Why did my dog start behaving this way?!?
Behavior changes.
Some dogs may seem to suddenly develop separation anxiety, reactivity, or other surprising and undesirable behaviors.
When deciding what training or management to use, consider possible causes of the behavior change.
They were able to be left alone for 8 hours one month, and then next they bark as soon as the door shuts and don’t stop. Or they begin destroying walls and doors.
Some new behaviors may be directed at other dogs, humans, sounds, or objects on walks.
It could be something totally different like barking more and louder at nothing even when you are home or voraciously eating/getting into things they never have before.
There isn’t one answer to why sudden behaviors can pop up for your dog. Here are some things to consider if this is happening for you and your pup:
ANYTIME your dog has a sudden change in behavior – check in with your vet. Check out their health. Even if other factors may play a role, it is worth making sure nothing is out of the ordinary with their body and health first.
Hopefully if this is the culprit, a vet will find something temporary like an ear infection or stomach upset. However, this will not always be the case.
If your dog had a sudden behavior change due to permanent body or health changes then it is important to not only consider some training but also to find accommodations that will help your dog learn to be comfortable.
A Few Examples:
Vision changes or blindness – Place/dab consistent scents around the house to help navigation, various textured rugs to indicate thresholds, making sure to have verbal cues in place, don’t move your furniture around.
Hearing or deafness – Use hand signals for cues and communication, avoid surprises like sudden touches without verbal warning or putting them in situations with unpredictable dogs (or toddlers).
Mobility issues – Use ramps or dog wheelchairs when possible, make new accessible spaces extra comfy and a central place where you hang out with them, have regular sitters when you are out to make sure they are safe and have their needs met.
Incontinence – Can you set up an indoor bathroom area? If not, having regular sitters/walkers who understand the situation may be enough, dog diapers or belly bands (but making sure they are changed often enough that they do not become uncomfortable or unhealthy).
Did you recently move or have a change in schedule or household dynamics?
Changes like these can absolutely affect behavior – in some cases this can just be a “settling in” phase, You can help your dog through it with treats, counter-conditioning, and listening to dog’s needs - give them the opportunity to warm up to the situation instead of assuming that they will like everyone or everything that is new.
Changes like these can also begin or exacerbate preexisting separation anxiety – In this particular case it is less likely that “settling in” will be enough, this dog will need separation anxiety protocol to work through it. Remember that if this happens, it is not your fault. Many dogs experience and recover from separation anxiety with a careful approach.
Did your dog recently have a different or bad experience?
If they had a negative experience with another dog then they may develop fear or over-stimulation related to all dogs, or specific dogs. Or similarly a negative experience with a person, object, or sound.
In this case a counter-condition and desensitization plan is the way to go - reach out to an experienced trainer (like me) to help set this up.
They may have tolerated a new experience but ultimately found it overstimulating.
Use sniffy walks, decompression, and familiar training games. Before or in the future using high value treats for new or potentially difficult things. Keep in mind that if they can’t eat they probably need a break and/or distance.
It can take time, but big feelings can get better with the right training protocol - look for a certified professional trainer who uses science-based training, positive reinforcement, least intrusive/minimally invasive (LIMA) methods.
How old is your dog?
Young 3 months – 2 years: These puppies and adolescents are still learning social cues and boundaries. It is normal throughout this age range to have great days and hard days – keep being gentle and using snacks in new experiences this whole time, keep treating for things you like and asking for alternatives/ignoring what you don’t like. This period also comes with many body changes like teething, tummy aches, growing pains, accidents around times of growth spurts. All of these may cause your dog to be uncomfortable physically, sensitive to touch, or have a lower frustration tolerance. Remember this when you think your dog is “just stubborn” and give some grace.
It will get better! Be consistent with your training and expectations, remember that they are still growing and learning a lot.
Young-Middle 2 years – 6 years: While sound sensitivity can be something a dog has since puppy-hood, many dogs do not develop sound sensitivity or thunder/fireworks fears until later (often 3-5 years). Keep this in mind and give dogs the best feelings possible during loud sound events. Do not bring dogs to fireworks displays, ideally set them up for success by having a dog sitter or staying home with your dog when they are young for thunder and fireworks.
Older/Senior: Older dogs often have body changes that lead to big behavior changes. Just like mentioned in the “See a Veterinarian” section earlier these are especially possible as your dog ages. Keep in mind how these changes make different situations harder.
Eyesight and hearing changes: More difficult to read other dogs’ body language, less warning for surprises or fast-approaching people/dogs/objects.
Arthritis: Less comfortable to be jostled/played with, chronic pain, arthritis is well documented to be correlated with increased behavior issues like reactivity, separation issues, and more.
Mobility issues: They may not have the same access as before which means more they could be concerned about being able to get to what they need. Set them up for success and comfort.
If you suspect any of these or CCD (Canine Cognitive Disorder), always check in with your vet.
Previously unrecognized dog body language.
Sometimes a dog has been giving their own version of clear signals for a long time before a bigger, sudden behaviors happen.
Make sure you learn about dog body language so you can recognize a dog’s way of expressing “give me space” and discomfort. This can set you both up for success – listening to your dog’s very appropriate expression of discomfort now can avoid them feeling the need to express it bigger or physically later.
If after the behavior has already changed when you find out that they may have been saying they were uncomfortable all along – do NOT beat yourself up. You can learn from it and carefully help your pup get more comfortable in the future.
Feel welcome to reach out to me or another professional trainer to help you read and navigate your dog’s communication.
The Unknown!
We really can’t always know where a behavior comes from. Sometimes we can pinpoint a change or an event and sometimes we can’t.
While context can help inform some training plans, we don’t always need it!
As long as we can collect information about what the behavior is now and what triggers it now – we can work on helping you and your dog feel better while encouraging the behaviors we actually want to see.
All of these possibilities can both guide you to the right training or management AND give you context so that you can be kind and understanding with your dog. Remember that dogs don’t really do things out of “spite” or “stubbornly” - they often have some underlying reason why they are struggling or don’t understand what you are asking for/why they need to do it.
