Scientific Method for Training Your Chaos Gremlin (aka: Your Dog)
- getsitdonedogs
- Oct 12
- 2 min read
Dog training isn’t magic — it’s messy, hilarious, curious science! Embrace the process. Embrace the chaos. You’re doing great. Even if it’s a (slight) chaotic, dumpster fire.
Is the above gif one of a chaos gremlin or of a 100% certified good dog? The answer is BOTH!
Here’s a peek at how we can use the Scentific Method to steer our chaos gremlins in the right(ish) direction.
1. Observe the Creature. Notice your dog’s behavior like you’re a wildlife biologist with snacks (what would David Attenborough say?) Is your pup leaping off furniture? Losing their mind at the delivery driver or when people come to visit? Stealing items like socks or the remote control? Observe without judgment and lots of curiosity.
2. Ask a Question (or many!)
Why are they doing this? (why, why, why?!?!?!) What are they trying to communicate? Is it:
a) joy
b) fear
c) pure unfiltered gremlin energy (highly likely)
d) undetermined origin????? (aka just dog stuff us humans don’t. understand)
3. Form a Hypothesis If I ____, then maybe my dog will stop acting like a caffeinated raccoon. Example: If I give them a frozen peanut butter kong before the mail arrives, maybe they’ll stay calm and the blinds will live to see another day. Maybe.
4. Test the Hypothesis (aka try the stuff and things). Set up the experiment. Try the kong. Try the blinds closed. Try the white noise machine that cost more than your blender. Observe what happens. Keep the dog alive. Bonus points if you keep your sanity too.
5. Collect Data. Did it work? Did your dog stay calm? Did they give UPS Chad the stink eye but not scream into the abyss? Take mental notes. Or real notes if you want.
6. Analyze & Reflect (you’re probably gonna overthink it…meh, such is life). What worked? What didn’t? Do we need to add training games? More enrichment? Therapy for both of you? Maybe. Probably. Let’s just breathe and adjust.
7. Make Adjustments & Repeat. Try again with tweaks. Test new strategies. Be open to changing the plan (and then changing it again). Be open to flexibility. Reinforce what IS working. Repeat. Celebrate the small wins. Celebrate the medium chaos. Welcome to the sacred spiral of “trying your bestest with love and cheese.” (and maybe hanging on by a thread)
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