Counter Conditioning

I often have clients approach me with issues such as barking, reactivity, and jumping on guests. Most balance trainers will introduce an E-collar to correct the dog, apply leash pressure to guide the dog, and then reward when they stop the behavior. While this does work, I do it a little bit differently. I like to keep things as positive as possible.

I start by talking to the owner. I’ll ask about the issue and have them set a reasonable goal. One question I’ll ask is “what do you want the dog to do instead?” Common behaviors include go to a designated spot in the house, sit, lay down, come to the owner, or look at the owner.

I’ll start with clicker training. I’ll pair the sound of the clicker with a reward. It’s a clear marker that the behavior is complete and I’m satisfied with the dog’s performance. Then I’ll work on teaching the desired behavior or strengthening an existing one. Next, I’ll add the stimulus and pair it with the behavior. For example: doorbell rings, dog goes to place. Or dog sees other dog, dog looks at owner. This is called counter conditioning. Consistency is key. Every single time the doorbell rings, the dog has to go to place. Or every time the dog sees another dog, ask them for their attention. You can even have a friend or family member press the bell and you lead the dog to place before opening the door over and over until they do it consistently. Eventually the doorbell will replace the command and every time the doorbell rings, they will go to place. I recommend keeping a slip lead by the door so that you can lead your dog to place in the event that an unexpected guest shows up. Or clip a small training tab to the dogs flat collar for the same purpose. For leash reactivity, have a friend, family member, or neighbor with a “Bombproof'' dog walk by and practice. Giving the dog a job to do instead will eventually dissolve the bad behavior. After we’re happy with the behavior and the dog is doing it accurately about 80% of the time, I’ll add an e-collar to communicate the behavior I want without using verbal cues. For example: dog barks at stressor through fence, double tap e-collar, mark and reward when the dog completes the desired behavior. Another example would be dog sees another dog, tap e-collar, dog looks at owner, mark and reward.

Before we start using the e-collar in these situations, we will first pair a specific stim pattern with the behavior. We will start the process by finding the dog’s working level. We do this by slowly turning up the level of the Ecollar until we see a small sign that the dog feels it. This will normally be ears perking up, a head tilt, or the dog turning their head in the direction that the e-collar is placed. If the dog is yelping, whining, or scratching at the collar, it is too high. This will ruin the training which is why I always recommend hiring a professional trainer to assist with ecollar training. When we lure the dog into position or give them a verbal cue, we will tap the e-collar in a specific pattern, then reward the dog when the behavior is complete. Even if the behavior is already strong, we will still reward when the behavior is complete to keep the experience positive. This is not meant to be a correction, it’s simply a clearer way to communicate with your dog.

Over time, we will phase out the e-collar, then the reward and we are left with the final product. If you aren’t satisfied, we can always go back and fine tune. When I’m training a dog who is a leash puller, I’ll start by teaching them to keep a loose leash, then work on checking in with the owner, then we can fine tune it into a heel.

Over time, we will phase out the behavior all together and the bad behavior is gone. If you start to see the issue reappear, contact your trainer to formulate a new plan or simply start the process over again. It won’t take as long as the first time, but continue for a few months until the behavior is solid again.

Products I recommend for counter Conditioning

elevated cot bed
Mini/ micro educator
Treat pouch
Training treats or a toy reward
A clicker
Long line
Flat buckle collar
Traffic lead and/ or slip lead
Herm Sprenger Prong collar (if recommended by trainer)
A lightweight Y front harness with back clip (only if using long line)