Imagine with me, your sweet fluffy companion, Fido, is finally potty trained enough where you say, “Yeah, I think Fido can hold it while I go pick up some groceries.”
You check off your shopping list and, feeling accomplished, arms full of groceries, you open your front door–Uh Oh!
It looks like a whirlwind came through! Couch stuffing is all over your apartment and a deflated cushion lies in tatters right next to Fido!
"Fido, why!? I wasn’t even gone long!! Don't you know better?? You've never done something like this before!"
The gentlest thoughts flying through your mind include giving Fido away and how you’re going to afford a new couch...
As the fury dies down, you may search the web for answers, “how to stop dog chewing couch” and ta-da! You have just crossed into the world of dog training.
Okay so maybe you don’t have a couch vandal. You may have a leash puller, or a ball hog, or a lazy bones. Whatever it is, you’ve got a problem and want to train your dog.
Great!
How exactly do you do that? Who do you trust? What methods do you use? Do you teach yourself? Take a workshop? Hire a trainer? Send your dog to boarding? Earn your doctorate in animal behavior??
Woah! Slow down there buckaroo.
Those are great questions. But it sounds a lot like jumping in head first. So let's take a quick step back.
What is going on with you and your dog?
I like to think of man's best friend in two terms. Dog Problems and People Problems.
Life with a dog brings plenty of both so let’s practice identifying what’s what.
Dog Problems: your dog’s wants and needs.
People Problems: your wants and needs for your dog.
So back to our young Fido example,
Dog Problem: I need to chew on things.
People Problem: I need my dog to not ruin my things.
You put away toys = Fido chews on the couch.
Dog Problem: It’s boring to be left alone.
People Problem: I need to go places where my pet can’t.
You go to the grocery store = Fido chews on the couch.
Dog Problem: I don’t know what to do when I’m nervous.
People Problem: I can’t control the noise outside my apartment.
A door slams = Fido chews on the couch.
Each problem and scenario shows completely different motivations all with the same end behavior of Fido chewing on the couch.
Now you could say, "screw it! I’ll solve the problem by letting Fido chew anything anytime, I mean, a dog needs to chew, right?" Or you could say "he is doing it to spite me," and keep Fido in his kennel until he "learns better." Neither of those tactics are actually addressing your and Fido’s problems and they may even cause more problems down the line.
So what can you do? Quite a lot.
Maybe Fido’s biggest motivation is the chewy texture of fluffy couches.
You could try buying him a new toy, one with genuine animal hide that’s way tastier than your sofa.
You could try supervising Fido while you're home, maybe play a game of tug near the couch or gently distract his mouth away from the couch.
When you do need to leave, you can secure Fido in his playpen or kennel so he only has access to dog-safe chew toys.
And just like that you and Fido are both happier and both easier to live with!
Now real life is never as simple as imaginary Fido. It make take all of the attempts above and more. As you practice, you can start to turn problem solving into a game. Then you get to improve your problems and you're having fun together! What a great way to enjoy man's best friend.
And that’s why you’re here. You want to find the happy middle ground and try solving both your problems and your dog’s problems; the win-wins. You’re willing to face the small battles for major victories. You’re preparing for problems with prevention and learning how to work through future problems by using your dog’s motivations as leverage. You're ready to have fun with your dog.
Now look at that! Congratulations! You just learned the foundations of positive reinforcement training!
“Wait, really? I don't have to go to chicken camp.”
Yep, really! You don’t need to worry about the theory here. We will focus on the practice of positive reinforcement using our less scientific words. If you know the behavior science you will see the patterns of overlap, but in my training I have found that thinking in terms of Dog Problems, People Problems, prevention, and motivation helps you zoom in on your unique relationship of canine and companion.
Now you know your Dog Problems and People Problems, you're ready for the training game!
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