All pets have their own basic personality traits. Some dogs are vibrant, energetic and seem like they are running on way to much caffeine. While other dogs you might have are simple aloof, laid back or downright lazy. As dog owners we need to be aware of changes in our dog's behavior patterns, what they might mean, and how we can deal with them.

On most days your pets will exhibit their normal patterns of behavior. They run to meet you when you get home, lick your hands, wag their tails and are generally in good spirits. But what should you look for when this does not happen? Well, let's take a look at some common behavioral change reasons and see what they could mean.

A dogs behavior will change for many reasons.

Dogs Moodiness. Like humans, they can exhibit sadness, anger, aggression, timidness, and a host of other emotions and moods. They could simply be tired, had a poor reaction to food they ate, or other biological mood swing.

Dogs Surroundings. Canine behavioral patterns can also change because of their environment or general surroundings, Changes such as new crates, moving to a different home, or chaining them up outside when they normally run loose can and will have some form of impact on their behavior.

Dogs Friends. Many people underestimate the level of friendship a pet can have with both it's owners, it's family, and other dogs. If you are in an area with other dogs that your dog has contact with, and that dog moves, your pet will likely miss that playmate.

Dogs Health. A very common reason animal behavior changes is because of a health or injury issue. This can often come on quite fast and can be an extreme difference in your pets behavior. This is commonly seen when a pet snips or bites when you touch a sensitive area.

Dogs Eating Habits. A key factor to noticing a pets behavior is how they eat. Loss of appetite, fighting over food, or constantly foraging may be indications of more adverse behavior.

What behavior patterns are really a problem?

All behavioral changes can be addressed, but not all of them need to be. It will depend on your pet and what motivated those changes. For example, if your pet is tired because he has a new friend to play with all day, this could be a good change if your busy. If your pet is showing signs of lethargy over several days with no known cause, then you should consider taking action.

Recently our female German Shepherd, Abie, was reacting quite out of character. She is quite hyper by most standards. She runs like the wind, jumps all over when excited, and needs lots of run time. However one night she was exhibiting the following behavior.

She walked slowly, held her head down. She would then push her nose up to me softly, give me a sad look, a slight whimper and wait for attention. What could possibly make her change to such a timid and nearly fearful expression? I was unsure. So the diagnosis had to take place. I proceeded to see if she showed interest in her favorite tennis ball. The reaction, while better then timid was still quite lukewarm. Next I checked to see if she was interested in her special favorite treats. She would not even open her mouth.

When she would not open her mouth for a treat that she would gobble down by the truckload if she could, I started to really worry. I placed my hand gently in her mouth and checked her gums, teeth, throat, and still she would not open her mouth, even if I tried to pry it open. This is when It became serious.

Within an hour she was at our local veterinarian's office. She needed to be sedated in order to be able to open her mouth. When this was done the vet found that she has a small piece of a stick she was playing with jammed into the under side of her tongue. This was promptly removed, cleaned and received seven stitches to repair the damage.

She was obviously in quite a bit of pain. While I did not know the exact cause, I did know that she was trying to tell me something about how she felt. It was up to me to understand that this behavior pattern was not normal for her. By taking the time to learn how your pet acts, what things they like to do or eat, and how they display their emotions when presented with these things, you will be better able to understand their needs when something changes or goes wrong.