Dogs are not born learning bad behaviors.  They are either taught by us (they jump, we pet, they learn that jumping is rewarding), taught by another dog (one dog sees another counter surf and suddenly you have two counter surfers) or they are self taught (if they get into the trash and learn that yummy food is there, they will go back to the trash again and again).  

Are dogs born with instinct?  Of course!  If you get a cattle dog, they will have the instinct to herd.  If you get a beagle, they will have their noses to the ground.  Can those instinctual behaviors manifest into bad habits?  Yup.  For example:  your cattle dog nips at the heels of people who move to fast (that is instinct).  You let it go and let it go and let it go...and then suddenly you want it fixed.  Now you are working against instinct AND habit. 

All too often I see dogs with behaviors that are troublesome.  And worse:  engrained.  What that means is that they have been exhibiting the behavior for a long, long while. And if we don't give them new habits, those bad ones become the only ones they know.  And if that behavior has been going on for a while, it will take some time to modify.  And you may need a professional.  

Before contacting a trainer, however, here is what you will need to do.  Ask yourself if you have seen ANY signs of the behavior in the past--even small ones.  If you really can't see any, contact your vet. Often sudden behavior changes have medical reasons.  If you can find clues that the behavior was present, contact a trainer and be prepared to work.  

Here is my point:  as soon as you realize a behavior is manifesting in such a way that COULD be a problem down the road, call a trainer for help.  If your puppy growls when you try to take a toy away, that may be cute to you but when the dog he becomes does it, it is suddenly an issue.  Your 5 pound puppy jumps up to greet you?  Adorable.  But when that puppy turns into a 40 pound dog and jumps on your small child, it isn't so dorable.  So, the thing is, it wasn't sudden.  It had BEEN an issue.  You just didn't realize it.  

When you reach out to a trainer, be honest--don't hold back.  We can't help you if you don't tell us everything about when the behavior started, what you have done (good and bad) and how often the behavior occurs.  And please realize that if the behavior has been happening for a while, it will take time for the behavior to be modified.  You and the trainer will be working to create new habits--and if you think of how hard it is for you to create new habits, THAT is what we are working with.  It will be difficult to give a clear time line of when the behavior will be modified, but what I can say is that if you are dedicated and consitent, you will see results. But you will have to be patient.  It could take time.  Weeks.  Months.  But it can work.  And it will.  

How do I know?  Because the minute I knew Gracie had anxiety, I reached out for help.  And as soon as I realized that Garmin had intense leash reactivity resulting in redirected frustration?  Worked on that, too.  If I didn't, those problems would have simply gotten bigger.  They would not have gone away. Are they gone completely?  Nope--in fact, some of those behaviors will never completely go away.  They can be modified.  And managed.  But they may never go away.

Never be afraid to ask for help--it's how we learn and how we grow as dog owners.  ​But, the sooner you reach out for help, the higher the probability that you will be able to turn it around.  Would it be easier to give up?  Probably, but you owe it to your dog to try.  

Often when I take Gracie out into public I get stopped by people who have dogs themselves and we often strike up a conversation.  Inevitably, I hear at least one of the following things:

"It must be nice to have a dog who is as well behaved at that"
"My dog could NEVER be that well behaved"
"I can't believe she listens to you like that"
"I wish my dog would act that way."
"I can't even get my dog to sit, much less anything else."

So, I thought I would address a few of those things.

"It Must Be Nice to Have a Dog as Well Behaved as That."
It is.  But she wasn't always that way.  She didn't come to me that way.  I worked with her A LOT to get her to this point.  Gracie has been in training of some kind since she was 5 months old.  She went through basic obedience, intermediate obedience, advanced obedience and therapy dog training.  She also had private training sessions for issues like separation anxiety and leash reactivity.  She was CGC certified and therapy dog certified by the time she was a year old.  Not because she came to me perfect. It was because I got her in classes and, in addition, worked her at home.  

"My Could NEVER be that Well Behaved."
Yes.  You dog can be this well behaved.  Remember:  Gracie was awful.  She had moderate separation anxiety, crate anxiety and she was nearly impossible to house break.  She was afraid of men.  She was afraid of people in hats.  She hated people coming into my home.  In fact, when I told the private trainer I had hired that my goal was to get her to have her Canine Good Citizen Title, he told me she would most likely never do that because of her issues.  I thought otherwise, so I worked hard.  Everyday.  I still work with her everyday.  And her behavior is the result.  Maybe your dog won't ever be a therapy dog, but your dog can learn manners, but it isn't going to happen overnight.  You are going to have to work at it.  Rarely (if ever) are you going to have a perfectly well behaved dog dropped into your life.  Yes, maybe if you adopt an older dog they will have some training so it will be easier, but it will still be up to you to make sure that you continue the training.  Getting to the point of having a well behaved dog is hard.  Maintaining that behavior is also a challenge because after finishing classes often maintaining a training schedule is hard.  You have to commit to your dog if you want the well behaved dog.

"I Can't Believe She Listens to You Like That"
She listens to me because she trusts me.  She listens to me because I have shown her that there are benefits to listening to me.  She listens to me because I have encouraged her to do so.  She listens to me because she has learned that when she does, amazing things happen.  I have a great relationship with Gracie.  She knows I will never hurt her, lead her into danger or set her up for failure.  She listens to me because I have never given her a reason not to.  I have never hit her, made her fear making mistakes or harmed her in any way.  I can't say I have never raised my voice (I have.  I am human and I make mistakes), but I can say I have never put her in a position to lose her faith and trust in me.  I have never put a shock collar on her to "encourage" her to behave.  I have never put a prong collar on her to "encourage" her not to pull.  I have simply shown her that there are rewards to listening.  And she has thrived on it.  This is why I don't offer board and trains (and, no, I am not bashing those trainers who offer them as I know quite a few).  I don't offer them because it takes YOU out of the equation.  And I think building that bond and that trust is a key component in training. 

"I Wish my Dog Would Act That Way."
Your dog CAN act that way.  But wishing for it to happen and making it happen are two different things.  Ask yourself:  what have you done to get your dog to the level that Gracie is now?  I didn't have a magic wand to make her this way.  I wished she was better behaved and took action.  Trust me, I get it.  Garmin would make a GREAT agility dog, but he has some issues that need to be ironed out first.  So, instead of me saying "I wish Garmin could be an agility dog," I have to take action to get him to the point where he can be an agility dog.  If you have goals in mind for your dog, you can start working towards them.  Even if you never get there, at least you end up with a dog that is better balanced, better behaved and you will find you have a better relationship. 

"I Can't Even Get My Dog to Sit, Much Less Anything Else."
Then start small.  Enroll in an obediece class where you start with the basics.  In the last Basic Foundations class that I had I had a one year old dog that came to me not knowing any commands.  He wouldn't sit, come, lay down.  Nothing.  It took two classes for him to learn sit.  It took three weeks for him to decide that he knew "down."  But, after that, there was no stopping him.  In fact, he is now enrolled in my advanced obedience class.  So, your dog CAN learn.  You just have to take that first step.  Focus on that relationship you want with your dog.  Don't worry about anyone else.  

And always remember that it is okay if your dog doesn't get it right away.  It is okay if they struggle a little.  Just don't give up.  And maybe one day people will run into you and say "I wish my dog was THAT well behaved" and you can tell them "well, let me tell you how I got here..."

iI wish people could see the dog we see.  At home, he is so good.  Out in public, he's totally different."

I can't tell you how many times I have heard that from clients.  And I get it.  100%.

Because Garmin is that dog.

You see, at home, Garmin is sweet and fairly calm.  He has his moments when he paces and is on edge (usually when we haven't had a chance to walk or train), but, for the most part he has settled in nicely here and can find a soft, warm place to sleep or chill and he is content.  

But in public, people don't see that.  He is a whining, panting, vocal mess.  He is still sweet as can be, but he can't be quiet.  And he can't stand still.  I can get him to focus on commands and perform them, but not with the accuracy he can do them at home.  I can't even take my own dog to group classes because it is just too much for him.  

I can see people eyeing him and shaking their heads.  I can see them whispering to each other about him.  And I don't care.  Why?  Because I know that he is doing the best that he can.  Is it perfect?  No.  Are we working on it?  Everytime we go out.  Is he making progress?  Absolutely.  But he is anxious and tries his best.  And that is all I can expect of him.  It is all anyone can expect of their dog.  I tell clients that--don't worry about what others think.  Accept what you can do.  Accept what your dog can do and work from there.  No one else has to like it, understand it or agree with it--you just have to do what is right by your dog.  Show them that they world isn't scary.  Even if it takes some time.  

Garmin, like so many other anxious dogs, is a great dog.  He loves to work and train and he wants more than anything to please me.  He loves people.  The world is just a big scary place to him.  

One day he may calmly walk through a store or ride in the car without being upset, but, for now, people will have to take my word for it.