The Behavior Triangle - Helping Your Dog Be Its Best

As a dog trainer, about 75% of the calls I receive are for help with problem behaviors. I believe this to be true for most trainers, and find it intersting that internet searches for training or obedience outpace those pertaining to dog behavior 20:1. In the minds of owners, it seems they understand there is a correlation between training and behavior. There is, but there's more to it than training alone.

As a firefighter of 30+ years I was taught very early that a fire requires 3 things - heat, fuel and oxygen. Remove one of these components from the "Fire Triangle" and the fire goes out. When it comes to dog behavior, I see a similar "Behavior Triangle" consisting of leadership, obedience and supervision. Remove one of the sides of this triangle, and a good dog may never become a reality. At the very least, a dog will not reach its full potential.

Each of the individual sides are made strong with different components - some of these include:
Leadership - clear rules, fair expectations, and calm communication.
Obedience - teaching commands not positions, and building reliability around distractions.
Supervision - being proactive in telling your dog how to behave vs letting it make bad decisions.

An owner can be the best leader in the world, but without obedience that owner will have very limited language with their dog. An obedient dog may understand commands, but without leadership it may have no drive to please an owner. And a respectful, obedient dog still needs an owner who supervise interactions to help it live successfully in our human world. A weakness on any side of this triangle will prevent best outcomes.

Leadership, obedience, and supervision are not really natural skills for most owners. They can be learned, however, and a good trainer can help an owner develop those skills as quickly and efficiently as possible. We live in a world that values fast results and easy solutions. Considering the bond and love most owners have for their pet(s), planning time and finances toward building these legs of the "Behavior Triangle" are a very modest investment. Nobody learns to ride a bike or play an instrument in 1 hour.

So regardless of what trainer you're working with, I encourage owners to consider the "Behavior Triangle" when assessing progress and finish points. If you're still facing behavioral issues with your dog, is one of your triangle legs weak? Do you need more practice or assistance in an area? Is your trainer or class identifying issues and helping you to strengthen any weak legs? A strong foundation has several facets - working on all of them is the key to success.

Have a great dog day!