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Desensitization and Counter Conditioning Videos for Reactive Dogs

Fun Fur Pets Posted on by
In addition to the “look” command and looking to you for direction, reactive dogs need to create a new reaction to their triggers (the things that make them react). I like to use counter conditioning and desensitization but it is a long process.

Counter Conditioning: This is basically using classical conditioning to change your dog’s feelings or response to something it fears. You are creating positive associations and the dog begins to feel happy or excited, or calm about things that previously caused it to feel fear. It takes time and repetition.

Desensitizing: By repeatedly exposing your dog to a trigger, at an intensity which the dog does not find scary, and having nothing bad occur, your dog ultimately becomes used to it. If the dog is afraid of a running vacuum cleaner you start slow and first desensitize your dog to the vacuum being in the room turned off, then you might move it around the room without turning it on. It will take many exposures for the dog to become desensitized to something. Combine counter conditioning and desensitizing.”

If you are on a walk and a dog is approaching you need to put lots of space between you the dog. Cross to the other side of the street or pull off to the side where he will not react and feed him treats in between him looking at the other dog. This is the desensitizing and counter conditioning.You will be training him to look to you for high value treats whenever he sees another dog (the first video explains this very well).

Below are some really good videos on desensitization and counterconditioning. I would highly recommend watching these as this is the technique we will be using. Granted these dogs in the video are more reactive than Moses but technique works on all sorts of reactivity issues. I am not a fan of the submission position as I think that just instills fear. I would rather create positive experiences over a long period of time, it can be a lifelong journey. But it can be fun and very rewarding for both you and the dog. I really like the first video on the list.

“Dog Aggression & Positive Training”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaOyqmshOz4&index=3&list=PL8557E18CDC3358CF

These two videos do a nice job or showing some counter conditioning and desensitization techniques that we will be using in the next weeks. I look forward to working with you both. Please do not hesitate to email us if you have any questions before your next class.

Read more about these techniques, Debbie’s book “Living with a Fearful Dog” and access to videos at http://fearfuldogs.com/getting-started-with-a-fearful-dog/

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