When Behavior Goes Dark: Why Dogs Act Out and How to Fix It | Paint It Black

It’s known as Paint It Black. Not since we’re playing a record by the Rolling Stones with a song of the same name, by the way, one of my favorite songs. Nor is it because your dog is a lost cause. The reason is that the behavior has become so dark that the house itself tells a story about it, and that story is generally louder than the facts.

He charged in, barked through the door, caught the sleeve, and at the precise moment when you needed it, he gave the recall. In the kitchen, one person said, “He never does that,” while another said, “He always does that,” and both were tired. The behavior does look bad. That’s true. The mystery is generally not.

Most of the time, a dog that ‘acts out’ is doing a particular action in a particular place because that action has rewarded him. The first step isn’t to get another gadget; it is to state clearly what he actually did.

Name the behavior, not the biography

Acting out isn’t a behavior; it is a mood humans are in.

You could see a behavior on a video with the sound off. He put his mouth on a guest’s hand. After the truck had gone, he barked at the window for ten minutes. When the cheese came out, he jumped onto the counter. He froze, then exploded when a dog passed the driveway. He kept watch over the couch and could not settle after dark.

These are different problems, and you can’t solve them the same way. If you combine them all under a single term, such as “reactive”, “dominant”, “stubborn”, “anxious,” you cease to focus on the situation at hand and instead begin looking for a complete change of personality.

How about this alternative, in one sentence with three parts?

What happened just before, what he did, and what he got afterward.

Just as the doorbell rings, he barks at the door and kicks it. As a result, the guest enters, everyone starts talking at once, and someone laughs and pushes him down, which still counts as a party. That situation is not a mystery; it’s a rehearsal. He has attended this rehearsal many times.

Just as you asked him to stop the argument in the garden, he took it and left, and all he got was the scrap. Come did not abandon you because he doesn’t love you. Come lost because of a better salary.

Put the sentence down; if you can’t do that, you don’t have a training problem, but a story. Stories enable people to buy gadgets, and sentences tell you what to practice.

It is usually not a mystery

Dogs are honest in their behavior when it comes to what is effective. Since jumping gets them to reach the other dog’s chest, they keep jumping. Because barking makes the other dog leave, the dog keeps barking. Similarly, stealing food is successful every time the counters are busy, so it becomes more frequent just before a holiday, when the counters are about to get busy. He never woke up and decided to prefer the dark. The picture grew louder, and he then used the ability he already trusted.

The picture could indeed change very quickly at times. When a behavior appears suddenly, accompanied by pain, panting, a limp, an abrupt fear of a room it used to enter, or a dog that cannot get comfortable, it is a vet issue before it’s a training issue. Don’t try to train a dog who may be in pain. Get the vet to look at him. Then train the dog in front of you, not the one you wish had remained easy.

What we observe week to week is not nearly as striking as the narrative. There are just two adults and two rules. The signal only functions when the house is quiet. The dog has never had to settle while people are still at home. A door that was allowed to be exciting for a whole year starts to feel exciting again when a holiday comes around, and everyone is surprised by it. All of this doesn’t need a new theory; it just needs the same word used by each adult in the room where the situation breaks down.

The first fix is not a gadget you buy on Black Friday

It’s easy to order things like a basket muzzle, a louder collar, a chew that claims to promote calm, a harness with a slogan, and a video that says you can cure a lifetime in a weekend; they never mention what took place at the door.

If the behavior is dangerous, then take action tonight. Use a closed door, a leash, and the crate he already knows. Ask a visitor to wait outside until the dog is ready. Management doesn’t mean giving up; it’s how you ensure no one is bitten while you build the dog’s skills. A gadget isn’t management if you don’t know what it is preventing.

The initial training fix is smaller than the catalog.

Choose the sentence that you composed and, when the situation is dull, imagine the opposite image.

When he hits the door, have him do a Sit or a Down away from the door before anyone knocks. Say his name. Look. Then look at the door later, when the quiet version actually occurs. If he picks up food from the floor, have him do LEAVE IT with a bit of his own kibble. If he can’t settle down, send him to the area that the house already has designated, either the Kennel Up or the mat, while you are still in the room. Give five clean minutes, then stop before it gets dirty.

Say no once while he is doing it, then help him with the other action. Afterward, give a speech for the humans; he already got his paycheck.

Don’t add three new cues this week since the behavior frightened you. There is one accurate description and one skill. All the adults should use the same word. That remedy enables the following conversation. Afterward, let go of the idea that this dog is defective. He is most likely not; he is probably misunderstood and well-trained.

Before you buy anything

As you head into the holiday and sale season, you’ll come across many items designed for a dog that “acts out”. Some can be useful with an experienced person, but none are the first step. Discounts don’t address the behavior in question, and a new piece of equipment won’t erase a year’s worth of the doorbell acting like it’s a party.

Start with the sentence. If you want the rest of this run, it is on the Black November page. If you want first word on the Black Friday training offer before it opens to everyone on Friday, November 27, join the list. If the sentence you wrote is “someone could get hurt,” do not shop that. Book a strategy call and tell us the sentence.