Management: A Powerful Tool for Dog Guardians
Management: The Key to Supporting Your Dog’s Behaviour
When it comes to addressing challenging behaviours in dogs, the term management might not sound as exciting as training, but it’s a vital part of helping your dog thrive. While training teaches your dog new skills and behaviours, management creates an environment where they can succeed. For guardians of reactive, anxious, or excitable dogs, understanding and implementing management can transform both your dog’s life and your own.
What Is Management in Dog Behaviour?
Management involves adjusting your dog’s environment to prevent them from practising behaviours you want to change. It’s about removing opportunities for unwanted behaviours to occur while also reducing your dog’s stress levels. Think of it as creating a "calm bubble" for your dog, giving them space to feel safe and secure while they learn.
For example:
Barking at passers-by through the window: Use frosted window film or keep blinds closed during the day.
Leash reactivity to other dogs: Walk your dog during quiet hours or choose less crowded routes.
Counter surfing: Keep food and tempting items out of reach, or use baby gates to block off the kitchen.
Management doesn’t mean avoiding training—it works hand-in-hand with training to help your dog succeed.
Why Management Matters for Reactive and Anxious Dogs
For dogs with anxiety or reactivity, the world can be overwhelming. Whether it’s other dogs, loud noises, or unfamiliar people, these triggers can send their stress levels skyrocketing. Over time, repeated exposure to triggers without adequate support can make these behaviours worse, leaving dogs feeling stuck in a cycle of stress and reactivity.
Management helps break that cycle. By reducing exposure to stressors, you allow your dog to stay under their emotional threshold. This is critical for learning because dogs, like humans, can’t process new information or make good choices when overwhelmed by stress.
The Science Behind Stress and Management
When a dog encounters a trigger, their body releases stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. In the short term, this "fight or flight" response is adaptive—it helps them react to perceived threats. However, when stress is repeated or prolonged, it can take a toll on their physical and emotional well-being.
Chronic stress can:
Impair learning and memory.
Lead to health issues like high blood pressure or weakened immunity.
Cause trigger stacking, where smaller stressors add up and overwhelm your dog.
Management helps minimise these stress responses, giving your dog the time and space needed to recover and reset.
Common Scenarios Where Management Shines
Here are some everyday examples of how management can make life easier for you and your dog:
Preventing Overexposure to Triggers
If your dog barks at delivery drivers, close the blinds during peak delivery hours.
For dogs that react to visitors, use baby gates to create a safe space where they can relax away from the front door.
Keeping Everyone Safe
A dog with resource guarding tendencies might need meals served in a separate room or be given high-value chews in a quiet space to prevent conflicts.
Dogs who are nervous around children can benefit from barriers or separate play areas to reduce stress.
Reducing Stress in High-Arousal Situations
On busy streets or in crowded parks, using visual barriers like cars or hedges can help leash-reactive dogs feel more comfortable.
During thunderstorms or fireworks, a quiet room with calming music or white noise can provide a safe retreat.
Combining Management with Training
Management isn’t a lifelong substitute for training—but it provides the foundation for effective learning. Without management, your dog may continually practise unwanted behaviours, reinforcing those habits and making change even harder.
For example:
Barking at the doorbell: Management might involve desensitising your dog to the sound of the bell, but in the meantime, use a sign asking guests to knock softly or message before arriving.
Jumping on visitors: Train your dog to "settle" on a mat while also managing by using a leash or barrier during greetings.
Think of management as scaffolding—it supports your dog while you work on building their skills and confidence.
When Management Is the Best Solution
Sometimes, management alone is the best answer. For behaviours that are inconvenient but not harmful, management might be all you need. For example:
Keeping the toilet lid closed to prevent a water-loving dog from drinking from it.
Using a secure fence to keep a dog with a strong prey drive safe in the yard.
In these cases, management simplifies life and removes unnecessary stress for both you and your dog.
Final Thoughts: Why Management Matters
As dog guardians, it’s easy to feel pressure to "fix" everything through training. But management isn’t a shortcut or a cheat—it’s an essential part of responsible dog care. By reducing stress, preventing unwanted behaviours, and setting your dog up for success, management helps create a calm, positive environment where learning and growth can happen.
If your dog is reactive, anxious, or struggles in certain situations, management can be a lifeline. Combined with training and a deep understanding of your dog’s needs, it allows both of you to navigate challenges with greater ease and confidence. Sometimes, the best thing we can do for our dogs is to set them up for success, one thoughtful adjustment at a time.
