All of us with animals in our lives, any animals - dogs, cats, horses, rats, human teenagers - occasionally witness behaviors which we hope never to see exhibited again. A deliberate indoor urination accident, digging up the freshly planted flower garden, cribbing, and broken school night curfews are often a means of acting out from frustration, anger, disappointment, or are a means of testing just exactly how much is going to be allowed.

When clients call with behavior related questions, I am careful to not jump to conclusions about the root cause of the issue. True, often there is an obvious disconnect between the human and animal in terms of strong leadership, enough exercise, or good ongoing training and reinforcement. Dogs and horses in particular need consistent training and leadership, but other animals also pick up on leadership qualities in their humans and will generally respond accordingly. We tend to not think of offering formalized training for some pets, and we sometimes let cats and others get away with behaviors simply due to a stereotypical assumption that cats, rats, guinea pigs, and other animals are not trainable. Often, however, when discussing behavior issues with these perceived "non-trainable" varieties of companions, I receive responses such as "I do it because I can" or "I didn't know that isn't acceptable." This response leaves an opening for leadership, training, and discipline regardless the species.

Sometimes, however, behaviors are more than manipulation or testing. Sometimes behaviors are deeper and may indicate other factors. If you begin to witness changes in your pet that you've never seen exhibited before, consider their age. For some aging animals, eyesight, loss of hearing, and loss of mobility due to arthritis may bring about changes. Stiff joints may reduce their ability to get outside or get into their litter box fast enough to avoid an accident. There may be ways to assist, like moving their favorite bed closer to the dog door or offering more frequent trips outside. Lower sides to a litter box for easier in and out and/or a heating pad near their bed can assist elder cats with arthritis.

Loss of eyesight and hearing can bring about confusion for animals. What may have been clear before is now muffled or blurred and is harder to place. Sounds - even voices - or an object on the floor may be indiscernible and perceived as threatening. Skittishness, increased barking or yowling, and fear behaviors may accompany a loss of an animal's sense of sight, hearing, or smell. The slow onset of senility can bring about these same types of changes in behavior. A gentle understanding and explanation of the changes can be helpful for both animal and humans in the household.

Changes in an animal's environment can also bring about short-term or long-term behavioral changes. Loss of a loved one - animal or human - is devastating to our pets and, just like with humans, animals need time and support to work through their grief. Even short-term loss such as the departure of a teenager to a semester at college is confusing and your pet may mourn that loss of the daily interaction with their friend. You understand your student will return for weekends and holidays, but until a few cycles of departure and return are witnessed by your animals, it may not be clear to them.

Occasionally a medical issue can cause changes in behaviors, and regular checkups are critical in your health care routine for your beloved companions, especially as they age. Some medical causes of behavioral changes may not be readily obvious and checking in with your pet may provide answers and symptoms to help health care practitioners provide excellent care.

For example, I recall a nine year old kitty client who, by all appearances, was purposely missing her litter box out of anger and her guardians assumed she was acting out in punishment toward them based on a specific circumstance a few weeks earlier. I began with this assumption but was redirected by the kitty to her physical symptoms. There was no anger or punishment. In fact, she was mortified at her inability to control her urination and devastated that her beloved guardians were assuming responsibility and guilt for her actions. She simply could not control her accidents due to a physical shift in her system. Once the physical symptoms were explained, the guardians acted quickly to relieve the physical problem, and the behavior ceased.

The above is a great example of the need to fully understand at a deep level the root cause of behavioral issues, especially for mature animals when a new behavior is very out of character. Daily observation goes a long way to understanding our pets behaviors, but when causes of a shift in behavior is not obvious, check with your animal health practitioner and then determine if additional information from your pet through a professional communicator is appropriate.

You may listen to a two-minute audio clip on a related topic, originally recorded for the Live the Day Radio program. Other audio clips are also available at www.ArticulateAnimals.com.