Dog Behavior Evaluation

Dogs are not vengeful creatures; they don't do things out of hate or spite. If there is a problem then the cause is usually a simple one. Your dog has wet the carpet again. Why? Maybe he isn't being walked enough. Don't get too complicated when trying to evaluate out your pet's problems. Remember the rule dogs live by: what actions are rewarded I will repeat. Even if the reward is a negative one! Since dogs are animals we humans often have a hard time understanding them. It is very important though that if your dog is exhibiting inappropriate behavior or is performing an undesirable action that you take time to figure out what the problem really is. Get the household together and using these questions as a reference, write down what is going on and how you can rectify the situation.

Identify the problem. What is happening and when? Be as specific as possible.

Understand the cause. Why is your dog having this problem? What is causing it?

Frequency Evaluation. Is your dog constantly behaving in this problematic way or only sometimes? Does the problem occur in a certain situation or at other times as well?

Consider the consequences. Has anything been done so far to try and correct the problem? What are the consequences when your dog responds to the trigger?

Recognize reinforcement history. Has your dog been behaving in this way for a long time? Is there anything reinforcing this problem?

Manage the problem. What can be done to help your dog break this habit? What can you do to help him avoid repeating this negative behavior while you are retraining him?

As you identify the root of the problem you will be able to come up with more effective methods of dealing with it. Dog Behavior management