09/06/2025
Your Dog’s Behaviour Isn’t Broken, But the Puzzle Might Be
Training a dog isn’t about fixing a problem, it’s about solving a puzzle. Not one of those quick five-minute ones with 12 giant pieces and a picture of a cartoon duck, either. No, dog training is more like piecing together a 5,000-piece jigsaw of the Scottish Highlands in a snowstorm. Tricky, layered, and deeply satisfying when done right.
Every dog is a puzzle made up of unique, interlocking pieces, genetics, lifestyle, history, health, environment, and mental wellbeing. And when one or more of those pieces doesn’t quite fit, it often shows up as what we humans like to call “problem behaviour”.
Chewing the sofa, barking at shadows, lunging at squirrels, pulling on the lead like it’s towing a caravan, all of these are signals that the picture isn’t quite coming together.
🧩 Piece 1: Genetics – It’s in the Dog’s DNA
You can’t train a Collie to ignore movement any more than you can train a Labrador to dislike food. Breed matters. If your dog was born to herd, guard, hunt, or chase, it’s not being naughty when it does just that, it’s being a dog. The key is learning how to channel those instincts in a way that works with you, not against you.
🧩 Piece 2: Biological Needs – Food, Sleep, and the Loo
A hungry dog is a distracted dog. A tired dog is often a grumpy one. And a dog that hasn’t had a proper wee? Best of luck with your training session. Basic needs must be met before you can expect focus or calm behaviour. Nutrition, sleep, exercise, and regular toilet breaks aren’t extras, they’re essentials.
🧩 Piece 3: The Environment – Home Life and Hustle
Dogs are shaped by the world they live in. Chaotic households, inconsistent routines, under-stimulating environments, or overstimulating ones, all have an impact. Think of your dog’s daily surroundings as either puzzle glue or a sledgehammer. Set them up for success with structure, routine, and opportunities for calm exploration.
🧩 Piece 4: The Mind – Past Training and Present Emotions
Anxious, overstimulated, or confused dogs often behave “badly” not because they’re misbehaving, but because they don’t know what else to do. Many dogs are reacting, not misbehaving. Their brain says “I don’t feel safe or settled” so they bark, bolt, or bite. Address the emotion, not just the behaviour.
So, What’s the Solution?
Stop yanking at the corner pieces hoping they’ll magically fit. Instead, step back and look at the whole picture. Ask yourself:
• Am I meeting my dog’s biological and psychological needs?
• Do I understand what my dog was bred to do?
• Am I providing clear boundaries and meaningful outlets?
• Am I reinforcing the behaviours I want or just reacting to the ones I don’t?
Dog training isn’t a quick fix, nor should it be. It’s about aligning instinct with instruction, nature with nurture, and behaviour with balance. And yes, sometimes it’s about realising that the dog chewing your slipper isn’t broken, he’s just trying to tell you he needs something more than another “No!”
Training should be a journey of teamwork, not a power struggle. When all the pieces fit, you don’t just get a well-behaved dog, you get a calm, confident, content companion.
And who doesn’t want that?
www.k9manhuntscotland.co.uk
