When The Obvious Isn’t So Obvious

We sometimes say things that sound reasonable when we say them, but have pretty obvious explanations if we pause to think for a moment. Let me give you a few examples…

“It seems like my favorite socks wear out faster than the others.”

Well, duh. That’s because I wear them more.

“Things are always in the last place I look.”

Well, sure - because we stop looking after we found the lost item.

And sometimes, we say things about our dog’s behavior that have equally logical answers if we pause and look at the situation objectively.

“My dog keeps stealing yummy things off the kitchen counter.”

Let’s think about that for a minute. Why in the world would your dog steal yummy things off the counter? Well, because they are yummy! Perhaps a better question is why wouldn’t they? I mean, the bread is JUST SITTING THERE well within reach. I suppose you could resort to scaring the dog or even causing pain. But how about if you just put away the bread someplace he can’t reach it? Sometimes management solutions like that are easier and more reliable than training. For counter surfing, I’d stretch that from “sometimes” to “most of the time.”

“My dog keeps running off to play with the dogs down the street.”

Wait a minute…how is that possible? I mean, surely your dog isn’t loose so that they can run down the street (possibly being hit by a car) are they? Are they climbing a tall fence to get there (yes, some dogs can!)? Again, I’d vote for management of this one most of the time. Dogs who can run down the street to play with their neighbors can also get hit by a car and I’m sure none of us wants that to happen. So, leash up the dog while they are outside a secure fence. As to why? Well, I’d go back to the counter surfing example and ask, “why not?” If you think about it from the dog’s perspective, I’m sure they think it’s fun or they wouldn’t do it. (No, we can’t actually know what’s happening in the mind of any other animal - but I’d be willing to bet a hefty sum on that assumption). Perhaps they are bored with the stuff they have to do in their own yard? Maybe they need more training to come when called? (aha - a training solution in addition to the management solutions I’ve been suggesting)

“My Border Collie chases cars/bikes/skateboard/trains/birds/other dogs/kids/blowing leaves…”

If you’d said, “my ten year old St. Bernard chases cars” my eyebrows would have raised. But your Border Collie? Chasing moving things? You don’t say! I’d be far more surprised if you told me that your Border Collie doesn’t notice and sometimes/often move towards them. We’ve bred Border Collies (and other herding breeds and sighthounds) to notice things that move and to move towards them (either to herd them or to catch them). It’s a completely normal behavior for these types of dogs. It’s rather unfair to breed a dog for thousands of generations to do something specific and then to be surprised - or upset - when the dog does that very thing. Of course we don’t want our dog chasing cars - they might get hurt. Or bikes/skateboards/kids because people might be scared when being chased. So, work on recall and keep your dog safely tethered to you on a leash (perhaps a very long one) when safety is a concern. And I recommend giving them something to chase - like a flirt pole, a ball, a Frisbee, or participating in lure coursing. (Yes, be sure your dog is healthy and be aware of the physical impacts of all those types of exercise to avoid injuries.)

“My Terrier digs…”

Go back and read that part above about Border Collies because the answer is much the same. The very name “Terrier” has the same root as earth or land (as a matter of fact, terra is the Latin/Italian/Portuguese term for Earth or land). So again, we should be reasonably surprised when a Terrier doesn’t dig. In this case, you might want to participate in “go to ground” competitions or provide them with a legal outlet for digging by putting sand or dirt in a child’s wading pool in the backyard, or teaching them to dig in a specific part of the yard that’s out of the way and perhaps unseen so they aren’t tempted to dig up your rose garden.

Many “behavior problems” can be re-framed if we pause for a minute to see the behavior from the dog’s perspective. I assure you, your dog isn’t doing something BECAUSE they see it as a problem - they are doing it because it’s reinforcing to them in some way. The first step toward changing a behavior is sometimes understanding the need the behavior is meeting in the dog’s life and providing another way to fulfill that need. Of course, we can’t always figure out the reason an animal is doing something - and in those cases, sometimes the best we can do is simply to heavily reinforce a behavior we’d prefer the dog does instead.