by Niki Tudge

Created on: August 10, 2009   Last Updated: August 11, 2009

How to Choose the Right Dog Trainer for Your Behavior Problem

There are primarily two methods Dog Trainers use to diagnose behavior problems with animals and it is important that anyone confronted with a behavioral issue and contemplating hiring a professional animal trainer recognizes the difference and knows which method the trainer proposes to use.

The first approach, known as the medical model, tends to treat behaviors like an illness or disease. The medical model requires that problems be categorized so that a standard set of treatment protocols can be applied. The medical model does not address the probable cause of the behavior nor does it look at any other, possibly related, specifics that may be associated with an animal's behavior. For example, if a dog is demonstrating unusual irritability, fear or increased excitability at the sound of a siren, the medical model may require a prescription pill that is designed to calm the dog. Neither the model nor the treatment addresses the potential cause(s) of the observed behaviors such as an early life trauma or a poor or unbalanced diet.

The second approach can be called the Behavior Analytical approach. Unlike the medical model the behavior analytical approach to assessing problem behaviors recognizes that behavior is a product of the environment and the individual animal's history. This approach is aimed at correcting the underlying cause of the problem behavior by focusing on the details of the specific behavior. The behavior approach is not necessarily concerned with how the behavior evolved or what processes drive the behavior. From our previous example, if a dog cowers at the sound of a siren, the behavior approach does not try to uncover the original cause of the fear of the siren but would simply recognize the connection between the sound of the siren and the dog's fearful behavior and develop a counter conditioning and desensitization plan so the dog no longer feared the sound of the siren and responded in an unhealthy manner. .

The behavioral approach to problem behavior is far more effective and efficient altering a behavior than the medical model method because it does not rely on guess work, or trial and error but systematically identifies the relationship between a behavior and the environment and then sets to work on developing a behavior change program.

If you are contemplating hiring a dog trainer you need to determine which method they will be using so that you may protect the well-being of your dog and be assured of an effective treatment plan. Simply ask the prospective trainer to describe the process they will go through to assess your dog's behavioral problem and what framework they will use to alter the behavior. Based on their answer you will then be able to determine what is best for your pooch.

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