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Correcting bad behaviour in our dogs can be like putting out a fire. We have to act swiftly and decisively. But if we don’t know a little bit about behavioural science, we could end up making things worse instead of better. Inspired by Dr. Susan Friedman, this article looks at what our options are when we need to deal with unwanted behaviour.
Punishing our dog for bad behaviour might be the first thing that comes to mind but, according to Dr. Susan Friedman, it is likely that it will be the least effective for correcting behaviour long-term. There are lots of options to try before we resort to trying to stop behaviour. Being proactive and teaching the behaviours we want to see is a great start!
A transcript of the main text of Bad Dog – Handling Problem Behaviours is available at the Life As A Human online magazine website. You can visit Life as a Human to find this and other articles.
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The diagram at the left is Dr. Susan Friedman’s hierarchy of behaviour modification. Options should be used in the order from top to bottom in trying to remedy problem behaviours. As each technique is eliminated as being ineffective, the next should be tried until all options are exhausted. Not that “Positive Punishment” is Friedman’s choice of LAST RESORT.
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