If you can’t train your dog, this could be why!

Does your dog chew on off limit items, bark incessantly when they’re left alone or even still urinate inside the house? A new study has found that if your dog is doing these things and it’s getting difficult to train them, it’s likely that it isn’t the dogs fault at all… It’s yours!

Psychologists from the University of Freiburg, Germany and Eotvos Lorand University in Hungary suggest that the owner of a dog is likely to be the reason the dog behaves in this way. A study found that people with an “avoidant-attachment” personality, which is about 25% of the population, were more likely to have dogs that did these naughty things.

The avoidant-attachment relationship style is likely to make the dog feel insecure and creates a separation related disorder. The study published in the journal PLoS One said that as the owners’ high score on attachment avoidance increases, the occurrence of separation related disorder in the dog increases.

So if you think that this could be the root of your problems, what can you do?

It’s about building trust and security. Naturally, the dog wants companionship and attachment. We generally see that when we come home from the shops and there’s a bright eyed little fluff ball with a tag wagging furiously jumping around at our feet. So it’s all about allowing that attachment to happen within boundaries.

By rewarding the dog’s good behaviour with companionship, it can hopefully twist their coping mechanisms. But for now, the dog will continue to act as a bratty child who simple wants attention from their mum and dad!

Tell us, how well trained is your dog? Can it do any tricks? Did you train them yourself or get professionals in?