Dog Behavior-Your Ego vs. Knowledge
By Polina Semenoff, CPDT-KA
When your dog is doing something that is bothering you, do you ask yourself, “How do I get him to stop?” or do you ask, “Why is he doing that?” Many pet owners subconsciously get into the habit of wanting to stop behaviors without thinking about the ‘why’ behind them. By addressing problem behaviors with “how to stop it” instead of “why is it happening”, we may let the problem behavior brew into something more complex. This, in turn, makes the problem even more difficult to tackle. If problem behaviors are first addressed with a “why is this happening” mindset, the situation can be tackled at its root.
If we address our dogs’ behaviors with knowledge and compassion, we have a higher likelihood of successfully changing the problem behavior. If we let our ego take over, we may blame the dog for behaviors that we might have inadvertently caused by creating the environment for them. For example, we may think that our dog is stubborn or difficult when in reality there could be a combination of underlying circumstances leading to the issue. It could be, among other things, a health or wellness issue, stress or fear, too many distractions, unclear criteria, our lack of management, or even our misunderstanding of their body language. When we fail to consider this handful of circumstances, we get frustrated and our pride takes over as a defensive response. It is important to catch ourselves in this moment and consider the dog we have in front of us. Did we unintentionally set him up to fail? Have we practiced in these conditions? Did we manage the environment to the best of our ability? These are just a few questions to ask before becoming frustrated. Being aware of our own impulses, weaknesses, and emotions can be the first step to changing our dog’s behavior.
I start with how we ask our dog certain things. Is it a command or a cue? Is it a question, request, or suggestion? All of these imply certain conditions, what have we done to meet them?
Next, how do you view your training? Is it obedience, or leadership and caretaking? Does your dog have agency and choice to help with learning through positive reinforcement and environmental management or is it “do it or else”? What about respect? Do they know what that is or does trust and safety sound a bit better?
Dog training starts with people training. Long-lasting results grow from the knowledge and compassion that the trainer teaches the parents first. A dog trainer should be your coach so you can be a better guardian to your dog. Dogs learn from us every day, whether we are trying or not. Let the experts at My Dog’s Got Class help you be more intentional with the daily interactions you have with your dog. Learn to speak your dog’s language first, before teaching your dog yours.
Please visit our website for more information: mydogsgotclass.com.
