Behavior Problem Solving Flashcards

A dog pulls hard on the leash. The most effective humane solution is:

Answer: Reinforcing a loose leash and stopping when it tightens

Rewarding slack and halting forward motion when the leash tightens teaches the dog that pulling does not work.

A dog that freezes, shows whale eye, and stiffens is communicating:

Answer: Stress and a possible bite warning

Freezing, whale eye, and stiffening are warning signals that a dog feels threatened and may escalate.

To address a dog that barks at the doorbell, you should:

Answer: Desensitize to the sound and reward quiet, calm responses

Repeated low-level exposure paired with rewards for calm changes the doorbell from a trigger to a cue for quiet.

The term 'negative reinforcement' technically means:

Answer: Removing something aversive to increase a behavior

Negative reinforcement increases behavior by taking away an unpleasant stimulus when the behavior occurs.

A dog refuses to come when called at the park. The best fix is to:

Answer: Practice recall with high-value rewards on a long line

Building recall with valuable rewards on a long line strengthens reliable returns without punishment.

Punishing a dog after it returns from running off teaches it to:

Answer: Associate returning with punishment and avoid coming

Punishment upon return makes the dog link coming back with a bad outcome, weakening recall.

Which is the best management for a dog that counter-surfs for food?

Answer: Keeping counters clear and rewarding feet-on-floor behavior

Removing the reward of food and reinforcing keeping paws down stops the self-rewarding habit.