First, look at your own behaviours
Are you falling into bad habits alongside your dog? Maybe you’ve been giving them the occasional treat from your plate, rewarding them for jumping on you, allowing them to lead on a walk, or entering doors ahead of you. Chances are, you may inadvertently have been giving your dog mixed signals! Correct your own habits, and your dog will follow suit.
Consider any changes in your dog’s life
Many times, dogs revert back to unwanted behaviours out of stress. Perhaps you have moved, or brought home a new pet or a new member of the family. This could make your pet feel confused or uneasy, and cause them to act out in order to feel more control over their environment.
Have you stopped rewarding good behaviour?
While actively learning, dogs are encouraged and rewarded with lots of praise. This positively reinforces the behaviours you want to see. However, what happens if that praise stops while your dog is still trying to understand what you want from them? Your pet may end up choosing some behaviours you don’t like, and with no intention of displeasing you or breaking rules.
Has your dog actually learned what you want?
Your pup has likely mastered some commands like sit and stay, and is able to perform them consistently in many situations. This can look like the desired behaviour; however, using these commands can sometimes be used to control or distract from what you really want your dog to learn.
For example, if your dog sits and stays while you fill their food bowl, it doesn’t teach them not to touch their food until you say it’s okay. If your dog obeys commands to sit while someone comes to the door, that doesn’t mean they know that jumping up on people is undesirable. They are learning how to sit and stay!
If you’re being consistent for your dog, but they are still confused, your local Bark Busters trainer would love to help them brush up their manners.