A month or so ago, Marco, a nine month old Labrador Retriever puppy was jumping up and knocking Ryder and his older brother Royce off their feet. He’d steal objects and play keep away. Counter surf and steal food. And generally engage in other problematic behavior.
This is him now with Ryder. He’s a current student in DogDude™️’s Advanced Training: Exercise/Agility/Obedience program. Ryder’s mom sent me that video with the following text:
The thing is, Marco graduated from my Jump Start Puppy Program with honors. He was an excellent student and surpassed everyone’s expectations. I started training him when he was only ten weeks old. He was probably 18 - 20 weeks (4-1/2 to 5 months) old when he graduated. How did he fall so far so fast? He was such a great student!
Here’s what happened. Marco did so well in his puppy training because we started so early. We also finished early, about five months old. As puppies, dogs are like a sponge. They absorb knowledge and are very malleable. They prefer to stay close to their human caregivers as their juvenile safety net.
But as dogs age from puppy to adolescent, starting about 6 to 8 months to 1-1/2 to 2 years old, their brain undergoes some physical changes that result in behavioral changes. Adolescence in dogs can be very similar to adolescence and teen-aged humans. This is the life period when most dogs are surrendered to the shelter. During canine adolescence most dogs will test limits, push boundaries, engage in thrill seeking, and push buttons to elicit an emotional rise. They will also start trying adult behaviors. It’s as if Mother Nature is preparing them for adulthood by testing limits and boundaries and learning what they can get away with and what they can’t.
Many times, the human family members are the only accessible peers for the outlet of this behavior. Most of the time, the humans unwittingly reinforce this problematic adolescent behavior by directing massive amounts of energy to make it stop, rather than through obedience training so they can direct the dog to what they want to happen. Once the pattern has been established that undesirable behavior by the dog earns it the reinforcement it’s seeking, a behavioral routine has been born. Unless interdicted with obedience practice of an incompatible parallel behavior; the undesirable behavior will likely only intensify.
Back to the problem: Marco has done so well in puppy training that his family thought he was “trained” and that his obedient behavior wouldn’t change. They didn’t realize, along with most other people, what a significant change in behavior canine adolescence can bring. So they left his collar off when at home. During training, Marco was required to wear his collar and a house line at all times so his behavior could be effectively managed without having to physically touch him. The house line is simply a lightweight leash about 4 or 5 feet long with the wrist loop cut off to avoid getting snagged. When your dog engages in undesirable behavior, you simply walk to the end of the house line, pick it up, and prevent your dog from accessing the object of the undesirable behavior. When the dog struggles to regain access to the object but eventually realizes he can’t, the dog will disengage from the object by choice. That’s your opportunity to regain the dog’s attention and get it to approach you for a reward and redirection to a desirable object or behavior and further reinforcement. The house line attached to the collar gives the humans the ability to effectively enforce their commands and prevent unwanted behavior through an inability to access the object or behavior.
Dogs are smart. They know the collar and leash provide humans with the ability to enforce their wishes. They also know that no collar and no leash = no enforcement.
So as Marco passed from puppy into adolescent with no collar and house line for enforcement; he also began engaging in typical adolescent behavior. He would ambush humans as they walked up the side lot from the trash cans in the backyard. He was knocking down and mouthing his infant and young boy human housemates. He was counter-surfing and stealing food from hands and tables.
Marco knew he could make these choices and that the humans couldn’t prevent him. So, he made the choices that provided the reinforcement he was seeking. And the humans unwittingly reinforced his decision by directing intense energy at the behavior they were trying to stop.
Marco’s human contacted me and reported all these difficult behaviors. Marco could have easily gotten overly aroused and hurt one of the young boys or another family member. Then Marco might have gotten into some very serious trouble with tragic consequences.
I visited with Marco and his family. It was immediately clear that Marco’s behavioral issues were due to canine adolescent thrill-seeking behavior and a lack of enforcement.
We decided to enroll Marco in my Advanced Training: Exercise/Agility/Obedience program. In this program, I take what the dog has learned in basic obedience training and expand those simple tasks into complex behavioral routines. I build confidence and a well balanced mindset through controlled exposure (desensitization and counter conditioning) to environmental stimuli.
I develop proprioception through agility work and challenging obstacles. I tap into their work drive through intense, structured physical and mental activity. In addition to all of this, I focus on practicing obedience.
Dogs have an internal energy supply meant for working. If we don’t supply the job we want our dogs to do, our dogs will find a job to do for themselves. That job is almost never a job we humans want them to have.
In addition to two advanced training sessions each week, Marco’s humans also wanted two or more Drop In Care visits in which the DogDude™️ team member would interact with Marco in activities specifically designed so that Marco will practice desirable behavior and obedience.
The effect has been amazing. I regularly receive updates from Marco’s human about great behavior with the children. She tells me she sees differences in Marco’s decision making that reflect the practice and ability to enforce desired behavior and prevent practice of undesired behavior.
Because of Marco’s family’s commitment to raising and educating a dog responsibly, Marco will become the perfect family dog for years to come.
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