When it comes to dog training, breaking bad habits and replacing them with new, desired behaviours can be quite a journey. One of the biggest challenges we face is understanding how our dogs’ brains work—especially when it comes to breaking down those old habits.
Let’s dive into how neural pathways play a role in behaviour, and why even after countless repetitions, it can sometimes feel like we’re still fighting an uphill battle.
Neural Pathways and Habit Formation
To understand why certain behaviours are so hard to change, we need to take a closer look at how the brain forms habits. Imagine every behaviour your dog does as a neural pathway—a "footpath" in their brain.
Each time your dog practices a behaviour, that footpath becomes more established. The more often the behaviour is repeated, the clearer and more worn that footpath becomes, eventually becoming almost automatic.
This is how a bad habit, like jumping up on guests or lunging at other dogs during walks, can become so deeply ingrained.
The brain naturally gravitates towards these well-worn paths because they are easy to follow. For your dog, barking at the door or pulling on the lead might be the quickest, most familiar reaction. It’s effortless, like walking a well-trodden trail rather than pushing through dense underbrush.
Creating New Pathways
When we begin to train new behaviours, we are essentially carving out a new pathway. Imagine this as starting a new footpath that is completely overgrown and unfamiliar. It takes a lot of effort initially to clear the way and make the path usable.
Each time we reinforce a desired behaviour—whether it’s calmly greeting guests or sitting quietly instead of pulling on the lead—we make that new path a little clearer. Over time, with enough practice, this new behaviour becomes the easier, more natural choice.
However, creating these new pathways takes time and consistency. Studies suggest that it takes around 10,000 repetitions to solidify a new behaviour to the point where it becomes a habit. This is no small feat, and it requires dedicated, repeated practice in a variety of environments and situations.
But even if you reach those 10,000 repetitions, you may still find your dog reverting to old habits from time to time. This can feel frustrating, especially when you feel like you've put in the work. But here’s why that happens:
The Deficit: Old Behaviours vs. New Behaviours
The challenge many dog owners face is that while they might put in those 10,000 repetitions for the new behaviour, they often forget that their dog has already practiced the unwanted behaviour tens of thousands of times before training began.
Your dog may have 50,000 repetitions of barking at the door, pulling on the lead, or jumping up—meaning that well-worn footpath is still significantly more travelled and comfortable compared to the newly created one.
This is what we call a deficit in training. The old behaviour has a huge head start; it’s easy for the dog to follow because it’s so deeply ingrained in their brain. Even if we start putting in those 10,000 repetitions to replace it, we’re still playing catch-up. The new footpath we’re creating isn’t quite as familiar or comfortable yet, especially under stress or in moments of high excitement.
Why Do Dogs Revert Back?
Even with training, dogs may revert to old habits when they’re in a situation that overwhelms them or triggers a stress response. In these moments, the brain naturally defaults to what is most familiar—the old pathway.
This isn’t because your training has failed; it’s simply because, under pressure, the brain seeks the path of least resistance, and that’s often the well-worn trail of the unwanted behaviour.
Think of it like driving a new route versus your usual commute. Even if you’ve practiced the new route a few times, if you’re tired or distracted, it’s easy to accidentally end up on the old familiar road. It’s exactly the same for your dog.
Closing the Gap: What Can You Do?
So how do we close this gap? How do we make the new behaviours more reliable than the old habits?
Consistency is Key: Keep reinforcing the new behaviour as often as possible. Every single repetition matters. It’s these repeated experiences that will gradually strengthen the new neural pathway, making it more accessible for your dog.
Manage the Environment: Prevent the old behaviour from happening as much as possible. The less your dog has the opportunity to practice the unwanted behaviour, the weaker that old pathway becomes. Over time, the "footpath" grows over, becoming less accessible.
Practice in Different Situations: To make the new behaviour truly stick, it needs to be practiced in a variety of environments, under different levels of distraction. This helps solidify the new pathway, making it strong enough to withstand real-world pressures.
Stay Patient: Habits formed over years take time to replace. Celebrate the small victories and understand that setbacks are part of the process. Every time you guide your dog down the new path, you’re making progress, even if it doesn’t always feel like it.
Conclusion
Breaking bad habits in dog training is all about understanding the science of behaviour change and realising that progress takes time—often more time than we’d like.
If your dog has practiced an unwanted behaviour tens of thousands of times, it’s only natural that it will take significant time and effort to carve out a new, more desirable pathway.
Remember that every time you practice a new behaviour with your dog, you’re helping to make that new path easier to travel. Consistency, patience, and the willingness to manage setbacks are your best allies on this journey.
One day, with enough practice, the new behaviour will be the easiest and most natural choice for your dog—making all your hard work worth it.
Seek Professional Support for Best Results
While consistency and patience are crucial, sometimes breaking deeply ingrained habits requires additional support. Seeking help from a professional trainer can be the best way forward, especially when dealing with challenging behaviours that have become second nature for your dog.
At Adolescent Dogs, we offer a variety of training options designed to suit all budgets and busy schedules. Whether you're looking for hands-on assistance or specialised guidance, our programs include workshops for both friendly and reactive dogs, scentwork courses to keep your dog mentally stimulated, one-to-one lessons for individualised training, residential training for intensive support, and our Online Academy for flexible learning from home.
With professional help, you can fast-track your dog's progress and ensure you’re on the right path to success.