Why Your Dog Keeps Misbehaving (And How Mixed Signals Are to Blame)

Behavioral problems in dogs can be stressful for families to manage. The dog might destroy items in the home or damage furniture. A challenging dog may prevent people from going on vacation, and an overly excited dog might keep people from having guests over.

Behavioral concerns can turn serious, too. For example, dogs may get into the trash or other items that they shouldn’t, causing unexpected vet bills.

Sometimes it can feel like you’re doing everything right, such as buying all the enrichment toys, taking your dog for walks, and giving your dog plenty of attention, yet you’re still struggling with your dog’s behavior. Often, the problem is that your dog is getting a response worth misbehaving for. In fact, your dog doesn’t even know their behavior is wrong.

Our dogs don’t know right from wrong when it comes to household manners, at least not naturally. Dogs communicate with each other during play and interactions. They communicate with us, too, and read us quite well. That still doesn’t mean your dog knows the difference between what you consider acceptable and unruly. One problem is that many families can’t decide which behaviors are allowed and which should be discouraged. Between miscommunication and unclear feedback, it’s no wonder dogs struggle.

Mixed Messages at Home

Some family members allow the dog to jump on them, while others desperately try to prevent it. Some invite the dog to jump on furniture or feed the dog from the kitchen counter, while others ask their trainer exactly how to stop those same behaviors.

If you want to improve your dog’s behavior, you have to decide together, with everyone in the home, what is allowed and what needs to be replaced with more appropriate behaviors. Dogs do well with clear communication and feedback. It’s up to us to pay attention and think about what we’re communicating.

Pulling on the leash is a common example. One family member might not care too much if the dog pulls, while another finds it completely unacceptable. Even one person can send confusing messages by allowing the behavior sometimes but not at other times. If you usually stop your dog from pulling but sometimes let them pull you over to greet a familiar person or dog, they learn that pulling sometimes works. That can make it harder for your dog to understand why they can greet some dogs but are expected to walk past others.

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Unintentional Rewards and Habits

At home, destructive behavior can signal a problem bigger than miscommunication, like the dog not getting enough exercise. Still, dogs also learn that grabbing some items gets a bigger response from people than others. A dog that always wants to go for shoes or table legs when everyone sits down to relax at night has probably figured out that this gets everyone back up. The dog may need a change in routine and more mental enrichment, exercise, and attention, but they should also learn which items are theirs to chew.

WET NOSE WEDNESDAY: More Dog Training Tips and Information

One game is training dogs to search for their own toys and then, with careful supervision, hiding the toys next to the off-limits items to teach the dog how to choose their own items.

Often, dogs find ways to get their people to play, but to the people, it’s not a game. The timing always seems to be when people are busy or just about to relax. Over time, unwanted behaviors become habits and can be difficult to resolve. While behavioral concerns differ for every dog, one way to start encouraging the right behaviors is to list the unwanted behaviors and the better choices you want to encourage.

Replacing Unwanted Behaviors

Figure out what your dog does regularly that you want to replace. What are some ways those behaviors are paying off? Is your dog getting attention, meeting a need, or is the behavior natural, like digging? Next, think about other ways your dog can get the desired outcome. Calm behavior can earn your attention. Bringing you a toy instead of sneaking off with a shoe can get you to play. You can replace digging all over the yard with digging in areas you allow.

Dogs bark, chew, and pull. They need exercise, attention, and patience. They aren’t always easy, but they aren’t out to get us. Sure, your dog might be misbehaving on purpose, but not in the way you think. Usually those behaviors earn attention, and your dog doesn’t understand that you don’t like their games. Pay attention to your dog’s behavior because it often hints at what they might need. Finding creative ways to replace unwanted behaviors while giving your dog fun ways to move, play, and think can make training so much easier.