Introduction: Basic Behavior Foundation

The Medical Connection to Behavior; Pharmaceutical Intervention

Review of Positive Solutions

• Management: Pros & Cons (it does not always have to fail)
• Exercise
• Training
• Behavior Modification: Classical Conditioning
• Alphabet Soup: DRI /DRO (differential reinforcements); CAT(constructional aggression treatment); BAT (behavioral aggression treatment) LAT (look at that)
• Rehoming

Discussion & Solutions for Selected Problems

• Barking: Types; Use of Positive Interrupt; Redirecting; Teaching "Quiet Please"
• Digging: Management; Reinforcing the "Dig Box"; Teaching "Go Dig"
• Jumping up: Removing all reinforcements; reinforcing alternatives
• Hard Mouth: Teaching bite inhibition, managing hard mouth behavior
• Escaping: Management techniques.
• Leash Pulling/Leash Grabbing: Variable click & treat to focus on handler not environment; short intense play time to defuse excess energy.
• Housetraining: Dealing with not-normal house soiling behaviors
• Predatory Behavior: counter conditioning to modify "fun-chase" association; teach operant response to interrupt chase, use of Premack

Fear/Stress/Anxiety/Aggression

• Crating Woes: Modifying fear of crates, inappropriate use of crates, crate-soiling
• Canine Obsessive Compulsive Disorders (OCD's): Causes and types of OCD's; Modification programs; Pharmaceutical intervention.
• Fears, Anxieties, Phobias: Diagnoses, prevention, desensitization & counter conditioning, operant conditioning
• Aggression: Trigger Stacking, identifying & removing stressors; classifications of aggressions, modification programs, pharmaceutical intervention

Behavior Problem Case Histories:

1. Framework for a Typical Client Consult
2. Selected Case Histories (from forms filled out in advance by seminar attendees); Plus Q & A

Canine Cognition - The new "thing":

Cognition - What is it? Grasping and applying concepts, problem-solving, metacognition, imitation - all the things they told us dogs couldn't do

Copy That: Learning Through Imitation

Based on Italian behavior researcher Claudia Fugazza's "Do As I Do? Program: Teaching dogs to learn new behaviors by imitating humans.

Phase 1: Dog learns the "imitation rule" with three known behaviors
Phase 2: Dog generalizes the rule to other known behaviors
Phase 3: Trainer uses the rule to teach the dog new behaviors

We will examine functional Imitation: The dog reaches the same goal, and given the species-specific limitations, does it in a similar way. For example - if you pick up an object with your hands and cue your dog to "Do it!", the dog will pick the object up with his mouth, not his paws.