The Value of the

"Conditioned

Response Principle"

in Dog Training

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

http://howtohousetraindog.com/go/dog-tr

aining

http://howtohousetraindog.com/go/theonl

inedogtrainer