Dog Bad Behaviour 2025: Expert dog trainer reveals 9 biggest dog behavioural problems - and what they mean

But often our pet’s behaviour can give us a valuable insight into how they’re feeling - and that includes when they are naughty.

With this in mind, the team at pet insurance company Protectivity have collaborated with Sian Lawley-Rudd, an ethical dog trainer at Lavender Garden Animal Services and Sadie Geoghegan-Dann, dog trainer and carer at Nervous Rex to decode what 10 common ‘bad behaviors’ can tell us about our pets’ training and wellbeing.

Sian explained: “What we often label as ‘naughty’ or ‘stubborn’ is usually communication, unmet needs, or a lack of clarity around what we’re asking for. Behaviour is communication - not manipulation or “dominance”. When we start looking at why a dog behaves a certain way, we can support them far more effectively and compassionately.

Here’s their advice

Excessive barking

The problem: Excessive barking is often a sign of unmet emotional needs, like boredom, frustration, anxiety, or even overstimulation from excitement. Dogs who are sensitive to certain sights or sounds (like traffic, birds, or people walking past the house) can also bark more than average. But it’s never about being “difficult.” Barking is communication. If you listen closely to the pitch, rhythm, and context - and watch their body language - you’ll start to notice clear differences depending on what they’re trying to express.

The cause: Context and body language is key. If excessive barking is a new behaviour and you really can’t figure it out, it’s best to consult your vet to rule out any underlying pain.

Growling

The problem: A really vital warning sign. It shows a dog is uncomfortable and feels threatened. Punishing a growl removes their ability to warn us, which can lead to more dangerous reactions later. We want to listen, not silence. So I say never punish a growl - understand why your dog is growling. Again context is important - dogs can also growl during play, and this can be a sign that they’re enjoying themselves!

The cause: Growling is one of the steps on a dogs ‘ladder of communication’, which starts with subtle body language changes at the bottom, slowly escalating up through more obvious signs of discomfort, to then growling and eventually biting. Growling is a sign of anxiety or discomfort that should never be ignored or corrected. You should respect the dog’s wishes and give them space, in order to de-escalate the situation.

Chewing and other destructive behaviours

The problem: Puppies tend to chew to explore, play or soothe themselves. They don’t know any differently in those early weeks. Consistent redirection is really important. If they’re chewing during teething, they’re likely to be in pain. In teenage dogs and adults, it’s often due to under-stimulation, overarousal, stress, or separation issues.

The cause: Chewing and other destructive behaviours can be a sign of frustration, which often derives from a dog’s needs not being met with breed-specific outlets. It can also be a sign of boredom or anxiety, especially if it tends to occur when your dog is left alone. If your older dog suddenly starts doing it, it could be a sign of discomfort which might require a vet visit to check there are no problems going on with their teeth or gums.

Begging

The problem: Dogs repeat behaviours that work. If begging is rewarded (even accidentally by saying “no” or pushing them away), it’ll continue. But it could also be a sign they’re not getting enough food, enrichment, or they haven’t been shown calm boundaries around mealtimes.

The cause: “Begging can simply be a learned behaviour – if it’s worked for them before and they’ve got something delicious as a result, they’re going to do it again. It’s not a sign of defiance – dogs have no concept of that. And it’s not a sign of dominance – that theory got debunked long ago! It could be that they’re seeking affection or attention. If, however, the begging is a new behaviour that’s become obsessive, it might be worth checking with your vet that your dog isn’t lacking certain nutrients and make sure that they’re getting everything they should need from their regular food.

Resource guarding

The problem: Resource guarding is a behaviour that all dogs can exhibit if they don’t trust someone. A dog will resource guard because they worry their food, toy, or space will be taken away. Taking their bowl mid-meal makes resource guarding worse, not better. Dogs can also guard people, or a piece of furniture if they feel they need to. It’s not dominance - it’s anxiety. Trust is a key element to this.

The cause: This could be subtle, such as putting themselves between you and the object, or standing over it and freezing. It could also be much more obvious, such as growling, baring teeth and even escalating to biting. You should never, ever try to take something from a dog that resource guards. And you should never, ever put your hand in any dog's food bowl or try and take it away, whether they’re a resource guarder or not. Resource guarding can be safely managed by building trust.

Digging

The problem: A normal and instinctive behaviour! Dogs dig for comfort, to cool off, to hunt, or just for fun. It can also be a sign of boredom. Suppressing a dog’s need to dig can bring out other problem behaviours, so redirecting the digging to an appropriate space can save the flower beds, and a dog’s sanity.

The cause: Digging can have lots of different meanings. Breeds such as terriers, dachshunds and beagles might be more likely to dig due to their genetics and being bred to hunt and dig things out. A dog might dig because they’ve gotten the scent of something exciting and they want to check it out. Some dogs dig simply because they’re bored and others might dig because it provides a nice, cool spot to lay down in. Some dogs dig to bury treasure such as chews, others might dig as a nesting behaviour if pregnant, and some might dig as a displacement behaviour to relieve anxiety. Of course, one of the riskiest reasons why a dog might dig is in order to escape from somewhere, so understanding the context of the behaviour is key. Ensure you’re meeting your dog’s needs to prevent any unwanted digging. Alternatively, if they just really love digging, maybe it’s time to invest in a sandpit for them!

Nipping or biting

The problem: Common in puppies as they learn to explore their world. In older dogs, it could signal over-arousal, fear due to feeling threatened by something, or unmet needs around rest or boundaries. Dogs can also learn to nip to get attention - even if they get a “no” or “stop” - it’s still attention for them. If a dog bites and it’s not something that’s ever happened before, it’s always best to get a vet check for pain or illness.

The cause: Nipping is very different from biting and can occur when a young dog is teething or an excitable dog is playing.outhing is a behaviour that isn’t quite a bite, but is potentially a little harder than a nip and more like chewing. And, obviously, a bit is at the top of a dog’s ladder of communication and occurs when it’s escalated through all other steps and feels it has no other choice. When a dog is displaying nipping/mouthing/biting behaviours, I’d be wanted to keep a close eye on its arousal levels and doing everything I can to prevent over-arousal and escalation.

Inappropriate urination or defecation

The problem: For puppies it’s generally confusion about where they’re meant to go. In slightly older puppies and adult dogs, this could point to medical issues, anxiety, or a lack of routine. It’s rarely “naughty” - usually, it’s unmet communication or illness.

The cause: You should never tell a dog off for urinating or defecating somewhere that you deem to be inappropriate – that will just instil fear. Instead, give plenty of opportunities for the dog to be outside and give them a treat and all the praise in the world when they toilet outside. If a previously housetrained dog suddenly starts toileting inside, book an appointment with your vet to figure out what the cause could be.

Recall problems

The problem: When a dog doesn’t come back, it’s not because they’re being “naughty” or ignoring you out of spite - it usually means we’re competing with something more rewarding at that moment. Whether it’s an exciting smell, another dog, or the thrill of the chase, most dogs will choose the thing that feels most reinforcing to them unless we’ve made coming back consistently rewarding, safe, and fun and we’re meeting their needs. Dogs can also avoid coming back because they’ve been scolded after finally returning, they’re unsure what’s expected, recall hasn’t been properly practiced in real-life situations with distractions, or there’s a lack of trust or emotional safety in the relationship. A good recall takes time and trust to build - I always say ‘recall is relationship’. If your dog hesitates to come back, they’re not being defiant - they’re telling you the recall needs more positive reinforcement, more practice around distractions, or that they’re struggling emotionally in that moment.

The cause: If you’re not meeting your dog’s needs throughout the day, it’s going to seek every opportunity to ignore you and try and meet them itself through unwanted behaviours. It’ll want to chase every squirrel, run over to every dog and not be in the least bit interested in you, no matter how high value the treats in your pocket are. Give them outlets, meet their needs, let them realise that they get everything they need from you.