Is My Dog Naughty Or Clever? 

A familiar phrase dog owners say is 'oh, my dog is so naughty' or 'my dog is really stubborn and won't do as he is told.' But the question is, how accurate are these statements? Are our dogs genuinely naughty, or is there more to it?

Imagine this scenario:

A couple of nights ago, I was getting the ingredients together to make our tea.  For our meal that evening, I was making chicken & mushroom stroganoff.  After chopping up all the components ready to cook, I added the onions to the frying pan and set about cooking.  

Meanwhile, as it had been a windy day, I noticed some of my plant pots had been knocked over by the bad weather.  Without much thought, I left the onions frying and nipped outside to put the plants straight.  

I was only away from the kitchen for a matter of seconds before I heard my partner say, 'What are you doing?' 

Before I could answer, I realised he was asking Delta what she was up to, who had jumped up to the kitchen worktop and eaten most of the raw chicken that was ready for tea. 

Now, this raises the question, is Delta a naughty dog who simply should have known better than to steal food from the kitchen side? 

Or, is she actually a very clever dog who quickly assessed her surroundings and realised she had a golden opportunity to get hold of an extra snack? 

The fact is, dogs will always go for the option that is most rewarding for them.  In this case, that was simply eating the chicken well within her reach. 

Delta quickly recognised that;

• She had access to the kitchen
• The chicken was within her reach
• Nobody was in the kitchen or too close by
• The risk of repercussions was low 
• The chance of success was high

And, she figured all this out in a matter of seconds! So, this proves she is highly intelligent and has not behaved this way to be naughty! 

On my part, this was an example of bad management.  I know Delta will take food if she has the chance to, so I should have ensured she didn't have access to the kitchen while I wasn't there to supervise her. 

Punishing your dog for carrying out such intrinsically natural behaviour is not only ineffective, but also cruel.  They simply do not 'know better' than to take something not meant for them. Instead, they are much more likely to seize the opportunity in front of them.  Our dogs are unlikely to weigh up the pros and cons of doing something, before they actually do it.  

Unfortunately, many trainers and behaviourists still advise you to control your dog's behaviour through force, fear, and intimidation. Not only does this damage the bond you share with each other, but it also causes your dog to become a shadow of their former selves. If they are continually shut down and punished when they try to practice any natural behaviours then what sort of life is that for them?

So, next time your dog is 'naughty,' maybe you should ask yourself if they really were doing it to be naughty, or if they were just taking advantage of an opportunity in their surroundings.  I can almost guarantee it is the latter. Stealing food, pulling on the lead, constantly sniffing, chasing wildlife, chewing the furniture, barking or howling, digging, shredding things, or going to the toilet in the house are not done because your dog wants to upset you, make you annoyed or because they're being naughty. These are all totally natural canine behaviours and only become an issue if you don't provide your dog with suitable outlets for them. So always make sure you take a moment to consider the bigger picture and the reasoning behind your dog behaving in a certain way. I can be sure it's not because they are being naughty!

If you would like to learn more about how your dog thinks and how this can affect their behaviour, you will find more information in my book, Canine Contentment - The Essential Guide.