Unwanted vs Wanted Behaviours

How to implement reward-based behaviour changes with pets

Pets do what pet’s need to do, and sometimes what they ‘need to do’ results in unwanted behaviours that are downright annoying!

So, as a pet owner, you often want to eliminate those ‘unwanted’ behaviours.

If you are like most pet owners, you likely use grumbly voices with words such as “NO” or “AH AH” or “BAD DOG”. Such words are ‘punishers’, designed to reduce those ‘unwanted’ behaviours.

But there’s a different way, which is much better.

What’s often forgotten is that for every ‘unwanted behaviour’ there is a ‘wanted’ behaviour that’s hiding’. Just waiting to be created. Just waiting to be released. Just waiting to be rewarded.

Punishing the ‘unwanted’ behaviour without creating the ‘wanted’ behaviour is a very destructive process.

But guiding the ‘unwanted’ behaviour (without using punishment) to a ‘wanted’ outcome, which is then rewarded, allows the wanted behaviour to grow because it’s reinforced.

When you reward that ‘wanted behaviour,’ at the same time, the unwanted behaviours starts to reduce.

The benefit of rewarding a ‘wanted’ behaviour is that you can reward that wanted behaviour over and over again and if you do that, that wanted behaviour quickly becomes part of your pet’s new behaviour repertoire. And what’s more, if that ‘wanted’ behaviour is one that pleases you and pleases your pet you create a wonderful WIN/WIN outcome.

In reverse, punishing an ‘unwanted behaviour’ over and over again, results in miserable outcomes where the pet may well become fearful, anxious, distant, and possibly aggressive.

 

If only there was a simple way of flipping from the ‘unwanted’ to the ‘wanted’ behaviours and creating a WIN/WIN.

 

Well, there is!

The ONE word which I would like you to set as your preferred ‘wanted’ goal, it’s the word SIT.

Flip the ‘unwanted’ behaviour to the ‘wanted’ SIT!

Yep! “Flip to SIT”

Remember that!

• And, if I can add a little more, preface the word SIT with the word COME.
• And, if I can add a sly and underhand cheat, when you request COME, rattle the treat bag!

Rattling the treat bag makes it so much easier.

For example, if your dog is barking at you fence line, your sequence of words should be COME (rattle the treat bag) and then SIT.

But your dog doesn’t come installed with a decoding microchip with translates those rather arbitrary, stupid English words of COME and SIT into Doglish, which is the native behaviour of dogs.

So, to get that English-to-Doglish translation working means you need to PRE-TEACH your dog the meaning of those rather arbitrary, stupid English words of COME and SIT using the game-play routine of the Circle of Rewards.

More information here

But I would like you to be pedantic about how you reward the SIT.

I want you to be pedantic about using three, ten-second windows, when rewarding  SIT.

1. When you dog does SIT – hold the treat at hip-height for 10 seconds to be sure you dog is YOU focused. In this first span of 10 seconds, remain silent, and don’t give the food treat.
   

   Getting a head cock means reward-based training is working

2. In the following ten-second window, remove the treat and hide it behind your ear while you reward your dog with an enthusiastic VOICE ONLY. It’s important your voice continues for 10 seconds. Often in that ten-second window, you will get a ‘head cock’ meaning your dog is listening. Your VOICE is the primary reward, not the food treat.
3. In the last window of 10 seconds – just remain silent – say nothing.
4. The last step is (usually) to throw the treat away along the floor with the word SEEK.

The food treat is the secondary reward whereas you voice is the primary reward.

The Circle of Rewards. shows how to do all or that.

 

Let us go one step further and describe how reactive and proactive training works.

Reactive training means an unwanted behaviour is ‘released’ first. You react to that ‘release’ by creating a wanted (replacement) behaviour. Often that’s the laser lock SIT for 10 seconds described above.

Then reward that wanted outcome.

This is not ideal because the unwanted behaviour is still ‘released’. While that is not ideal, it’s often needed for behaviours such as barking and some forms of aggression.

 

Proactive training is better. But it requires you to set yourself up to succeed.

Proactive training means a wanted behaviour is manufactured first. Often that’s a laser lock SIT for 10 seconds. The stimulus that creates the unwanted behaviour is ‘released’ by you but in a form where you can control its severity. If the dog does not react, you reward that replacement behaviour.

 

The Circle of Rewards can be the instrument that creates these changes.

There are many ways of using reactive and proactive training. If you want more information, please complete an  Assessment Form.