![]() Teaching your dog what to do instead of (fill in your behavior issue here) is a major factor in successfully solving that problem behavior. Remember, saying no fails to tell your dog what to do instead. Teach the dog what you want her to do instead. ![]() Does jumping on you get your attention? Does getting into the garbage alleviate boredom? Will racing around the house with a sponge entice you to play the keep-away game? Does pulling on the leash mean the dog gets to drag you to and make you wait at the source of an interesting odor? Before you can effectively stop an unwanted behavior, you have to be able identify what is reinforcing the behavior and either remove that reinforcement or meet the dog’s need in another way. Try to figure out why your dog does the behavior. Dogs practice some behaviors we don’t like because they are fun (such as jumping on us), but sometimes these behaviors are an expression of frustration or fear (such as barking or tearing up the carpet). The dog may be anxious and exhibits the behavior to alleviate anxiety. It may be an expression of normal dog behavior and we need to provide other outlets for that behavior. There is always a reason a dog does something that we don’t want her to do. Once management is in place, you can move on to step two. If your dog jumps on visitors to your house, you may need to put up a baby gate so your pup can’t charge up to people when they come in the door. If your dog habitually barks at things she sees out the window, you may need to apply a visual block so she can’t see outside. If you have a puppy, you may need to keep a toy in your hand when you pet your pup to keep her from mouthing. Use baby gates, crates, window blocks, and leashes. This may entail getting creative – or at least putting your shoes in the closet. Whether that behavior is chewing your shoes, jumping on your kids, or barking as your neighbor’s dog walks by your house, the goal is to figure out a way to stop your dog from doing it until you can teach her what she should do instead. It means making sure your dog doesn’t have the opportunity to “practice” the behavior you’d like to stop. “ Management” is dog trainer lingo for prevention.
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