Common Behavior & Behavioral Problems

Common Behavior & Behavioral Problems

"Undesirable behavior" is in the eye of the beholder. Many "bad habits" (chewing, mouthing, digging, jumping, chasing, barking) are natural, normal behaviors for a dog. But you can control and replace them with desirable behavior by taking the time to work with your dog. Give your dog opportunities to do something you can reward.

It may take a few weeks before you can train and trust your dog with free run of the house. Until then, when you cannot supervise him, confine him in a safe place such as a crate or baby-gated kitchen. Leave him toys to play with. Remove trash cans or secure trash can lids from the area.


Activity needs. Most often, there is nothing wrong with reportedly hyperactive dogs. Dogs need attention and exercise - and when people don't give them enough, the dog has to do something with that excess energy. By the way, dogs don't do things out of spite, which is a human concept. They do things that, right or wrong, seem like ways to cope.

It helps to determine the source of unwanted behavior. It often stems from the frustration of being alone, since dogs are social animals. If you leave your dog for long hours on workdays, consider doggie daycare or a mid-day dog walker. In some cases, misbehavior results from stress between the human members of the home, or another environmental change such as the arrival of a new household member. Lastly, a change in diet may be needed.

A puppy or dog has no memory of recent activities. So unless you catch him in the act of chewing or doing something unacceptable, scolding won't help.


Chewing. Chewing is how young dogs explore their environments and mature dogs relieve stress. Move chewable objects out of reach. Take up throw rugs. Shield or hide power cords. Spray Bitter Apple on furniture legs and wood trim. Make sure your dog always has access to his own chew toys. But limit the number of toys you give your dog, or he'll think nearly everything is fair game. Make a conscious effort to reward your dog for playing with the right toys. In addition, exercise your dog, and teach him obedience commands to redirect his energy.

When you catch him chewing something off-limits, direct him to "leave it," "drop it" or "out." This requires that you first teach your dog this command using positive reinforcement. When the dog drops the item, praise lavishly and give him an acceptable substitute to chew.

Teaching your dog to release items from his mouth. Put on a training collar and leash before a play session. Give him a favorite toy. Then, with the leash in your left hand (keep the training collar slack), command "drop it" - and immediately take the item from his mouth. Praise him with "good dog!" or "good drop!"


If your dog locks eyes or bares teeth, quickly yank the training collar once, then release. If he drops the item, praise him enthusiastically. If he displays aggression, get some of the good training books recommended later in this guide and enlist the help of a professional. Do not smack your dog; he will interpret this as a threat and his instinct will be to bite.


Barking. First, realize that some breeds were bred to bark. Next, figure out the key triggers of your dog's barking. Perhaps it's the mail carrier, children getting off the school bus, the neighbor coming out to mow his lawn, or daily joggers. As with many dog training issues, aim to reduce the opportunities as well as the incentives to misbehave.

If trigger events occur outside, bring him indoors before the triggers appear. He'll be less likely to bark when shielded from the opportunity. When he barks and the targets bypass or leave your property, this reinforces the barking behavior - and your dog figures he did his job well.

If you can't avoid the trigger events, be prepared to re-focus his attention on you. You can do this by using small treats and praise. Or before he focuses on the target for his barking, give a sharp, immediate leash correction. Re-direct his attention to you. Try to catch and stop him before he emits his first bark. Give the correction and command "no!" or "quiet!" When he attends to you, immediately praise him verbally and use tidbits to reinforce the praise. Keep this up and he will learn it is more pleasant not to bark.

The key is to break the barking cycle. To the dog, this cycle is: "Detect trigger person/event ... barkbarkbark...feel good and useful...the trigger leaves...my barking works great...I'll do that again!"

I use "no" as the disengage word for every behavior that is undesirable so the dog develops a clear association.
- Melissa Berryman, trainer/counselor


Jumping. Jumping and mounting are often behaviors dogs choose to seek a higher rank in the pack; sometimes they just jump out of excitement. Keep people from exciting your dog to the point of jumping up, barking or nipping. Often, jumping can be discouraged by simply ignoring the dog until he settles down. Just turn and walk away. You also can carry tidbits, and provide a treat and attention only when the dog sits calmly on command.

You can correct your dog's bad behaviors by providing leadership, clarifying his subordinate role in the pack - and by training using humane methods. And remember: breaking your dog of bad habits is much harder than training him the right way the first time.


Out in the yard. Never leave a dog outside unattended, or overnight. Not only does this practice endanger your dog and subject you to legal liability, it too often leads to a nervous, troubled dog. Many dogs given up for "behavioral problems" had been kept outdoors or in basements. Also, dogs left outside dig holes or find a way under, over or through the fence. Even if your dog is not an escape artist, it helps to be there to correct him when he starts the self-rewarding act of digging.

Dogs want to be with their pack, and get lonely, bored and in trouble when alone. When you're not home, leave the dog in an area where the family spends a lot of time. You can start by confining him in a crate or with babygates until you've taught him good house manners.

Most dogs are time- vs. space-intensive. They'd rather have an owner to play with than a yard to play in. Running around a yard provides physical stimulation, but dogs also need the mental stimulation of active companionship with their people.



Furniture-hogging. Decide on the furniture and other house rules, then all family members must abide by the decisions. Consistency is key to training. To teach your dog to stay off the furniture, snap a long leash to his collar when you are home (and leave it on only when you are in the same room). Use a quick leash correction as soon as he tries to hop up. He'll get the message quickly. Many trainers advise that dogs not be allowed on furniture because the elevated position can give a dog the sense that he is the alpha and can lead to aggressive displays. Instead, give dogs their own comfy beds and crates.

To keep dogs off furniture when you're not home, place or tape balloons on the furniture - dogs don't like popping sounds. You can also use large-size bubble wrap.

New dogs can't get into trouble if they are on leash in the house. It is more humane and easier to stop bad habits before they start, then to change them after they learn something naughty. Maggie was on leash indoors when with me during [the period of] her obedience training. At the computer, I put the handle of the leash around one ankle. In the kitchen, the leash handle went on a cupboard knob.
It sounds cumbersome but you get used to it. Now she follows me from room to room in the house on her own volition. Just make sure that when you leave your dog alone, even for a minute, you remove the leash for safety reasons.
- Anna Marchy, trainer-in-training and adoptive mother of Maggie the pit bull



Bonding and insecurities. At first, your dog may be shy or needy. If he continues to cling to just one family member after the transition period, help him work through this problem. Using treats and vocal praise, gradually acclimate him to being near other family members. Have the other people do the feeding, walking and petting, so he associates them with positive, safe experiences.

Give plenty of vocal support and vocal encouragement! Don't be silent around a "shy" dog. Associate a lot of positives to things that may be new to him.
- Melissa Berryman, trainer/counselor


Set up situations so that your dog can win if she acts appropriately. Since dogs only use what works for them, you need to show her that to get what she wants [such as scaring off an approaching dog], what normally worked for her in the past [growling, lunging] just won't work anymore. This is why I let dogs freak out in class. It's all part of learning. The dog will freak out for about 15 minutes, then realize that nothing is happening - that everyone is ignoring her! Then she switches to a different behavior to see if the new one will work.
A dog may go through an entire bag of tricks in hopes of a reward. I just wait for the appropriate behavior (this is "shaping behavior.") If the dog accidentally looks at you, there's your opportunity to give a treat. I want the dog to know she's on the right track - and to learn the pattern so well that when she sees another dog, she immediately looks at me for a treat.
- Cinimon Clark, positive-method trainer/behavior counselor



Nipping and biting. When young dogs gnaw and nip, people often excuse this as "puppy behavior." But it's unacceptable behavior that will continue, and grow worse, if not corrected. Like a child, a dog will test the limits and to see who's boss. The root of a dog's biting may be in lack of early socialization, fear, dominance, confusion over his role in the pack, a health problem requiring a trip to the vet or a dietary imbalance. By reading books and consulting a professional, you can alter this behavior.

As the leader, you must set limits. Don't tell a dog not to do something, then send mixed signals that his bad behavior is cute. Consistently reward him when he obeys; correct him when he doesn't.
- Melissa Berryman, trainer/counselor


If your dog tries to nip during play, command "no" and immediately stop playing. If the leash is on, you can give a correction if he doesn't comply. Turn his eyes to meet yours to emphasize the point. You must feel and convey a leadership role. As soon as he calms down, say "good dog." Use your dog's name when giving praise; don't use it when in the act of correcting. Giving your puppy or dog something to chew on instead of your hand can also work.

We had a major problem with mouthing after bringing Crop home from the shelter. I ended up with bruises on my arms and legs. Physical intervention (shaking a can of pennies, spraying bitter apple on my arms and legs) didn't work; he just became more excited like it was a game. A trainer solved the problem in one night.
When Crop came over and mouthed me, the trainer had me jump up in alarm, yell "ow" and run into another room and slam the door. Crop sat by the door. After 5 minutes Crop left the door, and the trainer had me rejoin her and my husband in the living room. We continued a conversation, ignoring Crop. He then came over and more softly mouthed me, as if to test the situation. I repeated the performance. He waited at the door, then went into his crate. I returned to the living room. Crop then came over and just put his mouth on me. I repeated the performance - and he never mouthed me indoors again.

When he tried it the next day in the back yard, I yelled "ow" and ran inside, set the timer for 3 minutes and then went back out. He never mouthed me again. I wanted to relay this story because it fundamentally changed my relationship with Crop.
- Cheryl Bailey, adoptive mother of Crop, a pit bull mix




Four keys to raising a happy dog:
1. Train the dog well so that he understands what a command word means, what behaviors are rewarded, and what behaviors result in being corrected.
2. Gain the dog's respect by being consistent in your behavior and commands. A dog looks to us for leadership because he respects us, not because he fears us, or only because we give him treats.
3. Accustom the dog to a consistent way of living. Avoid indulging in an excessive amount of spoiling behaviors. Too many privileges will give the dog the impression that he is in charge.
4. Use caution when using crates for time-outs. A crate should not be used in a way that the dog may perceive as punishment. Don't create a negative association. So don't put the dog in a crate while scolding him; calm down first. Make being in the crate a positive experience






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