Pawsitive Pup Training is a Certified Dog Trainer in Wilmington, NC led by Lainie Johnston.
04/22/2025
Good info
SOMETIMES MANAGEMENT IS ALL YOU NEED!
Occasionally you may read online that those who advise clients to use management are failing dogs because management alone does not fix a problem behaviour.
Accusations are made that many clients get stuck in management, and in some instances, this isn’t wrong.
By ‘management’ we refer to preventing a problem behaviour by making it difficult or impossible for a dog to do, by managing the environment or by managing our behaviour, such as by avoiding the situations or contexts our dogs find difficult.
Examples include;
➡️ Putting a stair gate across the bottom of the stairs to stop a dog going upstairs.
➡️ Keeping the kitchen sides clear when not in use to prevent counter surfing.
➡️ Using a long line to prevent your dog ignoring their recall.
Indeed, management alone may not reduce or resolve many problem behaviours, especially those largely motivated by a learned component.
As an example;
➡️ Avoiding other dogs with your dog who has been ‘reactive’ for years reduces how often your dog reacts, but your dog will likely still react when they next see a dog.
🤔 How and when is management helpful?
1️⃣ Management is helpful for behaviours influenced by development periods or phases.
It prevents a behaviour influenced by development phases being rewarded.
Some examples;
➡️ You tidy shoes away so your curious puppy doesn’t chew them. As your puppy passes this phase, their motivation to chew shoes will likely have passed.
➡️ Your adolescent dog has a sudden onset of fear that may be motivated by their development. Something that is referred to as 'fear periods'.
Management, such as by taking a couple of quiet weeks with your dog and avoiding busy environments, can prevent negative associations being made.
➡️ Similarly, a female dog in the phantom pregnancy stage of their oestrus cycle may benefit from some management until their hormones level out again and the risk of behaviours, such as resource guarding or increased aggression towards dogs decreases.
This latter example is why you'll see my senior dog Kanita have a short drag line attached to her on walks at present- as she randomly came into season for the first time and this is unchartered territory for us.
2️⃣ Management is helpful in reducing stress.
Sometimes, an undesired behaviour problem is motivated by high levels of stress.
Bring those stress levels down with management, and some behaviour problems can dissipate because the motivating factor has been addressed.
An example;
➡️ When Amigo (tan dog, ex stray from Malaga) arrived into my home we fed the dogs separately to reduce the risk of conflict caused by stress. Whilst we always feed with space between them, now he’s settled in no barriers are needed.
➡️ When I first gave him toys a few weeks after his arrival he would guard them from Mohawk and Kanita. He would position himself with a toy in a doorway, so to make the situation as predictable as possible (he can easily see the others approach) and guard.
We took all toys indoors away for months.
Now he’s fully settled in he has free access to toys and never guards them. Training wasn’t needed and wasn't the solution.
He just needed time to settle in and feel safe.
Management helped his stress levels lower and for his relationship with the other dogs to become established enough for him to not feel anxious around resources.
3️⃣ Management is useful when there is too much to train!
Sometimes we have to remind clients that they don’t have to train EVERYTHING! Some things in their lives with their dogs can be easily managed without it inconveniencing or limiting the dog or humans.
For example;
➡️ It’s ok to put your dog behind a stair gate when the doorbell goes providing you can do it easily and without your dog being excessively stressed.
Training a dog to go to and wait on their bed in response to the doorbell is a big undertaking for many, and there may be other more important things clients should spend their time training.
I think dog professionals can sometimes forget that many dog owners do not have the same amount of time available to train their dogs as we do, plus knowing how to train doesn’t come so easily to them as it does for us.
🤔 Is there any time management is needed for the rest of a dog’s life?
In some instances, where a key motivating factor for a problem behaviour simply cannot be addressed, some level of ongoing management may be required.
Examples;
➡️ A dog has chronic pain or a health issue that cannot be fully addressed with medical treatment. This behaviour may compromise their ability to cope and inhibit their ability to learn desired behaviours. Such as a dog exhibiting defensive behaviour approached and anticipate being touched by unfamiliar people (The dog may anticipate that touch elicits or heightens pain).
Some level of management may be the most ethical option for such dogs.
➡️ An environment is not optimum for an individual dog. Such as a home environment or location being simply too much for the dog. For example, a dog living in a busy city centre may struggle to learn how to cope despite best efforts.
Driving such dogs to quiet walk locations may be the most ethical option.
🤔 When is management NOT helpful?
Management prevents potential reinforcement for undesired behaviours. However, the motivation for that behaviour may not decrease, despite management being used for X amount of time.
The dog can return to the problem behaviour as soon as management is eased.
This is where management should serve to create a window where alternative behaviours are taught and rewarded. Management is then gradually eased as a reinforcement history for the desired behaviour is established.
This motivates the desired behaviours in the context where the undesired behaviour once occurred.
Management can set the training up for success.
So, it’s still helpful! But it wont allways resolve the problem on its own.
Management is not a dirty word and has its place in behaviour change.
But we should be mindful that clients are not getting stuck using management that results in a diminished quality of life for them and their dog!
However, if an owner/guardian and their dog appears perfectly content with management, then it is not our place to say they should push for more!
