Text Description for Flow Chart -
Deciding Whether and When to Use Aversives in a Training Program
Four types of behaviors are mentioned in the flow chart. How a specific behavior is categorized will vary depending on the dog, the owner and the context:
- Useful - a desired behavior, such as sit, which makes the dog a pleasant companion.
- Critical - a desired behavior, such as a recall, without which the dog may be endangered.
- Nuisance - an undesired behavior, such as chewing up shoes, not requiring immediate action since management procedures can be used in the interim.
- Dangerous - an undesired behavior, such as chasing livestock, that may soon result in harm to another animal, to a human, or to the dog itself.
The flow chart illustrates a series of decisions, actions to take based on those decisions, and the results of the actions. To facilitate understanding a complex decision process, the text description of the flow chart repeats some parts of the description. Examples are provided in Section 2.4.
Decide the Behavior Goal
First, decide if the goal is to eliminate a behavior or to establish a behavior.
Decide if the behavior is a nuisance or is dangerous.
Behavior Is a Nuisance or Is Dangerous, but Not an Emergency
Use a reward-based program. If the program eliminates the behavior, you have succeeded. If the program doesn't eliminate the behavior, then modify the program. Modify the program as often as desired. If the modifications are not successful, determine if the behavior can be managed. If so, then manage the behavior and live with it. If the behavior cannot be managed, determine if the benefits of using an aversive outweigh the risks of the behavior continuing. If not, return to a reward-based program. If the benefits of using an aversive do outweigh the risks of the behavior continuing, then design an aversive that meets the requirements as described in Section 2.4.
Behavior Is Dangerous and an Emergency
Determine if the benefits of using an aversive outweigh the risks of the behavior continuing. If not, return to a reward-based program. If the benefits of using an aversive do outweigh the risks of the behavior continuing, then design an aversive that meets the requirements as described in Section 2.4.
Use a reward-based program. If the program establishes the behavior, you have succeeded. If the program doesn't establish the behavior, then modify the program. Modify the program as often as desired. If the modifications are not successful, determine if the behavior is useful or critical. If the behavior is just considered useful, then live without the behavior. If the behavior is considered critical, determine if the benefits of using an aversive outweigh the risks of the behavior not being established. If not, return to a reward-based program. If the benefits of using an aversive do outweigh the risks of the behavior not being established, then design an aversive that meets the requirements as described in Section 2.4.
