When Behavior Doesn’t Make Sense

As Canine Behavior Consultants, we often hear this question: “Why does my dog do that? It doesn’t make any sense.”

Your dog barks at the friendly neighbor. He lunges at a dog he has met before. She refuses to walk down a particular street. He knows “sit” perfectly at home but suddenly seems to have forgotten every cue at the veterinary clinic.

From the outside, these behaviors can look irrational. But behavior isn't always sensible. Very often, behavior is emotional. And when emotion takes over, logic doesn't always get a vote.

Your Dog Isn't Always Choosing the Behavior You See

We sometimes assume that if a dog behaves in a particular way, he must have consciously decided that it was the best option. But dogs don't always respond from a calm, thoughtful place. Fear, frustration, excitement, anxiety, anticipation, and stress can dramatically influence what a dog does in a given moment. Consider a dog who barks and pulls toward another dog. We might think, “He sees another dog every day, so he should know better.” But the dog's internal experience may be very different. Perhaps he is worried. Perhaps he is frustrated because he cannot approach. Perhaps previous encounters have taught him that other dogs predict something unpleasant. Or perhaps he is simply so excited that his ability to regulate himself has temporarily disappeared. The behavior may look excessive; however, from the dog's emotional perspective, it may make perfect sense at the time.

Emotion Changes What a Dog Can Do

One of the most important concepts in dog training is that knowing a behavior is not the same as being able to perform it under every emotional condition. A dog can know “stay.” That doesn't mean he can stay when a squirrel runs past. A dog can know how to walk nicely. That doesn't mean he can calmly pass something that frightenes him. A dog can know that jumping isn't allowed. That doesn't mean he can always control himself when an exciting visitor arrives.

Training doesn't happen in a vacuum.

The dog's emotional state affects his ability to access what he has learned. When arousal rises, thinking and self-control can become harder. This is why repeatedly saying a cue louder, faster, or more firmly often doesn't solve the problem. The issue may not be that the dog doesn't know. The issue may be that the dog isn't emotionally available to use what he knows.

Understanding the emotion behind behavior gives us a much better starting point for changing it.

Your dog's behavior may not always make sense to you. But that doesn't mean it doesn't make sense to your dog. Behavior has a story. Our job isn't simply to change the ending. It's to understand the story that came before it.