The causes of behavior are incredibly complex and are typically the interplay of multiple things happening all at once. We are not always able to tease out the exact causes of each behavior, but there is always a lot we can do to improve and/or eliminate undesirable behaviors. With that said, this list includes different things that will influence your dog current and future behavior.
Genetics
- Breeding (poor breeding)
- Parental disposition
- Prenatal/postnatal stress
- Lack of maternal care
- Breed history – what is your dog’s traditional job? And what does that look like in your home?
Personality
- Poor impulse control / low frustration tolerance
- It’s a normal behavior for your dog’s age/breed/gender/etc
- Generalized or global anxiety
Learning History and Environment
- Behaviors have been reinforced
- Insufficient social skills
- Fear based behavior following traumatic incident
- Lack of secure attachment to care taker
- Conditioned emotional response (negative, or positive)
- It’s fun and/or self-reinforcing
- Lack of skills and training
