You’re Not Dealing With Disobedience. You’re Misreading Behavior.

Most dog behavior issues aren’t what they seem. What looks like disobedience is often the result of underlying behavioral patterns that haven’t been correctly identified. In this episode, Scott breaks down why traditional training approaches can fall short and how misinterpreting behavior can actually make problems worse over time.

This episode is especially relevant for dog owners, veterinary teams, dog trainers, and professionals working with complex behavior cases. By shifting the focus from obedience to behavioral patterns, you’ll start to understand why certain issues persist—and what needs to change to address them effectively.

You can visit USADogBehavior.com for lots of dog behavior resources—almost all of them are free—including videos, blog articles, and past podcast episodes to help you understand your dog.

Scott Sheaffer provides customized behavioral seminars for shelters, rescues, and veterinary teams—available online or on-site—focused on real-world strategies, with discounted or complimentary options available. Learn more about Scott Sheaffer’s behavioral seminars.

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Disclaimer
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. If your dog is displaying aggression toward humans, consult an experienced and knowledgeable canine behavior professional who uses humane, non-aversive methods, and always take precautions to keep others safe.

Scott Sheaffer and USA Dog Behavior, LLC, are not responsible for any outcomes resulting from the use or interpretation of the information shared in this podcast.

Transcript

Hi, I’m Scott Sheaffer, dog behaviorist. After working with thousands of dogs and their owners, I’ve learned this. Most cases are not about obedience—they’re about underlying behavior patterns that haven’t been correctly identified.

Today’s episode is titled: You’re Not Dealing With Disobedience. You’re Misreading Behavior.

I want to talk with you about something that trips up a lot of dog owners—and honestly, a lot of professionals too.

And that’s this idea that when a dog is struggling, it must be a dog training issue.

That the dog just needs better obedience.

But in many of the cases I see, that’s not what’s going on at all. In fact, 95%+ of the dogs I see do not need more dog training. In fact, the best human analogy I can make to this, is thinking that a person with bulimia needs to learn better table manners. I want you to think about that for a second. It’s an almost perfect analogy.

Let’s start with how most people interpret dog behavior.

They’ll say things like:

• “My dog is stubborn”
• “He’s not listening”
• “She knows better”

That’s a very human way of interpreting what’s happening.

But dogs aren’t making decisions the way we think they are, or in the ways we do.

What you’re actually seeing, most of the time, is the result of an underlying behavioral pattern the dog has learned.

And that pattern hasn’t been correctly identified yet.

Now here’s where this becomes a problem.

If you misidentify the cause of the behavior, you’re going to apply the wrong solution.

So instead of addressing the pattern, you start trying to control the outcome. In essence, ignoring the root cause while attempting to manage how the behavior manifests in the dog.

More commands. More correction. More management.

And sometimes it can look likes it’s working in the short term.

But over time, it often makes things worse.

Let me take a second to tell you about a service I offer—I’ll be right back.

Alright—let's get back to it.

A really common example of trying to control behavior instead of understanding it and its root cause, is leash reactivity or leash aggression directed at other dogs.

The dog starts to escalate the reactivity or aggression, and the owner responds by tightening the leash, giving commands, and generally trying to control the dog.

From the owner’s perspective, that seems the sensible thing to do.

But from the dog’s perspective, the environment just got more tense.

More pressure. More unpredictability. Owner is acting nervous and scary.

And all of that feeds the behavior. Making it worse.

And the owner starts to think:
 “This dog is getting worse.”

And, in fact, it is.

But what’s actually happening is the pattern is being reinforced.

This is why so many cases feel unpredictable to the dog’s owner. They have no idea what the real issue is with their dog. They’re just trying to manage the outward behaviors.

But, they’re not unpredictable.

They’re patterned.

But the pattern of the behavior hasn’t been recognized by a human. Only the outcome of the behavior.

And once you start to see and understand the pattern, everything changes.

You start noticing:

• Early signals before escalation of the behavior
• How your timing affects the dog
• What the dog’s current tolerance level is of the trigger

And now you’re not reacting—you’re interpreting.

This is something I see all the time when I’m working with veterinary teams, shelters, dog trainers, and organizations.

Dogs get labeled as aggressive, or difficult, or untrainable.

But in many cases, the issue isn’t that these professionals aren’t working hard on the dog’s behavior issues, they’re just not addressing the root cause. They’re running in circles and don’t even know it.

It’s the correct interpretation and understanding of the behavioral patterns that make all of the difference.

And when you change the interpretation, you change the outcome.So instead of asking:
 “How do I get my dog to listen?”

Start asking:
 “What pattern is driving this behavior?”

That’s where the real progress happens.

Most challenging behavior issues don’t persist because dogs are disobedient.

They stick around because the behavior hasn’t been correctly understood.

And when you shift from a dog obedience perspective to understanding patterns, you start making decisions that actually change behavior.

If you have a dog whose behavior issues are not improving, please see a qualified, experienced dog behaviorist who doesn’t use punishment-based methods.

Now, you understand the real story behind your dog’s behavior.