When we say that we do not want our dogs to bark, chew or perform any number of other potentially problematical behaviors, are we saying none of the behavior at all? Of course not and it would be ridiculous to suggest it. After all, a dog has to be a dog, but if we follow that line of thinking too far we can create an environment in which behavior can become problematical. So what are we talking about when we advocate no barking, no chewing, no aggression etc. is removing or preventing inappropriate behavior?

Inappropriate is such a useful word. It is contextual and implies that the behavior is not wrong or abnormal, just not suitable for the circumstances in which it is being displayed. For example it is not unnatural for a dog to chew, but it is inappropriate for it to chew its owner's rug. Similarly, it is not abnormal for a dog to guard its food or its territory, but it is difficult to live with if the owner's children can't go in the kitchen when the dog is eating or Granny can't get in the house at Christmas. If you want a more obvious example look no further than the fact that it is not unnatural for a dog to relive itself, but it is generally inappropriate for it to do it in the owner's house in front of the children!

How do dogs know when their behavior is appropriate or inappropriate? They don't, at least not by thinking about it. If they could fewer dogs would exhibit behavior problems. As it is one in five dogs display a serious problem and three in five display nuisance behaviors. This figure is taken from the general dog population, not the number being brought forward for treatment, so potential pet behavior counselors should not see this as a huge demand for their services. When a dog does display behavior problems they are typically limited to one or two and owners report that, apart from this or apart from that, their's is a lovely dog.


It's amazing that our generally haphazard approach to rearing and training does not result in the development of more problems. Then again, the dog has been evolving to fit the pet niche for some 12, 000 years and is well adapted to responding to the needs of its human companions. Nonetheless, a dog learns from the outcome of its behavior whether it is worth repeating. Let's take chewing a rug in front of its owner as an example. In many cases the idea of chewing the rug never occurs to the dog and the problem does not develop. Of course, the smart owner helps this along by directing a puppy into chewing those things they want it to chew and denies it the opportunity to get to the rug when it is unsupervised until it is passed a critical stage of development. Thus inappropriate associations are not formed. However, if the dog does chew the rug, the owner tells it to stop and it does, never to return, we could say that, at face value, the dog has learnt that it is inappropriate to chew the rug. What has actually happened is that the dog does not like the outcome of the behavior, the owner's reprimand, however mild, and avoids chewing it. It's a different story if the dog enjoys that scummy carpet so much that the owner's interruption pales into insignificance. Under these circumstances rug chewing may become secretive, at best, but is unlikely to stop. It's a different story again if the dog is strongly dependent on the owner's attention. Rather than being put off by their interruption the dog is rewarded by the response, so it does it more.


Developing appropriate behavior

Adequate experience of their world in the first few weeks of life, when they are most receptive to learning about it with confidence, is the most important means of ensuring that dogs learn appropriate responses to it. Reinforcing that behavior, at any age, is a way of developing them. For example, praising a dog for chewing the right thing or for not barking at people behaving innocently as they walk past the owner's home will help to reduce the likelihood of inappropriate chewing and barking at all and sundry to the annoyance of owner and neighbors alike.

In addition to the provision of appropriate items to chew, mentioned above, we need to provide outlets for our dogs’ other various drives to reduce the potential for them to be displayed in inappropriate ways. We can also train our dogs to perform the behaviors we want to control at a given signal so we can teach them to stop.

© David Appleby 2001

When is a behavior a problem? - Part Two

In Part One we looked at the fact that when we say that we want to teach a dog not to perform a behavior, such as chewing, we mean that we don't want it to perform it in inappropriate situations. Unfortunately for the dog, it is difficult to know what is appropriate and what is not. For example, if it defends the home from marauding burglars it's a hero. If it bites someone who has just popped round on a social visit it could be in court, or worse, although, if it bites in the former instance it can still be in trouble.

We can help our dogs discriminate between appropriate and inappropriate behavior by rewarding them for doing what we want them to do rather than taking them for granted when they make correct decisions. Let's take barking as an example. There are many occasions when it is considered to be a nuisance, including defensively at people outside the home, excitedly at visitors, frenziedly on walks and determined attention seeking. All too often, owners resort to shouting at their dogs to stop, and yet this is a signal they don’t understand. So, rather than stopping, the barking gets worse because the owner seems to be joining in or rewarding with attention.

The potential for barking can be reduced by praising your dog when it is obvious that it is aware of a situation, such as someone walking past the house, but has chosen to stay quiet. However, if your dog always barks at passers-by a chance to reward it could be a long time coming. If it is a serious problem that verges on aggression when people enter the house treatment under the guidance of a pet behavior counselor is advisable. Nonetheless, regardless of whether it is a nuisance or liability, training your dog to stop barking at a given signal is beneficial.

Believe it or not, before you can teach your dog to stop barking, you have to teach it to bark on command. One way of achieving this is to tether it, using a leash and collar, and standing just out of its reach. Either food or a favorite toy can be used to excite it by teasing, in the nicest possible way, until it makes an excited whine or barks. When it does praise it and throw it a piece of food or the toy. After a few moments start to repeat the process and watch your dog learn that the way to get the reward is to make the noise. When it has, you can start saying ‘s-s-s-s-p-p-peak’ or another sound as it starts to vocalize. Over several training session of five to ten minutes your dog should learn to make the noise when it hears the word. If it whines rather than barks withhold the reward until a bark occurs and, eventually, your dog should bark at your signal.

The next step is to reverse the process and teach your dog to stop barking. When it barks at your signal suddenly put the food or toy behind your back and wait until your dog stops barking. When it does, praise it and throw it its reward. Once your dog learns to stop barking when it sees your hand go behind your back introduce the word ‘quiet’ quietly when it looks like it is about to stop. Eventually you should be able to get your dog to bark, unless it is a Basenji, when it is not tethered and without the need for food or toy, which could come in handy. More importantly you will be able to give your dog a signal to stop barking whether it chose to start or you asked it to.

You can apply the principles to other behaviors that your dog may be driven to do. For example, if it digs in the yard you can give other things to occupy it, such as a toy that dispenses food or even a sandpit to mine for things you have hidden. To teach it to stop digging at your signal let it see you bury a chew and say ‘dig’ as it starts to retrieve it. Through repetition it will it dig at your signal without you having to bury things. When it does this distract it by producing something it likes from your pocket and when it looks up throw it as a reward. When you think your dog gets cute at this say the word you want to use to stop it from digging as it stops. Eventually your dog will have learnt that it can dig where and when you tell it to, but also to stop and go to you, at your signal, in anticipation of a reward.

© David Appleby 2001

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Please note that techniques are advised upon in good faith and no liability can be held in the event of damage or injury to persons, property or animals as a result of correct or incorrect implementation of the techniques described.