Understand why problem behaviours occur and how to address them effectively. Learn to identify training gaps versus emotional issues.
This module is a major turning point because once owners understand WHY behaviour problems happen, the solutions become clear, simple, and effective.
Most behaviour issues are NOT:
- dominance
- stubbornness
- defiance
- “bad dogs”
They are either training gaps, emotional responses, or normal dog behaviours expressed in the wrong context.
This module shows you the difference and gives you the blueprint for fixing problems at the root — not just treating symptoms.
Understand why behaviour issues happen, how to diagnose the true cause, and how to choose the right solution every time.
If a behaviour feels confusing, frustrating, or random, this module removes that confusion.
All behaviour has a reason — and once you understand the reason, you know how to fix it.
🔵 1. The Three Root Causes of Behaviour Problems
Every behaviour issue falls into ONE of these categories:
✔ 1. Training Gaps
Your dog does not know what to do, or has not learned the behaviour in enough environments.
Examples:
- pulling on lead
- ignoring commands outdoors
- slow or inconsistent recall
- jumping on people
- grabbing objects
Training gaps are solved by:
- clearer teaching
- better timing
- more repetition
- improved reinforcement
- practicing in multiple environments
This is the simplest category to fix.
✔ 2. Emotional Issues
The dog KNOWS what to do…
but cannot do it because of emotion.
Emotional behaviour includes:
- fear
- anxiety
- over-arousal
- frustration
- stress
- excitement overload
- reactivity
These dogs are not being naughty — they are overwhelmed.
Emotional issues require:
- calming routines
- confidence work
- desensitisation
- counterconditioning
- reducing pressure
- building safety and trust
Punishment always makes emotional issues worse.
✔ 3. Instinct-Driven Behaviours
These are natural dog behaviours done at the wrong time or place.
Examples:
- barking
- digging
- chewing
- chasing
- sniffing
- guarding
- herding
- hunting
- mouthing
You cannot “turn off” instincts —
but you CAN redirect them, fulfil them in healthy ways, and prevent them from happening destructively.
🔵 2. How to Diagnose Which Category Your Dog Falls Into
Use this simple diagnostic question:
“Is the dog able to perform the correct behaviour in an easy environment?”
✔ If YES → this is an emotional issue or instinct
✔ If NO → this is a training gap
Examples:
Dog sits indoors but not outdoors → training gap (generalisation needed)
Dog refuses to go near strangers → emotional issue
Dog jumps on guests → training gap + over-arousal
Dog chases cars → instinct + excitement
Dog growls when guarding food → instinct + fear + emotional issue
This module teaches you to correctly identify the true cause — so you don’t waste time on the wrong solution.
🔵 3. Why “Dominance Theory” Is Outdated and Wrong
Many behaviour issues are incorrectly blamed on:
- “dominance”
- “alpha behaviour”
- “trying to take over the house”
Science shows dogs behave based on:
- reinforcement history
- emotional state
- environment
- genetics
- stress
- learned patterns
Your dog is not trying to dominate you —
they’re making the best decisions they can with the information they have.
Understanding this frees you from:
- guilt
- shame
- confusion
- force-based methods
🔵 4. Training Gaps vs Emotional Issues — Key Differences
✔ Training Gaps Look Like:
- dog looks confused
- dog offers wrong behaviours
- dog is distracted
- dog does behaviour in some places but not others
- dog responds slowly or inconsistently
- dog improves rapidly with better rewards
Solution: teach clearer, practice more, reduce distractions.
✔ Emotional Issues Look Like:
- dog refuses to take food
- dog cannot focus
- dog appears tense or hypervigilant
- dog shuts down or avoids
- dog reacts explosively (barking/growling)
- dog panics, trembles, hides
- dog becomes overly excited or frantic
Solution: build calmness, confidence, gradual exposure, safety.
🔵 5. The 5 Most Common Behaviour Issues — Explained
This module introduces the core causes and the foundation for solving them (details in Modules 14 & 15).
✔ 1. Barking (At Home or Outdoors)
Barking is communication.
Dogs bark because of:
- alerting
- fear
- excitement
- frustration
- boredom
- attention seeking
Each type has a different solution.
✔ 2. Jumping on People
Jumping is:
- excitement
- greeting behaviour
- seeking attention
- habit reinforced by humans
Solution: calm greeting structure (Module 12).
✔ 3. Pulling on Lead
Caused by:
- pulling working in the past
- overstimulation
- excitement
- lack of training in progressively harder environments
Solution: loose-lead program (Module 10).
✔ 4. Destructiveness (Chewing/Digging)
Often caused by:
- boredom
- under-stimulation
- teething
- normal dog instinct
- stress relief
Solution: management + redirection + enrichment (Module 15).
✔ 5. Reactivity
Barking/lunging at dogs, people, cars, etc.
Always caused by:
- fear
- frustration
- anxiety
- over-arousal
- past negative experiences
Solution: distance, calmness, counterconditioning (Module 16).
🔵 6. The Behaviour Triangle (Professional Assessment Tool)
Every behaviour is shaped by THREE factors:
✔ 1. Antecedents (What triggers the behaviour)( a thing that existed before)
Examples:
- doorbell
- approaching dogs
- strangers
- noise
- movement
- being alone
✔ 2. Behaviour (What the dog does)
bark, jump, lunge, hide, freeze, pace, etc.
✔ 3. Consequences (What the dog gains from the behaviour)
attention, distance, relief, access, freedom, reward.
If you change ANY point of the triangle, behaviour changes.
This is the foundation of behaviour modification.
🔵 7. Behaviour Change Roadmap (Your Step-by-Step Guide)
Step 1: Identify the behaviour (clear description)
No guessing — be specific.
Step 2: Identify the trigger
What starts the behaviour?
Step 3: Identify the dog’s emotional state
Fear? Excitement? Frustration? Confusion?
Step 4: Remove or reduce the trigger temporarily
Reduce pressure so dog can learn.
Step 5: Teach alternative behaviour
Sit, look at you, go to mat, etc.
Step 6: Reinforce calmness heavily
Calm behaviour MUST pay well.
Step 7: Slowly reintroduce the trigger
In tiny, manageable increments.
Step 8: Build real-life reliability
Practice in different places, intensities, and contexts.
This roadmap works for every problem behaviour.
🔵 8. Practical Exercises for Module 13
Exercise A: Trigger Diary
Write down:
- what happened
- what triggered behaviour
- how dog reacted
- intensity level
- distance from trigger
- recovery time
You will see patterns quickly.
Exercise B: The Calmness Capture Drill
Reward calm behaviour ANY time your dog offers it naturally.
This teaches:
“Calm is your default.”
Exercise C: Antecedent-Behaviour-Consequence Chart
For each behaviour, write:
- Before
- During
- After
This reveals what drives the behaviour.
Exercise D: 80% Rule Check
Ask:
“Is my dog successful 80% of the time?”
If no → make training easier.
🔵 9. What Success Looks Like After Module 13
By the end of this module, you will be able to:
✔ identify the true root cause of any behaviour
✔ distinguish training gaps from emotional problems
✔ prevent issues instead of reacting to them
✔ understand your dog with clarity (not frustration)
✔ choose the RIGHT solution quickly and confidently
✔ avoid outdated, harmful advice
✔ build training plans with accuracy
And YOUR DOG will:
✔ feel understood
✔ experience less confusion
✔ begin to show calmer, more predictable behaviour
✔ respond better to training
✔ trust you more deeply
Responses