"Bad" Behavior: Ignore, Manage or Train

Naughty or nice?

The holiday season is here.  Guests arrive or we go out visiting.  We all want our dogs on their best behavior, but that’s not always possible.  Some of our dogs’ “bad” behaviors have always existed.  Some suddenly appear.  And some mysteriously reappear.

When analyzing a behavior, start from a dog’s perspective rather than our human interpretations.  It’s important to keep in mind that dogs don’t categorize their behavior as “good” or “bad.”  They just do what they do.  Most of what we consider “bad” behavior is survival, frustration, or boredom based.  Survival behaviors are often rooted in fear, but can also be food or “reproductive” (looking for a mate) based.   The severity and intensity of the behavior and the potential for harm to humans, other animals, property, or the dog itself should be seriously considered and help with the decision of how to proceed. 

There are three ways for humans to handle “bad” behavior.  We can ignore it, meaning we do nothing at all about it.  This usually means the unwanted behavior will continue unless the dog (or any being for that matter) loses interest in the behavior.  Managing a behavior means doing something to prevent the behavior from happening either by controlling the stimulus that creates the behavior or stopping the behavior before it starts.  Usually management requires some sort of physical intervention.  The behavior won’t appear so long as the management tool is in place; however, the behavior isn’t gone.  It will reoccur when the management tool is removed.  Finally, there is training.  Training is either teaching an appropriate behavior that is incompatible to the unwanted behavior or it is creating a different association to the stimulus of the behavior.  With training, the unwanted behavior can actually cease to exist.

We usually ignore certain behaviors because they are unseemly rather than annoying or dangerous and the behavior rarely happens.  A good example could be corpophagia (poop eating) of cat feces.  While it is disgusting, it isn’t harmful to anyone and if there isn’t a cat in the house, the frequency of the behavior doesn’t warrant the time and energy required to train a dog not to eat cat feces.  We can also “actively ignore” which is when we intentionally do not react or we leave a room when our dogs behave badly in order to gain our attention.  This is actually a form of training since it’s only done for a specific type of behavior and must be done consistently to get results.  I prefer to call it “attention withdrawal” rather than ignoring.  Ignoring means we might not like the behavior, but we don’t care if it repeats on the rare occasion. 

Crates, exercise pens, and child gates are excellent
management tools for a variety of behaviors.

Management is the most frequently used tool for “bad” behavior.  It generally renders immediate “results” because the behavior isn’t given the opportunity to manifest.  Management is putting a child lock on the cabinet door to prevent access to the garbage or putting the dog in a crate to keep it from rushing the front door when visitors arrive.  Forget to latch the child lock or put the dog in the crate, and the unwanted behavior happens. Because we don’t see the behavior, it’s easy to forget that the behavior still exists.  If the bad behavior is potentially dangerous, it’s important to go on to training.  Management should be used when the behavior is annoying, but not harmful and if the behavior happens infrequently.  It can also be put into place to prevent dogs from practicing or escalating bad behavior when they’re learning a replacement behavior.

Training is the only way to actually change an unwanted behavior.  It should be used when an unwanted behavior happens frequently, such as pulling on a leash during a walk, or when there’s a potential for danger, like running out of open doors.  Training is the most time and energy consuming method, requiring consistency and patience.  It can require varying levels of professional involvement.  But, training is worthwhile because it teaches our dogs what behavior we want and can change our dogs’ mindset.  With good training, we can expect our dogs to behave in an appropriate way in different surroundings and under a variety of conditions.  It’s long lasting, although new conditions might require a refresher on the training.  When dogs discover that doing the “right” behavior is more rewarding than doing the “bad” behavior, dogs have additional incentive to change.  They also learn what it is we want, rather than randomly choosing a new behavior.  When there is an emotional component to the bad behavior, training can also help the dog feel safe and content.

Some unwanted behaviors have physiological roots and require medical attention, especially if the “bad” behavior appears suddenly.  A visit to the vet can help eliminate any health issues that are influencing the behavior.  Vets and professional trainers can also work together when there is a mix of biological and behavioral issues, as in the case of separation anxiety or obsessive-compulsive behaviors.

Making sure our dogs’ biological and psychological needs are met can help diminish many unwanted behaviors.  Examining the behavior from the dogs’ perspective can provide insight and sometimes simple solutions.  If our dogs continue to behave in an unwanted manner, evaluating the safety and frequency of the behavior can help us create an appropriate plan of action.  By implementing the plan, we gain confidence in our dogs’ behavior and can once more enjoy their company.