Is your dog constantly up to mischief, getting into things they shouldn’t? Perhaps they bark at the windows, chew household items, or steal things from the kitchen counters. Are you tired of telling them to stop, while they take no notice of your instructions? Well, let’s have a look at some effective ways of dealing with “naughty” behaviours:

1. Prevent the Behaviour from Happening

The first necessary step is to think about how you can arrange the environment to prevent your dog from rehearsing behaviours that you don’t like (i.e., how can you manage the environment to set your dog up for success). Dogs become what they rehearse, so the more they practise counter surfing, for instance, the better they get at doing that. One of my dogs would very much love to bark at the hoover if he is loose while I vacuum. However, if I put him in his pen, he is able to relax. So, before hoovering, I put him away: this is much easier than constantly telling him to stop barking (which doesn’t work well anyway), and prevents him from practising the barking. The best management strategies both prevent the rehearsal of the undesirable behaviour in question, and also prevent the rehearsal of other undesirable behaviours (so, if my dog was still getting worked up about the hoover whilst in his pen, this would not be the best management strategy to choose).  

2. Teach Alternative Behaviours

Next, consider what you’d like your dog to do instead. Teaching your dog what you want them to do in these situations is crucial. For example, if I wanted my dog to lie on his bed during hoovering, I could train him to get on his bed and stay there, and then gradually introduce distractions, building up to the hoover.

3. When Things Go Wrong

We are all human, and management sometimes fails! So, having a variety of behaviours that you can ask your dog to do if you catch them doing the “naughty” behaviour is incredibly helpful. Dog puts his paws on the counter? Ask him to do something else! He steals something he shouldn’t? Ask for an alternative behaviour. While I don’t necessarily recommend using redirection as a primary training strategy for a number of reasons, having strong skills to rely on in moments of need is important!

Practical Tips and Further Assistance

Preventing unwanted behaviours and teaching alternative ones are effective ways to manage your dog’s reactions. These strategies not only solve the immediate problem but also contribute to long-term behavioural improvement.

Want to know more or need help with your dog? Feel free to drop me a message or book a free call!