Why does my dog do that?!
The three things dogs need to avoid behavior problems
There are three things dogs need to live with us
- Discipline
- Husbandry
- Affection
Notice that the first thing on the list is NOT affection. Yet this is the first thing that most dog owners give their pet. And it is the thing that pets get in the greatest quantity. Of course affection is important. But without the first two things, non-contingent affection becomes the single greatest contributor to behavior problems.
Let's start by defining what these three things mean, and also defining what we mean by 'behavior problem'. A behavior problem simply means that a dog is doing something we don't like. Oftentimes these are not really problems from the dog's perspective, they are often normal, natural dog behaviors that happen to conflict with our own ideas of how dogs SHOULD behave. But instead of worrying about what they SHOULD be doing, it's easier to look at what they ARE doing, and accept it as a reality of life. Instead of being a 'problem', it is now simply a behavior, and all behaviors can be changed or modified. By labelling a dog as 'having a behavior problem', we have labelled the dog, rather than the behavior. I believe in describing the behavior, and then doign something about it.
Now let's look at the three needs of dogs. The first is Discipline. Discipline does not mean 'punishment', 'scolding', 'shaming', or 'abusing' dogs. Discipline means teaching dogs to control their impulses. Discipline first come from an external teacher or leader, and is gradually internalized. At first we 'impose' discipline on the dog by making them perform obedience commands. Later, through the process of conditioning, the dog internalizes the behaviors that lead to impulse control and can be said to have 'internally imposed' discipline.
Teaching your dog to have discipline, or impulse control is easy to do with an attitude of leadership and some intensive obedience training. There are some more fancy or advanced methods we can use, but generally regular obedience training is a good teaching tool. Picture the process the same way you might picture a friend who has a lot of self control, who gets up early, eats right, and exercises. Why does your friend do this? Because this person has impulse control, or self discipline. It is this quality that we want to instill in our dogs. Your friend needed someone to be an example in order to learn to have discipline, and so does your dog. Whoever your friend, or your dog, looks to as an example is a leader.
Husbandry is word out of favor now, but all dogs need it. It means everything that you do to take care of your dog physically. Feeding, Grooming, veterinary care, heartworm prevention, and exercise. Too much or not enough of any of these things can lead to problems. A dog with medical problems can develop behavior problems. A dog that does not get enough exercise can develop behavior problems. Overfeeding causes it's own problems. Some of the ideals of husbandry are common-sense, but some are not. The word 'Husband', used as a verb, means, 'to take care of'. It's original meaning was to take care of physically, to provide for the physical needs of.
The last thing on the list is Affection. We all give our dogs affection. We love our dogs, but our mistake is in believing that our dogs love us back in the same way. They do not. Dogs DO have emotions, they do feel something. Perhaps even something like our affection. But they do not 'Love' us because we give them affection. There are two ways to give a dog affection. THe first is to provide affection in a conscious way, ensuring that it is contingent upon a behavior that the dog is doing, understanding that the dog associates affection with whatever he is doing at the time. The second way is unconscious, proving non-contingent affection. ALl that means is that whatever your dog is doing when you pet and praise her is being reinforced, and your dog will continue to do it.
The science is clear. Dogs that are given attention, affection, food, play, or any other appetitive or reinforcing gestures on a non-contingent basis develop behavior problems. Non-contingent affection can also be called be a more common name: Spoiling. If you spoil your dog you are not providing love, you are actually harming your dog. Letting your dog eat too much and not get anough exercise is one way to spoil your dog that is unhealthy physically. But more dogs are destroyed each year for behavior problems than for any other reason. The single biggest cause of behavior problems is Non-Contigent affection, praise, petting, reward, reinforcement. The biggest cause of behavior problems is spoiled dogs.
A spoiled dog does not have internal discipline, nor impulse control, because she does not need it. She gets whatever she wants whenever she wants without any inkling of an association between receiving the reinforcement and performing a behavior. What you may see as 'loving' your dog, is actually telling your dog that there is no way to predict whether or not she will get a reward. The dog does not 'love' you then, the dog associates your presence with reward, and in essence, you become a walking food and touch dispenser. The dog is controlling the interactions between the two of you. In simple terms, the dog has YOU trained, and the dog is the leader.
One of the underlying causes of many behavior problems is anxiety. Anxiety is described as a state of uncertainty about the future, perceived as fear or dread on some scale. One of the biggest antidotes to anxiety is predictability. One of the biggest causes of anxiety is inability to predict outcomes. If your dog cannot predict what actions get what consequences, anxiety is often the result.
How do you prevent this, or how do you deal with it if this is your situation already? The bad news is that either way it takes some effort, and some conscious attention to the situation. YOu may need the advice and assistance of a professional. The good news is that with some consistent attention, some changes in your own behavior patterns and interactions with the dog, you can affect change quite rapidly.
By reversing the order of the three things above, providing discipline, exercise, and THEN affection, and making sure that your affection is given contingent upon good behavior, you can change a lot of behaviors. One of the best tools to provide good discipline, impulse control, and teach leadership is intensive, precise obedience training.
That's Obedience Training the Comet Canine Way.
Did you know that you should try not to repeat commands? Learn from Comet Canine's dog training tips and advice in our online dog training articles.
