Tag: Behavior & Training

Dogs explore the world with their mouths. Chewing is a natural behavior that can be exacerbated due to teething or boredom. Dogs can also learn that it is fun to grab people with their mouths in excitement or play. This is especially common in young, energetic dogs that may not have had much training. This behavior can be very frustrating and even sometimes painful to live with. The good news is, there are plenty of ways to help your new family member direct their urge to use their mouth to appropriate items.

What To Do

• Prevent the behavior.

  • Pick up items that your dog is likely to chew and have a safe area to confine him when he cannot be supervised.

  • Use baby gates or a leash to contain your dog in situations where you know he is likely to mouth.

• Provide appropriate items to chew. Try a variety of chews with different textures to see what your dog likes best.

• Reward the behavior that you want and make it easy for your dog to succeed. Be prepared with treats and ask him to sit before he mouths. Have a toy ready to offer him to redirect chewing on inappropriate items. Give him lots of calm attention and praise when his mouth isn’t on you.

• When he does mouth, do not respond. Turn, or walk away for 10 seconds and then immediately find a different behavior to ask him to do instead.

• When necessary, settle your dog in his own area or crate with a kong or another item he likes to keep him occupied while you accomplish other tasks

• Consistency is the key to success. All “chewable” items must be picked up. Make sure everyone in the household is on board with the training plan and is prepared to reward polite behavior. Be patient and persistent; often the dog has been successful in getting attention by mouthing for quite some time, and it may take him a while to learn that this method no longer works.

What To Avoid

• Do not use punishment. Scolding, grabbing the muzzle, pushing the dog to the ground, etc. will only encourage the mouthing or chewing. Remember that your dog is using this behavior to meet a need. Provide your dog with appropriate things to chew and encourage appropriate ways to interact with people.

• Do not allow roughhousing. You want to encourage your dog to respect other people’s space. Instead redirect their energy to playing with toys, puzzles, or going for a run.

Some dogs experience anxiety when left alone. When the behavior is due to an adjustment to his new home or boredom, providing mental stimulation and exercise will often resolve the issues. In the case of true separation anxiety, this is a panic disorder that will require support.

If most, or all, of the following statements are true, he may have separation anxiety

• The behavior occurs exclusively when he’s left alone.

• The behavior always occurs when he’s left alone, whether for a short or long period of time.

• He is very well behaved when you are present.

• Destruction of the house is often centered around doorways and windows.

• He has injured himself trying to escape his crate or the house.

• His anxious behavior begins as you get ready to leave and he tries to leave the house with you.

• He dislikes spending time by himself whether it’s in another room or outdoors.

*If your dog is anxious or destructive due to boredom, you may just need to provide more enrichment and exercise. Contact [email protected] for fun and useful enrichment ideas.

What To Do

• Minimize your dog’s time home alone. Separation anxiety is a panic response and your dog can’t help her reaction. You might consider having a friend or relative watch her when you are out of the house or dropping her off at daycare

• Talk to your vet. There are safe and effective medications that can reduce anxiety while you are working through this behavior

• Consult with a professional. An accredited positive reinforcement trainer can create a step-by-step plan to help you reduce your dog’s anxiety. It takes time and lots of little small steps to help your dog feel comfortable alone.

What to Avoid

• Punishment is not an effective way to treat separation anxiety. Scolding, spanking, or time outs will not resolve your dog’s anxiety. In fact, if you punish your dog after you return home it may actually increase his separation anxiety.

• Rely solely on crating: without an effective behavior plan this often makes the anxiety worse. Your dog may urinate, defecate, howl in the crate, or even injure himself in an attempt to escape from the crate.

• Basic training is always a good idea, but it won’t directly help an anxiety problem. Separation anxiety is not the result of disobedience or lack of training. It’s a panic response.