"My dog is so stubborn. He just sits there and looks at me when I call him."

"He won't go over the jump. I can't believe how stubborn he is!"

These are just two examples of how stubborn dogs can be; I have heard many similar comments in my years of dog showing and training. I know I must have made the same statements about one of my first dogs.

Since then, luckily for my dogs, I have learned a great deal about dog behavior. Although dogs are not just tame wolves, many of their drives and behaviors stem from this lupine heritage. In wolves behaviors had to enhance their chances for survival in a world that was not very friendly. If a behavior did not help a wolf find shelter, food, or water, the wolf died or the behavior disappeared.

So, let's look at the behaviors that we label as stubbornness. If a wolf were to act in a stubborn manner, he might look at a rabbit and think, "I'm not going to move. That rabbit had better come to me." The wolf is going to get very hungry, very quickly. I doubt if this behavior would last for any length of time. Any wolf behavior that didn't last long wasn't inherited by modern dogs.

Could it be possible that what we have been calling "stubborn" all these years could really be something else entirely? Let's look at the two scenarios at the beginning of the article, and see if there might not be some explanation other than stubbornness for these behaviors.

Dog number one just looks at his owner when he is being called. One explanation could be that the dog does not understand the command "come". More likely, the dog has learned that "come" sometimes means "When I get my hands on you, I'm going to hit you" or "When I get you, whatever fun you are currently having is over". Why would a dog choose to obey a command that is painful of could end his fun? To end the "stubborn" behavior we need to change what the word "come" means to the dog. Dogs that come quickly have learned that "come" means "If I get over to the person who is calling me, I may get a treat". Don't call your dog to you to punish him. He will associate the punishment with coming to you. Likewise, don't only use "come" at the end of a play session. Call your dog in the middle of a game, give him a treat, and then keep playing. Reward speed with extra good treats or lots of pats. For more information on behavior and consequences check out my article on consequences and behavior.

The second dog would not go over the jump. It could be because the dog doesn't understand what she is being asked to do. More seriously, the dog could be experiencing pain when she jumps. Dogs can't say, "Ouch, that hurts." A stoic dog may not yelp. When starting to jump your dog, warm him up, just as you would warm up before going jogging.

If your dog is usually a couch potato, proceed slowly and build up to full height over a period of time. Remember, young puppies are growing, and excessive stress on their bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments at a young age can produce life-long injuries. And if you are not sure your dog is physically capable of jumping the heights you are requiring, make an appointment with your vet.

In conclusion, next time your dog does something and you find yourself about to utter the S word; stop and think. Could there be some other explanation that makes more sense from your dog's point of view?

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