Counter Conditioning Dog Training

You’ve heard this technical term before, but what does counter conditioning mean? Is it only for dogs? Does it work? How does it work?

What Does Counter Conditioning Mean?

Counter means to change. Conditioning refers to the word train. As you guessed it, counter conditioning means to change your dog’s negative feeling or behavior toward something. This is done by training your dog to react differently (i.e. positively) when he sees, smells, hears or feels something that makes him uncomfortable.

When referring to a negative feeling, this is the feeling that comes as second nature to your dog. It’s instinctive and it’s something your dog can’t control when seeing an object, person or animal that makes him uncomfortable.

Counter conditioning is used in dog training to correct a negative reaction, such as barking at another dog, being destructive, fear growling and yelping, to a desired behavior (e.g. not barking at a dog, staying calm and sitting patiently).

RELATED: What is Your Dog Saying? Interpreting Dog Sounds

How Counter Conditioning is Applied in Dog Training

When training your dog, counter conditioning and desensitization work hand-in-hand. Desensitization teaches a dog to become less sensitive around other dogs or whatever is causing him to feel uncomfortable. In contrast, counter conditioning changes your dog’s reaction to the negative natural associations.

Counter Conditioning Illustrated

In a human’s mind:

• A person shrieks at the sight of a spider.
• When he sees the spider, a natural instinctive fear of the negative association that person carries with spiders kicks in.
• But while he is looking at the spider, his parent hands him a $100 bill as a reward.
• Next time the person sees a spider, he can associate seeing the spider with a $100 reward.
• Now he is excited to earn $100 instead of shrieking in the presence of the spider.

The $100 reward given to the person has counter conditioned him that spider equals rewards (don’t be afraid).

In a dog’s mind:

• Your dog barks at other dogs. When your dog stops barking at other dogs, he gets a super yummy treat. Your dog learns that seeing other dogs mean a super treat is coming! He has been counter conditioned to seeing a dog without barking. If he does not bark, that means good things happen.

Counter conditioning always works if done correctly!

Consult with a Professional Dog Trainer

You achieve the best results when you work with a professional dog trainer. An animal behaviorist can also help your dog if he suffers from moderate to severe reactions.

Now, it’s your turn. How would you use counter conditioning when training your dog? We want to hear from you! Post your comments below!

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