Training Matters

11/25/2025

There's been a lot of talk in dog training circles about desensitization and counter conditioning lately, what we often shorten to DS/CC. In a nutshell, DS/CC involves building positive associations to scary things in the environment by keeping those things at distances or intensities the animal can observe and not react to while providing good stuff, usually food. The good stuff is contingent on the scary thing being present--it occurs after the scary thing arrives and ends just after the scary thing can no longer be observed. Over time, the scary thing becomes a predictor of good stuff and so becomes less scary, maybe even awesome. DS/CC is a structured procedure that involves keeping the presence of the scary thing at a level the animal is comfortable with and capitalizes on the processes of classical conditioning that occur in all individuals.

I won't review the discussions going on at the moment, but rather tell a couple of stories about applications of this process from my continued education at Natural Encounters Inc. years ago and a more recent one from my course work in applied behavior analysis. One story that sticks with me from my course work through Florida Institute of Technology was of an autistic child for whom working at a table had become an aversive experience. He actively avoided the table when the adults working with him sought to have him practice skills there. They wouldn't call it desensitization and counter conditioning, but DS/CC is essentially what they did to change his emotional response to the work space, specifically the table. A senior behavior analyst was brought in to help resolve the problem. That analyst simply played with the child. They played games the child enjoyed near the table until they could play games at the table and eventually begin to fade the skills work back into the picture with small, brief tasks that the child was happy to perform. In a couple of sessions, the child was back to playing and working happily at the table and enjoying his visits from his teachers again. He was, as we say, happy, relaxed and engaged, so he could work again on skill development that he needed.

The other story is of a gorilla and there wasn't a lot of working at a distance that could occur with this animal because of the physical constraints of his enclosure. Still, the counter conditioning process was successful. In the silverback's behind the scenes enclosure, he was aggressing towards keepers as they walked by in the aisle ways. The keepers wanted to teach this gorilla to participate cooperatively in his health care procedures, things like teeth brushing, blood draws, basic health care checks, etc. But first they needed to address the aggressive behaviors. The process was actually quite simple: they took the gorilla's favorite foods (probably pieces of fruit) out of his daily rations and EVERY TIME a keeper walked by his enclosure, they tossed in a piece of this food. Within a few days, the aggressive behaviors were no longer occurring and were replaced by apparent anticipation of his goodies: keeper arriving equaled favorite foods and so became predictors of the good stuff. Quiet, waiting behavior resulted. Skill training could proceed from there, skills that would improve the quality and tenor of the animal's daily and periodic health care as well as his interactions with his human caregivers.

The heart of the practice is improving a learner's welfare and well-being both in the moment while learning and by building skills that will improve the learner's life for the long haul. Applied behavior analysts work with human and non-human learners experiencing strong emotional and behavioral challenges. The skilled among them are very trauma informed. It comes with the territory. Those of us who work with non-human animals often take a position of trauma assumed: we assume the animal has experienced trauma of some sort (we actually have a good idea of that trauma based on owner reports, assessments and analyses) in working with our learners.

Happy, relaxed and engaged is the goal from beginning to end. Otherwise, what is the point?

Picture of mini horse "smiling," a behavior captured and reinforced when he offered it.

11/17/2025

Saving the linked article for later. How we talk about behavior as well as the training methods we implement matters. Video of a dark and a light miniature horse interacting with small pumpkins.

11/07/2025

Toddlerspeak.

10/31/2025

10/30/2025

Any training can have unintended consequences for the learner, some of which may be undesirable to the people on the other side of the human/animal equation. When aversive tools are involved, the unintended consequences may be avoidance to various stimuli in the environment at the time the averisive tool is applied, to the point where the animal uses aggressive behaviors to avoid "the thing(s)." There can also be unintended consequences when using appetitive tools such as food, things the animals will work to acquire. The article linked in the comments explores what is meant by "fallout" in either scenario and what is easier to change.

"I think the main takeaway is that when we are training or interacting with our companion animals, using aversive methods causes suffering—for them. The side effects of positive reinforcement training can be inconvenient at times, generally for us, and they depend on our skill levels. If food is creating unwanted consequences, a skilled trainer can generally use the same food to change the consequences. These side effects need not be long-lasting." ~ Eileenanddogs

10/26/2025

It was a busy summer and early fall here at Training Matters, and we've been in recovery mode since then. Resident pup Stellaluna had a litter of eight beautiful puppies at the end of May and we hosted our annual Animal Trainers' Retreat in September, which was a smashing success. Some of the best quality information available as well as fun hands-on experiences in a small, intimate and beautiful environment were at the heart of our little mini conference, as is always our goal. Pups are now well homed, with the exception of the one pictured in the comments, whom we kept. His name is Ferdinand, Ferdie for short, and he is the sweetest little boy who ever lived.

That said, we are starting to plan our 2026 schedule and have some exciting events in mind. First is an in-person only workshop in the spring on challenging behavior with Debbie Jacobs, who will do a deep dive into behavior analytic strategies to address behaviors related to anxiety. Animal guardians and caretakers frequently use the label "anxiety" or "anxious" to describe their animals' behavior and we need to have a behavioral framework for addressing that. At this year's Animal Trainers' Retreat, we had a wonderful presentation by Keira Moore, BCBA-D and KPA-CTP, of Pet Project Dog Training on this topic, explaining how anxious behaviors are evoked by conditions in the environment as opposed to something globally inherent to the individual, some of whom may experience more generalized anxious behaviors than others. This isn't to say that the internal environment of the individual isn't at play. It always is. Still, behavior is in the environment and alters the environment for the learner.

Debbie is preparing an awesome event, attending a recent conference about addressing anxiety from a behavior analytic standpoint in teaching humans with Jessica Minahan, Ph.D., BCBA, board certified behavior analyst and author of The Behavior Code. As a specialist in fear based behavior in dogs, Debbie has been helping dog guardians near and far to address challenging behaviors often rooted in what we would label and treat as "anxiety" for many years. She continues to expand her knowledge and repertoire, learning from those working with people experiencing challenging behaviors and outside of the dog training industry.

As always, this event will include hands-on work with the Portable Operant Research and Teaching Lab (PORTL) and the animals of Lemon's Hope Sanctuary with a small group of attendees, typically no more than 30. Our attendees come from near and far, Vermont locals as well as west coasters and all points in between.

Other events in the early planning stages (meaning mere ideas to be followed up on) are a one-day event on R+ horse training, which we've been wanting to do for a long time. And, a weekend event devoted to playing PORTL and working with animals, fewer talks (maybe one or none) and more experiential learning for educators of all stripes. Animal trainers are educators of people and animals. Teachers are educators. Therapists are educators.

And, of course, our signature event, the Animal Trainers' Retreat. As this year, the 2026 itinerary will be planned drawing on some of the best presentations at larger and pricier conferences: the Association for Behavior Analysis International®, Karen Pryor Academy, and International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants among them. It will center presentations on research and practice that is grounded in applied behavior analysis and the natural science of behavior.

Image of the title page of Jessica Minahan's recent presentation attended by Debbie. Picture of Ferdie in the comments. Both photos by Debbie.

10/21/2025

10/16/2025

Handling reactive dogs on leash walks with a goal of changing both their emotional responses and behavior towards stimuli in the environment that provoke the reactive behaviors is challenging. Video in the comments gives a nice rundown of factors at play, including assessing why the dog may engage in the behaviors we seek to change.

10/03/2025

It may not look like it, but there’s a lot going on on my walks with Stella and the puppy from her litter that we are keeping. First, the long line on Stella: that is to prevent encounters with porcupines as well as to help me set her up for success in giving me behaviors to reinforce that don’t include chasing or correcting Puppy. Behaviors like walking beside him, passing him without grabbing at him with her mouth, letting him pass or run around her without grabbing at him with her mouth, walking with and looking at me, responding to my cues to redirect attention from him to me, etc. Stella has continued what is normal sighthound mother behaviors like chasing and grabbing him and I’d like them to become part of the past.

One of my concerns is what might occur when I am walking all three of my dogs together. Would Stella’s behaviors of chasing and grabbing her son stimulate our other dog, Winnie, to do the same? Could those behaviors escalate? So, we’re working on what to do instead of chasing and grabbing the baby.

Other behaviors being worked on: recall of both dogs, puppy staying within about 25 feet, puppy checking in with me. He’s not going far at the moment, but I’d like to keep it that way. We’re laying the groundwork now.

And, of course, pottying outdoors. Note my praise of the puppy p**p! He also got a special treat for p**ping outside.

Porcupines are on the move now and Winnie got quilled this week for the second time. For those who remember the first great quilling, this one wasn’t nearly as bad. Still, we’re walking on long lines for a bit. This porcupine was somewhere we wouldn’t have expected: right in the middle of our field. Ugh.