When many people bring a dog into their home, they imagine the perfect companion: calm, quiet, well-behaved, never chewing or digging or barking. But here’s the truth: dogs are animals, and they come with natural instincts. Digging, chewing, barking, chasing - these aren’t signs of disobedience. They’re simply behaviors dogs do.
The problem is that in our human world, we’ve labelled many of those behaviors as “bad.” We don’t want our dogs to be loud, we don’t want them to ruin things we’ve spent money on. But dogs don’t understand the human concept of money. You know you paid $200 for those shoes. Your dog doesn’t. To them, those shoes smell like their favorite person, and taking them is a way to engage with you. In their mind: “This smells like you, I’ll grab it, you’ll chase me, and we will have fun together!”
There’s also a mental trap we fall into as humans: once we start looking for negative things, we tend to see more of them. Have you ever thought about buying a certain type of car, and suddenly you see it everywhere on the road? The same thing happens with our dogs. If you start labelling behaviors as “naughty,” it becomes easy to believe you have a disobedient dog. But in reality, your dog likely just needs an outlet for their natural instincts. If you can give them something that allows for a “yes” like a toy to chew, a digging spot, or a game to play, they’re far more likely to choose that, because you are engaging with them in a positive way for both of you.
Because at the end of the day, dogs just want to connect with you. They generally want to please you, because you’re their best friend and their whole world. When they do things to get your attention, it’s rarely true disobedience. Often, undesirable behaviours to humans are labelled as disobedience.
Yes Behaviors: Turning “No” Into “Do”
- Chewing shoes → Give them a long-lasting chew or stuffed toy.
- Digging in the garden → Provide a sandpit or digging box where digging is encouraged.
- Barking at the window → Teach a “go to mat” cue or redirect with a sniffing game.
- Stealing items → Channel it into a game of tug or fetch with their own toys.
By shifting focus from “no” to “yes,” you create opportunities for your dog to succeed—and for your bond to grow stronger.