Behavioral Issues in Dogs

Because there is so much information (and disinformation) available online, owners researching behavioral issues in dogs can easily become frustrated and confused. A large portion of my service calls are to owners wanting help with one or more behavioral issues. Today I wanted to share a few of the opinions I have developed regarding dog behavior, based on my experience.

For starters, it helps when owners appreciate a simple concept - Every Dog is Unique! Breed characteristics may (or may not) have an impact on a dog's behavior. I often see litter mates that are polar opposites regarding personalities - one bold, another timid. So while there is a preponderance of discussion on what makes up a dog's final personality, appreciating every dog's personality will be unique is important. And different personality types often require different pathways toward behavioral improvement.

I also find many owners who believe every problem behavior can be fixed. Some behaviors in dogs can be "hard-wired" by things like early imprinting or genetics. If a behavior is "hard-wired", it will never go away completely IMO. A dog with strong prey drives will always want to chase prey (rabbits, squirrels, cats, etc.). Training may give you control to stop a chase, but only if you are there to issue a command, and only if you have established a strong and reliable obedience foundation with the dog. Knowing your dog's behavioral predispositions is important.

Fortunately, many problem behaviors in dogs are "learned", and can generally be "unlearned". Looking again at a dog that chases prey, some actually do this more as a learned play or chase response. Their behavior may seem the same as the dog that wants to kill/eat the squirrel, but once this dog gets to the squirrel s/he will usually let it go without injury. Owners who understand that similar looking behaviors may be driven by different energies, will also understand why online "one size-fits-all" solutions may be entirely wrong for their dog.

Adding to this mix, there are often many variables that can impact how to approach a behavioral issue. Looking at any dog displaying aggression, what triggers the aggression? Is the dog anxious? How predictable is the behavior? How severe is the aggression? What is the dog's size, ability to harm, age, environment? How responsive is the dog to training? How responsible are the owners? I could go on and on, but you get the point.

In nature, during evolution (if you believe in that sort of thing), there were certainly reasons for certain behaviors to proliferate. While biters could be protectors and hunters, anxious dogs could provide alert and sentry benefits. Humans have even had a hand in shaping behavior in many breeds, including protection, hunting, herding, companionship, etc. Understanding an individual dog's specific behavioral "skills" can assure choosing better matches for individual owners.

With my own clients, I suggest they view behavior on a continuum. How far and how fast a dog moves on that continuum is not something that can be predicted by anyone. Training, in conjunction with strong leadership and supervision, can bring best outcomes in terms of helping a dog move toward desired outcomes. For owners, this means doing some work (training), developing clear daily leadership (owner skills), and assessing progress as you move forward.