In 2010, my 2-year-old dog Mydee and I attended National K-9 School for Dog Trainers. I attended that school to learn more about dog training and behavior modification. Mydee was a normal rescue with normal rescue problems. He pulled on the leash, was reactive to dogs, behaved poorly when guests arrived, jumped up on people, was a master of selective listening, and stole food from the counters. Mydee loved barking and would bark for any reason, and no reason at all. 

My instructors at National K-9 were top-notch, and during that program, I saw many changes in Mydee’s behavior during and after our six-week dog training course in Ohio. I had many discussions with my instructors about Mydee’s and my classmates’ dogs’ behavior. They taught me that my dog and all dogs misbehave because they do not listen to me or their owners. They taught me that obedience training was behavior modification training. As I worked with Mydee on obedience, I saw he listened and behaved better. I also noticed I would have to tell him to sit and reinforce that command, so that he would not jump on people. I had to tell him to heel and reinforce that command to ensure he would not pull on the leash. I had to tell him not to bark at dogs, or he would bark and make a scene. When I graduated from National K-9, I refined my obedience training skills and used them to help people change their dogs’ behavior. 

I’ve continued my study of dog behavior over the years. I studied with trainers who have different perspectives on dog behavior modification. I noticed that calm dogs usually practice good behavior. At the time, everyone would say, “A tired dog is a good dog.” That was because tired dogs did not have the energy to perform behaviors we considered bad, like barking too much, or behaviors caused by boredom, like chewing or digging. When I noticed that, my training started to change. Instead of focusing on obedience, I started focusing on influencing dogs’ energy levels to teach them to use the correct amount of energy according to their situation. When playing, the dog’s energy should be high. When guests are allowed into the house, the dog’s energy should be much lower. I wanted to teach dogs to act correctly without being told what to do. I wanted the dogs to have “Manners” or understand how to behave in a way that we humans did not perceive as rude. 

I learned the best way to teach manners was to teach the dogs about their energy and how to manage it. I started teaching dogs that being calm was the best way to get what they wanted. I learned how to control the timing of events and the dog’s immediate environment. I used those controls to teach the dog that they would eat after they calmed down. We would play after they calmed down. We would walk after they calmed down. I created an expectation of calm before exciting events. When dogs notice they can not get the things or experiences they want until they calm down, our (human and dog) goals become aligned. The dog wants to be petted by the person. I know a calm dog does not jump up; jumping on people is rude. Still, I want the dog to meet the person, the dog knows they will not get the pat until they calm themself, so the dog starts calming down.  I allow the greeting to take place when the dog is calm, preventing the jumping. As the dog practices, they learn to manage their energy, and their manners improve along with their habits. When a dog has good manners, they get more freedom, and we do not have to tell them to sit and reinforce it, and everyone has a more enjoyable experience.  

If you want to learn more about Obedience/Communication or Manners Training, contact us here, and until then, Enjoy Your Dog!!!