Veterinary Behavior Specialists

That shock collar or lead correction may stop your dog barking and lunging but is the dog cured? Can aversive training be that magical?

Well, externally these methods can look remarkable to the untrained eye but how could physically hurting your dog really cure a behaviour that is often driven by fear or anxiety?

Physically punishing a dog only stops the behaviour in the moment, it doesn't address the emotions that are driving the behaviour. If a dog is terrified of other dogs, does choking them magically make those feelings disappear? How could it? Stopping the behaviour doesn't equate to changing how the dog feels. In reality, this training approach is behaviour suppression, not behaviour modification.

To understand behaviour suppression, imagine you have someone coming over to your home. You really need to tidy up, so you have two choices. You can either put the time in and actually sort through the clutter, organise your stuff and clean, or you can grab everything in sight and shove it into cupboards and hope your guest doesn't notice the difference.

The result may appear the same to those that don't know what to look for, but the more you cram into each cupboard, the more pressure there is on the doors. Eventually those doors burst open and the house is more untidy than it was when you started. Now your guest can see that you didn't really clean.

This is exactly what happens with behaviour suppression. Using corrections and aversives is a quick fix that removes unwanted behaviour from the naked eye, whilst pushing the dogs emotions down beneath the surface. The more the emotions are suppressed, the closer the dog gets to breaking point and when they finally do break, the fallout is so much worse.

Therefore, we can't successfully and ethically change a dog's behaviour without addressing the emotions that are driving them. True behaviour modification takes time and patience, but what is the result?

Long term positive change to the dog's emotional responses, behaviour and welfare, which should always be the goal of dog training. - Holly Leake

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Dogs behave the way they do for many reasons. They do NOT do things deliberately to be stubborn or ‘naughty’, nor do they aim to assert control. Outdated mythologies and training methods have detrimental effects on well-being and strain the relationship between a dog and their caregiver.

🧬A dog's breed and genetic makeup can play a significant role in determining certain behavioural traits. Dogs have genetic predispositions and breed-specific tendencies that contribute to their behaviour.
Some breeds are predisposed to specific behaviours, such as herding, hunting, or guarding.

The environment in which a dog is raised and lives can profoundly impact their behaviour. Early socialisation, which involves exposing a puppy to a wide range of people, animals, and environments during their critical developmental period, is crucial for building confidence and shaping a dog's social behaviour to reduce fear or aggression.

Overstimulation can cause all kinds of unwanted behaviours as it overwhelms their senses and can lead to hyperactivity or erratic responses. For example, if a dog is exposed to loud noises, multiple people, and various stimuli all at once, or on a daily basis, they might exhibit excessive excitable behaviour, poor impulse control, become agitated and exhibit behaviours like jumping, barking, or pulling on the leash, as their senses are overwhelmed by the excessive input.

Previous experiences and learning consequences can influence a dog's behaviour. Traumatic experiences, in particular, can lead to fear, anxiety, or aggression.

How a dog is trained and educated by their caregiver or handler can significantly affect their behaviour. Consistent, positive reinforcement-based training can lead to desired behaviours, while harsh or inconsistent methods can result in confusion or fear.

A dog's health, including their physical and mental well-being, can influence their behaviour. Illness, pain, or discomfort can lead to changes in behaviour.

A dog's emotional state, including fear, anxiety, and excitement, can affect their behaviour. For example, a fearful dog may display unpredictable defensive reactive behaviours or might avoid any encounters and run away trying to hide. While a confident dog may exhibit playfulness and a relaxed demeanour.

A dog can become frustrated and destructive if their mental and physical needs are not met. This dog, full of pent-up energy and boredom, may become frustrated and exhibit poor impulse control. In their frustration, they might resort to destructive behaviours, such as chewing furniture, digging up the garden, or incessant barking. This destructive behaviour is often an expression of their frustration and an attempt to alleviate their built-up energy and mental stress.

The type of diet a dog receives can significantly influence their behaviour, with high-quality nutrition promoting better energy levels, mood, and overall well-being, while poor diet choices can lead to issues like irritability, hyperactivity, or digestive problems.

As dogs age, they may experience canine cognitive decline, which can manifest as changes in memory, learning, and behaviour. This condition can lead to increased confusion, disorientation, and altered social interactions in older dogs.

It is really important to understand that each dog is unique, and their behaviour can vary widely, even within the same breed. Dogs use body language, vocalizations, and other forms of communication to express their needs, emotions, and intentions. Understanding a dog's communication cues is extremely important for interpreting their behaviour.

Anything and everything may be filling your dog's bucket and your bucket. Think about it.

Credit for image: http://absolute-dogs.com/

Some of you may have heard me talk about the “stress bucket”. It’s an analogy I use a lot during behaviour consultations to help my clients understand what every day things might be contributing to the expression of unwanted behaviours in their pets.
It is also very relatable to people and many of us get it when we look at our own lives and behaviours and what might be filling our own buckets.

What fills your dog or cat’s bucket ?
What fills your bucket ?

Taking some time to reflect on this opens the doors for change.