baby and say "Mystic, mommy doesn't eat mice." Then I bend down and pick it up and throw it in the outside garbage.
Dogs:
One of the most serious behavioral problems with dogs that I have run across is dominance issues. All dogs run off a hierarchical system, which means that the one highest on the totem poll wins. In a typical pack, there are the alphas (owner), Beta (this is usually the baby sitter), then the pups (very young children), and the omega (any other animal) this is the lowest position on the totem pole.
More often with male dogs and especially dogs that are highly intelligent or prey driven, the pup status meshes with the omega position. The omega's always get the worst of the worst, even if they haven't done anything wrong, they are there to take it because the others say so. In cases like this, there is really nothing you can do but separate the animals and only allow contact under supervision.
If you are having problems with your pet trying to press dominance issues over you or your child(ren), there is a simple trick that you can do. You need to be careful when implementing it, but it is what the alphas do to hold position in their packs. If your dog makes an aggressive move towards you or your children, knock him down a peg by putting him physically on his back and holding the palm of your hand over his throat. This is were the careful part comes in, you don't want to choke your animal, you only want to put slight pressure, enough that your animal knows you're there. Say 'NO' in a very deep tone (you don't have to yell) then stand up and walk away. It may take a few times, but your pet will get the idea. Also, if your dog comes up to you after wards or after getting in trouble and licks you, it is their way of apologizing.
I recommend watching some wildlife videos, you would be surprised at how much you can learn about animal behavior. Once you understand the core causes of certain behaviors and instincts of your animal, you will find training them simple and easy. Remember, patience and repetitiveness is a trainers best friend.
My own experience and techniques I have tested and tried and have been proven to work for me. These methods may or may not work for you and any methods that you try are of your own risk. These methods are some of many that can be found on the internet and should be used at your risk.
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