This is a question that a lot of owners ask themselves. Training is a time and money commitment that you don't want to buy into if it isn't going to get you the results you're looking for. How are you supposed to know if training is going to help your unique dog and situation though before you've tried it? After all, you may have owned dogs for a long time, but you aren't an experienced trainer. Here are some things you can evaluate that should help you answer that question.
What factors in the environment are impacting the behavior?
Our dogs do things because they get something out of it. When they nudge our hands, we give them affection. When they go and grab a toy, we play with them. When they bark at the UPS truck, it leaves their yard. When they whine for attention, they usually get it...even if it's yelling. Behaviors that are environmentally-mediated function according to a few simple rules. To put it very plainly, if the outcome is something that's in line with the goal of the behavior or benefits the animal, it makes it more likely that the animal is going to do it again. So in the UPS truck example, the truck drives away after your dog barks at it. Dogs tend to bark at things to get distance from them. That means that the truck driving away is in line with the goal of the barking behavior which makes it more likely that your dog is going to bark at the UPS truck again when it drives up the next time.
The important consideration for this category is: Can you feasible change the way the stimulus is presented to your dog?
Be really thoughtful as you consider this question. Sometimes you have options that you don't even realize are options. Like covering your windows with frosted cling film or putting up baby gates to prevent your dog from accessing the windows they like to bark out of. If you can change the way the stimulus is being presented to your dog then you have a better chance of having success with training. One of the key pieces of successful training is preventing your dog from practicing the unwanted behavior. If you can't prevent your dog from barking out the window at the UPS guy while you aren't home, then it makes training a lot more difficult. It isn't impossible, but it's a lot harder. Sometimes having a trainer come out to your house can help you figure out viable management strategies so that your attempts to modify the behavior are successful. You might even find that the management solution is easy to do and prevents the problem so effectively that training isn't necessary because it's a compromise that you can comfortably and safely live with. Do keep in mind though that this example ignores your dog’s emotional state which can and will impact training as emotions play a big role in what is and isn’t reinforcing different behaviors in different animals.
Are there physiological factors that could be impacting the behavior?
Sometimes there's something going on internally that's causing or contributing to the behavior that you aren't aware of. This could be loss of vision, loss of hearing, development of arthritis, a neurological disorder, or even an illness that your dog picked up or otherwise developed. If your dog has experienced a sudden personality change, their issues have gotten suddenly worse, or you have concerns about the behaviors being health related, please schedule an appointment with your vet and have them do a thorough physical exam along with bloodwork and a urinalysis. If your vet recommends additional testing, I suggest that you take their advice. If there's something medically wrong with your dog, training won't be as effective. It's possible that it won't be effective at all depending on how severe the issue is. There are also medications that can be prescribed to dogs to help change their emotional state so that they aren't as easily worked up. This can be incredibly helpful if you have a dog with strong emotion-based issues. If you feel that's something your dog needs then you'll have to seek out a veterinary behaviorist. A veterinary behaviorist can help you get the meds your dog needs and combine them with effective training strategies. This'll increase your chances of success if you have a dog with more severe issues.
The important consideration for this category is: If there's something physically happening to my dog that's contributing to the behavior, will fixing that change the behavior without training?
If a full work up from a vet doesn't reveal any physical ailments then training is your next best step. However, if your vet does find something they can treat and they feel that it could have caused the behavioral change you're having issues with, then I'd advise waiting until your dog has finished treatment so long as it's safe to do so. Sometimes illnesses bring up problems that you wouldn't have seen otherwise and treating them makes them go away completely. Other times it creates behavioral problems that diminish after veterinary treatment is completed, but don't disappear fully. In that case, I'd seek out a trainer or veterinary behaviorist depending on how severe the issue still was.
How severe is it?
Severity has a big impact on how effective training will be. If your dog is continuously performing a behavior and it's almost impossible to disrupt the cycle of the behavior then training becomes much more difficult. Picture a dog that stands completely frozen in the middle of the living room, waiting for the next car to pass by so it can chase the light that reflects off of the car, through the window, and onto the wall. As soon as that beam of light glints off the wall, the dog leaps towards it and tries to catch it. Picture grabbing this dog's collar to pull them away and they just struggle to pull themselves back to the spot where they wait. This dog doesn't leave to eat, drink, or relieve itself outside. It only leaves when it's physically pulled away. It might behave normally once it's outside on a walk, but as soon as it's back in the house it goes straight to the living room. This would be a difficult behavior to change because the behavioral response to the living room and the light shining on the wall from passing cars is so strong. That doesn't mean it couldn't be changed, just that it would be a long process to do so. Compare that with a dog that occasionally gets excited to see a light flash across the wall and sometimes barks a couple of times when it happens to notice it. This infrequent behavior might be annoying enough to want to change, but it isn't that severe. It isn't impacting the dog's ability to function safely and comfortably within it's own home. It likely wouldn't take a lot of skill for the owners to follow a behavior modification plan and it also probably wouldn't require a huge time or money investment.
The important consideration for this category is: How much is the severity of your dog’s behavior going to impact the time, skill, and resources required to follow a behavior modification plan?
Very severe issues can take months or years to improve. That means a lot of training which means a lot of time which means a lot of money. You won't just be paying for the training sessions either. You'll have to pay for treats to use or even get new equipment to use for your dog (new leash, harness, collar, treat pouch, baby gates, etc.). A lot of trainers offer consultations that you can use to help get a better idea of how much of a commitment it's going to be to pursue training with your dog. If your dog's issues aren't that severe then it's easier to try a few training sessions and keep going if you see improvement since you likely won't need that many sessions to get the behavior to a comfortable level.
Do relatives of your dog exhibit this behavior?
When considering behavioral issues (like obsessive-compulsive licking, barking at every sound, very intense aggression or fear, etc.), it's important to think about genetics. Not everyone has this information available to them. If you don't have this information then it makes it more difficult to assess this aspect. However, if you know your dog's littermates, parents or even aunts/uncles/grandparents it can be really helpful to ask if they've experienced similar issues. If a large number of them have then you need to very realistically ask yourself:
How good is my dog's best going to be and can I live with that?
Every animal has a set limit of the things they can and can't tolerate. This is called a "reaction range." Picture that for every personality trait, there's a scale that runs from 0-100. For this example, imagine a specific scale called "Sociability." The bottom end of this scale (0) is "fearful/aggressive towards strangers" and the top end of this scale (100) is "friendly/outgoing towards strangers.” A score of 50 on this scale would be "neutral towards strangers." Just different people, every dog is going to have a varying degree of this trait. Part of this is determined by the dog's upbringing, but another part of it is determined by the dog's genetics. The genetic portion is responsible for the limits on the trait. The way the dog is raised is responsible for the specific number within those limits that the dog achieves. For example:
There are two dogs, Sam and Rex. As per their genetics, they're going to be between 60-90 on the scale for "Sociability." Rex is raised by people who make sure that every new person he meets gives him a piece of hotdog. As such, he begins expecting that strangers = yummy snack. Sam is raised by people who let the new people she meets crowd her, grab her face, and ruffle her ears. As such, she begins expecting that strangers = feeling overwhelmed. When they're rated on this scale as adults, Rex scores 88 while Sam only scores 65. Sam easily could have scored as high as Rex, but because her owners weren't careful with her, she ended up much lower than Rex. Both are still on the "friendly/outgoing" end of the scale though because that's what their genetics dictate.
If Rex had instead had a genetic range of 5-20, it wouldn't matter that his owners were careful to pair strangers with yummy snacks. He'd still end up very fearful/aggressive towards strangers. Conversely, if Sam had a range of 80-95, it wouldn't matter that her owners weren't as proactive as they could have been. She's still going to be very friendly/outgoing towards strangers in the end.
There are exceptions to reaction ranges. Things like trauma, disease, or mood stabilizing drugs can massage reaction ranges to some extent, but generally speaking they're pretty set. If you don't have any background information on your dog's family, you won't have any real idea of what you're working with until you invest in training and start trying to change your dog's behavior. If you know that 5/6 of your dog’s siblings developed severe dog aggression issues by 3yrs of age, then it would be a good bet that your dog is low on the "sociability" scale. Knowing that, if your dog started developing dog aggression issues, you might want to seek out a veterinary behaviorist right off the bat rather than trying a run-of-the-mill trainer so that you can get your dog some meds to help the process. You also need to consider the severity of the siblings' issues and if your dog is worsening or even just not improving, then you might be in a situation where you could do all the training you can pay for and still not get anything out of it.
The important consideration for this category is: Do your dog's genetics allow for this behavior to be modified enough that you can both live comfortably with each other?
If you think that you and your dog's quality of life will be lowered long-term despite training because of their genetic predisposition, then training might not be the most feasible choice. If you have no idea what your dog's lineage is then I'd recommend training once a week for a month and then assessing the progress you've made. Unless your dog's issues are very severe, you should see some degree of progress within that time frame. You can always try training with a dog that you know has genetically mediated behavioral issues, but be realistic with yourself about your chances for success. Contrary to how a lot of people think, it actually isn't, "All in how you raise them."
Are you physically able to manage your dog?
It sometimes happens that our dogs grow up bigger than anticipated or something happens to us that we couldn't plan for. If you have a dog that pulls strongly on walks and then you get into a car accident that causes permanent damage to your spine, you probably won't be able to walk your dog anymore. You also won't be able to train your dog not to pull on walks because you can't handle any pulling anymore. It's also possible that nothing happened to you or your dog, except that they grew up to be 120lbs when the shelter said they'd be 80lbs max. That isn't something you could have stopped from happening. That also isn't something you expected or were able to prepare for. 120lbs is a lot of dog and if your dog lunges at a squirrel, you're probably just going to go with them or drop the leash because they're too strong for most people to hold back. There are a lot of accommodations that can be made for physical limitations so that training is safe and effective. At the end of the day though, you need to consider not only your safety, but the safety of others around you including your dog. If you know that you can't physically restrain your dog if something goes wrong and that the probability of something going wrong is high, then you need to start considering other options aside from training. If training isn't safe to do, it might be time to start considering rehoming, management strategies, or other alternatives depending on the issue and the severity thereof.
The important consideration for this category is: Will not being able to restrain your dog potentially cause harm to someone or something?
If you can't restrain your dog and that means that someone may get injured (your dog getting hit by a car from running across the street, biting your neighbor, attacking another family pet, etc.) because of your dog's behavioral issues, then you need to explore alternative options. It's your responsibility as an owner to acknowledge your own limitations and make plans accordingly to prevent others from getting hurt.
So What Does All of This Mean?
There are times where the best decision isn't to invest in training. Sometimes you have to make a harder choice that involves giving your dog away to someone who can handle the investment in training or euthanizing them. Structured training can fix most issues. It can’t fix every issue. That’s something you should be considering as you assess what type of help you need for your dog and who can best provide that help. Evaluate each of the previous sections and their questions carefully. This is a great way to determine how successful training will be for your dog. You can also talk to your vet, groomer, and any other animal care professionals you know that frequently interact with your dog. Keep in mind that while these people might have a thorough knowledge of your dog and general canine behavior, they aren’t trainers or behaviorists. They’re all going to view your dog’s issues from the perspective of their particular field. This doesn’t mean that their opinion or suggestion is wrong, but it’s going to color their answer and that’s something to be aware of.
Ultimately, all behavior is modifiable. That doesn't mean that it can be modified enough to be safe or comfortable for you to live with. It also doesn't mean that you'll be able to modify it. There are things that a skilled trainer can do that you won't be able to do. That doesn't necessarily mean that you wouldn't be able to learn, but you may not have the time, energy, physical capability, or money to be able to attain the level of skill your dog needs from you to succeed. Sometimes there's a simple solution, like sending your dog to a board and train facility. Other times, you have to make a decision about whether or not you can:
Live with the behavior as is without sacrificing your quality of life or your dog's.
Afford the time, money, physical demands, and energy expenditure of training.
Rehome the dog to someone who can meet their needs.
Euthanize the dog to prevent them from suffering, being a danger to themselves, or being a danger to others.
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