{"id":12267,"date":"2014-04-03T13:41:09","date_gmt":"2014-04-03T20:41:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/shibashake.com\/dog\/?p=12267"},"modified":"2014-04-03T13:41:09","modified_gmt":"2014-04-03T20:41:09","slug":"how-to-deal-with-bad-dog-behavior","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shibashake.com\/dog\/how-to-deal-with-bad-dog-behavior\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Deal with Bad Dog Behavior"},"content":{"rendered":"

Why do dogs behave badly?<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

It is tempting for us to interpret our dog’s behavior using human values. We may get angry because we think our dog is misbehaving out of meanness, spite, or vengeance. We may get sad or frustrated because we interpret bad behavior as a rejection of our love.<\/p>\n

However, dogs do not think like us, and they have different social rituals and instincts. As a result, bad dog behavior commonly arises due to miscommunication and misunderstanding between human and dog.<\/strong> <\/p>\n

The best way I have found to help stop my dog’s bad behavior is to learn how to “see<\/em>” and “speak<\/em>” dog. The more I observe and try to understand where my dog is coming from, the more effective I am at teaching him how to get along well with the people and animals around him. <\/p>\n

\"Two
How to Deal with Bad Dog Behavior<\/div><\/div> <\/div><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

Step 1 – Identify the source of the bad dog behavior<\/h2>\n

To do this, we must stay objective and focused, even though we may not always like the answers that we find. It helps to find a professional dog trainer or a dog expert<\/a> at this stage.<\/p>\n

A dog trainer has no emotional stake in the situation and has more experience with reading dogs.<\/p>\n

This allows him to more quickly and accurately identify the problem source. Bad behaviors commonly get intensified when owners misdiagnose a problem, and subsequently try to address it in the wrong way.<\/p>\n

\"Face
Identify the source of the bad behavior.<\/div><\/div> <\/div><\/div>\n

Here are some important questions I ask while trouble-shooting my dog’s undesirable behaviors.<\/p>\n

What?<\/h4>\n

What triggers the behavior?<\/p>\n

Is it large dogs, small dogs, dogs with long hair, dogs with floppy ears, or all of the above?<\/p>\n

Is it just dogs, or is it also cats, squirrels, children, old people, people wearing weird hats, people carrying umbrellas, bicycles, skate boards, or something else?<\/p>\n

Why?<\/h4>\n
\n\n<\/div>\n

Why is my dog showing this behavior?<\/p>\n

Is it due to fear of dogs, dislike of people, excitement, or dominance? I listen<\/em> to my dog by carefully observing his body posture, and what causes changes in that body posture.<\/p>\n

A fearful dog will try to make himself look small, and shrink away into a corner, or behind objects and other barriers. His tail or head may be down, and he may be showing signs of stress. In contrast, a dominant dog will usually have ears erect, tail up, chest out, and a forward looking posture.<\/p>\n

It can be difficult to read a dog because the change in body language may be slight (twitch of the mouth, sway of the tail), and brief.<\/p>\n

Some dogs may switch body language quickly, and others may ramp up to dog aggression before we can react.<\/p>\n

\"Smiling
The “I’m a very silly Husky”, body language.<\/div><\/div> <\/div><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

Step 2 – Retrain the bad dog behavior<\/h2>\n
\"Man
Retrain the bad dog behavior.<\/div><\/div> <\/div><\/div>\n

a) Do not reward bad behavior.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Some behaviors develop because we inadvertently reward our dogs for them.<\/p>\n

For example, when a dog jumps on us, we usually push him back with our arms and hands. This rewards the jumping behavior by giving the dog what he wants, i.e. our attention and a fun game of arm wrestling.<\/p>\n

Similarly, we may give our dog more attention when he barks, whines, or vocalizes. This rewards the vocalization, thereby making the dog more likely to repeat those behaviors.<\/p>\n

When my dog is showing undesirable behaviors, I either redirect him, ignore him, or put him on a time-out (i.e., temporarily withdraw his freedom).<\/p>\n

b) Stay calm and in control during bad dog behavior.<\/strong><\/p>\n

When dealing with a bad dog situation, it is difficult but necessary to stay calm and in control.<\/p>\n

Dogs can easily sense our inner energy through scent and sound. When we get angry, frustrated, or otherwise unbalanced, our dog will detect that, and become even more frantic. The only way to calm him down, is to stay calm and in control of the situation ourselves.<\/p>\n

\"Man
Stay calm and in control.<\/div><\/div> <\/div><\/div>\n

c) Redirect the bad dog behavior.<\/strong><\/p>\n

When a dog does something bad, we want to communicate to him that this behavior is undesired by us. I use a consistent no-mark such as No<\/strong> or Ack-ack<\/strong>. However, do not make the mistake of just stopping there.<\/p>\n

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We should always try to follow up the no-mark with a positive behavior.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

For example, after saying No,<\/p>\n