For example: I’ve been on a health kick lately, and so even though I’m a sucker for sour cream and onion Ruffles, in order to prevent myself from downing a whole bag in a sitting, I make sure I don’t purchase them when I go grocery shopping. If the chips aren’t in the pantry, they aren’t going into my mouth when the craving strikes!

Why Is Management Important for Dog Behavior Problems?

The Science

All creatures learn through repetition and reinforcement. If an action or behavior feels good or achieves the desired objective, the chances of the action/behavior taking place again increases (which is probably why when I have a bag of chips, the salty goodness tastes so good, I can’t stop myself until the full bag is finished!).

In our dogs’ cases, the barking, lunging, growling often achieves the objective of getting distance from “the thing”, which makes the behavior more likely to happen if the same situation presents itself again. Thereby creating a loop of repetition and reinforcement.

From a neuroscience perspective, every time your dog reacts to a trigger, it strengthens the neural pathways associated with that behavior. Think of it like practicing a skill: the more they do it, the better they get at it. And some of these behaviors are skills we don’t want our dogs to get good at.

By managing their environment and preventing those reactions, you’re essentially giving their brain a break, allowing those pathways to weaken. You’re basically reducing the number of times they can practice the unwanted behavior, making it easier to train them to do something else.

The Practicality

On a practical level, management helps maintain peace in your household and prevents potentially dangerous situations. It also buys you time to implement behavior modification techniques effectively without the constant setbacks of reactive episodes.

What Does the First Level of Management Look Like?

Meeting Your Dog’s Needs

As a first step, it’s essential to meet your dog’s health, hygiene, nutrition, physical, mental, and emotional needs. A dog in pain, or one with pent-up energy or boredom is more likely to develop and display problematic behaviors. Check out my guide on how to meet your dog’s needs here to learn more about the simple things you could be doing to start seeing change now! When their needs are met, they’re more likely to be calm and receptive to behavior modification efforts.

The second level of management involves setting up your dog’s environment to prevent unwanted behaviors from happening in the first place. Here are some examples of what this might look like for different scenarios:

Leash Reactivity
For dogs that bark and lunge at other dogs during walks, management might involve walking at quieter times such as early in the morning or late at night when other dogs are less likely to be out (proud member of the 5am walk club here!). Or you might choose to drive them out to a quieter neighborhood or park instead. Just like how humans manage their social interactions by avoiding certain situations or people, you can manage your dog’s interactions by avoiding certain areas. You can read more about how I work with leash reactive dogs here.

Dog Fights in the Home:
If you have multiple dogs who sometimes don’t get along, management means supervising their interactions and separating them when you can’t be there. Baby gates or crates can provide safe spaces for each dog to relax without conflict. This is especially important in Singapore homes where space is limited and dogs can’t easily get distance from each other. You can read more about how I help with dogs fighting in the home here.

Resource Guarding:
To manage resource guarding, you might feed your dog in a quiet, private area where they won’t feel threatened. Remove high-value items like toys or chews when other pets or children are around to reduce stress. Or if they guard certain spaces, you might just regulate when they can have access to that space without being disturbed. You can read more about how I work with dogs who guard toys, objects or spaces here.

Barking at the Door or Window:

For dogs that go nuts every time someone walks by or rings the doorbell, consider blocking their view with frosted window film or keeping them in a different room. In HDB flats and condos, corridor noise and lift sounds are constant triggers. You can also drown out those daily noises by keeping a white noise playlist on. You can read more about how I help with excessive barking here.

From Eileen and Dogs blog

Stranger Danger:
If your dog is wary of new people, management could involve creating a safe space for them when visitors come over. This might mean setting up a comfy bed in a separate room where they can feel secure away from the commotion. Remember, your dog don’t doesn’t have to meet everyone that comes over!
When on walks, you can prevent well meaning people from approaching your dog by using leash or harness labels highlighting that you’re in training, or that your dog isn’t friendly. This might seem extreme, but sometimes a simple change such as this, can help your dog break out of the cycle of reactivity and open up a window for training. You can read more about how I work with dogs who bark and lunge towards people here.

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Management FAQ

Is management the same as avoiding the problem?

It can feel that way, but no. Avoidance with no plan is just hoping things get better on their own. Management is deliberate. You’re reducing how often your dog practices the unwanted behavior so that when you do train, the new behavior has room to take hold. Think of it as clearing the runway so the plane can actually take off.

How long do I need to manage before I can stop?

Management isn’t something you “graduate” from entirely. Even after successful behavior modification, most dogs benefit from some level of ongoing management. The intensity decreases over time as your dog learns new responses, but smart management stays part of your routine. You wouldn’t stop locking your front door just because you haven’t been robbed in a while would you?

Can I just manage without doing any training?

You can, and it will reduce the frequency of the behavior. But management alone won’t change how your dog feels about their triggers. It holds the line while training does the actual work of building new emotional responses and behaviors. Without training, the moment management slips, the behavior comes right back at full strength.

Conclusion

Management is a powerful tool for resolving behavior problems in dogs. By understanding what management is and how it works, you can start to make positive changes in your dog’s behavior. Think of it as the foundation upon which you can build lasting behavior change.

It’s not a quick fix but a necessary step in helping your dog calm down enough to start learning. Always remember, management is not a substitute for training (for that you need to work with a certified behavior/training professional), but it’s an essential part of the behavior change process. By combining management with a customized training plan grounded in positive reinforcement, you can unlock behavior change for your dog and enjoy a stronger, more fulfilling relationship with them.

Sources:

[1] https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/behavior/your-dogs-behavior-when-to-manage-when-to-train/

[2] https://www.hubermanlab.com/topics/neuroplasticity-and-behavior-change

[3] https://www.dogpossibleaustin.com/blog/neuroplasticity-and-behavior-change