Dog Training Behavior Problem Solving 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A dog suddenly becomes destructive and house-soiling after a household move. The most likely cause is:
- Spite toward owners
- Stress from environmental change (Correct answer)
- Sudden dominance
- Improved appetite
Correct answer: Stress from environmental change
Dogs do not act out of spite; abrupt environmental changes commonly cause stress-related behaviors.
Question 2: Which is a sign that a dog's aggression may have a medical rather than behavioral root?
- Aggression only at the dog park
- Sudden aggression coinciding with pain when touched (Correct answer)
- Guarding a favorite toy
- Barking at the mail carrier
Correct answer: Sudden aggression coinciding with pain when touched
New aggression linked to being touched in a painful area suggests a medical issue requiring a vet check.
Question 3: The best way to interrupt mounting behavior in a socially excited dog is to:
- Physically pin the dog down
- Calmly redirect to an incompatible command like 'sit' (Correct answer)
- Shout and chase the dog
- Ignore it entirely indefinitely
Correct answer: Calmly redirect to an incompatible command like 'sit'
Redirecting to an incompatible behavior such as sit calmly interrupts mounting without escalating arousal.
Question 4: A dog fearful of thunderstorms paces and hides. A helpful management tool is:
- Punishing the hiding behavior
- Providing a safe den and using desensitization to recorded sounds (Correct answer)
- Forcing the dog to stay in the open
- Withholding all comfort
Correct answer: Providing a safe den and using desensitization to recorded sounds
A safe space plus gradual sound desensitization helps a storm-phobic dog cope over time.
Question 5: What is the primary risk of using a shock collar to stop barking?
- It always works permanently
- It can create fear and aggression through painful associations (Correct answer)
- It improves recall
- It strengthens the human-dog bond
Correct answer: It can create fear and aggression through painful associations
Pain-based tools can cause fearful or aggressive fallout and damage trust.
Question 6: A dog that nips during play needs to learn:
- That biting harder gets more play
- Bite inhibition through play stopping when teeth touch skin (Correct answer)
- To avoid all play forever
- That nipping earns treats
Correct answer: Bite inhibition through play stopping when teeth touch skin
Ending play the moment teeth contact skin teaches the dog to control mouth pressure.
Question 7: Which describes 'trigger stacking'?
- A single calm event
- Multiple stressors accumulating until the dog reacts (Correct answer)
- A reward schedule
- A type of crate training
Correct answer: Multiple stressors accumulating until the dog reacts
Trigger stacking is the buildup of several stressors that pushes a dog past its coping threshold.
Dog Training Behavior Problem Solving 3
A dog suddenly becomes destructive and house-soiling after a household move.
The most likely cause is: