How-to-Stop-Unwanted-Behavior

trusting paws

by Naomi Heck, M.Ed., CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA

How to Stop Unwanted Behavior

1. Stop focusing on correcting or punishing bad behavior. Saying “No!” or squirting your dog with water might relieve your frustration but it can maintain or worsen your dog’s bad behavior. Corrections are deceiving. They momentarily suppress unwanted behavior so it seems to have worked. But if your dog does it again, it didn’t work at all! If you correct your dog often, you can diminish his willingness to listen and cooperate.

2. Choose a behavior your dog can do that will replace the unwanted behavior. You can’t train a dog to do nothing. If you suppress an undesirable behavior without teaching an acceptable alternative that satisfies your dog, he will choose another activity that you might not like.

3. Create a large “reinforcement history” for the new behavior you are training. Most undesirable behaviors are self-rewarding. Each time your dog practices a bad behavior, he is building a reinforcement history that makes it highly likely he will do it again. In order for training to work, you must build up a “bank account” of reinforcement for the replacement behavior you are trying to teach. The more “deposits” you make into that account, the stronger that new behavior will become. This takes time and practice. What would you like to see your dog doing a month or 2 from now? It’s your choice.

[adsenseyu5]

4. Choose reinforcing items wisely. An effective reinforcing item is something that your dog finds highly desirable and is willing to work for. It can be food, an object or an activity. The value of a reinforcing item can change depending on the situation and what is going on in the environment. Sometimes your dog will happily take treats and sometimes he would prefer to chase a squirrel. If he is afraid, he won’t be able to eat and would rather feel safe. Control your dog’s access to the reinforcing item and you will have a powerful training tool. Quick and frequent delivery is the hallmark of good training. Small delicious treats are the most efficient tool for training. Using healthy treats is not bribing or spoiling if done correctly. Lions and hyenas in zoos are currently taught to cooperate peacefully during blood draws using food to reinforce. Dolphins are trained to find underwater explosives in the open ocean using food, even though they have the choice to swim off and catch their own live fish. What you can teach your dog with positive reinforcement is only limited by your imagination.

5. Let go of outdated beliefs about training and have fun. Good training is a mechanical and mental skill that improves with practice. Be patient and trust the process. Your dog will soon become a willing and cooperative partner. It’s a win-win!

[adsenseyu4]

Spread the love

About Simba's Mom

I was born and raised in California, lived in Pennsylvania for several years, and have recently moved to Delaware. I have gone from being a teacher for 20 years to a blogger and now back to teaching but still blogging. I have a great dog named Simba. Simba is a German Shorthaired Pointer. Life with Simba is an adventure every day. I have had dogs my entire life but I have learned most about dogs living with Simba. German Shorthaired Pointers really do become your best friend. They become extremely attached and that is why they say they have the Velcro phenomenon. Simba now has a sister 8 years younger and her name is Gypsy.
This entry was posted in Training and tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink.

2 Responses to How-to-Stop-Unwanted-Behavior

  1. Kellyn says:

    Hi there!

    This is wonderful information!
    I have a 8 year old GSP that we rescued at 4.
    In the past year we have had a few new behaviors I am not sure how to correct. The most challenging one is she seems to be aggressive towards little dogs. Almost attacking them to assert her dominance over them. Now in her first home she was put in a crate because the owner could not handler her energy any more. She replaced her with a small dog and left our girl in the crate for 20 hours a day.
    Any advice on how to change this behavior? My family is very close but all of them have small dogs (1 frenchie, 4 boston terriors and 1 min pin) and she has been aggressive towards them in the past year. She is clearly not playing when this happens and the must be separated.

    Thank you for your help!

    • Simba's Mom says:

      Hi Kellyn, My suggestion is to contact a licensed trainer to work with your GSP and small dogs. If not trained properly, you can be facing disastrous confrontations between your GSP and the other small dogs. Time is of the essence in this situation.

Comments are closed.