In a nut shell, you could apply this to any behaviour to get the best results:
WHY?: Always ask ‘Why?’ when addressing any behavioural issue. Why is the pup biting? Why is the pup stopping?
Address the cause (fear, anxiety, proximity), rather than the symptoms (barking, jumping, pulling).
Dogs are happiest when all their needs are met, just like humans. You will have less behavioural issues the more we meet their needs, which is why it’s so important to ask ourselves ‘Why?’
PREVENT: Think of ways to prevent undesirable behaviour. If it’s not repeated, it can’t grow stronger. Common prevention might be the use of a baby gate, clearing items, increasing distance. For a more in-depth article on prevention, click HERE.
TRAIN: Focus on what you want, rather than what you don’t want. So if we don’t want your pup jumping up at guests, what do we want? Approach on all four paws. So we practice and reinforce approach on four paws, rather than punishing jumping (you’ll get much better results)
INTERRUPT: If all else fails, interrupt by any means necessary and redirect to something appropriate. You could use silly noises, squeaky toy etc.
So make a list of behaviours you deem undesirable. Beside each one, come up with reasons Why your dog might do this. Having that understanding and insight can be enlightening. Remember to address the cause, not the symptoms.
Ensure all of your dogs needs are met, as this could be a cause (they’re hungry, they’re in pain, they’re too hot). Think of a variety of ways in which you could prevent them happening and/or fulfil their need.
Finally think of what you would like your dog to do instead of what you don’t want and work on training that. We expect a lot from our dogs sometimes. Without having the understanding or providing our dogs the necessary training. The more direction we give them the better. We should always strive to set them up for success, help them understand what we want them to do and manipulate the situation or environment so they just can’t get it wrong in the first place.