Make the fact that you have food on you irrelevant to your dog by having food on you all the time, or readily available to you. This may seem overwhelming for some, but it is in many ways far easier than preparing to punish a dog with any of the number of options commonly recommended by some in the industry. We need to be prepared to reinforce behaviors we like, and since we have to feed our dogs anyway, can take advantage of these opportunities to cover two bases at once, caloric needs AND reinforcing desired behaviors. When counterconditioning to triggers we can eliminate the possibility that something other than the trigger is the predictor of good stuff by not creating the signal to the dog that food will be forthcoming because weve just filled our treat pouch or stuck a bag in our pocket. Using food to reinforce behaviors routinely also helps to lower the arousal some dogs display when the prospect of treats occurs. The novelty of the event will wear off and its either the appropriate behavior or trigger that makes food happen, not their mugging or going bonkers because you have food. Whats your routine for preparing treats and having them accessible?
Posted on: Sun, 02 Nov 2014 12:59:22 +0000
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