You might have heard some say that you need to hold your dog accountable for their behaviour. This implies that dogs are responsible for their own behaviour challenges and what we as humans see as bad behaviour.
This is commonly used to justify the use of harmful punishment and often a factor leading to abuse.
Dogs do not understand the concept of being held accountable. All behaviour has a function to the animal. They do not do anything to spite, annoy, upset or taunt humans on purpose as much as that is commonly believed, because they do not understand those concepts. They do something because it is reinforcing or it meets a biological need.
Even dogs with severe behaviour problems such as aggression and reactivity. Those behaviours are very costly to the animal and are not displayed lightly. They are having a very difficult time and real behaviour change cannot happen without understanding them on an emotional level, not punishing them with the mentality of not letting them "get away with" their behaviour.
If you're frustrated with your dog, try to understand why your dog is doing that instead of anthropomorphizing their intentions. This will help you achieve a stronger relationship in the long run when you understand them and help them through their behaviour challenges in a way that meets their biological needs.
Training never needs to be a battle between human and dog! It should be building a strong bond and relationship that will last a lifetime.
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