The Value of the Conditioned Response Principle in Dog Training

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The Value of the "Conditioned Response Principle"
in Dog Training
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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."
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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.
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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.
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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).
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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.
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To Learn More About Dog Training, go to
http//howtohousetraindog.com/go/dog-traininghtt
p//howtohousetraindog.com/go/theonlinedogtrainer
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