I had to pay a rather large bill for Down Dog recently. I’d been told how much it was but when the bill arrived it was considerably higher – I’d been given the amount without VAT. VAT stands for Value Added Tax – not that I can see any value in it for me.
Although there’s some value for you – apparently the Government have removed VAT from electronic books, so all my Doggy Doctor Kindle books should now be cheaper!
But this led to me thinking about Gus and the reactive barking he does that has become more of a problem since lockdown. In my Chaos to Calmish book I tell the story of how he started to bark at my study chair (and how I didn’t nip it in the bud) and at loud noises like thunder. Since lockdown Gus has started barking when he hears rain, even quite light rain.
Dogs do the stuff that brings them rewards – things that give them some value. The rewards might be internal – feeling of happiness or satisfaction, or external such as attention from you or food. For Gus I think the value to him of this behaviour is internal – barking helps him cope. But my behaviour also gives him external reward…
To change any behaviour you need to change where the dog gets his value from. I have to admit I sometimes shout at Gus in exasperation when he barks, so I reward the behaviour – I must do since it never helps reduce it!
I need to help Gus get much more value from NOT barking, by rewarding any and all the calm behaviour he shows when it’s raining. So, I thought I’d monitor what I do. Last Friday my dismal score was:
- Praising calm behaviour – 2
- Shouting at barking – 5
No wonder his barking at rain isn’t improving. This is something I will have to change because this habit has developed from a basis of fear, so I need to build his confidence to help him cope better.
Keep training and keep safe,
Carol