Back problems in dogs : underlying causes for behavioral problems

Underlying causes for behavioral problems. A Research Report By Anders Hallgren, Animal Behaviorist, Psychologist, MSc. Anders Hallgren’s study showed that it is almost as common for dogs to have back problems related to the spinal chord as it is for human beings. In a normal population of 400 dogs 63 % of these had some sort of defect as defined by the chiropractors that were cooperating in this study. In many cases, there were problematic behaviors correlated to back defects. One of the most alarming findings was that as many as 91 % of the dogs that had been pulled hard on the leash or themselves had been pulling hard, were found to have defects in the neck! The result of this study has since its first release spread throughout the world. Many dog clubs and trainers have changed training methods and no longer use hard jerks on the leash. Many have also abandoned the collar, especially the very damaging choke chain and now use a harness to walk their dogs. Anders Hallgren is a Swedish human psychologist who has devoted his life to helping problem dogs. His concept was groundbreaking and he is considered to be the first dog psychologist in the world. The innovative, gentle and positive training methods that he once introduced are now being used worldwide and his concept that dogs need mental activation was an important milestone already in the 1970´s. Hallgren has written 29 books on various subjects related to dog training and dog behavior and many of his books have been translated and published in other countries. He is a much sought after guest lecturer and teacher in his field. www.andershallgren.se