What is Behavior?

As pet owners we say things like our pet is behaving badly or their behavior is aggressive, but what is behavior? The scientific definition of behavior is “the observable and measurable way a living thing reacts to internal or external stimulI”, but for the purposes of our pets I use an easier definition. The only outcome of using this definition of behavior is that the dog-human relationship, that is, the relationship between you and your dog improves.

The definition of behavior that I use is that of an attempt to communicate. Dogs don’t speak Enlglish and we don’t speak Dog, so the only way that dogs can communicate with us is through behavior. The only question is what is trying to be communicated?

Take for example a dog who “behaves badly”, the dog isn’t behaving badly out of spite, it’s not behaving badly to make yourself and its’ life harder, it is communicating something that it needs that it doesn’t have. Once you figure out what its needs are that aren’t being met and you provide those needs, the “negative behavior” goes away.

Using the example of a dog which chews and destroys furniture — what do you think is being communicated? That the dog is bored? That the dog craves stimulation? That the dog needs something to chew on? If you were to provide that “bad” dog with exercise, mental stimulation, and a bone or toy to chew on that dog would almost never chew and destroy furniture ever again.

Behavior is a way of communicating, by behaving “badly” dogs are telling us they need something which we aren’t providing them. Once you figure out their needs then provide those needs this “negative behavior” magically disappears. So, who really has “negative behaviors”? Us or our dogs? Our dogs would stop at nothing to provide for us if they could. We can provide for them and we fail to do so then they behave “badly” to tell us that, and then we punish them for doing so. Doesn’t really sound like we are the good guys, does it?