Why is My Dog Trying to Drive Me Crazy?

Pet parents frequently ask why their dogs are doing an annoying or dangerous behavior, such as messing inside or destroying property.

Many pet parents think their dogs have a secret vendetta against them. While it may seem that your dog is purposefully trying to drive you crazy, this may not be the case.

Behavior has function. Some behaviors have an obvious function, like when a dog jumps up on a visitor and gets pets and loving praise. Your dog may jump up because they love people, and jumping up is a great way to get a person’s attention. Other functions may not be so easy to identify, such as a terrier’s propensity to dig, a doodle’s incessant scratching, or a spaniel’s peeing when approached.

The reasons why a behavior occur can depend on a number of factors, including the dog’s age, health status, breed, environment, previous learning history, and more.

Before we can attempt to change this behavior that’s driving you crazy, we want to identify why the behavior is happening.

By looking at your dog as a whole individual, we can begin to understand why their behavior is happening. Once we can start to see things from your dog’s point of view, we can start to help them see where we are coming from. Chances are neither you or your dog are purposefully trying to drive you crazy.