One of the key principles of dog training is the “conditioned response” principle. The idea is that you can set up your dog’s environment in such a way that he learns to stop his destructive behavior through his own mistakes rather than your instruction. Below are two common examples of canine behavior problems and how the “conditioned response” principle can be used to solve them.

1. My dog ​​is digging in my garden. How can I stop this destructive behavior? First, you need to buy chicken wire at your local hardware store and styptic powder at your local pet store. Before you begin, you should look at your dog’s favorite digging spots and identify them in your mind. Then you need to take your dog out of the yard and not allow him to watch you as you set up his environment. Cut a section of chicken wire about 4 by 4 feet and plant it under the ground in all the places your dog likes to dig. Once you are done, release your dog and wait for the conditioned response. Your dog will most likely return to the places where he dug before and proceed to dig as usual. Except now, he’s going to learn a new lesson. In other words, digging is going to cause you serious aches and pains.

Once your dog associates the condition (digging) with the negative response (pain), he will automatically stop his destructive digging habit. There is, however, a drawback to this technique. If you have an aggressive digger, you should monitor your dog for cuts or bruises. That’s where styptic powder comes in. If you notice a cut on your dog’s paws, gently pour the styptic powder over the cut and allow it to cauterize the bleeding. In a matter of days, you can condition your dog to give up his destructive digging habit using the “conditioned response” principle.

2. My dog ​​chews my furniture, shoes, and valuables. What can I do to end this destructive behavior? Go to your local pet store and buy a spray bottle of bitter apple. Get your dog out of your house and don’t let him see you set up his environment. Spray your valuables (i.e. furniture, shoes, and socks) with bitter apple and place them in places your dog can easily access. Then allow it in and let the trap do the rest. As usual, your dog will revert to his old habit and start chewing on his favorite shoe or piece of furniture. But now, he will be in for a bitter surprise. Your dog will associate the condition (chewing) with the negative response (bad taste) and will stop his destructive chewing habit. However, it is important to remember that all dogs need to chew, so you must repeat this process a second time.

Now, you need to place your dog’s favorite chew toys next to the items that were sprinkled with bitter apple. This time, your dog will be reconditioned to chew on his own toys instead of his valuable possessions. Therefore, by conditioning your dog, you can positively reinforce a good habit (chewing on designated toys) over an undesirable one (chewing on his valuable possessions).

As you can see, by applying the “conditioned response” principle you can teach your dog exactly what you want without getting frustrated with the training process.