Strangepixiegirl: No this is NOT positive reinfocement (operant conditioning) it is classical counterconditioning. How does changing the underlying emotional state result in a permanent behaivor change? Well, it having his face blown in no longer makes the dog angry or fearful but instead makes him happy, then he won't try to bite people who blow in his face. Note if this were positive reinforcement for growling then the growling would increase. It has not, and that is the point of the video.
For people who are confused, this video is about Counter Conditioning (changing underlying subconscious reaction, like a dog automatically drooling when a bell is rung), not Operant Conditioning (teaching a behavior such as making a dog sit whenever a bell is wrong). That's why giving treats here works - she's using counter conditioning to change the underlying anxiety, NOT operant conditioning to train the dog to perform/stop performing a behavior. Counter Conditioning, like in this video, is what you would use when you need to change an underlying mental state (for example, a dog with anxiety-based aggression like the terrier in the video). Both are great techniques, they just have different uses.
Yes. This is the point. Most people (believe me get this questions all the time when I lecture at conferences as well as when dealing with individual clients or students) think you are rewarding the growling. They think about the behavior but are not considering the underlying emotional state. (e.g. they're concerned about operant conditioning and don't realize that by changing the underlying emotional state (through classical counterconditioning) they will change the resulting behavior.
0lSNYPEoO: I'm actually letting him growl a little and then still giving him the treat before he has a chance to escalate. Goal was to show that even though i'm giving him treats when he growls, it's not reinforcing then growling behavior because it's changing his underlying emotional state. That's why later on when I blow in his face he just looks happy. In the later case I just give him treats because he can start to bounce around with excitement and I want to reward him before he does that.
coolhandcacks, the term "DVM" should give you the clue that she is a veterinarian (with a specialty in behavior). Yes, using blowing in a dog's face is a silly concern to spend time "solving", but it's a good demonstration of how to do FAST modification of an emotionally-based behavior. It neatly demonstrates a training method that's not putting dogs or people in danger. You could also do it with a dog who growls at collar-grabs, foot-handling, or other physical handling (pretty common).
Hello. Thank you very much for this great video. It is such a good example, that counterconditioning works. I wish, many people would start to understand, that you have to change the emotions and not only try to eleminate symptoms. Hope this JRT finds a new home.
If it were rewarding bad behavior his behavior would get worse. The fact is that I have changed his underlying emotional state and as a result he no longer shows is teeth or acts aggressive when I blow in his face. So when you change the emotional state that drives the "bad" behaviors, you will make the "bad" behaviors go away.
I think you may not have watched the entire video. If it were rewarding the bad behavior, then his bad behavior would have gotten worse instead of better.
@Frankiewhippet I wouldn't use this method to counter condition to tv. I would typically reward the dog for focusing on me (first putting the dog through the Learn to Earn program), so he learns an alternate behavior. You could, however, turn the volume down low enough that it doesn't set him over threshold and reward him for sitting/looking at you, then systematically turn the volume up louder while always staying under threshold.
I just read a 2002 paper by Alexandra Semyonova which talks about the definition of aggression vs threat. This dog is displaying an inhibited bite which would, by her definition be a threat, not true aggression. If he intended to do damage, he would have. True aggression (uninhibited bite) is rare and very dysfunctional in dogs. Sad that he might have been euthanized for doing what he should because of a perceptional /definition difference. Just goes to show how far we still need to come! Donna
That's good that you don't, but if someone else happens to and he doesn't like it then it would be good if he were trained to like it. For instance, obviously this dog had a history of this happening in one of his 2-3 previous households. If this behavior were not fixed, he could not be adopted out and would have to be euthanized. BTY. This dog was required to work for ALL of his food. So he didn't get a meal for free like most dogs and then treat on top of it.
I need to show my mom this. What my mom does is pick her JRT up by the scruff of the neck when she growls to establish dominance. I have a feeling that that's not a good way to deal with growling, but she's convinced that this works.
@@TeslaNick2 Unfortunately that's actually not great proof. Stopping growling just means the behaviour has been suppressed - the emotion driving it hasn't left. This means that the dog will likely display more intense aggression rather than growling down the road (the problem has gotten worse).
Firstly great video! Can you categorize this behaviour within a type of aggression? Is this a reaction to a perceived threat or simply a dog with an underlying problem?
It's definitely "reactive aggression" and a fear based response. Hence the training (associating good things to the perceived threat) changes the state of mind to "blowing in face = treats".
the other trainer who shall remain unnamed(lol) would never have gone for this! he would have scared the poor little guy into submission, which would have only made the behavior worse in the long run:( i like how dr. yin used the same basic principle behind clicker training to change the dogs emotional response. every time she did something that bothered him,blowing on him, he got a treat, which reprograms it into something he likes. at the end his little tail was wagging when she blew on him:)
@supernaturalbc2009 Because of this, she PERSONALLY defines aggression as uninhibited, unprovoked acts of "violence" intended to inflict damage/death. She includes within this definition, human acts (hitting, kicking, choking, alpha-rolling). She notes that "aggressive acts" by dogs (as she has defined it) are ANTI-social and lead to ostracization - thus, she maintainns that human aggression, as well, are poor models for behavior modification and are counter-productive.
@supernaturalbc2009 Thus, we need to recognize that a barking, growling, nipping dog (even if inhibited) will be viewed as aggressive and WILL, if left unmodified, worsen and potentially hurt another animal or human being. We must never excuse any acts of aggression as "naturalized" or "legitimized". If we truly have the dog's well-being in mind, we will must work diligently to gently modify their behaviors in the less stressful manner possible.
coolhandcacks: Since you don't mention any specifics, apparently your issue is with positive methods? Perhaps you have never seen positive methods used to modify serious behavior problems, but as you can see, these methods are fast and effective. This is an excellent demonstration of behavior modification. What a difference between this video and the temporary suppression of behavior seen on a certain television show. Here, you actually see a CHANGE in behavior.
My older Jack Russel has recently become protective over a newborn baby. He growls when we pick her up and shes crying. Would this work for him as well. Hes 10 years old, hes always had separation anxiety as well.
Waribiki: That means that your next step is actually to train him to perform behavior he loves and then work with him at the distance where he'll focus on those behavior rather than on the car. I have videos on my web site. drsophiayin.
If this is the case, how does one encourage good behaviour? This method supposedly focuses solely on positive reinforcement, right? Well if so, when the dog does something that you find pleasing, and you reward him with a treat, isn't this again just diverting his behaviour? Therefore not showing him that it is WANTED behaviour. Also, how on earth does "changing their underlying emotional state" by offering treats result in permanent behavioural change?
strangepixiegirl no. It's not focusing on positive reinforcement a. It's focusing on classical conditioning. She taught the dog that someone blowing in his face was the signal that something positive was about to happen. It's just like Pavlov's dogs. When he rang the bell, they salivated because he always rang the bell before he fed them. To answer the 2nd part of your comment karma I'm not really sure why you can't see how that works? If they're reason someone is crying as because they are sad, but then something happens so that they no longer feel sad, they are going to stop crying. She has changed the cause of the dog's aggressive behavior permanently by having him associate blowing in his face with something good happening… the treat. The way it permanently changes the behavior is now when someone blows in his face hes anticipating a treat. This is a happy a motion a. You do not lunch out and try to bite people's faces when you are feeling happy and anticipating something good. Not sure how else to explain it…
@supernaturalbc2009 However, the reality is that ANY offensive act by a dog can be deemed aggressive, and, in the public and media eye, any act of 'aggression' (barking, growling, nipping - EVEN IF inhibited) will jeopardize the livelihood of the dog, or even an entire breed (BSL, for example). Thus, we need to realize that words are defined to serve a purpose; Semyonova defined "aggression" as she did only to reiterate that "uninhibited aggression" is anti-social and a BAD model for training.
Hi, my dog barks loudly at certain people that are just standing still (fishers, with pram, photographing) or were moving but suddenly stopped their movement. He doesn't stop barking at them until we've gone way passed them. It's hard to get his attention when he's in that state of emotion. But I never wanted to treat him with food in the fear that he would learn to continue to bark at these people. Could I countercondition in this situation?? Please help. Thanks.
Dear Sophia, thanks for this video, I'm taking care a of 2-year old Jack Russell, sometimes he has very aggressive behavior and he shows his teeth and even has bitten me. Does this technique work in this situations? Thanks
@@CattleDogPublishing Thank for your reply, he has shown this aggressive behavior out of nowhere, very difficult to understand why. I'll keep doing your technique until he calm down.
@supernaturalbc2009 Unfortunately, Semyonova's "Social Organization of the Dom. Dog" is heavily imbued with personal biases and has a paucity of peer-reviewed research upon which she bases her assumptions. Her paper, in fact, is not peer-reviewed nor is it published in any reputable journal. Her purpose is to debunk the dominance theory (as popularized by Millan) by attacking the myth that aggressive acts (human acts included) are normalized phenomena in dogs' social structures.
Man, I can't stand Jack Russells, you should see my friend's. The beast is stand offish, hates everyone, and constantly has to be caged because it will often tear things up. When given a toy, it will shake it violently and tear it to pieces within minutes. I in no way provoke the dog, other than being there however I hardly ever spend time there anymore for fear of getting bit.
I have a jack russel we got at several months old and believe his previous owner used to kerp him in a cage 24/7 and hit him on the head. I live with my teenage son and older daughter.. My dog follows me everywhere and sleeps with me. He goes mad with excitement when my kids arrive home and is loving to them but sometimes if im sitting watching tv (hes sat with me) and one of my kids walks past or like the other day my son reached for something near me, my dog jumped out of a sleep and starts growling, snarling and barking like hes going to attack. It upsets my kids because a moment later my dog is loving to them. My daughter is expecting a baby in 4 months time and we are concerned about his behaviour. Will he think the babies mine if i hold it and what if she tries to take it. I am guilty of loving my dog too much but we got him from a rescue and i wanted to compensate for his poor start in life. He thinks he rules the roost. He is very protective of me and even if my son or daughter wakj him and spend time with him he will still later at some point growl at them. If i sit close with my son or daughter he tries to sit between us. My son says i shoukd get rid of him before the baby comes even though it will break our hearts. Please any advice welcome.
Structure. You need to give your dog lots of structure. Find a good trainer near you and get a good training plan in place. Teach typical obedience - a good sit/stay/leave it. Keep it positive and only enforce the obedience when the dog breaks.
![HUGE Mistakes Jack Russell Terrier Owners Make [Avoid These For Success] #jackrussellterrier #jrt](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kt2j_JstrU0/mqdefault.jpg)
![HUGE Mistakes Jack Russell Terrier Owners Make [Avoid These For Success] #jackrussellterrier #jrt](/img/tr.png)
Strangepixiegirl: No this is NOT positive reinfocement (operant conditioning) it is classical counterconditioning. How does changing the underlying emotional state result in a permanent behaivor change? Well, it having his face blown in no longer makes the dog angry or fearful but instead makes him happy, then he won't try to bite people who blow in his face.
Note if this were positive reinforcement for growling then the growling would increase. It has not, and that is the point of the video.
For people who are confused, this video is about Counter Conditioning (changing underlying subconscious reaction, like a dog automatically drooling when a bell is rung), not Operant Conditioning (teaching a behavior such as making a dog sit whenever a bell is wrong). That's why giving treats here works - she's using counter conditioning to change the underlying anxiety, NOT operant conditioning to train the dog to perform/stop performing a behavior. Counter Conditioning, like in this video, is what you would use when you need to change an underlying mental state (for example, a dog with anxiety-based aggression like the terrier in the video). Both are great techniques, they just have different uses.
How wonderful to see you save a life with just a few minutes of sensible conditioning!
I stumbled across this video! And boy am I glad that I did! This video makes it so clear for the viewer to understand. Thank you again! -Kikopup
Yes. This is the point. Most people (believe me get this questions all the time when I lecture at conferences as well as when dealing with individual clients or students) think you are rewarding the growling. They think about the behavior but are not considering the underlying emotional state. (e.g. they're concerned about operant conditioning and don't realize that by changing the underlying emotional state (through classical counterconditioning) they will change the resulting behavior.
Thank you for this! Its going strait into my favorites. So clear and so easy to understand.
-Kikopup
Godspeed, Dr. Yin.
This will be my 'go to' video whenever anyone doubts the results of positive training. Beautiful done. 5* and a favorite.
0lSNYPEoO: I'm actually letting him growl a little and then still giving him the treat before he has a chance to escalate. Goal was to show that even though i'm giving him treats when he growls, it's not reinforcing then growling behavior because it's changing his underlying emotional state. That's why later on when I blow in his face he just looks happy. In the later case I just give him treats because he can start to bounce around with excitement and I want to reward him before he does that.
Sophia Yin what do I do when my dog growls at me when I love on him
coolhandcacks, the term "DVM" should give you the clue that she is a veterinarian (with a specialty in behavior).
Yes, using blowing in a dog's face is a silly concern to spend time "solving", but it's a good demonstration of how to do FAST modification of an emotionally-based behavior. It neatly demonstrates a training method that's not putting dogs or people in danger. You could also do it with a dog who growls at collar-grabs, foot-handling, or other physical handling (pretty common).
Hello.
Thank you very much for this great video. It is such a good example, that counterconditioning works. I wish, many people would start to understand, that you have to change the emotions and not only try to eleminate symptoms. Hope this JRT finds a new home.
If it were rewarding bad behavior his behavior would get worse. The fact is that I have changed his underlying emotional state and as a result he no longer shows is teeth or acts aggressive when I blow in his face. So when you change the emotional state that drives the "bad" behaviors, you will make the "bad" behaviors go away.
I think you may not have watched the entire video. If it were rewarding the bad behavior, then his bad behavior would have gotten worse instead of better.
@Frankiewhippet I wouldn't use this method to counter condition to tv. I would typically reward the dog for focusing on me (first putting the dog through the Learn to Earn program), so he learns an alternate behavior. You could, however, turn the volume down low enough that it doesn't set him over threshold and reward him for sitting/looking at you, then systematically turn the volume up louder while always staying under threshold.
Fantastic!! You did an excellent job ;) ~Heather and Jesse~
5* and a fav! Now that's real training:)! CCC and R+ at it's best:)! Pawsome.
Happy Clicking!
Ashley & Kaine
I just read a 2002 paper by Alexandra Semyonova which talks about the definition of aggression vs threat. This dog is displaying an inhibited bite which would, by her definition be a threat, not true aggression. If he intended to do damage, he would have. True aggression (uninhibited bite) is rare and very dysfunctional in dogs. Sad that he might have been euthanized for doing what he should because of a perceptional /definition difference. Just goes to show how far we still need to come! Donna
Donna Hill
Cesar would have kicked this dog and make its behaviour worst and bring it to his rehab centre (probably get euthanized behind cameras).
That's good that you don't, but if someone else happens to and he doesn't like it then it would be good if he were trained to like it. For instance, obviously this dog had a history of this happening in one of his 2-3 previous households. If this behavior were not fixed, he could not be adopted out and would have to be euthanized. BTY. This dog was required to work for ALL of his food. So he didn't get a meal for free like most dogs and then treat on top of it.
I love your work!
thank you so much for sharing this!
Very clever technique!
Also importantly, it worked and it stayed working.
I need to show my mom this. What my mom does is pick her JRT up by the scruff of the neck when she growls to establish dominance. I have a feeling that that's not a good way to deal with growling, but she's convinced that this works.
The proof with whether it works or not is does her dog still growl ? If so the answer is no and a different strategy is needed.
@@TeslaNick2 Unfortunately that's actually not great proof. Stopping growling just means the behaviour has been suppressed - the emotion driving it hasn't left. This means that the dog will likely display more intense aggression rather than growling down the road (the problem has gotten worse).
Firstly great video! Can you categorize this behaviour within a type of aggression? Is this a reaction to a perceived threat or simply a dog with an underlying problem?
It's definitely "reactive aggression" and a fear based response. Hence the training (associating good things to the perceived threat) changes the state of mind to "blowing in face = treats".
Wonderful video!
Yeah, whatever rewards (attention, toy, etc) another dog is getting, he wants too:-)
OMG you are a SAINT....you saved this dog from getting euthanized....my dog bites when it comes to food..so we leave her alone when she is eating.
the other trainer who shall remain unnamed(lol) would never have gone for this! he would have scared the poor little guy into submission, which would have only made the behavior worse in the long run:(
i like how dr. yin used the same basic principle behind clicker training to change the dogs emotional response. every time she did something that bothered him,blowing on him, he got a treat, which reprograms it into something he likes. at the end his little tail was wagging when she blew on him:)
What is the treat you used in this video?
My dog doesn´t get agressive when anybody blows on him. He just gets very, VERY excited and starts running around the house and comes back...
@supernaturalbc2009 Because of this, she PERSONALLY defines aggression as uninhibited, unprovoked acts of "violence" intended to inflict damage/death. She includes within this definition, human acts (hitting, kicking, choking, alpha-rolling). She notes that "aggressive acts" by dogs (as she has defined it) are ANTI-social and lead to ostracization - thus, she maintainns that human aggression, as well, are poor models for behavior modification and are counter-productive.
@supernaturalbc2009 Thus, we need to recognize that a barking, growling, nipping dog (even if inhibited) will be viewed as aggressive and WILL, if left unmodified, worsen and potentially hurt another animal or human being. We must never excuse any acts of aggression as "naturalized" or "legitimized". If we truly have the dog's well-being in mind, we will must work diligently to gently modify their behaviors in the less stressful manner possible.
coolhandcacks: Since you don't mention any specifics, apparently your issue is with positive methods? Perhaps you have never seen positive methods used to modify serious behavior problems, but as you can see, these methods are fast and effective.
This is an excellent demonstration of behavior modification. What a difference between this video and the temporary suppression of behavior seen on a certain television show. Here, you actually see a CHANGE in behavior.
My older Jack Russel has recently become protective over a newborn baby. He growls when we pick her up and shes crying. Would this work for him as well. Hes 10 years old, hes always had separation anxiety as well.
Waribiki: That means that your next step is actually to train him to perform behavior he loves and then work with him at the distance where he'll focus on those behavior rather than on the car. I have videos on my web site. drsophiayin.
Fabulous. Thanks for this.
Heh..poor dog on the right wants a treat so badly...Nice video.
If this is the case, how does one encourage good behaviour? This method supposedly focuses solely on positive reinforcement, right? Well if so, when the dog does something that you find pleasing, and you reward him with a treat, isn't this again just diverting his behaviour? Therefore not showing him that it is WANTED behaviour.
Also, how on earth does "changing their underlying emotional state" by offering treats result in permanent behavioural change?
strangepixiegirl no. It's not focusing on positive reinforcement a. It's focusing on classical conditioning. She taught the dog that someone blowing in his face was the signal that something positive was about to happen. It's just like Pavlov's dogs. When he rang the bell, they salivated because he always rang the bell before he fed them.
To answer the 2nd part of your comment karma I'm not really sure why you can't see how that works? If they're reason someone is crying as because they are sad, but then something happens so that they no longer feel sad, they are going to stop crying.
She has changed the cause of the dog's aggressive behavior permanently by having him associate blowing in his face with something good happening… the treat. The way it permanently changes the behavior is now when someone blows in his face hes anticipating a treat. This is a happy a motion a. You do not lunch out and try to bite people's faces when you are feeling happy and anticipating something good. Not sure how else to explain it…
The little dog that was in the back ground looks exactly like the dog my brother gave me what kind of dog is it?
@supernaturalbc2009 However, the reality is that ANY offensive act by a dog can be deemed aggressive, and, in the public and media eye, any act of 'aggression' (barking, growling, nipping - EVEN IF inhibited) will jeopardize the livelihood of the dog, or even an entire breed (BSL, for example). Thus, we need to realize that words are defined to serve a purpose; Semyonova defined "aggression" as she did only to reiterate that "uninhibited aggression" is anti-social and a BAD model for training.
Nice job. My dog HATES the garbage man. Gonna try something similar...
That is really amazing.
The smaller dog that was running around in the background can anyone tell me the breed I was just given that dog as a gift.
If only this video could be shown to everyone with a dog.
Hi, my dog barks loudly at certain people that are just standing still (fishers, with pram, photographing) or were moving but suddenly stopped their movement. He doesn't stop barking at them until we've gone way passed them. It's hard to get his attention when he's in that state of emotion. But I never wanted to treat him with food in the fear that he would learn to continue to bark at these people. Could I countercondition in this situation?? Please help. Thanks.
Dear Sophia, thanks for this video, I'm taking care a of 2-year old Jack Russell, sometimes he has very aggressive behavior and he shows his teeth and even has bitten me. Does this technique work in this situations?
Thanks
The dog shown here was the same way. This is why she developed this technique. It should work for you.
@@CattleDogPublishing Thank for your reply, he has shown this aggressive behavior out of nowhere, very difficult to understand why. I'll keep doing your technique until he calm down.
My dog doesnt like doggy treats or dry food what treat can I give him lol
One thing we've seen work is cut up hot dogs. Some dog show handlers use dried liver as well.
@supernaturalbc2009 Unfortunately, Semyonova's "Social Organization of the Dom. Dog" is heavily imbued with personal biases and has a paucity of peer-reviewed research upon which she bases her assumptions. Her paper, in fact, is not peer-reviewed nor is it published in any reputable journal. Her purpose is to debunk the dominance theory (as popularized by Millan) by attacking the myth that aggressive acts (human acts included) are normalized phenomena in dogs' social structures.
Man, I can't stand Jack Russells, you should see my friend's. The beast is stand offish, hates everyone, and constantly has to be caged because it will often tear things up. When given a toy, it will shake it violently and tear it to pieces within minutes. I in no way provoke the dog, other than being there however I hardly ever spend time there anymore for fear of getting bit.
A good opportunity to CC then. Pair your presence with really good rewards
Great and not an 'alpha roll' to be seen!
My dog doesn´t get agressive when anybody blows on him... he just gets very, VERY excited and starts running around the house and comes back...
I have a jack russel we got at several months old and believe his previous owner used to kerp him in a cage 24/7 and hit him on the head.
I live with my teenage son and older daughter.. My dog follows me everywhere and sleeps with me. He goes mad with excitement when my kids arrive home and is loving to them but sometimes if im sitting watching tv (hes sat with me) and one of my kids walks past or like the other day my son reached for something near me, my dog jumped out of a sleep and starts growling, snarling and barking like hes going to attack. It upsets my kids because a moment later my dog is loving to them. My daughter is expecting a baby in 4 months time and we are concerned about his behaviour. Will he think the babies mine if i hold it and what if she tries to take it. I am guilty of loving my dog too much but we got him from a rescue and i wanted to compensate for his poor start in life. He thinks he rules the roost.
He is very protective of me and even if my son or daughter wakj him and spend time with him he will still later at some point growl at them. If i sit close with my son or daughter he tries to sit between us. My son says i shoukd get rid of him before the baby comes even though it will break our hearts. Please any advice welcome.
Structure. You need to give your dog lots of structure. Find a good trainer near you and get a good training plan in place. Teach typical obedience - a good sit/stay/leave it. Keep it positive and only enforce the obedience when the dog breaks.
It's the same dog. He does not have an identical twin:-).
so bait and switch works on dogs too?
lol
My Jack Russell has never growled or snapped at any one in my family members or me.
rat terrier
Rat terrier
my jack russell is responsive and beautifully behaved... we have a fantastic bond... and I dont blow in her face or give her any treats. Silly video.
they changed dogs :ppp