Heirarchy of Humane Behavior Practices

So, Fido's a little Fiesty? Or Spot won't Settle?

It's hard sometimes knowing what to do to help your pet. Wish there was a road map to follow? Something to give you specific instructions on modifying behavior for good? You're in luck!
Renowned Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Susan Friedman has published just that. This pyramid tells you exactly what steps to take in order to modify your pet's behavior, and create a happier & healthier pet. Of course, this road map isn't new, educated Animal Trainers and Professional Behaviorists have always followed this hierarchy.

Hierarchy of Behavior-Change Procedures
for Humane and Effective Practice

So, how does it work?
Easy. You start at the top, and follow each step down until the behavior is modified. This means, that each step in itself can help or even modify your pet's behavior altogether.
I.E. A pet that is struggling with aggressive behavior should be looked at for thyroid issues, seizures, eyesight and hearing issues, as well as full blood panels & urine analysis. It is not uncommon to find that an aggressive animal is ill & actually in need medical attention, not behavior modification. When you have an animal in this situation, usually once the health issues has been cleared up, then the aggression subsides as well.

Let's walk through a few of these steps:
Medical, Nutritional, Physical - All of these can affect behavior in a profound way with our animals, yet this is something that is often overlooked when you have a pet struggling with inappropriate behavior. It's always best to ensure that you are feeding a healthy, appropriate diet, as well as having a clean bill of health from your veterinarian before starting any type of behavior modification.

Antecedent Arrangements - I once had a client ask me for help. Every morning, she would put her lunch and briefcase in the car, and then also put her dog in the car to be taken to daycare. The problem she wanted help with was; while she walked back to the house to lock it up, her dog would eat her lunch. The antecedent arrangement here would be that she not put her lunch in the car with her unsupervised dog, she could set it on her car, or even carry it last to the car before leaving. She could also restrain her dog so that her dog was not loose in the car with her lunch. I call this 'setting your dog up for success' - we need to give them every chance possible to do the right thing!

Positive Reinforcement - This is the practice of reinforcing behavior that we want to happen again. Example: Your dog sits calmly, you praise and reward with a treat or toy. Now your dog is learning that if he sits quietly, he will be get something he desires. This encourages him to perform the behavior again.

By now - you should be starting to get the idea - Make sure your dog is healthy and thinking clearly, set them up for success and reward behaviors you want to have happen again. I think it's important to note, that I rarely have to go past these steps. If done correctly, behavior can be easily modified with these first three steps! But let's examine a couple more:


Differential Reinforcement - This is the practice of rewarding one behavior over another. Example: Your dog jumps on you when you get home, instead of saying hi, you ask your dog for a sit, when he does this, you offer praise, attention, a treat or a toy. Now he is learning that it is more desirable to sit instead of jump, earning what he wants sooner.

Extinction - This is the practice of completely ignoring behaviors until they become extinct. This often requires great patience and is good for very persistent dogs. Once the behavior stops working for them altogether, they will move on to trying other behaviors, until one is reinforced. Example: Your dog keeps jumping when you ask him to sit, so you completely ignore him, after awhile he will calm down and sit, then you praise and reward.

There is so much to keep in mind when you are trying to modify your dogs' behavior. Be sure to stay calm and be patient during the process, although training can sometimes take awhile. If done properly, you will have a happy & healthy companion for life!

*Happy Training*