Correcting “Bad” Dog Behavior
Before correcting any “bad” dog behavior, it is important to realize that dogs do not do things purposely to be bad. The key to beginning to correct any kind of negative behavior is to first understand your dog’s behavior and then to have patience when correcting it.
Barking
In order to help your dog stop barking incessantly, you must first understand why your dog is barking. Dogs can bark for a variety of reasons, some of which include:
Warning and Alerting Barks: This type of bark can say “I’m guarding this house so don’t try anything” or “Someone is at the door”.
Response Barks: This type of bark is for dogs communicating with one another. The neighbor’s dog barks, and your dog barks a response back.
Playful and Excited Barks: This type of bark is a little more common in younger dogs. Some dogs will bark while playing with humans or when playing with other dogs. Dogs may also get excited and bark when they know they are getting ready to go on a walk, or about to receive a treat.
Anxious Barks: This type of bark is common with dogs while they are anxious, maybe while on a car ride, or for dogs who suffer from separation anxiety.
First things first: Do NOT encourage your dog’s barking by encouraging it (i.e. hugging a dog who is barking due to anxiety). Next, try and refocus your dog’s attention while they are barking. Clap, whistle (do NOT yell) and once they have quieted down, give your dog a treat. Also consider giving your dog basic commands (such as sit, lay down, etc) to switch their focus once you have their attention.
Digging
Dogs can dig for many reasons. To know what you can do to help prevent your dog from barking, it can help to know the reason why your dog is barking. The following reasons may be why your dog might be digging:
Boredom/Lack of physical exercise: Dogs may just dig for something to do. To avoid this as a problem, you may want to consider taking your dog for longer or more frequent walks or provide your dog with entertaining toys to keep them busy while you are away.
Warm Weather: Some dogs commonly dig during the summer or in warm weather as a means to cool down. The dirt underground feels cool in contrast to the warm sun, thus giving the dog a nice retreat from the heat. To avoid your dog digging in warm weather, keep him hydrated and consider keeping him indoors.
Hunting Reasons: Some dogs may dig to hunt critters such as moles or rodents, which dogs can smell.
To Bury a Bone: Sometimes dogs will bury their bones to save for a treat at a later time. If this seems to be the reason why your dog is digging, consider replacing bones with rawhide bones instead.
Chewing
Like all other undesirable dog behaviors, there is a reason behind why dogs chew. Here are a few of the more common reasons:
Attention Seeking Chewing: Dogs may chew to gain your attention.
Separation Anxiety Chewing: Dogs may chew to release anxiety due to separation. This may occur when the dog is left at home for periods of time without human contact.
Anticipation Chewing: Dogs may engage in anticipation chewing when they are anticipating the return of their owner. Dogs release their pent up anticipation via chewing.
For chewing, there are two different types of approaches you can take as an owner: passive training or active training. Passive training (if done correct) removes the temptation to chew. For an example, your dog will not chew on your shoes if you put them somewhere unreachable. Your dog will also not chew if you spray your sofa cushions with bitter apple spray. However, if you forget to put something up or forget to spray an item, your dog may revert back to chewing. Active training may take longer to catch on, but if done correctly, will prevent destructive chewing. When engaging in active training, if you see your dog chewing on an unwanted object, give your dog a firm “No!” and quickly replace the unwanted object with an appropriate chew toy. Once your dog begins chewing on the toy, give your dog praise (and possibly a treat). Keeping steady with this training will cause your dog to associate the chew toy as a “good” object and your dog may likely be inclined to continue to use the toy as a chewing object in place of unwanted or “bad” chewing objects. Please note that you should NOT reprimand your dog if you are not witnessing them in the act of chewing. If correction is not issued within a few seconds of undesired chewing, your dog will not know what they are being disciplined for.
Jumping
A dog that jumps on people can be annoying (jumping on you to greet you when you come home from work) or dangerous (jumping on a small child or elderly person and potentially injuring them). Either way, it is a bad habit that should be nipped in the bud. Like other “bad” dog behaviors, there are different reasons why dogs may jump.
To Greet People: Your dog is excited to greet you and guests at your house.
To Assert Dominance: Your dog wants to prove that they are the Alpha in the house.
Seeking Attention: Your dog wants your attention and jumps on you. This behavior has been rewarded with attention in the past by jumping on you or other people.
If your dog is jumping to greet you or other visitors at your house, a good solution to this is to ignore them when they jump. Coming home from work or having company over is not a big deal, and you dog needs to know this. When you (or guests) enter your house and your dog begins his normal routine of jumping on you, ignore him and consider turning your back to him. If this does not work and your dog continues to jump, squirt him with a spray bottle (one that has a steady stream, not a mist spray bottle). Once your dog has calmed down, greet him and praise him for not jumping.
If your dog is jumping for attention, ignoring them will work well. If you reward your dog with food or attention because you grow weary of their jumping, they will think they can jump and get what they want all the time. Only reward your dog once they have stopped jumping so that it is clear that jumping won’t get them anything.
If your dog is jumping to assert dominance, dog training is always an option.
Copyright © 2012