Tag Archives: dogs

the joys of positive reinforcement

Posted on by the pink dog
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I was walking one of my clients’ dogs today and came across a sticky situation. My dog has had aggression issues towards other dogs (and sometimes people) so her owner and past trainer have done extensive work to desensitize and counter-condition her towards other dogs. So here I am, walking her down a busy NYC street when I come across the following scenario:

(yes, I have pink sneakers).

I first see Person B walking ahead of us – a man walking at least four dogs at one time. He is struggling to keep them under control while picking up one dog’s poop.

Then I see Person A coming towards us from the other end of the sidewalk. He is holding onto a boxer-mix type dog.

B sees A. B starts panicking and pulls his dogs toward the buildings to his right. A starts wrapping his dog’s leash multiple times around his wrist. Dogs of both A and B are pulling and lunging towards each other.

Then there’s me and my dog. My dog looks at me. I click and treat. While the other dogs are struggling to pull away from their human, mine is happy as a clam and staring straight at me.

ah the rewards of being a positive reinforcement trainer. ( :

What is ABA?

Posted on by the pink dog
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ABA, or Applied Behavior Analysis, is the science of behavior modification. Although it is under the field of Psychology, it is very different from a lot of subfields within Psychology that we are familiar with – disciplines such as cognitive science, psychotherapy, or Freudism.

ABA deals with behaviors that one can see. It is also based on the assumption that individuals behave. Behavior is a result of the interaction between an individual and the environment. For example, when we come home in the evening, we turn on the light. The house is dark, so we flip the switch. Turning on the light is a behavior, and it was done because we wanted to change the environment we are in. Furthermore, in the past, we have flipped the light switch because by doing so, the room becomes brighter. We are reinforced by the brightness in the room. Therefore, in the future, the likelihood that we will flip the switch when the room gets dark increases. This is called reinforcement history.

At this point, you’re probably like, “whaa?” and wondering where I’m going with this. As a student of ABA, I have learned a lot about the theory behind the practice and want to share that theory with you. I believe that ABA is a universal science – it is just as applicable to me as it is applicable to the squirrel right outside your window. Animals learn the same way we do – from experience. I want to apply ABA to dog behavior and want to show everybody how effective ABA can be when it comes to modifying our pet’s behaviors.

I hope you come back soon to learn more about what dogs plus ABA can equal!