How to Deal With a Dog's Bad Behavior

Dogs display a wide range of behaviors. There are a lot of behaviors that we consider bad. Digging, jumping, biting, barking, stealing, housebreaking are just a few of the behaviors that we DON'T want our dogs to do.

In order to live with our dogs, we need to teach them what are acceptable and what are unacceptable behaviors. In this article, you'll learn a simple technique that will help you understand any behavior problem.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Crate
• Leash
• Collar

1. Here is a simple four step method that can help you with your dog's bad behavior. I have used an acronym to make it easy for you to remember and apply. I call it the M.U.T.T. method for dealing with your dog's behavior problems:
   
   M - Manage
   U - Underlying
   T - Teach
   T - Time

2. The M stands for manage. Managing your dog's behavior is important when you are dealing with bad behavior. If your dog is showing signs of aggression towards strangers, a muzzle is a way to manage your dog's behavior.
   
   If your dog has a housebreaking problem, a crate is a way to manage your dog's behavior. Managing is not going to teach your dog anything, but it will help you control the behavior while you are going through the training process.

3. Whenever your dog is displaying bad behavior, you need to understand that there is an underlying reason why your dog is behaving badly. For example, if your dog is digging, you need to understand what the underlying behavior is. There are a lot of reasons why dogs dig. They do it because they are hot, frustrated, nesting, genetic or for other reasons.
   
   Once you find out what the underlying reasons are, you can start to take steps to remove the causes of the the bad behaviors.

4. Teaching your dog new behaviors is the next step. If your dog is jumping, you can teach your dog a different way to greet you. If your dog is stealing food off the counter, teach your dog that it is unacceptable.

5. The last T in the M.U.T.T. Method is time. It takes time to change behavior. Depending on how old your dog is and how ingrained the behavior is, it will take time to change the behavior. Behavior experts say that on average it takes about 21 consistent days to change behavior

Tips & Warnings

• Have everyone in your family help out when you are training your dog.
• Write out your plan of action and have everyone read it and apply the steps.
• Don't use heavy force when you are dealing with bad behavior.

Resources

• FREE Dog Training ebook