Everyday I meet and talk with new people who are frustrated with their dog’s behavior problems. Many are ready to give up completely and rehome, surrender, or euthanize the dog. As a dog lover, these options seem extreme, uncalled for. My experience as a professional dog trainer has given me a new perspective on these feelings. I’ve found that by and large, these sentiments come from dog owners who feel they’ve exhausted all other options – not from families who “don’t care” about their dogs. It is very rare that I would ever agree that the best option is to rehome, surrender, or euthanize a dog, but I do understand how people come to that breaking point. The truth is, behavior problems take a major toll on the dog’s relationship with its family members.

Dog behavior problems like aggression, separation anxiety, resource guarding, etc. are understandably difficult to swallow. A biting dog loses its owner’s trust; it’s also safe to say that if a dog is biting, it doesn’t have much trust in its owner. Time and time again, people say, “I really love this dog. He’s a great dog, but i just can’t trust him.” Trust is an essential component of any relationship, and the relationship between dog and owner is no exception.

It doesn’t help that the majority of dog trainers in any given area are incapable of addressing these severe behavior issues. Some dog trainers will come right out and say they don’t handle these issues, while others are unwilling to admit it. Either way, many end up recommending one of the aforementioned options (rehome, surrender, or euthanize), often without even meeting the dog! As a dog trainer who regularly succeeds in resolving even severe cases of aggression (including dogs with a bite history) and other major behavior issues, this is extremely frustrating. If your dog has a severe behavior problem, please let the advice of such people go in one ear and out the other because the truth is, these behavior problems can very often be resolved!

Dogs who are significantly nervous or fearful can also be difficult to handle. Although these issues may not present the safety risk to the owner that aggressive dogs can, they often present a safety risk to the dog. Dogs who are nervous or fearful may go to great lengths to escape certain stimuli. Fueled by adrenaline, their desperate escape attempts often involve hurting themselves in the process. Owners feel powerless to stop this behavior, and without professional help, they typically are.

The difficulty of owning a nervous or fearful dog is often underestimated. Owners are commonly forced to rearrange several aspects of their lives to accommodate their dog’s sensitivities. They may be glad to do so, but boy can this be draining! It’s also emotionally taxing to watch a dog go through their nervous or fearful reactions. I’ve found that owners are often plagued by feelings of guilt, and wonder if the dog would be better off in a different environment with someone else. My two cents? The dog is always better off with you, but you need to get help from a professional so that both you and your dog can enjoy a better quality of life!

There are many behavior problems that are less severe, but can be doubly annoying. Issues such as excessive barking, jumping, nipping, mouthing, poop eating, pulling on the leash, destructive behavior, chewing inappropriate items, etc. This may come as a shock, but these dogs are surrendered just as often as dogs with severe behavior issues. Why? These issues typically occur daily, and as such, can be extremely damaging to the dog-owner relationship over the long haul.

Many of these issues represent an imbalanced relationship with the owner. Pulling on the leash, jumping, nipping, and mouthing all signal that their relationship may be lacking a healthy level of respect. Many other issues represent a lack of structure and boundaries in a dog’s environment. As a result, these dogs are also likely to be “hyperactive” – I put this in quotes because this is how they’re often described, but in reality, the dog acts like a maniac only because the lack of structure has created a near-constant state of anxiety.

Left unchecked, this lifestyle is liable to produce a plethora of behavior problems. By this point, the relationship between dog and owner has been strained for so long, it’s liable to be significantly damaged. Living with a dog like this day in and day out produces a high level of stress for both dog and owner. The owner often feels like they’ve put every available amount of patience, love and effort into their dog, but the dog is just flat out unresponsive. Of course, this is not the case. To encourage clients in the position I reassure them that yes, they’re already putting forth a ton of effort. What we’re going to do now is restructure that effort to move toward better behavior. As the effort is shifted and the dog’s behavior improves, the relationship becomes salvageable. Every time.

Please contact me today at 800.649.7297, or use my contact form.