Is Your Dog Quirky?

The dictionary describes a quirk as:

1. A peculiarity of behavior; an idiosyncrasy: “Every man had his own quirks and twists” (Harriet Beecher Stowe).
2. An unpredictable or unaccountable act or event; a vagary.
3. A sudden sharp turn or twist.

Does this sound like your dog?  When a dog’s behavior is unpredictable and with no apparent trigger, it can be described as quirky.  If your dog is so sweet and yet randomly is aggressive with either humans or other dogs, it is a tough behavior to correct.

I don’t like telling clients their dog may never be trustworthy.  However, it is true and I’d rather tell the truth than lead them along an unpredictable path.  Their dog can improve and may make great strides in shifting a less desirable behavior only to find that six months later, the dog reverts back to his old ways.

You haven’t done anything wrong.  Chances are, if this is a rescue dog, it has experienced something in it’s past that is contributing to a random response.  You may never be able to figure it out.  What you can do, is be responsible and don’t pretend the behavior doesn’t exist.  Keep them on a leash, consider the proper use of a muzzle, keep them out of the dog park, etc.  Whatever their quirk is, there’s a way to work with them.

Personally, I haven’t known a human without a quirk or two.  Why should dogs be any different?