The human culture consists of laws, rules and morals and we expect our dogs to live by those same principles. It's called anthropomorphism and humans use it freely when describing their dogs! Unfortunately for dogs, we humans are often wrong when describing what and why our dogs do what they do.

Anthropomorphism simply means to ascribe human characteristics to things not human. We're all guilty of it, but by understanding it maybe we can better understand why our dogs really do what they do.

The truth is dogs do not know right vs. wrong. They have no moral compass. They learn what works to get what they want and then repeat it.

Dogs are for the most part selfish and opportunistic. Get what you can get while the opportunity presents itself. When danger lurks escape the area and if that's not possible slink downward to make yourself become less visible to the immediate predator. Humans often interpret this canine behavior as remorseful. Owners often say, "my dog knew what he did was wrong because he looked sorry or ashamed."

When your dog jumps up on the counter and eats food placed there, he's not being bad. He's retrieving what smells good while the opportunity is there. Many owners describe this behavior as "he waited until I was out of the room because he knew it was wrong."

Of course, the dog didn't know it was wrong; the dog did not wait until the human wasn't in the room because he thought it was wrong, he waited until the human was gone to be safe. The dog learned from past experiences humans can sometimes be dangerous when food is eaten from the counter. The dog doesn't know right or wrong, he only knows safe or unsafe!

Dogs are expected to conform to our society, but often are given little or no direction of what is expected and then labeled bad. Many people find normal dog behavior undesirable. Dogs jump on us because it's their way of greeting and getting attention. This is how dogs interact with canine pals and this is how they will act with their humans unless trained otherwise. If you teach your dog to sit for greetings he will no longer jump on you or others.

Dogs drink from toilets because it's easy access to cool fresh water. The bowl is refreshed many times throughout the day so the water is always fresh. How often is his water bowl refreshed? Most dogs prefer cool fresh water to warm water that's several days old and sadly many water bowls aren't refilled with fresh water until they're empty. If you find your dog's drinking from the toilet gross, keep the lid shut and refresh his water bowl daily. If your dog's drinking from the toilet isn't gross to you, keep the toilet bowl clean and never use drop in toilet cleaners, no harm will come to the dog who occasional drinks from a clean toilet bowl.

When your dog steals a sock from the laundry, many owners complain he knows better because as soon as they get up to retrieve the sock their dog runs around the house with it! No dog knows the value of a sock, but they quickly learn holding a sock, for some odd reason, gets your attention. Furthermore the dog learns running through the house will finally get you to play a game of "catch me if you can!" You may be mad, but he still has your full attention and loves it!

Teach your dog to play with his own toys by giving him attention when he's got his toy in his mouth. Chasing him around the house when he has his dog toy will result in him learning his toys start the game of chase, not socks.

Imagine if you were visiting another country and shaking hands was considered to be a horrific act of rudeness. You mistakenly offered your hand as a friendly gesture, the act of extending your hand didn't make you a bad person, it only meant you were misinformed.

Of course, humanely teaching dogs how to fit into our lifestyle is necessary. The good news is dogs are most willing to change their behavior if there's something in it for them. Use their food, give them praise and always be patient in your training. A dog can only learn what you teach them.

Dogs are not bad, they take every opportunity to play, eat, sleep, make friends and enjoy the moment. Maybe that isn't such a bad lesson to learn from our four-legged friends.

Tip of the week: Teach your dog what you want him to do and you'll quickly see many of those bad behaviors disappear. Don't punish the unwanted behavior, reinforce the wanted behaviors!

Bark questions to: Canine Companion, 11652 North - 825 West, Huntington, IN 46750 or e-mail info@caninecompanion.us.

Canine Companion conducts dog training classes in Fort Wayne, Huntington and surrounding communities and behavior consulting nationwide. Along with their combined 30 years experience and endorsement by national organizations, the trainers are all graduates of Purdue University's DOGS! Program and have earned the title of Certified Pet Dog Trainer through the Association of Pet Dog Trainers.