May 20, 2023
Our dogs are genetically obsessed with controlling movement and space. Many behavioral issues like resource guarding and reactivity stem from our dogs believing they can control space in the environment. Oftentimes, we do not realize how we are contributing to these undesired behaviors in our day to day lives.
Take the positive feedback loop of what we call “mail person syndrome”. Your dog is hanging out in the house, the mail person walks up to the door and drops off a package. Your dog barks and then the mail person goes away. This may not seem like a big deal, but for a dog, it absolutely is! They are learning that by acting big and scary, they can create space. This pattern is continuously reinforced by the environment so we have to interrupt it in order to change the dog’s response. If you cannot break the pattern, you cannot change the behavior.
Let’s also consider a dog who comes into your space demanding affection, or who brings you a toy and immediately expects that you will play because they told you it was time. These behaviors are so, so easy to overlook and reinforce. We have to remember that for dogs, whoever controls space in the relationship, controls the relationship. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want my dog thinking he can control every aspect of his life. Dogs seldom make good choices without human guidance unless taught to do so.
Start practicing controlling space in your house. Set boundaries at doorways, use a place command to send your day away from you, pick up and put away their toys unless you’re actively playing with them, start using spatial pressure or a leash around the house where you need it. You will see a difference in your dog's behavior when you take control of space in the relationship!
Happy Training,
Bree ❤️
