Dog Training Examiner - Why Did Your Dog Do That? I Don't Know.

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POSTED May 13, 9:28 PM

The other day a client asked me why her 1.5-year-old dog urinates on her living room rug about once a month.

My answer? I don’t know.

Just because I am a professional dog trainer doesn’t mean that I know why dogs always perform certain behaviors.

There are many possible reasons for dog behaviors and people often attribute specific reasons for a behavior, when in fact, it is difficult or impossible to prove.

For instance, common reasons that I hear to explain why dogs urinate in a specific location include:

Spite
Dominance
Anger
Mad at their person for being left alone

These reasons are all possible, but impossible to prove. I focus on specific observable behaviors and rule out basic strategies before trying other theories. In the conversation with my client I told her that there are many possible reasons for housetraining missteps, but I recommend that she manage her dog’s access to the rug and reward her for going in the correct location.

This is basic behavior modification. Prevent an inappropriate behavior and redirect it into an appropriate behavior. Rewarding for the correct behavior is also a powerful strategy because it increases the likelihood that the rewarded behavior will happen again.

There are a few topics that people often label with reasons that are impossible to prove. I always recommend focusing on tried and true behavior modification techniques.

Here are a few of the most common topics and my recommended training assessment and strategies.

Behavior Issue: Aggression Towards Dogs

Common, Unprovable Explanation
Aggressive dog is alpha or dominant

My Assessment and Training Strategy
Identify triggers that cause the aggression and practice desensitization and counter conditioning.

Behavior Issue: Aggression Towards People

Common, Unprovable Explanation
Aggressive dog is alpha or dominant

My Assessment and Training Strategy
Identify triggers that cause the aggression and practice desensitization and counter conditioning. Do not put the dog in the situation where he might exhibit the behavior again and learn that aggressive behaviors work. This will increase the likelihood that the dog’s aggression will escalate.

Behavior Issue: Difficulty Being Left Alone
Dogs might exhibit housetraining accidents, barking or destruction

Common, Unprovable Explanations

Spite
Dominance
Anger
Mad at their person for being left alone

My Assessment and Training Strategy
Look at general housetraining and management strategies to alleviate the accidents and destruction. Look at desensitization strategies to noises that might be causing the barking. Increase training and physical exercise to alleviate boredom. Assess possible separation anxiety and treat accordingly.

Have you heard reasons for dog behavior and wonder if they are accurate? Share what you have heard, or ask questions in my Forums.

Categories: dog training tips , pets , housetraining tips , aggression in dogs , alpha , dominance , dog training questions

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Jeff Millman
Jeff Millman, owner of a thriving dog training business in Chicago, knows how to train dogs. As a recovering downtown commuter himself, he also understands how busy people are. Read his tips for working effectively, efficiently and humanely with your dog.