Behavior Modification vs.Training

By: Wendy Anastasiou, BS, CDBC, CPDT

Everyone knows you can "train" your dog to perform basic commands. The most common are sit, down, stay and come. A traditional trainer and many books can show you how to get your dog to perform these commands. Whether the method is positive reinforcement based, clicker training, using a corrective collar, or using a shock collar, the goal is the same. The dog learns to perform a certain action when given a command to do so. This is what dog trainers teach their clients. They might also talk a little about correcting bad habits like chewing, or how to housebreak a new puppy, but that is usually the extent of lessons. It is important that dogs learn this foundation, have this interaction with their owner to develop a relationship, and experience structure with goals and rules. But this should not be the end of the story. 

Many owners think their work is done when they graduate from training class. They go home and expect their dog to be a well behaved model member of the family. Usually, that is not what happens. Their dog knows the commands, can execute the actions with ease, but is lost without further directions. Once their owner isn't there giving commands, dogs will do their own thing. They chew, they eat trash, they sleep on the bed, they steal food off of counters and life is good. Will they come when you call them? Will they sit on cue? Sure... but they still haven't learned any basic manners, been shown what they are allowed to do in a home, or how to make good decisions without guidance. This is where behaviorists come in.

Behavior modification is sort of like training, because the goal is to teach your dog how to live with humans. But it is very different than training because it uses a dogs natural instincts, desires, abilities, and communication styles. In behavior modification you aren't trying to teach your dog to respond to a command, you are trying to influence their behavior choices for any given situation. For example: Dogs aren't born understanding humans. They are born understanding dogs. They don't instinctively understand the word "no", but they do understand their mother's growl. So by making a small, startling growl type sound instead of saying no you have a much greater chance of the dog stopping the current behavior to see what you want. 

By utilizing what your dog already understands, and creating a structured consistent environment they can count on, you can give them the tools to make the right decisions. Lucky for you, once a dog finds the quickest, most reliable way to get their needs met they make it a new behavior that will continually be repeated. It is your responsibility as the human to learn dog behavior and interact with your dog in a way he can understand. Your dog will never understand how to behave around humans if you don't.

By understanding what your dog is doing and why he is doing it, you can change any behavior to suit your life. That is what behavior modification, and dog behaviorism is all about. Helping you understand what makes your dog tick so you can change the negative behaviors into positive behaviors without punishment or force. By using Life with Fido methods you can create a dog that can live in harmony with people, make good decisions when you aren't there to give commands, and generally be a happier more content companion because they understand the rules of the human world.

Copyright 2006. Wendy Anastasiou, www.lifewithfido.com. All rights reserved. Reproduction with permission only.