If You See These 15 Behaviors, Your Dog Needs Extra Training | Pupford

As you can imagine, we get a lot of questions about dog training. One we get frequently is, “How do I know if I’m training my dog enough?”

Well, that’s a tricky one to answer because there are always new things we can teach our dogs and opportunities to reinforce good behavior. Also, everyone's training goals are different. Make sure you are training the dog in front of you and not comparing them to all your friends and families' dogs.

So I think a better question would be: How do I know if I’m not training my dog enough?

There are a few ways to tell if your dog would benefit from additional training sessions. If you see any of these 15 behaviors, your dog may need extra training.

Related Reading: 10 Best Puppy Training Tips

1. RESOURCE GUARDING

Snarling or growling when someone gets close to a dog’s food or toy is called resource guarding. If not resolved, this can lead to a dangerous situation like your dog biting someone.

What training would benefit a dog who resource guards? Desensitization to someone being near them with a resource, and environmental management to make them feel safe with all their resources.

2. EXCESSIVE BARKING

If your dog barks all the time, or at seemingly nothing, you might want to look more closely. This may be their way of trying to protect you from a visitor or something outside. You can use training sessions to teach them that there’s no threat, and barking isn’t necessary for everything!

What training would benefit a dog who barks excessively? Mental engagement games, teaching a designated spot for waiting when visitors come, and the Thank You Protocol .

3. LEASH PULLING

Pulling, chasing, and running all over the place while on the leash may seem harmless, but not having good leash etiquette can be dangerous if it gets too severe. Good leash behavior keeps your dog, and you, safe in a variety of scenarios.

What training would benefit a dog who pulls on their leash? Leash training.

4. CHEWING AND DESTRUCTION

Does your dog destroy things every time they’re left alone? Training can definitely help that. They may be suffering from separation anxiety or just boredom -- both of which can be helped with some extra training sessions.

What training would benefit a dog who acts destructively? Separation anxiety, engagement, any training that tires them out physically and mentally! As well as management, do not set your dog up to fail by giving them too much freedom unsupervised.

5. REACTIVITY TOWARDS OTHER DOGS

If your dog is snarling, growling, or lunging towards other dogs when out on walks they may be struggling with reactivity, which is actually a response based on fear - not aggression. Additional training may be necessary to teach your dog that they don’t need to be on guard around other pets.

What training would benefit a dog who acts aggressively around other dogs? Reactivity training.

6. SEPARATION ANXIETY

If your dog isn’t handling your post-quarantine return to work well, or just is anxious about you leaving in general, we know it can be hard. However, there are training methods that can help your dog become calmer and happier during their alone time. This will save you a lot of guilt, and save your dog a lot of stress (and possibly save your household items from destruction).

What training would benefit a dog who struggles being home alone? A separation anxiety course.

7. NOT LISTENING IN DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS

Some dogs ace their training sessions at home but don’t seem to listen to cues outside that environment. This is very common because dogs struggle to generalize. This means that just because they know a cue in their living room with minimal distractions, doesn't mean they can perform it at the park with a surplus of distractions. It is important to practice in the scenarios and take these extra distractions into account as your work on training.

What training would benefit a dog who struggles learning with distractions? More practice training in different environments.

8. FEAR OF NEW PLACES

Does your dog show nervous body language in new places? They may not have confidence in their ability to navigate their environment. Training sessions can boost confidence and make your dog feel more secure in new environments.

What training would benefit a dog that gets nervous in new environments? Any! They all build confidence and strengthen the bond between you and your dog. Just be sure not to force your dog into any situation that makes them uncomfortable, this will only increase their fear.

9. ACCIDENTS IN THE HOUSE

Potty training can be a long and frustrating (and messy) process for a lot of pup parents. Some dogs are still young and need to be taught the right place to go potty, while others just need periodic refreshers. If you can rule out medical reasons for incontinence, training will be your answer.

What training would benefit a dog that has accidents in the house? Potty training.

Related Reading: What Not To Do With a Puppy

10. JUMPING ON GUESTS

It’s normal for your pup to get excited or curious when new people come into the house. But if they are jumping up onto people as they come in the house, that can be dangerous and is definitely an unwanted behavior for many pup parents. With some additional training, you can help your dog learn to sit calmly when visitors come in.

What training would benefit a dog that jumps on guests? Greeting guests politely, and household management.

11. BITING

If you’ve ever spent more than one minute with a puppy, you’ll know they don’t have teeth -- they have tiny razors that seek hands and feet. Puppy biting is an unfortunate part of the teething phase and puppy development, but training can help them learn what’s appropriate to bite and what’s not.

What training would benefit a dog that bites? Enrichment activities

12. GROWLING AND AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR

If your dog is showing signs of aggression, it does not mean they are a bad dog! You dog may need to unlearn fear or anxiety from a previous situation or, they may just need a little more help understanding that their surroundings are not a threat. Either way, you’ll want to address this ASAP with training.

What training would benefit a dog that may be aggressive? We recommend working with a certified professional dog trainer if you are concerned about aggressive behaviors.

Related Reading: Does playing tug make a dog aggressive?

13. NOT ADJUSTING IN NEW ENVIRONMENTS

If you’ve recently brought your dog home, moved to a new house, or welcomed a new family member, a significant change in your dog’s environment can impact them. If you notice a change in behavior after an environment change, you’ll want to refresh your dog’s training in that new situation.

What training would benefit a dog that’s adjusting to a new environment? Review of all basic training and allow time for decompression.

14. COUNTER SURFING AND STEALING FOOD

If you can’t take your eyes off your dog in the kitchen without them swiping your dinner or getting on the counters, you’ll want to resolve that immediately. Not only is it good manners, it can prevent them from eating something that can be poisonous to them.

What training would benefit a dog that’s stealing food? Impulse control and 'leave it'.

15. DIGGING

While digging is instinctual for dogs, it can be really destructive in your house or yard so it’s important to teach your dog appropriate places they can dig.

What training would benefit a dog that’s digging? Enrichment activities (specific to digging)

If that sounds like a lot, and you’re not really sure how to train your dog to address those behaviors, don’t worry!

We’ve created The Pupford Academy specifically to help pup parents like you train your dog to be happy and well-behaved. With comprehensive, easy to follow videos led by certified trainers, cheat sheets, and supporting material, the variety of courses gives you everything you need to bring our science-based training methods into your home.

The Pupford Academy has courses like:

• Crate Training
• Separation Anxiety
• Reactive Dog Course
• Leash Walking
• Potty Training
• Barking Solutions

And more! To read more about our courses and trainers, view The Pupford Academy here!