What’s in it for me?
All animals ask this fundamental question, and dog trainers help you answer that question when your dog doesn’t take you seriously.
This motivation to remain in a neutral or pleasant state is what drives our dogs to do the things that make us batty.
When your dog destroys the home when you’re not there, it’s not because they want revenge. It’s because they’re bored or scared and chewing on the couch cushion helps to relieve that anxiety or boredom. They know you don’t like it, but the desire to get out of the bad emotional state with some light demolition is a perfectly natural, if unwanted, behavior.
It’s our job to teach our dogs what we expect of them, and to make that feel great
This is why I’m such a big fan of positive reinforcement.
I teach dogs how to love learning and to be excicted for new experiences and games. When my relationship with my dog is built on such a foundation, it fosters a deeper sense of trust. That trust and positive attitude towards me makes them much more likely to humor me.
But that’s only half the story. Even a good dog can be bad if they’re excited, anxious, or scared.
A dog who jumps on a person could be saying “Hi! I’m really excited to meet you!!! Let’s be friends and play!” Or they could be trying to tell you “Hey! Give me some space. Here… let me help you by pushing you away from me”. The behavior looks the same (ish), but a frightened dog needs a gentle training approach, and the excited dog needs to learn how to calm down in order to set them up for success.
