If you've spent any time in online dog groups, chances are you have seen a debate about how to best train dogs. Inevitably, someone will say something like, "If you only reward your dogs, then they will just do whatever they want" or "I don't bribe my dogs to behave". Ideas like this are common, but I'm here to say that just because you utilize positive training methods does not mean that you have to allow undesirable behavior. Actually, no matter the methods you use, your dog can and should learn to behave appropriately in all contexts. So if you do struggle with some undesirable behaviors in your dogs (and really, who doesn't?), here are some easy steps to take to teach your dog appropriate behavior, and to help extinguish undesirable behavior.
1) Rule out a Medical Condition
Is your formerly sweet five year old dog suddenly having aggressive outbursts? Is your eleven month old puppy not quite able to fully potty train? Is your little cuddle buddy suddenly yelping or snapping when you touch her? All of these behaviors and so many more can be caused by medical issues, and all the training in the world won't make a difference in fixing them. Regular veterinary care with a staff you trust is absolutely essential for the health and wellbeing of your dog. If you are having any behavioral issues with your dog, especially if it is an abrupt change, get them in for a checkup and talk to your vet about your concerns. Vets are a huge resource when it comes to understanding how a medical condition may be negatively impacting behavior, and invaluable when it comes to finding and treating any underlying medical issues that may be hindering your training process. Don't skip this step for fear of judgement, your vet is not there to judge you, they want the best for your dog, just like you.
2) Evaluate Your Own Actions
More often than not, the things we (or others) do to and around our dogs contribute to behaviors we find undesirable. Take for example, a client I had: Her eight month old, 50 lb mix breed leapt enthusiastically on my when I entered the house, and eagerly began to chew my arm as I sat down on the couch. Her owner looked on with dismay, "I don't know why she does that. We let her do it when she was a puppy, but now it kind of hurts. I guess we should never have encouraged it, but it was so cute." I am sure many of us have been on both sides of this scenario; taken in by our dog's cuteness to allow a behavior we shouldn't, or been greeted a dog who was far too big for their puppy behaviors to be cute anymore. Allowing behavior in puppyhood that is not going to be acceptable in an adult dog is one of the most common sources of behavioral issues in adulthood, and it is also one of the most preventable. When a young puppy does something, consider if that is something that you're going to allow their whole lives. If it isn't, take steps to avoid reinforcing that behavior (giving the dog what they want).
Puppy behaviors carried into adulthood isn't the only case of human actions contributing to dog behavior though. Do you yell or correct your dog when they bark at people, cars, or dogs out the window? Do you get nervous when other dogs come down the street because you know your dog is going to react? Both of these are likely make the dog more reactive to things they see, not less. Dogs are very good at connecting a short chain of events, which is part of what makes them so trainable, but that also can work against us sometimes. Consider this short scenario: your dog stares out the window, barks at a person walking by, you yell at the dog to be quiet, person leaves, dog stops barking.
There's actually a lot going on here to unpack. First off, you're going to think the dog listened to you because they eventually quieted down. More likely, the dog just settled down because the person moved out of sight. However, if you think the dog is listening to you, then that will just make you more frustrated next time when the dog doesn't immediately settle down when you tell them to. This will likely make you speak or yell more firmly as time goes on. Your dog thinks that a) they scared away the intruder (regardless of wether or not the person was coming to your home) and b) that every time someone comes by, you yell. This will make them bark harder and louder as time goes on, because they know if the person gets too close, they're going to get yelled at, but they also believe that their barking is what makes the person leave. Think about it; if your dog barks every time someone walks by, or a package is delivered, or the mail comes, then those people leave right away, the dog is not going to know it's because the human meant no harm in the first place, they are going to think they saved the day. So they will bark harder and louder and more frequently to keep people away before you get upset, but they won't not bark because they think they have to.
So how do you break this cycle? It starts with human actions. Close the curtains so the dog can't see out, or block easy access to their favorite "lookout spots". Don't yell at the dog, no matter how frustrated you get. Use a toy or food or a behavior they know to move them away from the window. You can even keep them on leash, and move them away. But you remaining calm is the key.
There are far more actions than this that contribute to negative behavior, and it would be impossible to list them all and talk about how to work around them. But spend some time thinking of the things your dog does that you'd like to change, and consider what you do before, during, and after that could be contributing. Remember, our dog's behavior shouldn't be taken personally. They are not doing it to upset us, they are acting in the way that their environment and their genetics tell them they should. If we want them to respond a different way, then we can work to teach them another appropriate behavior.
3) Establish Structure and Routine
Dogs thrive on consitency. If you are struggling with undesirable behaviors in the house (accidents, chewed furniture, counter surfing, nuisance/demand barking) then it is time to think about adding some structure to your dog's daily life. Most dogs spend their days at home, either inside or outside, with a background that does not change much as the day goes on. Compare the average person's day with the average dog's. The person wakes up, might eat or exercise, then typically gets ready for work, and leaves. While at work, each person will have their own schedule of tasks, meetings, and various other responsibilities, that they will complete before coming home. Once home, they will prepare dinner, eat, and relax a few hours before going to bed. Most dogs days look like this: wake up, eat, long expanse of time alone, human comes back, eat, sleep. Build time into your dog's day (and your's) specifically for interaction together. I'm not talking about them playing with toys while you're on your phone nearby, or snuggling on the couch. Once or twice a day, make time for active, engaging, interactions between you and your dog, also put some effort in to make sure that their times without you are not the same every day. Most dogs will spend a good portion of the day alone, and that is fine. But building time together into your schedule will be beneficial for both of you, and will help reduce the common behavior problems stemming from boredom.
Toys-"Oh you should see this place after we come home from work," he said as the French Bulldog happily shoved a row of pillows off the couch, and began to play with them. "He's got about forty toys, but everyday the pillows are on the ground, and the cushions are dug up. Anything new we bring in, he always thinks if for him. He'll just take it to play with it for awhile." Aside from the pillows, the dog had a large basket of toys in the room, with stuffies, chew toys, frisbees and balls spilling over the sides and into the mess the little dog had just created as his owner spoke.
Behavior like this is pretty classic bored dog behavior. But how could a dog be bored with so many toys? If the dog has free access to all of their toys at all times, then the dog will quickly lose interest in all of them. To the dog, they just become part of the background, no different than pillows, couch cushions, or table legs. Counterintuitive as it may be, if you want your dog to have more fun with their toys, pick them up and put them away. Give them one or two for a few hours a day, but pick them up when the dog walks away from them. Are you going to be sitting quietly watching TV for awhile? Give the dog something to chew quietly. Leaving the house? Break out the noisy, interactive toys. Ready to engage in some play with your dog? Get the tug toys, balls, and frisbees. Bringing toys out when it is beneficial to you and the dog will help your dog fight boredom, and prevent them from getting sick of their toys so quickly.
Meals- Avoid free feeding your dog, and stick to regular meals instead. If you're able, use a portion of each meal to do a quick training or relationship game in the morning and evening. This will help the dog burn some mental energy and help them feel more satisfied and fulfilled. I also recommend to anyone that they get food puzzles, or slow feeders for their dogs. These not only slow down mealtimes so they last longer, they also require dogs to think and work a little bit to get their food. While this may seem annoying or mean if someone did that to you, dogs aren't humans and don't think like us. Remember, dogs descended from wolves, they are genetically wired to want to hunt for food to some extent. Making mealtime a game is a fun, and easy way to help alleviate boredom.
Mental and Physical Exercise - The amount of mental and physical exercise that your dog will need will vary based on their breed, and age, and even individuals of the same breed and age will not be identical. Get to know your dog, and learn what they need. The majority of dogs out there would benefit from formal training classes or one on one sessions with a trainer, and regular sessions will help make for a happy, well trained dog. Of course, that is not going to be an every day thing. There are many quick little games you can play with your dog that will increase their mental and physical exercise.
For mental stimulation, grab a handful of your dog's kibble and train right before breakfast and dinner. Do little games, like nose games where you hide a few kibbles or treats under one of three or four cups and have the dog figure out where they are, or toss a kibble away, and call the dog back to you once they eat it to help reinforce a strong recall. Teach your dog to accept handling of their feet, ears, etc. Teach them body awareness with balance disks. Just a quick two to five minute period of mental stimulation once or twice a day can make a huge difference in your dog's behavior. Engaging games like these will burn mental energy in your dog and help them be better able to settle down for a nice nap afterward.
Most dogs need some sort of physical exercise regularly. A Siberian Husky and a Shih Tzu will have different needs, but as an owner it is your responsibility to meet those needs. Most dogs don't actually need a three mile walk every day to be happy. In fact, if you change up the source of the dog's physical exercise it will be more fun for you and for them. Walks are fun, but so is tug, fetch, agility classes, hikes, and play dates with dogs they know. I am not a fan of dog parks, so I don't recommend them to any dog of any age, breed, or activity level, but dog on dog interacting can be very beneficial when done correctly, so small group play dates supervised closely are the best way to get that interaction.
Potty Breaks- Keeping potty breaks on a regular schedule helps with potty training, and prevents accidents, even in fully housebroken dogs. If your dog is having accidents, or struggling with potty training, take them out on leash every few hours. Stay out for two minutes, and if they don't go, bring them back inside. Try again in half an hour or so. This will teach the dog that potty breaks are for relieving themselves, not for exploring or fun. If your dog does enjoy being outside (and most do) make sure they do get time outdoors to sniff, explore, and play. Potty breaks are not time for that though. If your dog is one who likes to go out, and immediately back in, then right back out, then in all day long, they likely are asking to go in and out just for something to do, and for some attention from you. Be sure you are making time for them in your daily routine, and start to differentiate their outside play time from potty time.
Rules- Here's something you don't hear a lot of people say: your dog does not actually need a lot of rules to be a good dog. My dogs have two rules: don't play in the house, and don't get in the trash. That's it. They are allowed on furniture, they can sleep on the bed, they can jump on me when I come home, they can dig in the yard, they can beg for food. I don't care about any of that. I only care that they don't launch into crazy rough housing in our little place, and that they don't eat anything from the trash. That doesn't mean that they don't have extensively trained behaviors, because they do, but it does mean that if we're just relaxing, they can do pretty much whatever they want. I'm not going to tell you some long laundry list of rules that "good dogs" inherently know and adhere to, because there is no such list. Each individual household will have different needs and desires about the sorts of things the dogs within it are and are not allowed to do. There is only one thing that you need when coming up with a set of rules for your dogs: consistency.
Each and every person who comes into contact with your dog needs to follow the rules. If your rule is no jumping, that means no jumping, even if your guests or strangers on the street say it's ok. If your rule is no dogs in the kitchen, that means always, even when a child or spouse is the one in there. If your rule is no begging, then that means always. Stick to your rules, no matter what, and make sure everyone in the house is in agreement with the rules too. Talk about it as a household and make sure everyone is aware. Pst the rules on the fridge, and don't be afraid to call out the people who don't follow them. If your dog does not have 100% consistency in their rules, then they're just suggestions, an date dog isn't going to learn them. And it won't be their fault. Setting and sticking to rules is probably one of the most difficult things when you live with other people, and may require compromise, but it is important that you either make the people in your home understand why the rules are in place, and why it is important that they follow them.
4) Teach Incompatible Behaviors
When you are sure that there is no underlying medical condition contributing to your dog's behavior, you are working on your own actions and setting up a solid and predictable routine and structure for your dog, you are ready to start tackling any undesirable behaviors that remain. The best way to do this is to teach the dog an incompatible behavior, or put simply, something it is physically impossible for them to do while behaving in a way you don't like. The most obvious example of this is teaching a dog who pulls to walk on a loose leash, but there are other examples too. Teach a dog charges the door when the doorbell rings to go lay on their bed instead. Have a dog who mouths and chews people hold a toy or item. If a dog likes to steal food off plates or the counter, teach an implied leave it. Each behavior, good or bad, has incompatible behaviors, and you can use these to help show your dog what you want from them.
There is no one magic behavior that will work in every scenario, but we will talk about two, one for in the house and one for in public. If you're in the house, one of the best incompatible behaviors you can teach is having the dog to go to their bed when asked. You can use this to keep dogs from begging, jumping on guests, barking at the door or windows, and rushing the door when it opens. Make sure the dog has a comfortable place they enjoy being, and then use rewards to start building value for that place. Once the dog is going to it reliably, add in a verbal cue. The other is a "watch me" cue, to teach your dog to make eye contact with you. A few notes about this behavior, it is not a substitute for real engagement (ie a dog who truly wants to work with you), and it is incredibly unnatural. Prolonged eye contact between dogs can be perceived as a challenge so if your dog is unwilling to meet your eyes, it could be because they don't you want to think they're a threat to you. These notes aside however, "watch me" can be very useful out in the world. Dogs who stare at other dogs, or at people who come toward them on the sidewalk, dogs who are nervous around loud or noisy vehicles, getting by distractions that would typically cause a dog to pull, can all be alleviated by asking for eye contact, and having a dog who will maintain it.
Ultimately, creating the behavior we want in our dogs is our responsibility, not theirs. Dogs are not humans, and they think and react to most things very differently than we do. It is our job to understand that, and to work with the tools we have to foster appropriate behavior. It is also important to remember that just because we prefer to teach dogs to coexist with us by using positive methods that does not mean we have to accept behavior we dislike or wish to change. The key lies in understanding, and prioritizing communication with our dogs.
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