Another major issue for dog owners is reasserting behaviour unknowingly. For example, if your dog missed a step going up and hit their paw, they might be in a little bit of pain, but they would simply learn to be more cautious of the steps and to not be so aggressive in climbing them. However, if you took the dog aside and cooed over it for a long time after that injury, you may further instil the danger of the stairs to the point that you create a phobia.

Reassurance is an emotion that dogs rarely understand. The negative effect of an action they take can be good for them in that they learn a lesson (similar to the old adage of a child touching a hot stove). It is not good and you should check to ensure they are not injured, but you should not baby them afterwards or it can create anxiety and phobias where there were none before.

You may have also heard of using positive reinforcement with clickers or treats to teach your dogs to behave. This is a very effective method when a dog is already well balanced and healthy. On the other hand, when a dog is unbalanced and confused about the pack order, all you may be doing with treats is reinforcing those behaviours and creating a negative behaviour in which your dog constantly wants treats.