26/01/2023
I’M NOT STUBBORN! I’M JUST NOT MOTIVATED….
Not providing enough motivation plays a big role, but there are many other reasons that a dog’s behaviour may look like a dog is just being stubborn.
What looks like stubbornness is often a reaction to something else that is going on, on an emotional, mental, physical, environmental or genetic level. While dogs experience a range of emotions, choosing to be stubborn is not part of that range.
The label of “stubborn” is really not fair. It’s often used as an “acceptable excuse” to explain away a behaviour. It removes any pressure on us to find the root cause because we have labelled it. Just like us, dogs do what works for them and when they’re not doing what we want, there is usually a valid reason.
Perhaps it’s because they associate that behaviour with something aversive, perhaps they don’t understand what we’re wanting, they’re too distracted, over excited, tired, feeling stressed, or in pain. It’s our responsibility as the supposedly more intelligent species to figure out why. Our relationships with our dogs should be based on understanding - a cooperative partnership and not a dictatorship.
Be consistent in always rewarding behaviours you’re looking for with lots of positive reinforcement to build motivation. When a dog knows that a particular behaviour will be rewarding it will result in a dog being motivated instead of "stubborn".
The wellbeing of our dogs will be far better when we stop calling them “stubborn” and learn how to help them be more responsive.