H PRIMER

When I was in college studying psychology and behavior, we learned the Acronym ABC for the way in which behavior change takes place.  ABC stands for Antecedent, Behavior, and Consequences. Unsurprisingly, it turns out that this way of looking at behavior change is woefully inadequate and leads to a lot of frustration for dog trainers and pet families because it FAILS to account for a whole host of factors that impact a dog’s behavior beyond just the antecedent or “the thing that came right before the behavior”.  "H PRIMER" my attempt to account for some (hopefully many) of those factors.  It’s not as catchy and easy to remember as “ABC”, but the main takeaway is that if your training is not getting the same results as another trainer with another dog it is likely because your dog has a different set of "H PRIMER" factors. Some of these factors we have some control over and others we will have to learn to work around.  For instance, we can’t change a dog’s instincts, we will have to work around them, but we can change a lot about the environment, and we can help shape the dog’s personality and moods.  And of course, relationships are important and something that we have a lot of influence over.  

If you have ever painted a house, you recognize that the Primer is what underlies your desired paint color.  The Primer impacts the final results of your paint job.  Obviously, my acronym is not perfect, so I had to add a random "H" for Health.  But Health couldn't be left out!  Some studies indicate a significant number of serious aggression and anxiety issues have some form of health or pain component.  

H PRIMER  stands for 

(H)ealth

P(ersonality)

R(elationship)

I(nstinct)

M(ood and Emotions)

E(nviorment)

R(einforcement History)

Over the next few weeks we will look at each factor separately.