Are You the Cause of Your Dog’s Bad Behavior?

Wire haired Dachshund pup chewing a white electrical cord attached to a lamp

Issues that reflect on dog owners and how to fix them.

We won’t attempt to address all these issues in this article, but we’ll highlight the most common ones: pulling a Leash, Bouncing Off the Walls, Excessive Barking, and Aggression.

“The fact is that dogs do what works, and their behavior reflects on how we handle and train them.”

According to Tyler Ohlmann, a dog trainer from Louisville, KY, “In order to fix a problem at the lower end of the leash, you have to look at who’s holding the other end. Dogs are experimenters. They just do and see what happens,” he said. “Babies do the same thing. If what they do results in something favorable, they’ll do it again. And if it results in something unfavorable, they’re less likely to do it again.”

As responsible dog owners, we must ensure we reinforce positive behavior and correct unfavorable behavior.

How Are You Affecting Your Dog’s Behavior?

Chances are you have a lot of things going on in your life. Whether you’re a single “dog parent” or a family with children, most are busy juggling a work-life balance. Let’s explore some indoor and outdoor activities to help keep your pooch from bouncing off the walls from boredom and lack of activity.

The Benefits of Keeping Your Dog Busy

Bored dogs get into trouble. We’re their main source of entertainment, so if we don’t give them stuff to do, they’ll come up with activities of their own—and that’s when we end up with chewed-up shoes and curtains.

Playing with your dog a few times a day can decrease the likelihood of them developing destructive habits such as excessive barking or chewing.

Indoor Play

Here’s a great article with lots of good ideas for Indoor Play. 33 Simple Ways to Keep Your Dog Busy Indoors

Outdoor Activities

Keep Your Dog Mentally and Physically Fit. This article from Dogtime has some good tips for you and your pooch.

“Oy Vey,” My Barking Dog

Ohlmann says that if your dog barks all the time, you’re probably a pushover. Now, not for all dogs. “German Shepherds, for example, bark because it’s hot out or cold out or the sky is too blue.” “But if you go in a house and a Labrador Retriever is barking at its people all day, they taught it to bark by giving it stuff every time it did it.”

The dog was demanding, he explains, and “people say ‘what can I get you, do you want a treat?’ Woof, woof, woof, ‘here’s a treat. here’s a frisbee.’ You can’t teach something to demand if you don’t give in.” #guilty[ NBC-Better]

Everyone’s familiar with Cesar Milan; here’s what he’s got to say about barking dogs.

“Remember, barking is natural! It’s an important means of communication for dogs. But sometimes problems can develop. As the pack leader, it’s your job to step in and control excessive barking.”

Here are Cesar’s 5 tips to help you stop nuisance barking for good.

He’s Not Really Aggressive

When your dog behaves inappropriately by growling at a person or another dog, do you try to diffuse the growling by saying: “oh, it’s ok?” Here’s what you dog perceives: “oh good dog!” That’s known as the “coddle approach.” According to Ohlmann, “it’s harder set boundaries than to shower them in love and hope bunnies and rainbows to get rid of a very serious problem, but you took the easy way out and that’s a detriment to the dog.” Because guess what? Now he’s learned that aggressive behavior is fine.”

Aggression is Not a Four-letter Word.

According to Sarah Hodgson, writing for The Dog Trainer, All dogs are capable of, and many will use, aggression—if they feel that a situation is life threatening or that a prized possession might be stolen. Some dogs are assertive around moving targets (a holdover from their hunting days), and others may defend their personal space just because they don’t like crowding. People are no different.

Signs that your dog may be developing aggressive tendencies include:

Overzealous, pushy greetings of friends or strangers
Exaggerated, fearful reactions to new people and stimuli
A pronounced and unyielding demand for affection
A prolonged stare is used in an attempt to control unpredictable or wild family members or situations
Raised hackles
Growling
Bared teeth
An arched body
A stiff walk
A tail lifted over the back or under the legs
Rapid tail wagging, indicating panic if the tail is tucked low or imminent attack if raised high
Slow sweep tail wagging, showing that a dog is analyzing the situation
Ears pricked forward ears or lowered back

Does exhibiting these signs make your dog mean? No. A dog displaying assertive or self-activated behavior simply tries to manage his environment. He will act out if you don’t teach your dog coping skills. Like children, dogs benefit from compassionate, clear, and consistent instruction. Don’t let your dog become the sadly misunderstood playground bully—take steps to curb and redirect unwanted behaviors at once.