Do you wonder why your dog behaves in a particular way? Or are you looking to resolve a training issue?
If you have a dog with a behavioural issue, it’s time to look at it from a network of influences.
One of the things I love about my job is taking on the detective role to identify and analyse what could be involved. In meeting a dog and their family and discussing the situation, little breadcrumbs of clues can be flagged that help to create the perfect pathway to resolve issues. Therefore, every dog can bring a new insight, or challenge that further adds to the toolkit of training support.
There is no such thing as good or bad behaviour and there is a big difference between problem behaviours and behavioural problems. To help your own dog, it is important to be aware of communicating effectively, but behaviour itself is not so cookie cutter and it is important to take all aspects into consideration. These can include:
- The Environment
- The Family Foundations
- The Expectations
- The Context
- The Diet
- The Microbiome
- The Stress levels
- The Emotional Brain
- The Sleep Pattern
- The Chemical Load
- The Brain Chemistry
- The Understanding
- The Prior Learning
- The Reinforcement History
- The Genetic Influence
- The Maternal Impact
- The Developmental Experience
- The Body and Fascia
- The Hormones
- The Individual
- The Time of Day and Weather
This gives you plenty to think about and is not an all-inclusive list. Depending on your dog’s history, there may be some of these that you won’t be able to answer and that’s ok! But, it is also good to know that straight forward obedience training isn’t always going to cut it and may explain why you haven’t gotten the results you are after so far.
Instead, take comfort in knowing that a holistic approach can help to set you and your dog up for success. Reach out for support with a professional that has a thorough understanding because that experience can help to crack the code and give you and your dog the advantage.
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