Why does a dog misbehave when it knows exactly what it is doing is forbidden? Not to annoy you at all

Dogs are not machines and they are not people. Their brains don't work like ours. They cannot reason and they do not fully understand the more complex human emotions. But if you think about it, they don't need to, because they have unique abilities that we wouldn't trade for anything.

If you take a little time to understand how your pet’s brain works, you’ll both be much happier in this friendship that’s like no other. Our article will help you to treat your dog like a dog, even in stressful situations.

Dogs do not think things through, they simply react

Our pets never plan their actions in advance. That’s never why they lie quietly on the sofa next to you in the evening, calculating their plans for tomorrow.

08.30: biting the postman, 11.00: bored digging up the newly planted begonia, 11.20: toilet break in the neighbour’s garden are the sort of items you certainly wouldn’t find in their diary.

When a dog does things like the above, it is probably because the human is not communicating with it properly. There are certain things our friends need to be content and happy. If they are not getting these, they will react accordingly.

Dogs and animals in general have their own separate language. They read each other’s body language and energies. Humans can do this too, but most of us often forget to pay attention to these details due to our hectic daily lives and the intense stimulation from a million sides. But if you are angry, for example, your dog will know it and you haven’t even crossed the threshold. However, he won’t know if you’re feeling this way because your colleague has once again assigned you a task that shouldn’t be your job, or because he peed on your brand new carpet. The only way your four-legged friend will really understand when you do something wrong is if you let them know while they’re doing it.

Don’t ignore it when you’re angry

For dogs, it is the pack, or family if you like, that provides security. If the leader of the pack, you, scolds and ignores and avoids the dog in anger, it will not make him realise that peeing on the carpet was a bad decision.

Even if he seems to show signs of humility after the scolding, it is only because he senses that you are angry and his goal in life is to see you content and happy. So he does his best to make amends and apologise, but he doesn’t know why he does it.

Get inspired by the rules of the bevy

The modern view is that an owner does not necessarily have to play the role of alpha, but simply act as a good leader who provides security and direction. However, it is worth understanding how the subordinate-superior relationship works to make co-existence run more smoothly.

In the wild, the bevy leader does not show affection to the lower members of the bevy unless it is earned through expected behaviour. The leader makes the rules and sets the boundaries. This social structure provides security for all individuals.

When dogs live with humans, they experience to a greater extent one of the most important human traits, affection. A sense of love is inherent in all creatures, and affection is an expression of that love. However, love is not as common in the dog world as it is in the human world. It is therefore particularly important to learn to show love at the right time and in the right way.

Showing affection is wonderful and very important, but showing it too often and inappropriately is unfortunate for the well-being of dogs. Consistent, firm and assertive discipline and guidance is what keeps your pack and the members in it strong. If a dog’s life lacks discipline, it becomes unstable, confused, insecure and unhappy.

How to do it right

You may find it difficult at first, but unless you catch your pet misbehaving, don’t react to the circumstances, especially don’t shout at him or ignore him.

If you do catch him misbehaving, feel free to point out that he’s doing the wrong thing. Use the command words “Leave it!” or “No!” firmly, without shouting. And try to show your love and affection in a way he understands.