The Magic of Management

Something I’m sure my fellow canine professionals will no doubt hear a lot from clients is ‘How do I train my dog to stop…’ or ‘How can I train my dog to not…’ Often these things are normal and natural dog behaviours that don’t really fit in to human societal expectations of how a dog should behave.

Terriers are going to terrier!

While we often can provide modification plans to change that behaviour, there is a question for some professionals of just how much we should prevent dogs from carrying out natural behaviours rather than giving them ‘legal’ opportunities to do so. Part of the ongoing shift in the canine-human relationship revolves around building choice and letting them be dogs far more than previously was the case. 

For many human families and their dogs, it’s a rhetorical question, as they want the behaviour to stop – for one of many potential reasons, some perhaps more compelling than others but which are important to them. Training is rarely a rapid solution. We often say there are no quick fixes in dog training because it’s the truth. If something works quickly to stop a behaviour, the reason for that rapid ceasing needs careful examination to ensure that it’s not because of something aversive to the dog, that may be frightening or hurting them.

So, what then do we advise the humans in the situation to do while careful and ethical behaviour modification is put into place (or if behaviour modification is not possible)?

Not enough is said about the benefits of managing the environment around the dog. Behaviours that are practiced and which gain the dog something they want will be repeated. As an example, my own dog is now a fully grown 5-year-old. He had never raided a bin in his life, because he had no access to bins containing anything that smelled good and so he didn’t view bins with any interest. On one visit to a family member, he found a crust of a sandwich in an uncovered wastepaper bin in the sitting room while we were out of the room. After this one occasion, he is now convinced that wastepaper bins hold treasure (despite the fact there is never food in the ones in our house) and checks them regularly.

This is an example of what we call single event learning (or one trial learning) as one successful encounter with the reward of tasty sandwich crusts has led him to believe that bin = tasty goodies. I could create a behaviour modification plan to teach him an alternative behaviour to checking out the bins but to be honest it’s not likely to succeed as he’ll give the bin a quick check when I’m not in the room. 

What then would be the solution for this problem? Management. Make sure the dog can’t reach bins that hold lovely smelling stuff they think would make a lovely snack. Empty bins regularly of anything that the dog would find rewarding if they had the chance to grab it, and prevent access to bins holding food scraps etc. It’s really as simple as that.

Your dog rushes towards the front door on hearing the doorbell and you’re worried about them getting outside? Use a baby gate to contain them safely before going to open the door. Finn has issues with ‘stranger danger’ and so he’s always popped in the kitchen behind a gate when we open the door.

Your dog keeps digging up the flowerbeds? Don't leave them in the garden unsupervised, and consider providing an area for them where they're allowed to dog. Children's sandpits can be great for this purpose, and let the dog carry out that natural behaviour in a way that is acceptable to all.

Recall a bit hit and miss? Use a long line attached to the back ring on a harness to give your dog the freedom to explore when you are out for a walk while training on improving recall is ongoing, to ensure they can't disappear and get lost, get themselves into trouble, or bug other dogs who may not want to interact for whatever reason.

Your dog doesn’t like anyone going anywhere near them while they are eating? In this situation I would recommend engaging a suitable qualified kind and ethical professional but, while waiting to get working with them on that, leave the dog to eat in peace. Feed them in one room and then let them get on with it if you can. Maybe use a room divider or doggy play pen to give them a safe and secure space to feel happy that they can eat without anyone coming near them.

The wonderful thing about management is that it’s stopping the dog from practising the behaviours that are problematic for us, without using pain or fear, while we work on finding ways to cater for their natural behavioural needs or coach them in alternative behaviours that are not such an issue for us in our homes.

Don’t forget that Good Guardianship is now live with courses aimed at helping dog guardians have the best lives possible for them and their dogs. There are some courses and presentations on there already with more to come.

You can also contact to book sessions for Family Dog Mediation to discuss aspects of your relationship with the dogs in your family as I am a certified Family Dog Mediator. FDM is a fantastic approach to helping people and their dogs live together. It works on understanding what makes up everybody involved (canine and human) and their needs, finding the ways for everyone to live together as harmoniously as possible, and making sure every family member has their needs met to create a happy life for all.