Ever known a dog who would NEVER steal food from the counter ... until the moment your back is turned? What about a puppy who sneaks off to pee behind a couch? How about a dog who steals your sunglasses and happily chews them to bits on your bed, out of sight?

Chances are, these pups were all trained to be sneaky!

We have all done this.. myself included. It took me way longer than I'd like to admit to learn this lesson. When we punish a dog (even just using a stern voice) for doing things we don't like, we create dogs who still want to do those things but know not to let us catch them in the act.

When we wait until the dog has done the thing, then act, we are being REACTIVE. To best change behaviour, we need to be PROACTIVE... keep reading, we will talk about how to do that.

Dopamine

Did you know? The biggest hit of dopamine comes in anticipation, immediately before the dog (or human) acquires the prize, whether this is a rabbit, a pair of smelly glasses, that sandwich on the counter, or the thought of relieving a full bladder. This is true EVEN IF THEY DON'T GET THE PRIZE!

When we react after or as the dog is being 'naughty', the dog has already got that dopamine surge and is feeling pretty happy with themselves. This means they will likely do this behaviour again, even if we get after them about it!

Proactive Training

The best training is when we set boundaries and limit a dog's ability to make "bad" choices. I use the quotes because we humans think counter-surfing and raiding the trash can is bad behaviour, but dogs don't see it that way.

Helping dogs set good habits usually involves a lot of management and supervision while they are just learning. When a puppy or new dog is exploring their home, it is natural for them to look up on the counters. Keep your counters clear of food for the first 6 months. and your dog will learn that there's no reason to look up there. Once you start leaving things on the counter, supervise your dog and redirect them or use baby gates or tethers to keep your dog away from temptation.