Show 63: Dog Copies Owner: Your Dog’s Habits, Personalities, and Behavior

What affects dog behavior can be traced back to multiple factors — dog personality, dog-owner relationship, their past history, and even the environment where they live! No dog is ever the same as another — and that’s the beauty of raising them. Each dog has a unique quirk that makes them so lovable. However, in my years as a dog trainer, I have also had dog consultations specifically for certain dog behaviors that were driving owners crazy! “I don’t want to compare, Doggy Dan, but ONLY my dog does this. And I don’t know what’s going on.” Perhaps you’ve felt this, too: your dog showing a different behavior that you feel is unique and causing problems. As dog parents, we just want to know what affects our dog’s behavior — and ways to correct it. But I always believe that before we jump into the solutions, we have to know what influences dog behavior first. The roots. The main cause. Then we shoot for the remedies. If you want to know why your dog acts a certain way, read on. Key Takeaway: As a dog owner, you have the biggest influence in a dog’s behavior, so it’s crucial to always keep your emotions and energy in check. Breed, past history, training, health, and experience with socialization has an impact to your dog’s overall behavior. There’s no such thing as “too old” when it comes to correcting behavior. Your mature dogs can still be taught. LEARN WHAT AFFECTS DOG BEHAVIOR WITH THE DOG CALMING CODE™️ Table of Contents: What Affects Dog Behavior: The Story of Frisbee, the Dog Terrified of Flies How Dog Owners Affect Dog Behavior What Affects Dog Behavior: 7 Factors That Influence How Dogs Behave Change Dog Behavior: How to Correct and Improve Dog Behavior Can I Still Improve the Behavior of My Old Dog? How the Dog Calming Code Affects Dog Behavior for the Better   What Affects Dog Behavior: The Story of Frisbee, the Dog Who Was Terrified of Flies Dog owners are a dog’s FIRST dog trainers. And I have seen wonderful dog owners who have trained their dogs wonderfully! I have also seen other owners who have trained their dogs to react in ways they couldn’t imagine. In this blog, I will be featuring the story of an ALMOST perfect dog…who had a very odd fear of flies. (Watch the full video below for Frisbee’s story.)   Frisbee — the dog — baffled his owners for a dog behavior that was unique to him: he would leap, jump, become restless, and bark non-stop, just at the sight of a single fly. “Doggy Dan, this is such a puzzling dog behavior,” his owner said, “I have never seen a dog as scared of flies as he is.” During the course of our consultation, the owner finally said something that helped me understand what influenced Frisbee’s dog behavior. “Is it possible that our sensitivity to flies made him act the way he does?” his owner asked while showing me the fly swats each family member had. All of them had fly swats! The entire family had their very own fly swats, and would smash away at any fly in the vicinity. It finally made sense! Frisbee’s dog behavior was affected by his household’s strong dislike for flies. The poor dog must have been feeling like a fly invasion is a life-and-death thing! What’s my point to this? I want each dog owner to understand the first factor that affects dog behavior: YOU. INFLUENCE DOG BEHAVIOR FOR THE BETTER WITH THE DOG CALMING CODE How Dog Owners Affect Dog Behavior Dog owners, your dog spends more time with you than with anyone else. And it’s understandable considering that statistics say almost 70% of dog owners prefer to spend time with their dogs! That amount of time spent with your dog can significantly affect dog behavior… for good or for bad. How can dog owners affect, change, or influence dog behavior? Check out the list below. #1: Dogs are Imitators — They Copy Dog Owners! Just like in the story of Frisbee, it was his owners who influenced his fear of flies. You see, dogs are great imitators. There was a news article once of a man who developed a limp du