Changing Behavior
Once you’ve ditched the labels and operationalized which behaviors you want to change in your dog, what’s next? Where do you start?
Training is essentially a two step process: Prevention of unwanted behaviors and reinforcement of the behaviors you want your dog to repeat.
Where’s the airplane Meeka?
Don’t Underestimate the Value of Prevention
Most of what we label misbehaviors are actually functional, even normal behaviors to a dog! We call these “functional misbehaviors” because these serve a function in the dog’s life. Due to that function being met these are often self-reinforcing behaviors, meaning the act of doing the behavior reinforces it, and thus the behavior continues.
Years ago when we had Meeka, the Rottweiler, she rarely barked at anything except jet airplanes! Why on earth would she bark at a jet airplane? Because it worked! She would sit in the yard and watch the sky. When that airplane flew into her line of vision she would explode barking and growling. She’d chase the airplane the length of the yard until it was out of sight. She had a 100% success rate chasing jet airplanes out of her yard! That behavior never stopped because the act of barking at the airplanes was self-reinforcing and there was no way, short of keeping her inside, that I could prevent her from seeing airplanes.
The self reinforcing nature of natural dog behaviors makes prevention a key to success in dog training. Once you’ve identified the behavior you want to change, the first question you’ll ask is, “How will I prevent the dog from doing this behavior?”
Some equipment used in prevention:
window film
gates, ex-pens, crates and tethers
leashes
no-pull body harnesses
Alternate and Incompatible Behaviors
The next step is to choose replacement behaviors. These are behaviors the dog will do instead of the unwanted behavior. Every time you find yourself saying, "I want my dog to stop_________ behavior." Ask yourself, "What do I want my dog to do instead?"
Try filling in the blank:
My dog jumps
I want my dog to ________ instead. (Sit, down, four on the floor, go to a mat.)
My dog dashes out the door.
I want my do to_________ instead. (Sit until the door is open and then be released.)
Change your language to behaviors you WANT your dog to do and you will start seeing those behaviors more often. Now you have a behavior to reinforce and you’re ready to make a training plan!