Resolve to Train with Reinforcement in 2007
Advice from Animal Expert Dr. Grey Stafford
 The New Year’s holiday is a time many of us will reflect on the past year even as we look forward to what the future brings. In a very real sense, successfully training your pet requires the same approach. Encouraging your pet to display desirable behaviors, and avoid undesirable ones, means reflecting on what they’ve done in the past, the good and the not so good, as well as knowing what you’d like them to do in the future.
Did You Teach That?
Unfortunately, some people think they only need to worry about pet training when there’s a problem to be corrected. It’s as if our pets come preprogrammed from Walmart with all the desirable behaviors they’ll ever need to learn already built into their brains. So if a behavior problem does develop, it must be a defect in the merchandise. Well, obviously, that isn’t the case! Pets, young or old, are constantly learning new things in order to survive in the world we've created for them. They are what we teach them to be… so we'd better make certain we pay attention to the right kinds of behavior.
Getting Started
As you and your family look ahead to 2007, I hope you’ll give some thought to the specific behaviors you’d like to see your pet doing more often. If your pet has some annoying behaviors or habits, try not to fixate on them. Instead, try to figure out what conditions lead your pet to do that thing you don't like, so you can figure out when, where, and why the annoying behaviors happen. Then, get a training game plan together with every member of the household. Start by listing those behaviors you want to see more of, such as sitting calmly or quietly when friends drop by. While you’re at it, list everything your pet finds fun or rewarding like toys, activities and games, and treats (in moderation).
Keep It Going
Now that you know what you want your pet to do, throughout the New Year you and your family can focus on those behaviors. Keep that list handy so your can immediately reinforce all those desirable behaviors you wrote down. This is the first step in reducing the appearance of unwanted behaviors. That's because the more time animals spend in successful behaviors that get them the rewards they want, the less time and motivation they'll have to engage in unwanted behaviors. Readers of this column know that’s been the logic behind all of our training solutions offered in 2006, and it is sure to be the case again in 2007. If it works with 5-ton elephants, it is sure to work with your pet, too.
Have a happy and safe New Year and I look forward to hearing from you in 2007!
Dr. Grey
Learn more about Dr. Grey Stafford
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