When you think about changing behavior, often you just want something to stop. For example, you might want to stop your dog barking when visitors arrive. But this doesn’t teach your dog what to actually do in that situation. Dogs are always doing something, so you need to think about what you actively want them to do instead.

The best options to choose are activities that make the unwanted behavior impossible to do at the same time.

If your dog jumps up, you can teach them to sit.

If your dog barks, you can teach them to do something else with their mouth, like carrying a toy - after all they can’t do both at once!

You will also want to think about what your dog needs in that moment. Do they feel safe? Teaching them to move to a safe space when someone arrives might be all that they need.

The more effort you put into selecting alternative behaviors for your dog that are enjoyable for them and fulfil their needs, the more successful your training plan will be.