January is National Train Your Dog Month—an ideal time to address behavior problems that can diminish your relationship with your canine companion.
In some cases, behavior issues left unresolved can land a dog in a shelter not once, but multiple times.
Fortunately, in addition to one-on-one behavior counseling available from our veterinarians, our friends at Misty Eyes Animal Center offer training classes for dogs of all ages.
Read on to understand the serious potential consequences of unresolved behavior problems and how training your dog can come to the rescue.
The Research
In a study published on the National Institutes of Health website, researchers examined 2,836 randomly selected owner relinquishment records from 2018 through 2023 and found the most common reason for voluntarily relinquishing a dog or cat to the shelter was behavior issues.
According to the report, “the most frequent reasons cited were Behavior Issues (28%), Housing/Moving (18%), Unable to Care (16%), Too Many Pets (10%), Financial (6%), and Owner Allergies (5%).
“The most common behavioral reasons reported were Aggression (32% of behavioral surrenders), Social Conflict (28%), and Soiling (13%).”
The report continues, “Behavior issues were substantially and significantly more frequently reported for returns (readmissions, re-relinquishments), accounting for nearly 60% of animals returned to the shelter after being adopted, broadly consistent with other studies. This finding suggests that in-shelter behavior programs, post-adoption behavior assistance, or extending foster care stays may be helpful interventions for reducing return rates.”
In a paper from Frontiers of Veterinary Science, the authors detailed the potentially serious consequences of unresolved behavior issues for dogs. Key points from the paper’s introduction:
- “Undesirable behavior is prevalent among pet dogs, with 72–85% of dogs estimated to exhibit at least one type of problem behavior. These behaviors may reflect normal canine behavior that owners simply find undesirable, such as barking, or they may arise from medical or behavioral pathology, such as generalized anxiety disorder or compulsive behavior.
- “Canine behavior problems can often be indicative of a poor welfare state and lead to an increased risk of euthanasia.
- “Undesirable behavior is the leading cause of mortality among privately owned dogs under the age of 3 years.
- “Problem behaviors have also been associated with reduced owner attachment and satisfaction which may threaten the human-animal bond and place the dog at increased risk of relinquishment as behavioral issues are a leading cause of canine relinquishment worldwide.
- “Many unsuccessful animal adoptions, in which animals are returned to the shelter post-adoption, can also be attributed to behavioral issues.”
In a study titled, “Risk factors for relinquishment of dogs to an animal shelter,” researchers compared households that relinquished dogs for adoption with a random sample of current dog-owning households in the same community.
In summarizing results, they wrote, “Potentially modifiable factors that explained the highest proportion of relinquishment were owners not participating in dog obedience classes after acquisition, lack of veterinary care, owning a sexually intact dog, inappropriate care expectations, and dogs having daily or weekly inappropriate elimination.
“Dogs with behavioral problems and little veterinary care were at greater risk of relinquishment than were dogs with regular veterinary care, and behavioral problems were associated with inappropriate care expectations.”
Training for Successful Relationships
The stated mission of animal rescue organization Misty Eyes Animal Center is “to end the needless euthanasia of domesticated pets throughout Indiana, to reduce owner surrenders and to teach responsible pet ownership and kindness towards all living things.”
As part of fulfilling that mission, alongside its animal rescue and placement operations, Misty Eyes offers training classes to teach owners how to help their dogs develop the life skills needed to function successfully as companions at home and in the community.
All training methods taught at Misty Eyes are based on positive reinforcement principles. Here’s what they have to say about their approach to training:
“We understand the history and use of punishments in training; however, science has proven positive reinforcement is more effective in every meaningful dimension. Positive reinforcement teaching techniques use non-confrontational methods of training to work a dog’s brain. The focus is on rewarding positive behavior, establishing rituals and training actions that are incompatible with negative behavior—lessening a dog’s anger and frustration while enabling the dog to feel good inside. If you reinforce a dog’s desirable behaviors, there is less of a chance that he/she will indulge in other undesirable behaviors. Decision-making is influenced without use of force, all while strengthening the trust between owner and dog through this non-threatening treatment.”
Misty Eyes course offerings include—
- STAR Puppy Class for puppies 8 to 20 weeks old
- K-9 Good Manners (CGM) for dogs six months old and older
- AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) and Therapy Dog training class to prepare dogs approaching one year of age and older for CGC certification—usually a prerequisite for therapy work. The dog must have previous training or have completed the Canine Good Manners course before enrolling in this class.
- AKC Trick Dog class for dogs six months old and older with previous training or completion of the K-9 Good Manners class
Unless the instructor says otherwise, all classes are presented at Misty Eyes Animal Center in Avon in six weekly sessions, each typically lasting 60 to 75 minutes.
Private lessons are also available.
For more information about instructors and classes at Misty Eyes Animal Center, including fees, visit the training page on their website.
To register for an upcoming class, click the link at the top of the training page to access a page showing starting dates and times for upcoming classes. Links to class registration forms are also on this page.
We Can Help!
Our veterinarians can answer questions and offer specific problem-solving suggestions to help you address many common behavior and anxiety-related issues your dog may have.
In cases requiring more specialized animal behavior expertise, we may refer you to Veterinary Behavior of Indiana.
We believe any and all dogs and their owners can benefit from training based on positive reinforcement, and we recommend Misty Eyes classes as an excellent local resource.
Effective training—in class and at home—helps strengthen the human-animal bond while developing a calmer, more confident, better-behaved canine companion who’s a pleasure to have as a member of the family.
We encourage you to join us in celebrating National Train Your Dog Month this January with a resolution to train your dog. We know you and your dog will benefit!