Behavior Problems

Behavior Problems?
Better Management is the Key

By Marty Guerra

To be successful in raising and training your dog, good management is essential. Good management means planning ahead to set your dog up to be right and then POSITIVELY REINFORCING your dog when he is doing the behavior you like. My favorite example of what good management can do is the call I received recently. The caller was the owner of a 5 year old male dog whom he had owned since puppyhood. In asking the caller the litany of questions that I must ask to get as much background as possible, I discovered that the dog had many issues that should be addressed. However, the caller was interested in correcting only one persistent problem; that of the dog stealing food off of the kitchen counters.

He, the caller, wanted me to "train" his dog so he wouldn't steal food from the counter. I explained to him that this is not necessarily a training issue, but rather a management problem. Now, I suspect that many of reading this have already figured it out. That's right, DON'T LEAVE FOOD OUT ON THE COUNTER. It is simple, remove the reward, in this case the food, and the behavior goes away. The other option is to prevent the dog from having access to the kitchen. This is clearly a management issue. Through better management the caller was able to correct this problem over the course of a couple of weeks.

Behavior is governed by consequences. The consequences of getting up on the counter was receiving the food. By removing the food, there is no consequence (positive or negative) and the behavior becomes extinct. Oh yes, it took a little time, but it was worth it. Dogs do what works (for them).

In the past the caller had been using ineffective punishment to try to "train" the dog not to steal food: baiting the counter and trying to "catch the dog in the act" and then punishing it. What the dog learned (as most will) is to only steal food when the likelihood of getting caught was slim to none. In other words, when the owner was gone. So, when he returned home to find the evenings pot roast gone, he would scold and punish the dog. The dog had NO idea why he was being punished. This belated punishment resulted in the breakdown of their relationship, thus leading to several other problem behaviors.

This guy learned a new, more effective way to communicate to his dog. They attended classes and have since moved on to a very rewarding partnership.

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e-mail: mguerra@dogmanners.com

Phone: 342-2494