Giving Choices = Better Behavior – Dogster

Dine in or take away? Going to the gym or going out for a run? We make a lot of daily decisions without thinking too much. But what about our dogs? We decide what they eat, where they sleep, if they have a garden and when they walk. We decide when they play (and usually with whom) and even where and when they do their business. All of these restrictions can make dogs unhappy. But by giving our dogs more choices, we improve how they feel, and better behavior often follows.

Dogs face the daily challenges of living in a human-centered world, so it’s up to us to help them get along. We can support our dogs by giving them choices and opportunities.

Applied ethologist Kim Brophey says, “Few modern dogs have been evolutionarily, naturally primed for the life of a ‘companion’ dog. Autonomy and the instincts, choices and actions that dogs were historically developed for are not only no longer valued in most cases, but are even considered “problematic” behaviors.

Take, for example, the terrier’s need to hunt or the Border Collie’s need to herd. When the terrier digs up the garden or the Border Collie nibbles on the heels of children, this is problematic behavior from a “bad” dog. But dogs need outlets for their energy and time to just be dogs.

Kim encourages us to “let them destroy their own stuff for fun; let them chew sticks and pinecones without dipping into their mouths. We can let them spend as many hours as they want in the fenced back yard, enjoying the unsupervised elements; take them on long hikes in the woods on a 30 foot leash in the middle of nowhere and let them be in the moment away from human madness long enough to remember who they are in their bones.

Let your dog problem solve

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Choice strengthens our dogs, encourages resilience and self-reliance, and helps build confidence and independence. This expands their ability to make good choices without direction; a practical skill that prevents us from micromanaging their behavior. Dogs are good at solving problems on their own if we let them.

Certified canine behavior consultant Laura Donaldson advocates taking choice a step further by giving dogs the agency, which is choice on steroids. Laura says, “I define agency as dogs learning that they can influence their environment using their behavior. They don’t just respond to human “commands” about what to do and when to do it. First and foremost, give them time and space to think things through, so they can problem solve and make good decisions.

Simple Ways to Give Choice

Giving dogs choices means providing at least two good options that are healthy, safe, and don’t reinforce unwanted behaviors. Here are some easy ways to get started:

Let your dog follow his nose and choose the route on walks.
Give him several comfortable places to sleep instead of just one.
Let him choose his own toys.
If he doesn’t feel a particular workout, stop for the day.
Let your dog choose whether or not to be petted: if he wanders off, don’t force him. If he wants more, you’ll know.
Not all dogs want to be social butterflies. So, instead of having him hang out with guests, let him relax under the table if he wants or give him a dedicated quiet space.
Let it go the other way when a strange or unfamiliar dog approaches on a walk. Do not force.

By respecting dogs’ decisions, we help prevent issues like learned helplessness where our dogs feel like they have no control over their environment and flooding, which occurs when a dog is forced to experience something that he finds frightening. Both make unhappy dogs.

Allie Bender, Certified Canine Behavior Consultant, explains, “A number of maladaptive behaviors are exacerbated or may even be caused by a lack of choice and/or control. When we give our dogs the opportunity and the skills to make better choices, we open the door to working with them, instead of fighting against them, to solve behavioral issues. It’s a win-win: when dogs have more control over their lives, we see less unwanted behavior.

Check in with your dog

In any given situation, check your dog’s body language. If he doesn’t want to do something, give him the freedom to walk away. Never underestimate your dog’s attempts to tell you that he is uncomfortable.

Reading a dog’s body language is an overview, but here are some pointers to specific body parts:

The head should be straight and confident; turned away is avoidance or deference, and a bowed head signals fear or submission.

Relaxed ears can be forward or backward; pinned back can signify submission or fear while pinned forward indicates excitement (can be friendly or not).

The eyes should be soft and may even squint; averted eyes could mean fear or submission; and while eye contact is good, harsh stares can be a sign of trouble.

The body should be loose, straight and confident; tense or lowered postures can mean a dog is feeling scared, anxious, or even aggressive.

Ideally, the tail is carried low to medium, with a friendly, relaxed wagging; a tail carried high indicates excitement (can be playful or aggressive) and tucked up indicates fear or submission.

Observing our dogs’ decision-making processes gives us the opportunity every day to learn more about their preferences, personalities, wants and needs in order to help them live their best lives. A strong combination of life skills training, meeting their physical, emotional and mental needs, and offering choices helps our dogs feel their best. And when they feel better, they behave better.

Simple Toy Preference Test

This can be done often and is very helpful in creating a ladder of toys (order of relevance to your dog) to reinforce desired behaviors:

Gather three to five new toys. Go for variety! Dogs see blue and yellow best, so choose those colors when possible.
Where your dog can’t see you, put the toys on the floor a few feet apart.
Invite your dog to explore the toys, mentally noting which one he targets first, second and so on.
Stay away ! This is a fun, independent activity, and you don’t want to skew the results by your proximity to it or certain toys with your body language or verbal cues.