Understanding Pet Behavioural Issues: A Comprehensive Guide for Australian Pet Owners

Most people end up here after a few rough weeks with a barking dog, a cat avoiding the litter tray, or a pet that suddenly seems “different”. It’s rarely just annoying behaviour. These patterns can be a sign of stress, unmet needs, learned habits—or pain that’s been quietly building.

Below is a practical way to sort what you’re seeing, what to change at home first, and when it’s time to bring in your vet or a qualified behaviour professional. The aim is steadier days, safer handling, and a home that feels calm again.

Common behavioural issues in dogs and cats

Separation-related distress (dogs—and sometimes cats)

Some pets cope with alone-time by sleeping. Others unravel as the door closes: barking, howling, scratching, pacing, toileting indoors, or tearing at doors and windows. In dogs, this is often described as separation-related distress or separation anxiety, and it can escalate if the pet repeatedly rehearses panic while alone.^{1, 2}

Look for patterns: does the behaviour begin within minutes of you leaving, and ease soon after you return? That timing matters, because it helps separate separation distress from general boredom or poor house-training.

Aggression towards people or other animals

Aggression is a behaviour, not a diagnosis. It can show up as growling, snapping, lunging, or biting, and it often sits on top of fear, guarding, frustration, or pain. The safest response is to reduce opportunities for incidents while you work out the cause—especially around children and visitors.^{6, 7}

Destructive behaviour (chewing, digging, scratching, breaking things)

Destruction is usually a mismatch between the animal’s needs and the environment. Dogs may chew and dig when under-stimulated, over-aroused, or distressed. Cats may scratch furniture because scratching is normal maintenance and marking behaviour—so the goal is to provide a better option, not to “stop scratching” entirely.⁴

Litter tray problems (cats)

When a cat eliminates outside the litter tray, treat it as information, not spite. Medical causes (including painful urination) and environmental stressors are common contributors, and the first step is usually to rule out health problems before you assume it’s “just behavioural”.^{5, 8}

Why behavioural problems happen

Learning history: what works gets repeated

If barking makes people approach, or scratching gets attention, those behaviours can become more frequent. This isn’t scheming—it’s simply how animals learn. Changing behaviour often means changing what follows it: what the pet gains, what it avoids, and what alternatives are available.

Stress and change in the environment

Pets notice shifts that humans barely register: a moved sofa, a new baby gate, a neighbour’s dog, a partner moving in, or a routine change. Cats, in particular, can show stress through house-soiling, increased conflict with other cats, hiding, and irritability.^{5, 8}

Health and pain

Behaviour can be the first outward sign of a medical problem. Pain, itch, nausea, dental disease, arthritis, urinary tract disease, and cognitive decline can all change how a pet moves, reacts, sleeps, eats, and tolerates handling. A “sudden behaviour change” deserves a veterinary check, even if it looks like a training issue.^{8, 9}

A quick way to identify what’s going on

Start with a simple behaviour log

For one week, jot down:

• What happened just before the behaviour (noise, visitor, you picking up keys, another pet entering the room)
• What the behaviour looked like (specific actions, duration, intensity)
• What happened immediately after (did the pet get attention, did the trigger leave, did you restrain them)
• Time of day, feeding, exercise, and sleep

This record helps your vet or behaviour consultant spot patterns quickly—and it often shows you the trigger you’ve been stepping around without noticing.

Red flags that shouldn’t wait

• Any bite to a person, or repeated snapping/lunging
• Sudden aggression in a previously tolerant animal
• Cat straining to urinate, frequent trips to the tray, blood in urine, crying in the tray, or urinating in odd places (urgent, especially for male cats)⁹
• Sudden disorientation, collapse, or marked change in appetite or drinking

What to do first: calm, practical strategies that hold up

Use reward-based training (and avoid aversives)

Reward-based training builds the behaviours you want—settling on a mat, coming when called, walking past distractions—without adding fear or pain. Veterinary behaviour guidance consistently recommends reward-based methods and advises against aversive tools and punishment-based approaches for training and behaviour modification.^{2, 3}

If a technique relies on startling, hurting, or “showing who’s boss”, it often suppresses warning signs while leaving the underlying emotion untouched. That’s a risky trade, particularly with aggression.

Meet the daily needs first (before you “correct” anything)

Many problems soften when the basics are steady:

• Regular exercise suited to breed, age, and health
• Predictable feeding and rest times
• Enrichment that uses the brain (sniffing, puzzle-feeding, foraging games)
• A quiet retreat space the pet can choose

Separation distress: build tolerance in tiny steps

For many dogs, the most effective starting point is gentle desensitisation to departure cues and very gradual alone-time practice—so gradual the dog stays under threshold and doesn’t tip into panic.^{1, 2}

• Practise “leaving” rituals without leaving (pick up keys, then sit back down)
• Work up to touching the door, opening it, stepping out briefly, then returning
• Pair alone-time with safe chews or food toys (only if the dog will eat when alone)
• Keep arrivals and departures low-key to avoid winding the dog up^{1, 2}

If the dog is already panicking when left, get professional help early. A structured plan (and sometimes medication prescribed by a vet) can prevent the problem becoming entrenched.

Cat scratching: redirect, don’t battle

Scratching is normal. Your job is to make the “yes” option obvious.

• Provide sturdy posts that allow a full-body stretch, plus a horizontal scratcher for cats that prefer it⁴
• Place the post directly in front of the furniture being targeted, then gradually shift it once the habit changes⁴
• Reward the cat for using the post (treats, play, attention), and protect furniture temporarily with covers or deterrent textures⁴

Litter tray problems: rule out pain, then make the tray easy to say “yes” to

Start with your vet, especially if the change is sudden or there are urinary signs.⁹ Once medical causes are addressed or excluded, the home set-up matters:

• Offer enough trays, in calm locations, with easy access (particularly for older cats)⁵
• Keep trays clean and consistent (cats can be particular about substrate and odours)
• Reduce conflict in multi-cat homes by spreading resources (food, water, resting spots, trays)

When to bring in professional help

Start with your veterinarian

Any sudden change in behaviour, house-soiling, or new aggression warrants a medical check. Treating pain or urinary disease can resolve the behaviour—or at least make training possible again.^{8, 9}

Choose qualified, force-free behaviour support

Look for professionals who work alongside veterinary care, use reward-based methods, and are comfortable putting safety and management first. Directories can help you find credentialed consultants (including in Australia) through recognised organisations such as the IAABC.¹⁰

Prevention that actually works

Early socialisation (done safely)

Thoughtful early exposure helps puppies grow into dogs who cope with novelty and recover quickly from surprises. Done well, it’s quiet, controlled, and paired with good things—food, play, distance, and choice.²

Routine, with room to breathe

Pets settle when the day has a shape: regular meals, regular rest, and predictable alone-time practice. Consistency reduces anxiety, but a little flexibility prevents a pet becoming fragile when life shifts.

Final thoughts

Behaviour problems are rarely solved by a single “fix”. They ease when the animal feels safer, the environment becomes clearer, and the right behaviour becomes easier than the old one. If you move calmly, keep notes, and get medical and professional support when needed, most households see real improvement—and it tends to arrive quietly, like a room getting lighter as clouds drift off.

References

1. RSPCA Queensland — Separation distress in pets
2. American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) — Position statements (including humane dog training, puppy socialisation)
3. RSPCA Australia — Reward-based training and why punishment can worsen behaviour
4. RSPCA Knowledgebase — Why does my cat scratch the furniture?
5. ASPCA — Litter box problems (stressors, access, negative association)
6. ASPCA — Dog aggression (common patterns and safety considerations)
7. RSPCA South Australia — Behavioural techniques and when to seek professional support
8. Merck Veterinary Manual — Behaviour problems of cats (including house-soiling; rule out medical issues)
9. Merck Veterinary Manual — Lower urinary tract disease in cats (signs including urinating outside the litter box)
10. International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) — Consultant and trainer locator