Behavior Problems FAQ

It takes a dog some time to understand it’s okay to be crated. Follow our Crate-Training handout for step-by-step instructions about how to introduce the crate as a happy and safe space, and don’t give up!

It’s easy to overwhelm a shy dog when you try too hard. It’s best to gain their trust by ignoring them and allowing them to come up to you at their own pace. Check out our Shy Dog Handout for more detailed info.

Puppies and young dogs will do this, it’s typical puppy behavior. Dogs have chewing needs. You have to put all things away so the dog can’t reach it; we call this “puppy proofing” your home (just like baby proofing). Give your dog things to chew on that are “theirs”: nylabone, dog-safe toys, etc.

If your dog grabs items that you don’t want chewed, remove it, say a firm NO, give them one of their chew toys instead, so they start understanding that they are allowed to chew on that but still have their chewing needs met. Over time, as the dog matures, this will subside.

We highly recommend crate training to keep your puppy safe from ingesting anything dangerous. See our Crate Training Handout.

It’s very common that people greet dogs with excited delight, using high-pitched voices and lots of petting. This creates an equally exited response from the dog, who learns that people WANT that excited behavior from them. It can escalate from jumping to nipping and so on. Do not greet your dog with excitement. If your dog is excited, ignore until calmer and then you pet and greet the dog CALMLY. Instruct other people to do the same. If you pet a dog when exited, you are rewarding that type behavior and then the confused dog doesn’t understand you don’t want that behavior.

It’s common that dogs think they “own” their person and feel entitled to guard them. This is not cute at all, even if the dog is small. Say a firm NO and instantly put the dog on the floor. You have to make it clear that it is not acceptable behavior and they don’t get to sit on your lap if they growl.

Many dogs do this, especially unsure dogs. They need a leader that will show them what to do instead. You need to start having your dog walk right behind you so that you are the leader and in charge of the environment. The dog is your follower and cannot make their own decisions on how to react on things. You are leading the way and you are taking care of the different situations, not the dog. This is something that is best to get help by scheduling a session with one of our trainers. It is not easy to understand by just reading about it, it has everything to do with body language, timing, and understanding dog behavior, so you’d get the best results with one-on-one help from us. Learn more about our Training Program

It is very common for dogs to react to skateboards, etc. Usually it’s not the actual object, but the the speed and noise that goes with it. A skateboarder coming fast at them is scary and confrontational, same thing with a motorcycle, bike or other high-speed things… including runners. Move away from the fast object, place yourself between it and the dog, give some space in-between the situation and let the dog know “we are moving away from that”. If this is part of a more general problem of your dog lunging/barking at things, you may need to learn how to get more control when walking your dog (see Q above).

This isn’t an actual behavior problem, it’s just the simple fact the dog could not hold it in, or he does not yet understand house-training. Firstly, be aware of your dogs’ need to go. (For example, most dogs need to go to the bathroom about 30-45 min after eating.) Second: correcting a dog after the fact does not work. They don’t understand why you are saying NO and pointing at the spot, dogs don’t relate to things in that way. They look “guilty” because you are acting strange and being mad (yelling), so they understand you are upset, but they don’t understand why. Unless you catch your dog in the act, there is no point correcting him. Doing is afterwards is pretty confusing to a dog. Take a look at our HOUSE-TRAINING handout and you will be able to work on the house-training successfully.

This is guarding or territorial behavior that can be either fearful or dominant or learned behavior. Depending on the extent of the aggression: If the dog growls or shows mild aggressive behavior, you must correct the dog to make it clear that this behavior is unwanted. Be firm. If the behavior is more extreme, try this: when guests are expected, put your dog on a leash and bring them outside of the door (ask your guests to step away a little to make room). Once you have passed your guests, have one of them put a treat on the ground and the dog can take the treat. No greetings, no petting, no talking to the dog, the guests should ignore the dog. Ask the guest to walk into your home ahead of you, then you and your dog follow in behind them. Keep your dog on leash until he/she is relaxed, again – and the guests must continue to ignore the dog. Once your dog is relaxed, then you can drop the leash – but leave it on your dog so you can pick it up again if needed. This exercise must be repeated many times and if you have serious concerns it is best to get help to be sure it’s done correctly.

Follow the instructions above on how to introduce guests coming to your home. If your dog is growling or barking you must disagree and say NO very firmly. You can use a shaker can to get the dog’s attention back to you, but most importantly, they need to understand growling or barking is not acceptable behavior. It’s pretty common that dogs get a bit spoiled and they quickly think they own the house. You need to set rules so the dog understands they are not the king of the castle. Simple rules go a long way, including rules like not being allowed in certain rooms (like the bathroom), not allowed to beg when you eat, not allowed in your bed etc. A few basic rules will help your dog understand that there are house rules they need to obey.

Most importantly, do not play tug of war with your dog – ever. It teaches the dog to bite towards human hands. Also; don’t “mess” with your dog by poking and using hands to play. Roughhousing also easily leads to bites. Firstly, some dogs do not understand that what you are doing is just “teasing” and secondly, it’s easy for them get over-excited and nip. Eventually they will do it harder and harder so it will be a bite. If you are just petting them and they nip your hand, say NO! or EH-EH! and walk away. This way they are not getting rewarded with attention for nipping. You can give them their chew toy instead so they start understanding that hands are not for nipping, but the chew toy is allowed.

You have to practice leaving your dog alone in short portions daily. Wait outside your door and if dog starts crying, go back in and say a firm NO. Leave again and wait. Repeat, repeat. Give your dog a stuffed Kong or chew to stay occupied with when you leave so it doesn’t become a big thing that you are leaving the home. Refer to our Crate-training and Separation Anxiety handouts for more info.

Encourage your dog first to come with you with a “Lets go!” If you have a harness on the dog at first, you will lift and pull a little to encourage them to move along with you. Don’t use a baby voice saying “it’s okay” because your tone of voice sounds weird to the dog so you are basically letting the dog know that something is actually strange. The best solution is to have the attitude of leading the way and the dog will start to follow and learn that it’s not scary.

Some dogs are especially sensitive to their surroundings, so when they hear any unexpected loud noises outside, they react more strongly than most dogs. Although it feels horrible to watch your dog suffer, you’ll actually help your dog the most by letting them be. Remember, when you act differently than normal, your dog reacts by believing something abnormal and awful is happening. Don’t cuddle or baby talk to your dog, doing these things only reassures the dog that her fears are justified. Instead, give your dog a safe spot to be in, like it’s crate or a favorite corner, and act as though nothing is wrong. Eventually, your dog will believe your normal behavior more than it’s own fears. If the problem persists, you can isolate your dog in a smaller, more quiet space. Also, over-the-counter calming products, thunder shirts can do wonders to help your sensitive dog. If extreme panic is displayed, contact your veterinarian to potentially get prescription medication.

Did you put on monthly flea protection? You can purchase topical flea protection in most pet stores and your vet will have other variations in pill form. If your dog is up to date with flea protection, it could be the food. Try switching to a different brand and flavor. Fish formula is usually great for the skin. If the food change doesn’t help, contact your veterinarian for further advice.

To get started on the right path, don’t let your dog sniff and have their nose to the ground constantly. It distracts them and means they don’t pay attention to you. The walk is not for the dog to be out doing its own thing, but for you to be out together. The dog needs to learn to pay attention to you as the leader and take your direction. Encourage your dog to come with you, but he should stay right behind you. Do this by making frequent turns, walk around trees or cars, stop and turn around. By doing things like that you keep your dog focused on you and they will learn to look at you for direction. If your dog is pulling and maybe even lunging and barking at people or dogs, it is best to resolve the problem by setting up a session with one of our trainers. It is not easy to resolve by just reading about it, it has to do with body language, understanding why the dog is doing this, and to practice a new way of walking. You will get the best results with one-on-one help from us.

NO, bothering your dog while he eats has the opposite effect – it can increase food aggression as the dog learns they need to guard their food because someone is always “messing” with them. If you think about it, would you appreciate that someone sticks their hands in your dinner or always bothers you when you are hungry and want to eat? Even if it doesn’t bother the dog to begin with, over time it can frustrate them, so even though this misconception is widespread, it is NOT a good idea. When you go to feed your dog, hold the food bowl and teach the dog not to jump on you but wait for you to put it down. When dog is still, put food bowl down and let the dog eat in peace! Remove food bowl when they are done eating.

If you recently added a dog to the household, you may need to contact a trainer to ensure both dogs are social and so that you can introduce them safely and properly. If your dogs know each other and are normally friendly but started fighting, figure out why they are fighting – is it over food, or toys? Always feed dogs separately, in separate rooms or inside their crates, and don’t have toys around unless you KNOW the dogs can handle it and don’t fight over toys. Is one dog in pain/elderly and the younger one is hurting or irritating them? If the behavior is new it may we worth a visit to the vet to ensure the dogs are physically well. If the fights are serious or getting worse/more frequent, contact a trainer.