What are my options when living with a dog with behaviour problems?
This is a question that is sometimes asked of me when families are feeling at the end of being able to live with their dog’s behaviour. We all have the same options available to us when addressing unwanted behaviours in our dogs or behaviours that are challenging to live with.
Option one is to do nothing! Just keep living how you've lived up until this point. This is not something that the families that have reached out to me want to do because they wouldn’t have reached out if they weren’t at the point of needing something to change.
The second option is management. When we talk about management, it means modifying the environment that the dog is living in in some way to make it so that the problem behaviour doesn't occur. Say for instance, the dog only pulls on the lead when they're near traffic. I might say to the family (if the dog looks nervous of cars and the behaviour presents as a ‘flee’ behaviour only in the presence of cars), ‘your dog is pulling on the lead because they're scared of cars, therefore to manage it, drive your dog somewhere else where they can walk where there are no cars around then you won't have that pulling behaviour occurring’. This is managing the problem behaviour because they're doing it only because of the cars. Remove the cars, remove the problem. This is identifying and educating the family on what the behaviour looks like, what environment cues the behaviour to happen, and how they can effectively eliminate the behaviour purely by modifying the environment for their dog. If your dog jumps on visitors, put a baby gate up, set up a pen to put your dog in, put your dog on a lead when visitors arrive or put them outside so that they don't jump on the visitors. You're managing the environment to make it so that the problem behaviour doesn't happen. These ‘solutions’ however don’t change the behaviour around the triggers, it just eliminates the triggers for the behaviours or restricts the dog’s access to rehearsing the unwanted behaviours.
I also include internal environment in this category. Your dog might be reacting to children or anyone touching their ears. But then it's found out the dog has an ear infection or an open wound on the ear. It may be that the dog is showing some compulsive behaviours, like licking at themselves, but they have allergies. We need to address the dog's physical health too. Very commonly, there are internal environmental issues that are impacting behaviour. It may be gut health, pain, underlying health concerns that are influencing outward behaviour.
The third option is training. Training involves teaching the dog new, more desirable behaviours in the context that the problem behaviour occurs. So if it's jumping on visitors, teaching them to go to a mat when people come over and not greet until invited for example. You are putting a different behaviour in place of the problem behaviour. In the case of the pulling near cars, we could work on exposing the dog to cars at a distance where they feel safer and gradually get closer once their emotional response changes from one of being nervous to feeling more confident and calm around cars. Then we can begin to practice loose lead walking closer and closer over time when they feel ready. Another option alongside training is adding in psychotropic medications. I am obviously not a vet, certainly not a vet behaviorist but very often I will work with veterinarians to help in treating an animal with severe behavioural issues. This could be compulsive disorders, severe anxiety disorders, aggression etcetera. It may be that these behaviours are compromising the dog's welfare significantly. It may even be that it is a safety and welfare concern for those in the family and significantly impacting the quality of life for the dog and human family living with the behaviour concerns. The dog may really be struggling with the environment or situations that are occurring such as car travel, vet visits, storm phobias etc. Exposure therapy may not be possible before an event that’s happening or isn’t able to be done effectively without medical support. Some dogs might not cope with significant changes to their environment such as new housemates, babies, moving house, being rehomed or similar. Medication can often play a vital in a dog being able to cope with these events and it can play a really important role in helping get a dog into a state where they can more effectively learn through training some new ways of handling stressful scenarios.
The fourth option is re-homing. Sometimes it may be that the dog and the family are not the right fit for each other. Maybe the dog could have a really positive outcome in a household that doesn't have children. If the problem behaviour is specific to happening around children and the only option is medicating the dog highly and separating the dog in the home for them to coexist safely then the question of whether that’s fair on the dog and the family needs to be considered. If the dog would otherwise be completely safe and have a good quality of life in another home, this option is a great one. The main considerations I make when thinking about whether I raise this as an option with a family are:
What is the prognosis for the dog with training, management and even possibly meds with regards to resolving the behaviour concerns.
What resources does the family have available to work through these concerns (financially, time, emotionally).
What is the environment like? Is there the space available to manage the behaviour?
What is the impact on the quality of life for all involved?
What is the welfare of the dogs and the family like? Is it an ethical issue to have the dog kept here?
Is there going to have to be such a high degree of separation and even possibly medication and life long management that could otherwise be mostly resolved through living in another household?
Is there significant safety concerns if things remain as they are (for the family and dog)?
Is temporary rehoming an option or a longer-term foster arrangement if circumstances may be causing it but they are only temporary.
How would the dog and family cope if rehoming was to occur?
Clearly there is no way to predict outcomes, but with experience and weighing up the above questions and options available to us, we can often work out what the best option would be for all involved. Obviously it HAS to be the families choice but the option has to be presented as it is a viable and often good option in a lot of cases and it’s important that families don’t feel judged negatively if it’s something that has to be done in the best interests of all involved.
The last option, and one which a lot of people do not want to talk about, is euthanasia or behavioural euthanasia. This is actually a very common outcome for a large number of dogs every year in this country, especially in shelters and pounds but we just ignore it or don’t see the statistics in our faces. Behavioural euthanasia may happen if the dog has been seized because they've caused serious harm or injury to a person or other animal. It may be that the dog's quality of life is so poor and the risk is so high that they cannot be re-homed safely. Rescue groups cannot take on dogs that have got bite histories to people and then place them in other homes. It is not ethical. Too many dogs are euthanized from being just anxious in shelters and that is sad. If a dog has a history of serious harm to people or other animals and there has been a lot of management that has been undertaken, significant training, medication has been trailed and it is not considered safe to place in another environment, then really difficult considerations are then needing to be made. Repeatedly rehoming dogs that display potentially very dangerous behaviour and don’t cope with change is a very difficult thing to think about and one where safety and ethics need to considered. Shifting homes for those with severe behavioural issues is also often going to make the problem worse because a lot of these dogs don't cope with significant change and adjusting to new environments and people.
When addressing behaviour issues we have a lot of options available to us. We are fortunate that there has been huge advancements in training strategies for dogs as well as psychotropic medications and other health treatments for dogs.
It is good to consider getting multiple opinions on. your dog’s behaviour from a range of professionals if you’re unsure if the advice is right for you. There are a range of experts now available from trainers to expert specialists in veterinary behaviour. There is immense support out there to counsel families through behavioural issues. Luckily, decisions on rehoming and other more difficult decisions are ones that rarely have to be made, especially if training, management and at times medication too, can give great outcomes.
If you’re concerned about your dog’s behaviour, reach out to a professional and please feel free to reach out to us to discuss options or referrals in your local area. This blog is not meant to take the place of individual advice about you and your dog’s situation. Everyone’s situation is unique and professionals are out there to support you through enhancing the relationship with your dog and quality of life for everyone. The outcomes possible will also depend on the resources the family have available to them, that includes not only financially but family support and investment and emotional resources left. Decisions will always rely on what the family has available to them to invest in help and the safety and quality of life for all involved.
I sincerely apologise if this blog triggers distress for anyone. If you’ve had to make the horrible decision regarding behavioural euthanasia at any point there are wonderful groups including Losing Lulu that can be worth reaching out to as well as general counselling and grief support.