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Dogs Gone Bad

Writer's picture:  Valerie Balwanz Valerie Balwanz

When Good Dogs Do Bad Things



Full disclosure, that’s my dog in the picture below. Jade stole the scissors. I thought you would appreciate knowing my dogs are not perfect.



No dog is perfect because dogs are, well…dogs. They have no sense of “Value” as in That was a family heirloom, how could you have chewed on it. They have no sense of "Right & Wrong" as in It is wrong for dogs to jump on people. They have no sense of "Spite" as in I am angry at you for going away for a week therefore I will pee in your suitcase. Dogs are simpler than that.



Let’s look at all three of these scenarios and identify why a dog might do these things. Then we’ll come back to that picture: Why is Jade holding those scissors (it’s not because she wants to make paper snowflakes)



That was a family heirloom, how could you have chewed on it



Dogs chew things for several reasons: They are bored, they are anxious, they are teething and … the thing they chewed on was readily available. This is a situation that requires management and training.



Manage the environment to set a dog up to succeed. Place valuable (to the humans) items out off a dog’s reach. When using gates, don’t think of gates as fencing the dog out, think of gares as fencing the house in. As in: Let’s fence in the tv so the dog does not chew the cords. Let's fence in the antique armoire so my teething puppy won’t chew it. Let's fence in my child’s room so my dog won't steal stuffed animals. Once the environment is properly managed, lets provide appropriate things to chew on. Make sure you offer a variety of textures, sounds etc. My dogs love to chew on coffee wood. If your dog is gnawing on baseboards and wooden furniture you can provide this an appropriate wood substitute.



Now that the environment I set up to help your dog succeed, you can work on training things like Drop it for when there is a slip up and they steal the wrong thing.



It is wrong for dogs to jump on people



Dogs jump on us because they are excited. Your friendly dog is greeting you they way they know how. They would like to access your face to smell your breath, to know what you had for lunch and maybe to lick your eyeballs. Your dog has no idea you don’t want to be jumped on or that it is somehow “wrong”. To a dog jumping is simply a means to an end: Need to inspect face, face is high up, jumping gets me closer to face.



Your dog is overjoyed and lacks impulse control. We teach dogs to sit to greet instead of jumping. In exchange for siting, we give a treat or kneel down to their level so they can inspect our faces. Through training we work on creating moments of excitement and then reinforcing a dog for using impulse control. We give reinforcement for sitting, we remove reinforcement for jumping. Dogs learn what works and what doesn't work to get them what they want.



I am angry at you for going away for a week therefore I will pee in your suitcase



Dogs don’t do things out of spite. When you have been traveling for a week, you come home smelling like strange things. Unusual smells will make some dogs anxious or uncomfortable. Peeing on things makes them smell familiar. When things smell familiar, this reduces anxiety. That’s it, it’s that simple. That’s why your dog also pees on your guest’s stuff (nope, they are not exerting their dominance over your guest)



To prevent this, close doors to eliminate access to guests’ belongings. Put your clothes from travel right into the laundry. Use natural calming aids to support your dog. An Adaptil Plug In is great for providing comfort.



And as for Scissors-Wielding Jade?



No, she wasn't trying to recreate a scene from Psycho. Jade is a teenager and is in a mischievous phase. Someone left the gate to the craft room open. Jade liked the texture of the handle of the scissors and thought they might be good for a chew. Jade was asked to “Drop It” for the scissors and received a treat in exchange. The scissors were put back in the craft room and the gate was shut. Jade was taken outside for some exercise and then got a Himalayan Cheese Chew to settle down with.



.............................................................................................................................


Teaching Drop It



When your dog has grabbed something, and you want them to give it up, the phrase we use is Drop it. Even though Leave it sounds similar, the meaning is different: Leave It means “just don’t pick it up in the first place”. Leave it is preventative. Drop It is 



Giving things up can be a fun game for your dog. Your dog leaven they can trade in what they have for a delicious treat. When you teach Drop it in a trade-for-treats-style exercise, you reduce the chances that resource guarding will develop. It’s especially important to start Drop It exercises with young pups.



When your dog has something, pause a moment to go get a treat. Hold the treat right at their nose, almost touching it if needed. When you dog opens their mouth to take the treat, they will release the object. Mark that moment with the work Yes and immediately give your dog the treat. Then, hand the item back to your dog and encourage them to pick it up again. Repeat the above step. Once your dog is enthusiastically putting the item down when you present the treat, say Drop it, right before you present the treat. So the order is:


Dog grabs item, You say Drop it, dog releases item and you mark this moment with “Yes”, you give dog treat.


To end the game/ training session give your of an acceptable substitute for what they have stolen and remove the forbidden object.



Remember that part of training is setting a dog up to succeed. In addition to teaching a Drop It cue, we want to look at the dog’s environment. Is the environment setting the dog up to make the correct choice? Are the shoes within reach? Put them in a closet. Is the loaf of bread at the edge of the counter? Push it to the back. Are there building blocks strewn about on the floor? Pick them up. Are there appropriate toys with a variety of textures/ sounds available? Are there chew toys with a variety of textures available? Are there enrichment activities available? Is the dog getting enough exercise?



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