What do we do when our dog's do not know a cue, but we need to change their behavior immediately? When our dogs do something we don't like, what do we do right now? Sometimes dogs do things and we need to be able to do something about it right then and there. But this can be hard, especially when the dog doesn't know the cue for the behavior that would be most helpful. This often happens with young dogs who are still learning basic obedience. It can also happen when a new behavior presents itself and we suddenly find out we need to work on a solution for the future. So, a behavior comes up and we have not trained for it yet, what can we do? This article is the introduction to a series that will help answer all of the above questions. Over the next month or so until the break for the holidays in December, I will be writing about behavior management tools and how to use them. This series will cover four management tools, what they can be used for, and how to use them. But before we get started, there are some things you need to remember as they apply to all the tools I will mention.
Behavior Management is Not a Substitute for Training
The first thing to remember is that behavior management is not a substitute for training. Behavior management is a process where we manage unwanted behaviors in a proactive way to aid in the training process and help lower stress in our lives in reference to unwanted behavior in our dogs. Behavior management is also not something that we do to get rid of natural dog behavior. Know that many behaviors we dislike in our dogs are normal dog behaviors that our dogs would naturally engage in and need for their physical, mental, and emotional health. These behaviors often need an outlet, which is a huge part of behavior management.
Start From the Right Point of Reference
The second thing to remember and put into practice is to start from the right point of reference. A point of reference is the point where we view everything else around us and use as a measuring stick when understanding and responding to the things we see. If our point of reference is stopping behavior, in my experience, management will actually become harder and more stressful for both you and the dog. This is because it is harder to communicate clearly what we do not want, verify that the dog clearly understands, then train the dog to not do something. It is also hard because we as the humans often reinforce our own ideals and decide that the dog sees things a certain way, when that is not the case. For example, we assume the dog knows that it should not pee in the house. However, the dog still pees in the house. Our construct that the dog "knows" that is shouldn't pee in the house is clearly not helping the dog stop peeing in the house.
So, what point of reference should we start from? The point of reference that we need to start from is to start behavior. The reason this is the point of reference we need to start from is because if we don't want a dog to pee in the house, but they do, we don't need lack of action (stopping behavior) we need action (starting behavior). We need them to tell us that they have to go to the bathroom or request to go outside. How do we get that action? By setting them up to "do" something. Rather than measuring behavior based on what action we don't want, we need to measure behavior based on the actions we do want. Rather than looking at the situation as "stop peeing", we want to look at the situation as "go outside." Action is easier to alter than inaction because the movement is already there, we simply have to guide it in the right direction.
Keep Tabs on Your Own Mood
The third thing to remember and put into practice is paying attention to how you, the human handler, are feeling. Our mood and expressions have a huge impact on our pets, as dogs can tell a lot about us from our body language (Reference 1). Even if we are not actively expressing certain emotional states, our dogs can potentially smell them in our sweat (Reference 1). As a result, we need to be aware of how this can impact our dogs' behavior.
During the day we encounter many moods and emotions. This is not something we should repress, but something we need to be aware of and respond to appropriately. If you are having a bad day, acknowledge that and know that your fuse with your dog might be a little shorter than usual. Find ways to stay proactive with your dog's behavior that will also be conducive to your mood. Sometime we cannot prepare for everything and that is okay. Life happens. But sometimes simply acknowledging how you feel is a step in the right direction as you will be able to spot things that you might not be able to deal with as effectively that day and deal with them even sooner than you normally would, thus hopefully preventing further stress.
Stay Tuned!
While we are on the topic of behavior management for our dogs and our own moods, that is actually what the next post in this series will be on! There are things we, the human, can do to help us deal with those days where our rope is a little short. The first behavior management tools I will cover in this series is building a management plan and planning ahead for those days where we just don't have the emotional patience to deal with unwanted behavior. Stay tuned for next week's post to find out what you can do right now to set yourself up for success in managing your dog's unwanted behavior.
References
Reference 1: 5 Surprising Things Your Dog Can Sense | PetMD
Photo Credits
Photo 1 - Unsplash, Ralu Gal
Photo 2 - Unsplash, DaYsO
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