Behavior chains in dog training

You teach your dog not to put his paws on the table, and he does it more and more often. Why is this happening? The reason for this is the behavioral chain. What are behavior chains in dog training?

Behavioral chains in dog training you use all the time. But sometimes you don’t realize it, and you make mistakes. A behavioral chain can be useful or dangerous, depending on what is included in it.

Useful behavioral chains are most often formed consciously. For example, on a call, the dog not only approaches you, but also sits in front of you and waits for you to take it by the collar or harness. When you throw away the fetching object and give the command, the dog not only runs to grab this object, but also comes back to you and puts the object in your hands.

Behavior chains are best taught to a dog by starting with the last element and making it very, very valuable. So much so that he then reinforces previous actions. In training, one cannot do without the formation of behavioral chains.

But how do behavioral chains become harmful or even dangerous? This happens when we unknowingly reinforce “bad” behavior.

For example, a dog wants to get a piece and becomes paws on the table. We ask her to get off and give a piece. We think we are reinforcing the dog for getting off. The dog may well decide that she needs to first put her paws on the table, then get off – and here it is, a well-deserved reward! Moreover, if you put your paws on the table, she can force the owner to give the command “get off” and give out a treat. Great tool for making cookies!

The solution in this case is to reinforce the dog when it has four paws on the ground, BEFORE it tries to jump onto the table.

In order not to form a harmful behavioral chain, it is worth teaching the dog the right actions – pointing or shaping, and not first wrong, and then right. It is worth practicing in different places and situations so that the skill is firmly mastered.

Behavior chains in dog training are a valuable tool. If you use them correctly.