Now, before you think I'm crazy, I want to explain what I mean and why I think it is so important.

When I first started training dogs, I thought that training was simply a ?means to an end.? I wanted the dog to do things for me, no questions asked. When a dog would not perform the command I would get upset and blame the dog.

I would make comments like ?He's stubborn, he's trying to spite me,? and so on. The result was that the dog would often get a correction for not performing the command.
As I began to study behavior and training, I learned to look at training differently. I began to ask questions like ?Why doesn't the dog come when I call?? ?Why does he jump on my guests or me when I walk in the door?? ?Why is my dog digging to China in the backyard??

When I started to answer those questions I started to come up with better solutions to the problems instead of blaming the dog.

Now when the dog did not come I would ask myself ?Why is the dog not coming?? I would then look at the problem from the dog's point of view. The answer to my question was often very easy to figure out.

A basic formula to use is as follows: My dog will not (fill in the blank) because (fill in the blank).

Here is an example: My dog will not come because: he has been in a crate for the last four hours.

My dog will not come because: I never taught him the command come.

My dog will not come because: the last time he ran away I scolded him when I got him back.

My dog will not come because: a rabbit ran through the yard a few minutes earlier and he is distracted by the scent.

Once I started to do this little exercise I began to look at training in a different way. Instead of always blaming the dog I started to ask, ?Is there a way to change the circumstances to get the dog to do what I want?

Whenever you are dealing with a behavior problem, try to figure out what the underlying reason is. If you can figure that out, you'll be able to deal with the behavior problem much more effectively.

For instance, if your dog has a digging problem, try to figure out what the underlying reason is. Dogs dig for many reasons; dogs will dig because they are:

1. Bored ? Exercise may stop the digging.

2. Hot ? Shade or a small kiddie pool may prevent your dog from digging.

3. Frustrated ? Take away the frustration, could be kids on the other side of a fence.

4. Have observed their owners digging ? Don't do your gardening in front of your dog.

5. Breed specific ? Terriers were bred to dig and hunt varmints. You may have to build a sand box and teach your dog to dig in that area.

Conclusion ? Looking at any behavior problem from your dog's point of view will give you a better handle on the situation and help you to solve whatever behavior problem you are dealing with.