When Good Goes Bad - New Beginnings Dog Training LLC

WHEN GOOD GOES BAD: DOG BEHAVIOR

Sometimes the behavior on our dog is hard to understand. We give them so much, from food to love to a warm house. Yet it is difficult to understand when our dog doesn’t seem to appreciate what we have given and seems to suddenly exhibit behavior that has become alarming.

Do any of these occur?

Your dog has started barking and lunging at other dogs on a walk.
You call your dog to come in from the back yard and they just look at you.
Food is left unattended and stolen, your dog growls when you try retrieve it.
Guests in your home are met with endless barking and growling.

These are all examples of issues that probably did give warning signs. You sometimes don’t recognize what those signs are and where it would ultimately lead you. The privileges you allow your dogs are often unearned privileges. Going through doorways first, hopping up on furniture uninvited, rushing you to get their food. These are all examples of privileges a dog will often give themselves. When you bring that new German Shepard puppy home you smother them with affection but forget to set boundaries or rules to live by. Too much access to your home is one of the biggest mistakes new puppy owners make. We sometimes expect our new dog to be just like our last one, which is rarely the case.

Remember you are the giver of everything, food, warm bed, affection, play time. Don’t dole out these privileges without asking for something in return. Start this right away and problems may never occur. If you have already given too many privileges you can absolutely start fresh and make changes. The great thing about dogs, they can learn whenever you decide to teach them. Think of the tortoise not the hare, slow and steady wins the race.