Here is something to think about.
Each time that you try to try to stop your pet from doing something you don’t like, you are making it that much more difficult to change the behavior in the future. In fact, you more than likely are actually making that unwanted behavior even strong and more resilient. Definitely not what you had intended.
Here is why.
That action your pet did happened (more than once) because it got your pet something that it values – whether that is distance from something aversive or social/mental/physical stimulation. Reinforcement doesn’t always come from you, although it very well may. It can also come from the environment. Chewing on things can be soothing for a puppy’s sensitive gums. Pottying inside relieves pressure. Running away from you when you are holding a leash can get a game of chase or distance from a leash that will take a dog to a scary place. Barking at visitors gets attention (or distance). Demolishing a cardboard box or shoe will relieve boredom.
The list goes on and on.
Reinforcement is the driver of behavior. Consequences are the reason behaviors exist…and persist.
There are different schedules of reinforcement. I won’t get into all of the different variables. It is important to note that continuous reinforcement – meaning reinforcement occurs after each repetition of the target behavior – is best for teaching new and strengthening previously learned behaviors. Continuous reinforcement gives the learner a clearer understanding that the behavior causes a particular consequence.
On the other hand, when something is intermittently reinforced, that behavior only gets reinforcement some of the time. Examples of this include – *sometimes* when my Dawson shows up at my chair while I am working, I stop to give him scratches or even pick him up while other times I tell him *enough*. (Yes, I openly admit to this) A dog may occasionally see a squirrel or a lizard that he can bark at (and experience the rush of adrenalin) so he will continue to keep watch.. Infrequently but occasionally you may get a par when you play golf so you will keep trying.
Intermittent builds very strong behavior because it creates the gambling effect. If the animal doesn’t know when reinforcement will occur, it will keep trying and trying. And the leaner that schedule (meaning the less often the reinforcement occurs), the stronger that behavior.
Now think about your problem solving with your pet. If you are *trying* to change the behavior by – only sometimes – avoiding giving your pet something he values after something he does, it is that word SOMETIMES that tells me you are intermittently reinforcing your pet. You are creating a gambler, and we all know how difficult it is to stop a gambling addiction.
Here is another thing to think about. Just because YOU are not reinforcing your pet, that does not mean that your pet is not getting reinforcement from something else in the environment. In the case of the dog relieving itself inside or the dog that chews/destroys household items, reinforcement is coming from the environment NOT YOU.
In all instances, but even more so for the ones where the environment is reinforcing behavior, it is very clear that an important element to any behavior change plan needs to be preventative measures. Ask yourself, how can you make changes so that the behavior doesn’t get practiced to begin with? Also ask yourself, what need of my pet is that behavior fulfilling and how can I help my pet to fulfill that need in a way that is acceptable to me? And ask yourself, what can I teach my pet to do instead that can get my pet as much or more reinforcement as the unwanted behavior achieves?
When you do that, you both will win.
