Is your pet not behaving correctly even after being instructed to do so multiple times? If such behavior patterns are left untreated, it could create many problems for people near your pet. If you want to ensure everyone’s safety, including your pet dog, opting for pet behavior modification Winston Salem NC, could be a great idea.
When it comes to dogs, they tend to behave based on the environment in which they have grown. Experience and constant training are said to help a dog change its behavior while making them understand the commands given by owners.
However, if none of those methods work, choosing behavior modification techniques could make it easier for them. You might have to invest some time and effort into those techniques. It will help you reap the results once the modification is complete.
Table of Contents
What do you mean by pet behavior modification?
Any technique used for modifying a dog’s behavior patterns, thereby ensuring the safety of others while making them conform to your command, is known as pet behavior modification. Regarding pet behavior modification, it shouldn’t be associated with punishment, which often tends to backfire.
This could make dogs more aggressive towards people who try to dominate them. Sometimes, the punishment given to a pet is wrong based on a particular situation. Showing yourself dominance could work for a specific time range, but the effects could go away when you move to another place.
Therefore, choosing to train pets to change their behavior without punishment or confrontations should be the plan.
Different categories of behavior
When looking to change a pet’s behavior, you must understand its pattern over time. Choosing to do so could help you structure the pet behavior modification Winston Salem NC effectively.
Below, we have discussed four popular functions found within a dog. Most of those behaviors covered in the points below are extensively associated with operant conditioning.
- Attention
Talking about attention can be immediately observed in a pet when someone chooses to approach them gently. A subtle head turn and flinch could be a way to engage the pet into attention. Moreover, attention could also help in reaping great results as the tantrums of pets can be mellowed down to significant levels.
However, this attention could have a significant side effect on your pet as it might start seeking attention at all times. In those circumstances, not giving them the required attention might lead to a behavior that could be unexpected.
- Tangibility
Tangibility is yet another phenomenon that can be observed when reinforcing a dog’s behavior. When it comes to kids, they are handed toys to keep them occupied or distracted. Similarly, pets are given food or leash while expecting a particular behavior.
However, problems could arise if they are looking for those tangible items every once in a while. Therefore, this begging behavior from dogs could be an indication behind choosing pet behavior modification Winston Salem NC.
- Escaping
Getting out of a situation is not a solution in every circumstance as it could create a reinforcing behavior in both pets and kids. For instance, when a pet chooses to engage in aggressive behavior, it could lead to termination from another dog attacks. But it wouldn’t be the same in other instances as the same dog could show more aggression because of escaping in previous cases.
- Automatic
Another unpredictable behavior observed within a dog is an automation of reinforced behavior. This type of behavior is common in humans. Submerging your finger into a cup of coffee to check whether it’s cold or hot is an automatic behavior. Yet another example that can summarise automatic behavior would be choosing not to lick a dog’s face when they are doing so conditionally.
List of behavior modification techniques
- Habituation
A simplified form of learning habituation is a technique that pets learn with the help of no rewards. When a pet is exposed to a particular situation repeatedly or through prolonged exposure, it could develop a habit.
For example, when a dog is subjected to a noise, it might start getting habituated to another noise category. Habituation is one of those training methods whose effects don’t go away quickly; instead, it can be observed for an extended period.
- Conditioning
Conditioning is explained by the association between stimuli and behavior in repeated instances. One of the most common examples that can help you understand conditioning would be through a hungry dog. You might have seen dogs drooling when they sense food is nearby or when the bell gets rung.
Moreover, when food is served or the bell stops ringing, it might not be enough for the dog to stop drooling. However, this conditioning could impart a positive or negative response based on different situations.
- Reinforcement
Reinforcement is an event where a particular behavior gets repeated simultaneously. However, similar to conditioning, this reinforcement can be positive or negative. For example, positive reinforcement occurs when behavior and its consequences bring positive results. This leads to positive behavior over an extended period.
At the same time, if a particular behavior leads to adverse effects, it might be deemed negative reinforcement. Holding a puppy for a long time could make them feel uneasy, and making breathing difficult could be an example of negative reinforcement.
- Extinction
Extinction is a pet behavior modification technique that occurs when rewards are stopped mid-way. Going through an example of dogs jumping on people for attention would be a valuable strategy to understand extinction.
Every time a dog jumps, it could receive a pat on the head from different people as a reward. But if people stop giving them a pat on the head even after jumping, it could stop doing so after a few instances. This is because the rewards are no longer there for them to get excited.
Conclusion
Pet behavior modification is a great way to ensure a particular behavior is imparted from your pet. Even though it has its positive and negative side effects, it could be more beneficial than disturbing for many. Opting not to punish your dog and instead choosing one of those pet behavior modifications could be a perfect idea.