How can you get your dog to stop doing that?
What is it you want your dog to stop? Why? Is it a natural canine behavior? Are you able to control the stimulus? What is the payoff for the dog in acting out the behavior? Have you been unknowingly rewarding the behavior? For how long and how often has it been occurring? Are you nearby to manage the behavior when it occurs?
Positive association and control conditioning will go a long way to getting your dog to feel differently about a stimulus. Maybe her trigger is a cheeky possum on the fence and launches into attack or is fearful of a people wearing hats or the sound of a motorbike. Does she chew your furniture? Maybe your dog jumps up on people every time they come to the door? Perhaps she goes nuts every time they see a glint of light on the floor from that kitchen window?
Whatever behavior it is you want your dog to stop, the kindest and easiest way to manage is to train an alternative behavior. This is ideally something incompatible with the unwanted behavior e.g. you don’t want your dog to jump up on people when she greets them. Teach her to sit instead. If chewing is the problem however, you offer something more appropriate to chew. If jumping up on you is the problem it’s essential you also cease rewarding the act of jumping up (reward includes looking at her, responding to her or even pushing her away because touch can still be a reward or turn into a game). With teaching when to sit and rewarding her she will soon understand that ‘sitting gets me everything & jumping gets me nothing’. Believe us when we say you can very easily shape a dog to offer a default sit if you cease to reward the jumping. Humans and dogs quickly lose interest in behaviours which do not payoff in some way.
By controlling the stimulus where possible (such as inviting people around to ring the doorbell) you can maximise effect of your training by providing practice. Let’s say you have your training plan ready – If 3 friends come over and ring the front door bell separately, exit out the back door and walk around to the front to re-enter you can see how much more value this adds to the training session.
An obsessive habit such as chasing shadows can be a tougher nut to crack especially once it is ingrained and may require the help of a trainer. Unwanted repetitious behaviours should be examined early and are easier to curb when they first present. Please don’t wait years to ask for help.
Meet your dog’s exercise needs to ensure their unwanted behavior is not just a way to drain pent up energy.
Leah & Angela OMeara
Hound Dog Day Care (Specialists in Dog Minding & Dog Boarding, Pet Sitting Brisbane & Doggy Day Care Brisbane)