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Sad to relate, most dog behaviour problems are not the fault of the dogs, but their owners. To put it another way, problem dogs are not born, they are created! A dog is a dog, right? Wrong! Dogs are individuals, individuals who man has conveniently placed into breed classes or breed groups, and further sub-categorized into individual breeds. The dogs in each of those breeds and breed groups were bred for a specific purpose. In the case of a Pug for example, it was bred as a companion dog. In the case of a sheepdog, it was bred as a working dog. Those traits are indelibly ingrained in their makeup. They are programmed to carry out a specific function. Remove that function, place that dog in a situation for which it was not developed, and what do you have? You have a problem dog! Take the German Shepherd, one of the most popular, intelligent and biddable of all dog breeds. It was bred as a working dog, specifically to herd sheep. Though independent, German Shepherds were bred to work with and for man. Take away the work (exercise), remove the man and place the dog in a yard on its own for most of the day and what do you have? You almost certainly have a problem dog. Why? Because its owners have ignored the breed's raison d'etre, they have ignored the fact that the German Shepherd was bred to fulfill a specific function and placed it into a situation for which it was never designed, does not understand and cannot cope with. Take any large dog, confine it, deprive it of company, give it insufficient exercise and it is likely to become destructive. Take a companion dog, pamper it, don't socialize it sufficiently and it is likely to become snappy. Such dogs don't start out being problem dogs - they are made that way by owners who simply do not understand the breeds, their heritage and their requirements. You cannot turn a Mini into an effective off-road vehicle or a Land Rover into a luxury car. Why then would you expect to turn a dog bred for one specific purpose into something for which it was never designed in the first place? So how do you stop a dog becoming a problem dog? To begin with you understand it by learning as much as you can about it before ever you buy it. You accept that not all dogs are alike, and you remember that each individual breed was bred and effectively programmed to fulfil a specific function. Then you accept that a dog is an animal, not a human being. It must be made to understand - and indeed will be happier if it understands - that it is not in charge, but that its primary fuction is to serve its master. Remember, all dogs are ultimately decended from the wolf. They are pack animals, and as such, each individual will strive to become the leader of that pack until such times as one member of it proves himself worthy of that role by displaying dominance over the others. No matter how small, all dogs MUST must accept their owner as the leader of the pack, the one they look to for instruction and guidance, the one whose wishes they must obey, the one whose decision they ultimately have to respect. Then you make sure you never pamper it. A puppy is not a child, it is a young animal. Of course it should always be treated with respect, but pamper a puppy, let it think it owns you rather than the other way around, and you have a problem dog when it becomes an adult. If your puppy does not respect you then your dog never will! And finally, you train it, which ideally means attending dog training classes. Not to train your dog - but to train you, the owner of your dog in the art of becoming leader of the pack, he or she who must be obeyed. Believe it or not, your dog will actually thank you for it!
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