If you’re completed with coaching your fearful canine to like one thing, it’s essential to consider tips on how to keep your nice outcomes.
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Final July, the climate lastly turned sizzling. It could have been an distinctive heatwave if it weren’t for the heatdome that we sweated by way of a couple of years earlier than. It was actually sizzling. So we set the air conditioning unit up within the kitchen and within the morning, I went and turned it on.
I seen Pepper, my Shih Tzu, was close to my ft. This was a shock as a result of I didn’t assume the aircon unit can be of a lot curiosity to him. He was taking a look at me expectantly and I felt like I used to be being sluggish on the uptake. What had simply occurred that had been of particular curiosity to Pepper?
I had turned the aircon unit on and—I used to be undoubtedly sluggish on the uptake. It had beeped. Three little smooth beeps to say it was about to come back on.
Beeps imply treats and Pepper couldn’t be disenchanted. Regardless that it was by now just a little late, I went and bought him a deal with.
Beeps imply treats
Beeps imply treats as a result of up to now, we’ve needed to get Pepper used to the noises of the espresso machine in order that they didn’t alarm him. (You’ll be able to examine this in my new e-book, Bark! The Science of Serving to Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Canine).
And beeps particularly imply treats as a result of final yr we bought an air fryer which works BEEP each time you contact a button or it does one thing, BEEP BEEP, and Pepper discovered this terrifying. I imply, I discover it disagreeable such that I ponder who designed a machine to make such loud BEEPS with out an possibility to show it off.
We briefly debated taking the air fryer aside to see if we may disable the beeping mechanism, however as an alternative we bought some wonderful treats and did some counterconditioning. It helped quite a bit, however we solely did a couple of coaching classes. Then we bought bored of the air fryer, so we didn’t end the coaching.
That signifies that for now we nonetheless can’t use the air fryer with out being ready to do counterconditioning on the identical time, in any other case poor Pepper would possibly turn into a quivering wreck.
I don’t blame him. These disagreeable BEEPS are unnecessarily loud and annoying.
I stated for now, as a result of I’m certain that if we had been constant in coaching him, we may get him used to those beeps. That might imply having good snacks prepared, akin to items of cooked rooster within the fridge, in order that at any time when the machine went BEEP we may run and get a bit to present him. (There’s extra on tips on how to do counterconditioning right here).
With time and coaching, Pepper would study to love the beeps simply as he did the noises of the espresso machine. Actually the sound of the espresso beans being floor is now a type of recall cue, as a result of when he hears it, he comes operating from wherever he’s in the home to get his deal with.
However there’s something essential to learn about counterconditioning: it really works brilliantly, and it really works better of all when, although it’s completed, you proceed to do some upkeep coaching.
Upkeep coaching in counterconditioning
Upkeep coaching retains every little thing tuned up. It simply signifies that infrequently, although your canine is now used to the factor they beforehand thought-about scary, you’ll nonetheless be certain that typically it’s adopted by an incredible snackie simply to remind them that it’s a factor to like now.
The rationale for that is that concern reminiscences are by no means utterly erased. Metaphorically talking, it’s such as you’ve piled an entire load of fine reminiscences on high of them whenever you do counter conditioning.
And now that the coaching has been profitable, you continue to need to pile the occasional good reminiscence up there.
That’s why I gave Pepper a deal with for the beep from the aircon unit. I used to be sluggish to understand as a result of I had barely registered the beeps, however he has clearly generalized from his earlier coaching and realized that each one beeps are more likely to be adopted by treats. So he preferred listening to the beep, and I wasn’t going to disappoint him.
A little bit of upkeep coaching infrequently helps to guard the coaching you’ve already completed.
And within the course of, it actually made Pepper comfortable. An sudden beep led to an excellent snack.
We’ve by no means completed any coaching across the particular beep that the air conditioning unit makes. Pepper’s response to it’s a good little signal of how properly counter conditioning works.
It was a reminder that canines take note of issues that we’d ignore.
And it was additionally a chance to make sure that the counterconditioning retains on working. Subsequent time, I hope I received’t be so sluggish on the uptake.
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