Kane is a young 22-month-old Cane Corso we adopted in the month of March 2020 as a puppy. He’s not very aggressive, but he is tough. If he’s in the mood to go inside and out, he walks up to the door and smashes the door with a paw. It’s not just harming the doors in the home and the surrounding areas, but he also does it to strangers who want to pet him, too. How do we convince him to not “paw” at objects? We refer to it as”bam bam” because he is his “bam bam” because he slams any object like a bossy beast. –Jamie
First of all, “bam bam” is adorable. Second, as always, one of the most important things to understand in this situation is your dog’s motivation. The reason he’s doing this is probably that he wanted something, he tried something — pawing — and he got access to something. In this case, I wouldn’t be surprised if it started with a door. He may have learned, “Hey, when I mash this door with my giant paw, it opens and I get to go outside.” Or, “If I start scratching the door, everybody freaks out that I’m scratching the door with my giant paw, and they open it for me.”
Be patient; you can correct this pee-action.
It’s difficult to avoid a Cane Corso who’s looking at you with a paw however if you offer the dog attention, it’ll learn how to behave productively. And if you attempt to redirect them using the help of a tooth or toy and they discover that they’re actually being rewarded for poor behavior.
Understanding Motivators and Consequences
We need to view situations from the perspective of a dog point of view. Every behavior is composed of three components. There’s the motivator. This is also known as the preceding. What do dogs want? What is he trying to get access to or avoid? The second aspect is the way he behaves. What is it like? How often is it occurring? What is the severity? The third aspect is the consequences from the perspective of animals.
If he paws at you, the motive is attention. The behavior is to paw at you and the result is attention. If the motive is to leave the door, then the behavior is making the door open and the result is the opening of the door. In both instances, the behavior is reinforced and held in the same place. We must consider the consequences of Kane’s actions not to be in line with his motivation, or else there’s no reason to quit the paws.
Robert Haussmann, a dog trainer’s expert tips to calm dogs that are insecure about their turf.
Before we can even think about any of these things we must be certain that the needs of our pet are being met. If he truly needs to pee and we’re not paying attention to him, then scratching at the door makes a lot of sense. Therefore, we must ensure that his routine is in place and his needs are being met. Then, if it looks like he is unable to stop his door from scratching, then you can either block the door from scratching or think of different ways of preventing him from having the ability to participate in the behavior.
Re-Teaching the Consequence
It is best to take charge and help him obtain what he wants. If he’s making paws at you it’s okay to move away and get up. If you return and he continues to paw and you take a break and leave the area until he stops. after which, if you return and he’s not pawing then, give him all the attention and love that you can. If he’s peeping at the door, you may want to provide him with a time-out and also remove the door from his reach and then return him to the door or perhaps walk him. It is the time to make him lay down or rest before you open your door. In this way, he’ll be taught that tapping at the door will get him the opposite outcome as the door while sitting down at the door allows doors to unlock.
Tips from dog trainer Robert Haussmann to deal with an eager puppy.
Changing the consequences of pawing, without creating a painful or scary situation is essential. We need to ensure that instead of making the dog afraid of certain behavior the dog learns new skills that allow him access to the external world.
In the beginning, it is possible to insist on things like sitting or lying down, or even techniques such as “handshake” — before you give him what you want, such as the food, furniture, or entertainment. Everything good should be guided by you not since you’re your most dominant dog and all, but because you’re the dog’s teacher and guide. It is your responsibility to teach your dog how to behave as you lead him. This is the way he can get access to what he desires in a peaceful and focused manner.
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