Fix Your Dog’s Behavior: Start With the Problem You’ve Got
Find what your dog is doing and I’ll point you to the guide for it. A lot of what people call bad behavior is just a dog with a lot of energy or drive and nothing to do with it. Not all of it though. Biting, guarding, or anything that came on sudden needs a vet or a qualified trainer first, and I’ll tell you when it’s one of those.
By Christopher Lee Moran, working dog trainer, around 400 client dogs · I make and sell the Whimsy Stick, and some of these guides use it
What’s your dog doing?
A common pattern
A lot of “bad” dogs are really just bored. They get a walk and maybe a puzzle toy, and the part of them that wants to chase something and catch it and hang on to it never gets used. So it comes out some other way, like zoomies or chewing or lunging at the neighbor’s cat.
That’s why a lot of these guides start with a short chase game with some rules to it, and then build self-control on top. It won’t fix everything, but it’s what a lot of routines are missing.
Too much energy
- Why is my dog so hyper? Start here if you’re not sure what’s going on.
- Still wired after a walk, and why a walk by itself usually doesn’t cut it.
- Hyper at night: could be leftover energy, could be overtired, or it could be something for your vet.
- Zoomies: what’s normal and how to give them a safe place to let it out.
- 10 signs your dog needs more exercise
- Tiring out a dog when you work full time
Can’t switch off
- Teach a dog to settle: teaching him how to actually turn it off.
- Impulse control exercises, practiced when he’s fired up, not just in a quiet kitchen.
- Stop jumping on people
- Door dashing: a wait at the door that he’ll actually hold.
- Overexcited dogs
- Keeping a dog calm on crate rest
Give him a chase he’s allowed to have, low and fast, and it’s over when you say it’s over.
Chases everything
- How to train a high prey drive dog. Start with this one.
- Dog chasing cats, and how to introduce them safely.
- Chasing cars, bikes and joggers
- Fence running: why they patrol and how to give that drive something better to do.
- Obsessed with the ball
- High prey drive breeds, sorted by group.
Loses it on walks
- Reactive dog training: a step by step plan for walks.
- Trigger stacking, or why he seems fine right up until he isn’t.
- Reading dog body language, so you can see it coming sooner.
- Barking, leash pulling and recall
- Off-leash recall
Bitten someone, or guarding food, toys or people? I’d go to a qualified trainer or a veterinary behaviorist first, a toy isn’t what you need for that. This guide on resource guarding explains what’s going on and what not to do until then.
Wrecking the house
- Destroying things when bored
- Digging up the yard
- Toys for high-energy dogs: what each kind of enrichment toy is actually good for, and what it isn’t.
- Mental stimulation for large dogs
- Scent work games at home
If he only chews when you leave, that might be separation anxiety, so talk to your vet or a trainer about it.
Puppies, teenagers and new rescues
- Stop puppy biting
- Tiring out a puppy, stage by stage, without overdoing it on a young dog.
- Adolescent dog won’t listen
- Fear periods in puppies and teenage dogs.
- A newly adopted rescue: the first two weeks
With puppies I don’t start a flirt pole before 6 months, and even then it’s just slow, easy drags, and I’d let your vet tell you when he can go full speed.
The tool behind a lot of these guides
Most of these guides use a flirt pole for the chase game. Mine is the Whimsy Stick, a fiberglass pole with a static line, and the Rugged XL is one piece with no joints. If you’re new to it, read what a flirt pole is and how to run a session first.
Rugged XL Pro Kit
- Dogs 30 lbs and up
- 5 lures + spare line, free US shipping
Quick answers
Where do I start if my dog has several problems?
I’d start with whatever happens the most or causes the most trouble at home. A lot of times it makes sense to work on energy and self-control first, cause the other problems can get easier once those are better.
Will a flirt pole fix my dog’s behavior?
Not by itself, no. It gives a high-energy dog a daily outlet and a way to practice self-control while he’s fired up, and that can help with a lot of everyday problems, but it’s not a treatment for aggression or anxiety or anything medical.
When should I see a vet or a professional?
If he’s bitten or guards things or panics when you leave, or it all started out of nowhere, I’d talk to your vet or a qualified trainer or veterinary behaviorist first, cause a sudden change can have a medical cause.
Are these guides free?
Yep, every guide on this page is free, and so is my 10-lesson dog training course.
More from Whimsy Stick
Based on my own experience training dogs. Not veterinary or behavioral medical advice. Exercise disclaimer.
