by Zak George
So, while dogs are extremely smart, they are far from the calculating, vengeful, plotting creatures that many people shape them up to be. Don’t get me wrong—I know it can feel that way sometimes! If you’re potty training a dog and you take him for a long walk, but then he comes back in the house and sneaks off to do his business in another room, it might seem like he is trying to break the rules and do things on his terms. You did your part by letting him outside, and he still peed in the house! But in this example, we too often assume that a dog should perform an action—going to the bathroom outside—simply because it should be immediately obvious to him that this makes sense. Also, we assume that it should be equally obvious to him that going inside is not acceptable. This is a mistake though. How should a dog know that he’s supposed to hold it until you get around to letting him out? Even then, how’s he supposed to make the leap that the grass outside is where he is to do his business?
Remember, dogs are new to our world. There is nothing intuitive to dogs about the nuanced aspects of our culture and expectations. Is it really reasonable, for example, to expect a dog who’s only just been introduced to training to differentiate between his plush toy and your fuzzy slippers? How could he possibly know that he can play with the toy but not the slippers unless you’ve spent a lot of time teaching him just that. Since most of us are anxious to get our dog’s training off to a good start, we take steps that are too big and too unrealistic. We then interpret the lack of results to mean that the dog is being vindictive or stubborn.
Planning events in the future, being in firm control of our surroundings and family, and “proving a point” are natural human behaviors, but not so much for dogs. Dogs’ flagship quality is that they are great at appreciating and living in the present. They aren’t premeditated, and they’re certainly not spiteful, conniving creatures. They just don’t seem to be capable of such emotions. Sure, they may be a little too carefree, loopy, or distractible at times. But they just need the right guidance from you!
Myth #2: Dogs Misbehave Because They Are Trying to Be Dominant
Dominance as an explanation for a dog’s behavioral issues is a long-held, though false, belief that unfortunately influences modern dog training culture like no other (though luckily that’s changing!). For one thing, there is no agreed upon definition of the term at all. Dominance means different things to different people, and this ambiguity isn’t helpful.
Here’s what we do know though: we used to think that the wolves the modern dog descended from had a dictatorial “alpha” at the top of each wolf pack who led by significant force and fought for his top status. Much of the dog training community hastily accepted this theory. In fact, leading wolf expert L. David Mech even wrote an acclaimed 1970 book on the subject. However, this older hypothesis was based on an artificial situation: the wolves in the studies were in forced confinement and had no choice but to fight for resources. Wolves in the wild—the wolves our dogs descended from—did not act this way at all. Instead, they behaved more like humans—the “leaders” of the packs, so to speak, were merely parents of offspring. In fact, the packs are very similar to human family structures.4
Here’s the kicker though: Mech himself eventually refuted the alpha wolf concept. He even asked his publisher to stop printing his book.5 I tip my hat to him for admitting that he was wrong.
Bottom line: There is absolutely no evidence that dogs inherited a primal desire to move in, take over, and make you subservient to them. (Sadly, many people in the dog training community still build their methods on this unsupported hypothesis, and they use it as a license to train dogs by using force.)
What’s more, let’s also remember that dogs are not even wolves at all. Humans have aggressively and selectively bred dogs for thousands of years so that they’re good at learning and taking direction from people. For instance, we bred dogs who excel at retrieving, assisting with hunting, keeping livestock in line, and even companionship. The modern dog has very little in common with ancient wolves in this regard. And these traits, this proven genetic history of working with and existing well with humans, are what we should always remember when we teach dogs. Understanding this point makes it much easier to accept that teaching a dog is a very natural process.
So, when your dog jumps on you, he’s most likely excited to see you and not trying to ignite a revolt. If he passes through a door before you, he’s just eager to get outside, not trying to make you submit to him. And if he lies next to you on the couch or in bed? That doesn’t mean he thinks he’s equal or above you in the family hierarchy. He probably just wants to be close to you.
Myth #3: A Dog’s Breed Is to Blame
It’s very easy to fall into the trap of attributing your dog’s unwanted behaviors to his breed. I always hear comments like, “Huskies won’t come when called,” “Chihuahuas are yappy and prissy,” “Pit Bulls are violent,” and “Herding dogs nip at your ankles because they’re herding you.” Please don’t buy into these stereotypes. It’s not fair to your dog, and it can really harm your training.
People tend to place entirely too much emphasis on breed and what a dog was bred to do. In other words, too often we think a dog’s breed is the primary factor we should take into account when teaching a dog and trying to determine why he’s behaving a certain way. The problem with this is that only some dogs of a particular breed seem to adhere to their breed stereotype. However, even when dogs do adhere to their breed, their breed is still probably one of the least important factors in that dog’s personality. As I explained on this page, chapter 1, knowing and managing your dog’s energy level is the best way to understand him.
Of course, humans did select dogs who were good at specific tasks. In fact, there are countless breeds that we created thousands of years ago to help with tasks such as herding livestock and hunting. However, if you were to take a group of those dogs of the same breed, you’d almost certainly discover that the way they interact with you, each other, and the world varies. These differences are usually significant enough to influence the approach you should take when teaching them or breaking bad habits.
The fact is that dogs of every breed jump up on guests, nip, chase things, destroy property, and don’t come when called—and they do these things for very different reasons. While we are right to attempt to understand and make sense of why a dog behaves a certain way, remember that his breed plays only a very small role in this.
Think about it: making a judgment call based on a dog’s breed is like predicting people’s personalities based on what countries they’re from. Just as it’s not fair to do so to a human, it’s also not fair to make such presumptions about a dog. So please don’t.
THE TOP SIX REASONS YOUR DOG MIGHT MISBEHAVE
While we may not assume for certain what our dogs are thinking at any given moment, we can make informed guesses as to what may trigger the behaviors that drive you crazy. That, and the fact that no one knows your dog like you do, will help you get to the bottom of these issues! Like I discussed earlier in this chapter, understanding the likely motivations behind your dog’s behavior is the best place to start. So, here are the six biggest culprits.
1. Insufficient Exercise
Want to know the biggest life hack in dog training? It’s that exercise resolves most problems. See, it turns out that most of the reactive, misbehaving, out-of-control dogs are the ones who don’t have enough of an outlet for their energy. Remember, 90 percent of unwanted behaviors are due to a lack of exercise and the fact that a dog is simply bored! That’s 90 percent!
Most annoying habits, anxieties, or hyperactivity can be mitigated greatly with the right kind of exercise. As I explained on this page, chapter 1, if your dog has an abundance of energy, exercising him early in the day with structured activities like fetch that involve working with a person should satisfy him for a good portion of the day. Regular exercise can even help lower-energy dogs, too, especially regarding issues relati
ng to anxiety and fear.
Also, in the earlier stages of training, it’s not even reasonable to expect many unexercised dogs to comply with your requests—especially those mid- to high-energy dogs. Only when your dog has released that energy can he calm down enough to focus on you for the training session.
I know that many dogs are not active, and exercise for those dogs for the purposes of making them more trainable may not be as necessary. However, for those super-energetic dogs, it absolutely is.
It can take many weeks or months to teach a dog how to reliably play fetch, but doing so can make such a massive difference throughout his life. It is really worth the effort. Throughout this book, I’ll show you when to strategically use exercise to make training easier. For now, understand that if you’d describe your dog as “wild” or “disobedient,” you likely need to prioritize significant exercise.
2. Genetics
Clearly, genetics plays a part in governing how a dog behaves. In fact, a dog’s behavior is based on the culmination of his experiences and his genetics. Think about the countless possible combinations you can have of those two things!
I understand that this may be a little confusing as I just told you that you should treat each dog as an individual and not rely on his breed so much to explain his behavior. However, when I’m talking about genetics, I don’t mean breed. I’m talking about traits passed down from generation to generation. Let’s take an obvious example. Say two energetic Labradors produce offspring. There is a good chance that at least some of those offspring will also be energetic. However, if two lower-energy Labradors produce offspring, then it’s more likely that they’ll produce lower-energy puppies. Same exact breed, different genes.
Take a look at dogs who come from puppy mills (the ones sold in the vast majority of pet stores). In a review of various studies published in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior, researchers found that dogs sold in pet stores or via the internet are much more likely to experience fear, aggression, separation anxiety, and many other behavioral issues than dogs sold through noncommercial breeders and other sources.6 Genetics (along with the inhumane way these puppies are often treated, of course) is a major factor in such issues.
In fact, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals explains, “Cruel breeders want to produce as many puppies as possible as quickly as possible. Unlike responsible breeders, they don’t screen for inheritable disorders and remove dogs from their breeding program who are less likely to produce healthy puppies.”7
In other words, responsible breeders make sure that they don’t breed dogs who have genetic physical health defects like hip dysplasia and cataracts—and they do the same with behavioral traits such as anxiety, obsessive-compulsiveness, and aggressive behaviors. Puppy mill workers do not. They are focused solely on profit, and they breed dogs with little to no regard for genetic quality.
Also, a study in BMC Genomics found that dogs can be genetically predisposed to fear and aggression.8 Plus, they are genetically programmed to fear either familiar dogs and humans or unfamiliar dogs and humans. Researchers pinpointed twelve genes associated with these behaviors.
Of course, it’s difficult to determine if your dog is acting a specific way due to his genetics. That’s why I always recommend that when people are looking for dogs, they should meet any potential dog’s parents if possible. If not, then at least ask the person who knows the dog you’re considering best; find out as much information from that person as you can. For instance, if a dog is from a breeder or if he was born in a shelter, then you should be able to find out quite a bit about at least one, if not both, of his parents before you bring him home. I know this isn’t always possible, but if it is, then definitely learn what you can.
Again, remember that genetics is only part of the picture. “While genes play a role in canine behavior, it’s important to keep in mind that dogs live in a context—the social and physical environments in which they function and develop,” explains Karen L. Overall, VMD, PhD, a leading veterinary behaviorist, senior research scientist of biology at the University of Pennsylvania, and founding researcher of the Canine Behavioral Genetics Project. “So while genes tell you what can happen, they can’t tell you what will happen.”9
3. Change in the Environment
The single fastest way to cause a dog to act uncharacteristically is to change his environment. This is one of those things that you don’t account for if you’re new to dogs. Environment matters!
As people, we notice a change in the environment ourselves. Think about how you feel when going from a quiet car into a crowded sports stadium or concert, for example. Or how you feel when first entering a party where you don’t know a lot of people. The difference is that we’ve had many years to adjust to and manage such situations. However, don’t forget that when you were a toddler, you might have had a meltdown when first experiencing a new place like preschool or even a movie theater. In this respect, dogs are like toddlers.
We often forget how challenging it can be to focus on new things while in new places, and we’re people! In your dog’s case, there’s a reasonable chance that a routine walk can become a “once in a lifetime” experience when he sees a squirrel or a deer for the first time! Imagine what might be going through his mind. He’s probably thinking, “There’s something new that moves fast and looks fun to chase! I want to see it!” And there goes everything he’s learned about walking properly on a leash.
You’ll no doubt understand this if you’ve taught your dog a skill like “sit” in the comfort of your home and then asked him to do the same thing while approaching a dog park or pet supply store. Very often the smells, sights, and sounds of the world prove to be so stimulating that listening to boring things like “sit” and “stay” hardly register.
I mean, imagine if an elephant appeared in your neighborhood and someone asked you to calm down and stay put. You probably wouldn’t listen to that request as there would be something much more interesting to contend with. So, you might see how getting your dog to stay while so distracted can prove futile if you haven’t previously prepared your dog for how to behave in various scenarios.
Plain and simple, dogs don’t generalize their skills well in a new place. It takes lots of practice over many months to teach a dog how to listen to you in various environments. Do not hold your dog to the same standards in such places as you do at home unless you’ve trained him in those places many, many times.
So if your dog gets insanely excited when you take him to the park, for instance, then you should find that increasing the frequency that you go there can help desensitize your dog to all of the fantastic things at the park (like the grass, falling leaves, and even other dogs!). Those frequent visits should help reduce this excitable behavior and normalize the park over time. If your dog went to the park several times a week for a few months, he’d almost certainly start listening to you there.
Throughout this book, I provide you with plenty of options for how to get your dog to listen to you more reliably, and I bring attention to how environment may be impacting your dog’s behavior. Also, see chapter 20 for guidance on how to teach your dog to listen in any new environment.
4. Medical Issues
Sometimes a dog’s behavioral issue seems to appear suddenly and out of nowhere when there’s been no major change to your dog’s life or environment. For example, if your dog starts consistently peeing inside the house and you haven’t recently moved, then he might have a UTI or other medical issue. Sometimes a dog may growl, nip, or snap at a person or animal uncharacteristically. He might seem extra-anxious. He could suddenly become totally lethargic. These could be signs that a dog is in some type of pain: he might have a stomachache or dental issue or something more serious such as thyroid disease or other illness.
We can all relate to this. Sometimes we don’t feel well and are less likely to be in a pleasant mood. We might become grumpy, exh
austed, and antisocial. Dogs are no different in this respect. Nobody knows your dog like you do, and you’ll likely be the first to realize that something’s off with him. Of course, the best way to determine if a medical issue is causing your dog to behave in a way that’s not typical is to visit your vet to get to the bottom of it.
5. Lack of Socialization
A lack of socialization at a young age seems to be a major cause of behavioral issues in dogs. In fact, the American Veterinary Medical Association says that the socialization period—which occurs primarily between six and fourteen weeks—is the time of life for a puppy when “providing diverse, positive experiences can prevent the development of fearful responses and subsequent behavioral problems.”10
Why is this the case? Like humans, dogs are impressionable. Certain events and experiences can contribute to how a dog is likely to react to those things in the future. For example, if a puppy experiences a kid pulling his tail, the puppy may continue to assume smaller humans with higher-pitched voices are likely to cause harm or annoyance.
Also, if a puppy is simply not exposed to something frequently enough, then he may become overexcited, fearful, or even aggressive when he later encounters that thing. As another example, it seems that a lot of dogs are fearful of men. It could be that a dog had a negative experience with a man when he was a puppy. Or he might not have been exposed to men enough when he was younger.