Addressing common (mis)behaviors of dogs - Part I

Bea aimed to (mis)behave

Bea is a very curious dog and she experiences everything through her nose first (like most dogs do). So she liked to jump up on people to smell their faces, pull on the leash trailing and drive me crazy with that behavior. She aimed to misbehave (YT). We’d also developed a strong bond pretty early on, so being separated - even for just a short time - seemed to turn Bea’s life upside down. In this post I'll be addressing common (mis)behaviors of dogs, to be more precise: Three issues and I found some more, so come back for part II. And I swear by my pretty floral bonnet (YT), I will find more!

The list

1. Separation Anxiety:

Behavior: Dogs with separation anxiety exhibit distress or anxiety when left alone, often leading to destructive behaviors, excessive barking, or house soiling. Bea used to whine and wimper whenever she saw us walk out the door. She'd continue for long stretches and wouldn't even stop when we returned.

Addressing the Behavior:

Gradually desensitize your dog to being alone by practicing short absences. Yes, that means starting out with just a couple of seconds and being really alert. When your dog stops the unwanted behavior, return and give a treat (you may have to be super fast!). Give it time, as always and increase the duration gradually.

Creating a safe and comfortable space for your dog with toys, treats, and familiar scents can help them feel secure. I put my shirt in her box to make her feel more home, for example.

Some people told us that they used certain calming techniques such as music, pheromone diffusers, or calming supplements to help ease anxiety during absences. We tried a spray that was supposed to calm Bea, but it did nothing. Training is - as far as I can tell - preferable to that kind of stuff. But (!) if you realize that it calms you down to listen to music or to use scents, then by all means use this. Your dogs behavior is always also a mirror of your own.

Double How-not-to-train leash etiquette.

2. Leash Pulling:

Behavior: Dogs may pull on the leash due to excitement, curiosity, or a desire to explore their surroundings, making walks challenging and unpleasant or it might even discourage you to give your dog the exercise they need.

Addressing the Behavior:

First of all it's a good idea to use positive reinforcement training to teach loose leash walking, rewarding your dog for walking calmly beside you. Second: Practice leash manners in low-distraction environments before gradually introducing distractions and reinforcing good behavior. Stay at home, where your dogs knows its surroundings. And only after some progress go outside. As long as your dog pulls, make sure to use a harness to redirect your dog's pulling and discourage pulling behavior. I am strongly advising you to always use a harness, but especially when training a proper leash etiquette a harness is imperative.

One special trick that helped us tremendously, we learned from a dog magician: Stephanie Salostowitz. We've never met her in person, but her YouTube Videos are amazing (and in German). Check her out here, if you speak German. So the trick is to simply change direction whenever your dog's trying to "get away" and starts pulling. Be firm but not brutal by just tugging on the leash until the dog gets that your changing the direction. With Bea this little trick worked almost immediately. And now our leash is resting on one finger while we walk in crowded places with a ton of distractions.

3. Excessive Barking:

Behavior: Dogs bark for various reasons, including alerting, boredom, attention-seeking, or anxiety. Luckily Bea is not much of a barker-girl, but she can be loud. Especially when she sees other dogs she feels like she has to announce it to the whole world. Sometimes that is good, sometimes this has to be addressed.

Addressing the Behavior:

For one: Identify the underlying cause of your dog's barking, such as boredom, fear, or territorial behavior. That is key.

If your dog is bored: Do as Jean-Luc Picard would and Engage! Learn a new trick, go for a walk, cuddle...provide mental and physical stimulation through interactive toys, puzzle games, and regular exercise to prevent boredom barking.

If it's territory thing: You can use positive reinforcement training to teach a "quiet" command, rewarding your dog for ceasing barking on cue. And you can also tell them, that everything is okay. That might turn out to be tricky. I'm still in the process of learning this with Bea. But the idea is to actually tell the dog that they are doing the right thing when they bark. This positve response will tell them that everything is alright and they will stop barking. Use a treat to double down on this when the dog (briefly) stops barking.

Much better with a harness and an attentive Bea.

Conclusion

I find it quite hard to talk about misbehaviors when it comes to issues you might have with your dog. More often than not your dog is just mirroring your stress or the pressure you feel. Other times it might be instincts that cause your dog to behave a certain way. That is natural and you just need to figure out a way of showing your dog the ropes.

The most important take away is that you are aware of one thing: Your dog loves you, and no matter what, your dog will never be mean to you or do anything out of spite or anything like that. Dogs just aren't that way. If your dog misbehaves in your eyes, it might just be you, who hasn't trained the dog well enough. Be patient with your dog and with yourself. You'll get there, I'm sure!

Since I plan on making a part II about this, are there any problems you are experiencing with your dog? Tell me in the comments and I'll be happy to include them in the next post about this topic.