What Is Desensitization and Counterconditioning?

How to Use Desensitization and Counterconditioning to Change Your Dog's Behavior

Depending on the specific behavior، situation، and pet، it may take longer for some dogs to unlearn what they've been conditioned into but if you are consistent and patient، you can make positive changes.

Determine Your Dog's Triggers

Is it a sound، smell، person، or object? This may take some observational skills on your part but once you determine what it is، you can begin the training by introducing your dog to their trigger in a way that won't cause them to be scared، aggressive، fearful، etc.

It is critical to understand the subtle signs of fear and anxiety in dogs to be able to identify the true trigger. Sometimes the dog will show subtle signs that then escalate and appear to be in reaction to something that is actually not the trigger. For example، if a dog is nervous about the mail man but then seems to bark and become aggressive toward a housemate or person in the house. We need to identify the very first symptoms of fear and anxiety and retrain to that trigger.

Practice Positive Reinforcement Around the Trigger

If an object is the trigger for your dog's negative thoughts and behavior، you'll want to place that item far away from your dog at first. Make sure your dog can see the item but that he doesn't react negatively to it. Every time your dog notices their trigger and doesn't react in a negative way، reward. This reward may be your dog's favorite toy، verbal praise and petting، or an extra-special treat.

Keep the item in this place for a period of time، usually a few days، or expose it to your dog each day for a few hours if you are unable to place it somewhere semi-permanently. Over time، slowly move the item closer and closer to your dog while constantly rewarding your dog when they see the item without reacting in an unwanted manner. If your dog begins to react negatively as you move the item closer، you can move it back a bit to slow the process down.