call or email Cathy for a private in-home behavior consult.
509-993-3622 / cathy@diamondsintheruff.com
Cathy Fox
CPDT Certified Pet Dog Trainer
IAABC Associate Member #291 APDT
Professional Member #063771 AKC
Canine Good Citizen Evaluator #FOX11405
CPDT Certified Pet Dog Trainer
IAABC Associate Member #291 APDT
Professional Member #063771 AKC
Canine Good Citizen Evaluator #FOX11405
C.A.T. Protocol for Dogs
No, it has nothing to do with training your dog to like cats! It has everything to do with helping dogs with issues replace fearful and aggressive reactions with positive responses.The knee-jerk human reaction to aggression is to try and stamp it out through correction. While correcting aggressive displays might make the outward expression go away, it won't address the source and often makes it worse. On the inside, the dog is still upset. The growl may be suppressed, but the fear, resentment and aggression are still there, spiraling up, unseen. The dog becomes more dangerous, not less.
There are two effective ways to address aggression. One is through desensitization and counter conditioning. Slowly, through repeated exposure of pairing a good thing with the bad thing, replacing the negative association with a positive one - changing how the animal feels about the situation through classical conditioning.
Dr. Jesus Rosales-Ruiz, a behavior analyst and associate professor of behavior analysis at the University of North Texas and Kellie Snider, a board certified associate behavior analyst have created new approach which they call "Constructional Aggression Treatment" or C.A.T. As with DS & CC, there is repeated exposure at sub-threshold levels. The difference with C.A.T. Is that they are using operant conditioning - shaping appropriate responses. The reward for non-aggressive behavior is that the "scary thing" goes away.
Dogs use aggression to create distance. A hand comes too close, the dog hard-eye stares, goes still, tenses the muscles around his mouth, growls, snarls, snaps. At some point the hand snatches away. Mission accomplished. The dog learns what works best to relieve the pressure of the encounter and repeats it.
With C.A.T. The neutral decoy animal, person or thing is presented at a distance where the dog becomes aware, but shows no outward aggressive display. The decoy stays put until the dog shows some appropriate body language (looking away, sniffing, etc.) then the decoy retreats. The dog learns that peacekeeping body language works to mediate problems and begins to use them instead of aggression. Gradually, over many exposures at closer proximities, the dog begins to feel more safe and, for many, friendliness replaces aggression.
Cathy Fox offers individual C.A.T. Sessions and will be including it in the curriculum of the Social Skills class at Diamonds in the Ruff, co-taught with DITR owner Carol Byrnes. For more info contact Cathy at 993-3622 or for information on Social Skills classes, visit www.diamondsintheruff.com.
Written by Carol A. Byrnes, CPDT of Diamonds In The Ruff Dog Training.
EXPECTANT PARENTS
Do you know any expectant parents
who also have DOGS??
Cathy Fox will be providing several
two-hour lectures in 2009 on how to safely introduce your new baby to your dog and help start a loving bond between Baby and Bowzer.
Call 509-993-3622 or email cathy@diamondsintheruff.com
to find out when and where these
lectures will take place.
Do you know any expectant parents
who also have DOGS??
Cathy Fox will be providing several
two-hour lectures in 2009 on how to safely introduce your new baby to your dog and help start a loving bond between Baby and Bowzer.
Call 509-993-3622 or email cathy@diamondsintheruff.com
to find out when and where these
lectures will take place.
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