1. Enrichment then and Now
[Dr. Markowitz] said, "Enrichment should be a synonym for 'more like nature.'" ... enrichment can be defined as meeting all of an animal's needs as closely as possible to how they would be met in the wild, in order to empower them to engage in species-typical behaviors in healthy and appropriate ways.
- Page 13
Enrichment is much more than play, toys and exercise.
2. The Elements of Enrichment
each breed has its own genetic predispositions toward certain behaviors - Page 15
however, each dog is an individual and may not conform.
Dr. Susan Friedman: "behavior is a study of one" - Page 15
Many natural behaviors of dogs are identified as "bad"; however, it is often the dog attempting to fulfill their genuine needs and it is our job to direct them to opportunities to fulfill those needs in a safe and non-destructive way.
Needs
- Natural behaviors and instinctual needs
- Sensory stimulation
- Scavenging
- Foraging
- Security
- Emotional Needs
- Physical Needs
- Hygiene
- Health
Our number one criterion for how we care for our pets should be, "Is this what they actually need? How is it impacting them?" rather than, "What do I want?" - Page 19
The Humane Hierarchy
An intervention protocol to help animal trainers and behavior consultants determine which approach to take in training.
lots of strategies will "work"... but not all strategies are equal in terms of their impact on the learner.
The hierarchy is organized in terms of what to try first and what to try last
- Wellness: Nutritional, Physical
- Antecedent Arrangements
- How their environment is set up (intentionally or unintentionally)
- Positive Reinforcement
- "Positive reinforcement involves providing a pleasant or desirable stimulus following a behavior, which increases the likelihood of the behavior reoccurring. For example, praising a child for completing their homework on time encourages them to continue this behavior in the future." [1]
- Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behaviors
- "Differential reinforcement is a behavior modification technique used in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), which involves selectively reinforcing desired behaviors while withholding reinforcement for undesired behaviors." [1:1]
- Extinction, Negative Reinforcement and Negative Punishment
- "Extinction is the process of gradually weakening and eliminating a behavior by discontinuing the reinforcement that was previously maintaining it." [1:2]
- "Negative reinforcement, on the other hand, involves removing an unpleasant or aversive stimulus after a behavior, also increasing the likelihood of that behavior being repeated. For instance, turning off a loud alarm when a child wakes up and gets out of bed on time serves as negative reinforcement for waking up on time." [1:3]
- "Negative punishment is the removal of a reinforcing stimulus following a behavior in order to decrease the likelihood of that behavior occurring again." [2]
- Positive Punishment
- "Positive punishment is the addition of an aversive stimulus following a behavior in order to decrease the likelihood of that behavior occurring again." [2:1]
We cannot emphasize enough the importance of making sure an animal is completely healthy and pain-free before trying any other intervention. - Page 21
How to evaluate a Veterinarian
- The vet stays up to date on the latest research in their field
- The vet is thorough
- The vet is flexible and communicative
- The vet recognizes and respects the boundaries of their own expertise
- You have a good rapport with your vet
Nutrition
Page 24
The authors have worked with many dogs who had chronic health and/or behavior issues that immediately and permanently improved after being switched to a nutritionally balanced, fresh, whole-foods die. Conversely, we have worked with dogs who could not maintain a healthy weight and generally failed to thrive on a whole-foods diet [...] and were only able to when switched to a processed kibble diet. ... This leads to a wide range of potential approaches to feeding dogs and an ongoing search for what is individually optimal
If we are going to meet our dogs' needs, we can't let ideology get in the way of observation
we also can't let anecdotal evidence take preedence over empirical evidence.
in addition to the immediate, acute changes that are influenced by diet, there are also chronic, cumulative changes that occur internally and may take years to manifest clinical symptoms.
Learned Helplessness
Page 28
[When] an individual suffers from a sense of powerlessness due to inescapable aversive stimuli
For learned helplessness to occur the event must be both traumatic and outside the subject's control
Even if you can change your fate, your disbelief causes you not to try and, instead, shut down.
Watching the other dogs perform the behavior, receiving threats, and being offered rewards were not enough for them to overcome their helplessness.
Important
Family dogs habitually exposed to unpredictable/uncontrollable punishment are at risk of developing disturbances associated with the learned-helplessness disorder.
Without agency, it isn't enrichment. If, in attempting to meet their social needs, we violate their need for safety, security, independence, and agency, we defeat our own purpose.
Differential reinforcement is a behavior modification technique used in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), which involves selectively reinforcing desired behaviors while withholding reinforcement for undesired behaviors. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
https://www.goldenstepsaba.com/resources/positive-vs-negative-punishment ↩︎ ↩︎