Management
The M is for Management
-
Setting your home up for success
-
Preventing unwanted behavior from being practiced
-
Keeping your dog away from triggers while we train
-
Keeping everyone safe
-
Speaking up for your dog and handling them kindly
Environment · Education · Teaching & Training · See the full toolkit
Management means setting things up so your dog can't practice the behavior you're trying to change. It doesn't teach anything new on its own, but it stops the problem from getting stronger while we teach, and it keeps everyone safe in the meantime. Think of it as buying time. Most families find that good management makes life calmer right away.
Jump to: Why it matters · Management tools · Making a plan · Safety · Fearful dogs · Common questions
Why management matters
Dogs do what works for them. A dog who once found a steak on the counter learns that the counter sometimes pays off, so they keep checking. Every time it pays off again, the habit gets stronger. Psychologists call this the Law of Effect: behavior that's followed by something good is more likely to happen again.
That “something good” isn't always a treat. A dog who barks and lunges at a stranger may be rewarded when the stranger moves away. A dog who growls over a bone gets to keep it. A dog who learns that coming when called means going in the crate may stop coming. Management cuts off the payoff, so the old habit stops growing while we teach a better one.
Here are some other examples of management in our every day lives:
1. Baby Gates for Toddlers
Analogy: Just like you use baby gates to keep toddlers from falling down stairs or getting into cleaning supplies, management in dog behavior means using barriers (like baby gates, leashes, crates) to keep your dog from practicing unwanted behaviors.
Takeaway: You’re not teaching yet—you’re just keeping things safe and preventing mistakes.
2. Password Protection on a Computer
Analogy: You don’t let kids log onto your computer and accidentally delete important files. You use passwords to prevent access. Management for dogs is the same—it’s about controlling access to reinforcement (like jumping on guests or stealing food).
Takeaway: If a dog can’t access what reinforces the behavior (attention, food, escape), the behavior stops being worth doing.
3. Training Wheels on a Bike
Analogy: Training wheels keep kids from falling while they’re still learning to balance. Management tools like leashes, tethers, or preventing door dashing are training wheels that keep your dog from “falling into” old habits.
Takeaway: These are temporary supports to help set the dog up for success until they’ve built the skills needed.
With management, we change the environment so that the behavior doesn’t become automatic, or habitual.
Start here:
How dogs learn from consequences
Everyday management tools
Management doesn't need special equipment. Most families use a few of these:
-
Baby gates and closed doors, to block off the kitchen, the front door or a room your dog shouldn't be in unsupervised
-
A crate or exercise pen your dog has learned to enjoy, for times you can't watch
-
A leash or house line, so you can calmly guide your dog away instead of grabbing a collar
-
Window film or closed blinds, for dogs who bark at everything outside
-
Clear counters and a covered trash can, so there's nothing to find
-
Something to do, like a chew or stuffed Kong, at times your dog usually gets into trouble
Start here:
Making a management plan
Your trainer will help you build a plan for the behaviors you're working on. If you're starting on your own, ask yourself:
-
What exactly is my dog doing, and what do they get out of it?
-
When and where does it usually happen?
-
How can I change the setup so it can't happen, or isn't worth doing?
Take counter surfing. Your dog jumps up because food has been there before. A baby gate across the kitchen doorway means they can't reach the counter, and keeping counters clear means there's nothing to find if they do. Nothing gets reinforced, and the habit starts to fade while you teach your dog what to do instead.
Safety
Sometimes management isn't just about habits. It's what keeps your dog, your family and other dogs safe. A few examples:
-
A dog who swallows socks needs a family who keeps socks picked up and put away.
-
Dogs who fight over bones, treats or toys need those things put away whenever the dogs are together, and always when no one is watching.
-
A dog who darts out the front door needs a gate or a closed door between them and it.
-
A dog with a food allergy needs that food kept well out of reach.
-
A puppy who is still learning house training needs a crate, pen or gated room when no one can watch them.
-
A dog who might bite needs a basket muzzle they've learned to love before situations where a bite could happen, like vet visits.
Management for fearful dogs
Create Safe Spaces
For some dogs, management is about setting up the environment so the dog can keep distance from things that make her uncomfortable or are scary to her. Sometimes, she may not even be able to move away because she is scared. In those instances we need to put her away so she can get a break from stressful things. This is important in family situations where there are many people and things going on.
Have People Ignore
If you have a fearful dog in a place where there are many people nearby, and you can't remove the dog from the situation, ask people to ignore her. This is the fastest way to help her feel safe other than putting her in a confinement area far away where she can decompress.
Treat Delivery
If someone wants to give a treat, the treats should be thrown away behind the dog. This treat delivery creates distance between the dog and the person so that she can eat the treat in comfort and then reassess her comfort level. Comfort level is fluid, it's not black-and-white. Your dog may be comfortable for the first 10 or 15 minutes of a visit and then have a trigger and be less comfortable for the duration. Reassessing comfort by throwing treats away is the kindest approach.
Closing the Gap
Ask people to not close the gap of space for a fearful dog. If your dog wants to interact with someone, allow him to make that choice and approach a person on his own. Even then, we’d ask humans to ignore the first few approaches. Sometimes your dog may approach someone to get a good sniff due to curiosity and then realize he is a little too close for comfort. If someone does not touch him at these times, the sense of safety will improve more quickly than if he has a perceived unsafe experience. Remember, what is scary is in the eyes of your dog not in our eyes or our perception, so we want to be very conservative and slow.
Start here:
What fear looks like in your dog's body
Speaking up for your dog with strangers
How we help fearful and aggressive dogs
Common questions
Isn't management just avoiding the problem? On its own, yes, and that's why it's only one of your four tools. Management stops the behavior from getting stronger while we change how your dog feels and teach them what to do instead. Without it, your dog keeps practicing the old habit between sessions and progress is much slower. Will I have to manage forever? Usually not. As your dog learns, we fade management a step at a time, like taking the training wheels off. Some safety management, like keeping socks off the floor for a sock eater, may stay for good. That's okay. It's just part of living with that dog. Isn't a crate or gate unkind? Not when your dog is comfortable with it. We teach dogs that their crate, pen or gated area is a good place to be, with chews, food toys and rest. It's often less stressful for a dog than being corrected for getting into things. My dog only does it when I'm not looking. What now? That's a sign the behavior is paying off when you're away. Use management for those times, like a gate, a pen or a closed door, and tell your trainer. When you're there to watch, you have a chance to reward what you want instead.
Management and the rest of your toolkit
Management holds things steady so the other tools can work. Environment lowers stress and meets the needs that drive a lot of unwanted behavior. Education helps you spot trouble early and know when to step in. And Teaching gives your dog something better to do, so management can slowly fade away.
Next: Environment → · Back to your toolkit