Dog Training: The MUTT Method, A Foolproof Plan To Change Your Dog’s Behavior
Dog owners are sometimes faced with a behavior problem and do not know how to deal with it. In my book, “The Amazing Dog Training Man,” I came up with an acronym that anyone can use as a tool to understand and treat any behavior problem.
Here’s how you can use the MUTT method to deal with any behavior problems.
M – Manage. The first step in dealing with any behavior problem is to properly manage the behavior. Managing behavior will not fix the problem, it will only help contain it. For example, home training won’t be fixed using a box, but it will definitely help control behavior. A muzzle can help control a dog that is being aggressive towards other dogs. So the first step is to think about managing the behavior.
U – Underlying. Every behavior problem has an underlying reason. You need to find out what the underlying reason is. Let’s say your dog has a digging problem. Why is the dog digging? Is it frustration, boredom, race specific, etc. Suppose you have a training problem at home. Is your dog stressed for any reason? Do you have any health problems, etc.? Once you discover the underlying problem, you can move on to the next part of the MUTT Method …
T – Train. Now that we have the behavior under control and have discovered the underlying problem, we can begin to train the dog. Let’s go back to digging for a moment. If the dog is digging due to frustration, we can eliminate the frustration and give the dog some other activities. If the dog is digging because he is a specific breed (terriers live with dogs), we can teach him to dig in a designated area and so on.
T – Time. Once we have started training a new behavior, we must be patient and give it some time. Behavioral experts say it takes at least 21 days to learn a new behavior. So as you go through the process, be patient and stick to the plan.
Sometimes behavior problems can be difficult to solve. When you understand why the behavior occurs and what you can do about it, the problem is much easier to solve.
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