Aug 17, 2015
One of the key principles of dog training is the
principle of "conditioned response." The idea is that
you can set up your dog's environment in such a way
that it learns to abandon its destructive behavior
through its own mistakes rather than by your
instruction. Below are two common examples of
problem dog behaviors and how the princple of
"conditioned response" can be used to resolve them.
My dog is digging up my yard. How can I stop this destructive behavior? First, you must purchase some chicken wire from your local hardware
store and some styptic powder from you local pet store. Before you begin, you must observe
your dog's favorite digging spots and pinpoint them in your mind. Then, you must remove your dog from the yard, and you must not allow it to watch you as you set up its environment. Cut about a 4 by 4 foot section of chicken wire and plant it under the dirt in
all the locations where you dog likes to dig. Once you're finished, release your dog and wait for the
conditioned response.
More than likely, your dog will go back to the
locations where it dug before and proceed to dig as
usual. Except now, it's going to learn a novel lesson.
Namely, that digging is going to cause it serious
discomfort and pain. Once your dog associates the
condition (digging) with the negative response
(pain) it will automatically stop its destructive
digging habit. There is, however, one drawback to
this technique.
If you have an aggressive digger, then you should
monitor your dog for
any cuts or bruises. That's where the styptic powder
comes in. If you notice a cut in your dog's paws,
gently pour the styptic powder on the cut and allow
it to cauterize the bleeding. Within a matter of days,
you can condition your dog to abandon its
destructive digging habit by using the principle of
"conditioned response."
My dog chews my furniture, my shoes, and my
valuable belongings. What can I do to end this
destructive behavior? Go to your local pet store, and
purchase a spray bottle of bitter apple. Remove your
dog from your house and do not allow it to see you
set up its environment. Spray your valuables (i.e.
furniture, shoes, and socks) with bitter apple and
place them in locations that your dog can easily
access. Then allow it to come in and let the trap do
the rest.
As usual, your dog will go back to its old habit and
start to chew its favorite shoe or furniture. But now,
it's going to get a bitter surprise. Your dog will
associate the condition (chewing) with the negative
response (bad taste) and it will stop its destructive
chewing habit. It's important to remember, however,
that all dogs need to chew, so you must repeat this
process a second time.
Now, you must place your dog's favorite chew toys
next to the items that were sprayed with bitter
apple. This time, your dog will be reconditioned to
chew its own toys rather than your valuable
possessions. Thus, by conditioning your dog, you can
positively reinforce a good habit (chewing
designated toys) over an undesirable one
(chewing your valuable possessions).
As you can see, by applying the principle of
"conditioned response" you can teach your dog
exactly what you want without ever getting
frustrated with the training process.
To Learn More About Dog Training, go to
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aining
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