Our training approach is based on the use of the Humane Hierarchy as defined by Susan Friedman. The first thing we address during a consult is our clients dog’s wellness needs. That means is something amiss physically, emotionally, nutritionally?
I recently had a client who was having trouble with getting the dog to jump in the car. I first asked about any physical issues, such as hip problems or injury. The dog had recently had a vet check up that was fine and no physical malady’s were present. Next, I asked if there had been any known bad experiences that had happened while in the car or getting into the car, the owners were unaware of any.
I asked to see their car to evaluate the set up of the vehicle. We brought the dog and opened the hatch of the car and encourage the dog to jump in for my yummy treats, no go. I noticed that the entry spot for the dogs front feet was a metal surface. Bingo! I thought, we’ve got a footing issue. The dog was not feeling secure when entering the car as she would feel her feet slide. I went to my car and pulled out my non-slip rug that I use for my dogs. I placed it in the car covering the metal surface area so that it was solid footing. Taking treats again I worked with the dog in getting her to jump up (with just her front feet) to get the treat and allowed her to get back down. The exercise was repeated 10 times with the dog being the freedom to decline going further. I told the owners it’s better to go slow and create confidence than to force the dog to do something they had found fearful, and that they should keep practicing.
When I left the owners home that day they headed to the store and picked up a non-slip rug. Upon returning home they implemented the rug as I had, went to get the dog and the treats, and the first treat they tossed in the dog jumped right in the car. They have had absolutely no problems with her getting into the car since then.
Once-upon a time I would have just made the dog get in the car………..but knowledge and experience have been great teachers!
The Hierarchy and Trainers’ Skills
Aversive procedures are, for many people, the default solution to behavior challenges. It will always be easier (requiring little or no skill) and sometimes faster to spray a troop of monkeys with a hose to shift them from one enclosure to another; to push an owl onto the glove with pressure on its abdomen; and to keep a dog in the heel position with a choke collar. Alternatively, it takes skill – the result of knowledge and experience – to use positive reinforcement to shape new behaviors. To adhere to the least intrusive principle, trainers must have expertise identifying an unwell animal, and using antecedent arrangement and positive reinforcement, prompting and fading, shaping new behaviors, strengthening appropriate alternative behaviors, and functional assessment. This is where contemporary trainers excel; this is the deep expertise offered by our profession. We are expert at changing behavior by changing conditions with a minimum of force and coercion. ~ Written By Susan G. Friedman, PH.D

More on the humane hierarchy next time!
Please call us at 828-507-3020 to set up a free phone consult, we’d love to tell you about our science-based training methods.
Now And Zen Dog Training 