When a dog encounters an unpleasant and nerve-wracking situation, it might develop an inappropriate reaction that repeats whenever the situation reoccurs. Although a repetitive reaction takes only seconds to develop, obsessive behaviors can take months to recondition. An obsessive behavior is any action that’s repeated over and over and it isn’t exclusive to the human species. Dogs can become obsessive too! The following explains how to stop an obsessive dog behavior problem.

An obsessive dog behavior problem can manifest as spinning in circles or chasing after things like flies or light. Even a dog’s favorite pastime can become an obsession. It’s as if the dog gets stuck in a rut and continues to do the same thing until it runs out of energy! A dog that has plenty of different things to do doesn’t become obsessive, so if you’re dealing with this particular problem, you need to introduce a variety of interesting activities. Once you notice obsessive behavior, interrupt it with a different activity.

Not all obsessive behaviors are easy to interrupt however, especially when you dealing with a fear or anxiety problem. Constant car sickness for example, could be an obsessive reaction to a negative experience with automobiles. From a car's motion or its tricks on vision to the smell of exhaust fumes or cigarette smoke, anything could trigger anxious dog behavior inside a car and thus prevent a dog from feeling comfortable in one.

Memory plays an important role in the way a dog interprets its world, so if it was in a traffic accident, remembrance of the pain and injury could trigger anxiety. Even some destinations can cause anxiety. If a dog has an unpleasant experience at the vet or animal shelter for example, it will associate the vehicle that took it there with the experience and demonstrate nervous behavior.

The symptoms of car sickness are quick panting, drooling, vomiting, and a strong resistance to getting inside an automobile. You can relieve your dog's car sickness by placing it inside a crate and then placing the crate in a positing that prevents the dog from seeing outside. You can also recondition the dog so that it doesn't associate car rides with unpleasant experiences. Take the dog on very short tips that end with pleasurable events. That should teach the dog that car travel leads to some awfully fun and enjoyable times as well. If over time the car sickness prevails, you can always medicate the dog with a non-drowsy treatment.

Dogs that suffer from separation anxiety may quickly pant, run back and forth, hide, pace, dig holes, chew everything, or tear apart furniture simply because it's alone. Remedy this by leaving the dog alone for very short periods and then gradually increasing those periods -- always returning with a treat when everything is left in tact. Turning the TV or radio on before leaving may help, but should the situation become unbearable and your efforts continue to fail, consult your vet for separation anxiety medication.