Patricia Calderone, CPDT-KA Certified Professional Dog Trainer Behavior Consultant 708-557-4913 patricia@clickercanines.com |
| Help, my dog is dominating me! |
| Good Examples of Behavior Modification |
| Bad Examples of Behavior Modification |
BEHAVIOR
All behavior is functional – we do not behave in a vacuum, so behavior serves a purpose. When we are changing
behavior, we need to understand what the purpose of that behavior is – what function does it serve? Aggression can
serve different purposes, but it usually revolves around one thing – increasing distance between the dog and whatever
it is aggressing toward. So, if your dog is snarling at you, he’s actually telling you that your are too close – too close to
his food, too close to his body, too close to his resting place, etc. Most aggressive displays are actually a form of
communication, and indicate that the dog does not really wish to hurt you. Even snapping and nipping are
communications – if the dog really wanted to hurt you, he could.
If you act on the assumption that your dog is dominant, you are probably ignoring his warning and moving closer to him;
this is unlikely to resolve the problem and may very well make it worse. Your dog is communicating with you, but you are
not getting the message. So, he’ll growl louder, show more teeth, etc. Humans do the same thing; when we think
someone didn’t hear us, we shout – even when it’s someone who we know doesn’t speak the same language we do, our
tendency is to talk louder, even though we know they don’t understand what we’re saying!
At Clicker Canines, we customize a behavior modification plan specifically for your dog. Our goal is to teach your dog to
like you being close to him and his possessions. Rather than simply suppressing his aggressive displays (which could,
literally, end up biting you in the butt!), we change the way your dog feels about your proximity.
Watch the below videos and pay attention to the dogs’ body language. If he is shaking, has a closed mouth, tucked tail,
is panting, has pinned ears and/or dilated pupils, you’ll know these are signs that your dog is under stress and
uncomfortable with the situation. Our goal is for your dog to be comfortable and relaxed in these situations. Please read
the position statement below by the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior.
AVSAB Position Statement The Use of Punishment for Behavior Modification in Animals
http://www.avsabonline.org/avsabonline/images/stories/Position_Statements/Combined_Punishment_Statements.pdf
All behavior is functional – we do not behave in a vacuum, so behavior serves a purpose. When we are changing
behavior, we need to understand what the purpose of that behavior is – what function does it serve? Aggression can
serve different purposes, but it usually revolves around one thing – increasing distance between the dog and whatever
it is aggressing toward. So, if your dog is snarling at you, he’s actually telling you that your are too close – too close to
his food, too close to his body, too close to his resting place, etc. Most aggressive displays are actually a form of
communication, and indicate that the dog does not really wish to hurt you. Even snapping and nipping are
communications – if the dog really wanted to hurt you, he could.
If you act on the assumption that your dog is dominant, you are probably ignoring his warning and moving closer to him;
this is unlikely to resolve the problem and may very well make it worse. Your dog is communicating with you, but you are
not getting the message. So, he’ll growl louder, show more teeth, etc. Humans do the same thing; when we think
someone didn’t hear us, we shout – even when it’s someone who we know doesn’t speak the same language we do, our
tendency is to talk louder, even though we know they don’t understand what we’re saying!
At Clicker Canines, we customize a behavior modification plan specifically for your dog. Our goal is to teach your dog to
like you being close to him and his possessions. Rather than simply suppressing his aggressive displays (which could,
literally, end up biting you in the butt!), we change the way your dog feels about your proximity.
Watch the below videos and pay attention to the dogs’ body language. If he is shaking, has a closed mouth, tucked tail,
is panting, has pinned ears and/or dilated pupils, you’ll know these are signs that your dog is under stress and
uncomfortable with the situation. Our goal is for your dog to be comfortable and relaxed in these situations. Please read
the position statement below by the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior.
AVSAB Position Statement The Use of Punishment for Behavior Modification in Animals
http://www.avsabonline.org/avsabonline/images/stories/Position_Statements/Combined_Punishment_Statements.pdf
DOMINANCE
Does the picture on the left look familiar to you? If so, let me give
you some insight into this behavior.
The word Dominance has been widely misused in the dog world –
actually, in the entire world of animals, even those animals that are
not social! I once heard an animal behaviorist say, “the word
dominance should be made into one of Baskin Robins’ 31 flavors.”
What the behaviorist was getting at is that dominance is just a label
for behavior.
Labels are fine, as long as everyone using the label agrees on what
it means. Unfortunately, that is not the case with the word
“dominance.” Dominance can mean anything from aggression, to not
coming when called, to leaning against a human, to pretty much
anything humans don’t like in their pet’s behavior.
The concept of dominance originated with wolves. However, the
original research on wolves came to very different conclusions than
the information that the average person hears. The man who did that
seminal research, Dr. David Mech, has said that we would take it all
back, given the opportunity, because of how it has evolved into so
much misinformation. Further, dogs aren’t wolves; dogs have
learned to co-habit with humans very efficiently. Dogs and humans
get along, for the most part, and the wolf model does not apply to
domestic dogs.
Does the picture on the left look familiar to you? If so, let me give
you some insight into this behavior.
The word Dominance has been widely misused in the dog world –
actually, in the entire world of animals, even those animals that are
not social! I once heard an animal behaviorist say, “the word
dominance should be made into one of Baskin Robins’ 31 flavors.”
What the behaviorist was getting at is that dominance is just a label
for behavior.
Labels are fine, as long as everyone using the label agrees on what
it means. Unfortunately, that is not the case with the word
“dominance.” Dominance can mean anything from aggression, to not
coming when called, to leaning against a human, to pretty much
anything humans don’t like in their pet’s behavior.
The concept of dominance originated with wolves. However, the
original research on wolves came to very different conclusions than
the information that the average person hears. The man who did that
seminal research, Dr. David Mech, has said that we would take it all
back, given the opportunity, because of how it has evolved into so
much misinformation. Further, dogs aren’t wolves; dogs have
learned to co-habit with humans very efficiently. Dogs and humans
get along, for the most part, and the wolf model does not apply to
domestic dogs.
Clicker Canines will help your dog overcome fear, aggression, reactivity, and destructive behavior by teaching him what
TO DO, rather than using force, intimidation, pain or corrections. We are force-free when we are teaching your dog.
TO DO, rather than using force, intimidation, pain or corrections. We are force-free when we are teaching your dog.
Contact me today to schedule your appointment, the first step towards a customized training plan for you and your dog! |
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