The ABCs of Dog Training.

We all probably remember learning our ABCs in grade school. Well before you can crack open that Dicken’s novel (or that romance novel, no judgement,) you need to know those core concepts of literacy inside and out. But did you know that professional animal trainers also have ABCs to learn before we can help our clients? You might think it stands for something catchy, like “Always Be Clicking,” but the real answer is a little more science-heavy:

Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence

Animal trainers, including dog trainers like us, draw from the field of Applied Behavior Analysis, which has been used to effectively and humanely change behavior for all kinds of learners. Learning the ABCs of training will help you understand why your dog is doing a behavior, and how you can go about changing the frequency of that behavior (whether you want your dog to do the behavior more often or less). First let’s briefly dive into some definitions:

Antecedent: This refers to the conditions or factors that lead to a behavior. When you’re trying to figure out what a possible antecedent is, you can ask yourself, “what occurred right before the behavior happened?” Examples of antecedents include:

• Picking up your dog’s harness or collar

• A dog suddenly appearing when out for a walk

• The trash can left unattended without its lid

• Someone ringing the doorbell

Behavior: This may be self-explanatory, but behavior refers to what your dog does in response to the antecedent. When looking at the behavior, try to describe what your dog is doing instead of trying to guess how they are feeling. (“My dog wagged her tail and solicited petting” vs. “My dog was happy.”) Examples of behaviors include:

• Jumping and whining upon seeing you pick up the harness

• Lunging and barking at the dog on a walk

• Feasting on trash from the unattended can

• Rushing towards the door and barking at the sound of the doorbell

Consequence: This is what happens to your dog immediately after the behavior. The consequence could be something produced naturally by the environment, or strategically provided by a trainer to either increase or decrease the likelihood of the behavior. Examples of consequences include:

• You wrestle on the harness and go out for a walk

• You jerk on the leash and repeat “no barking”

• Your dog enjoys delicious trash

• The UPS delivery person drops off the package and leaves

Whenever we are facing a problem behavior, it’s easy to get focused on the B of the ABC equation. Let’s look at an example:

“Gidget won’t stop jumping on guests! How do I get him to stop??”

The answer lies in the A and C! First, ask yourself what happens immediately before (antecedent) the behavior of jumping up. In this case, the antecedent may seem simple to deduce, the presence of guests at the front door, but pay close attention! Is Gidget off leash? Are the guests talking to Gidget, patting their legs, giving him eye contact, or reaching towards him? Next, ask yourself what happens after (consequence) the behavior of jumping up. Do the guests pet him, push him off, or do you intervene and pull Gidget away? The consequence will affect whether or not Gidget is likely to perform the behavior again in the future.

Let’s go back to our ABCs:

Antecedent - Guests talking to Gidget

Behavior - Gidget jumping on guests

Consequence - Guests petting Gidget

How do we fix this? In order to change behavior, we must find clever ways to alter the conditions - or change the antecedent and consequence.

Changing the antecedent:

• Have Gidget on leash

• Put up a baby gate between Gidget’s area and front door

Changing the antecedent ensures that Gidget doesn’t have the opportunity to reward himself for an undesired behavior. It sets him up for success.

Changing the consequence:

• No attention, petting, or eye contact for jumping

• Attention, petting, or eye contact for alternative behavior practiced ahead of time

  • For example: sitting, laying on mat, bringing a toy, etc.

Changing the consequence ensures that Gidget is only being reinforced for desired behaviors. These desired behaviors will become more likely to occur the more he practices them. If you are seeing an undesired behavior continue to occur consistently, it means something in the environment is reinforcing it whether or not we realize it. For example, shoving Gidget and saying “off” may be perceived by Gidget as the attention he was seeking. In this case, the guest may believe they are punishing the jump, but they have actually reinforced it.

Carefully altering the antecedent and consequence of a behavior will ensure that your dog is only being rewarded for the behaviors we like.

At Clickstart Dog Training Academy, we do everything we can to set you and your dog up for success. (ABCs of training apply to human learning, too!) Do you have any questions about the ABCs of training? Send us a message! Until next time, remember to Always Be Clicking!

Illustration by Lili Chin www.doggiedrawings.net