I have posted before on the importance of properly training your dog to inhibit the display of unwanted behaviors. Not only does this create a more pleasant relationship between owner and dog, but it lessens the chance of dogs getting dumped at the shelter for “behavioral reasons.”
An important note to consider when evaluating behavioral issues in dogs is the underlying reason for the unacceptable behavior. For example, if a dog barks at a neighbor’s dog and is scolded into submission, the underlying reason for the barking is not addressed. Yelling “no” merely puts a temporary band-aid on the immediate problem of the noise, but has no effect on future, similar occurences.
No matter the behavior, the underlying issue must be dealt with in order to successfully train the dog to react appropriately when the problem situation presents itself. Here is a great video from expert dog trainer Emily Larlham (incidentally, the owner of the dogs in the adorable Halloween video I posted) explaining how to alter a dog’s behavior by addressing the underlying cause of it. She has many other video tips on her YouTube page. You can also visit her website for more detailed information and additional videos.
