15 May Understanding Behavior Through Function-Based Training
At our recent AvOCET conference, attendees were treated to an enlightening presentation by Sean Will and Maasa Nishimuta, founders of the Constructional Approach to Animal Training. Their talk focused on incorporating function-based training and degrees of freedom into modern animal training practices.
What is function-based training and degrees of freedom, and how can you use it to transform your training?
Understanding Behavior Through Function-Based Training
Function-based training delves into the “why” behind animal behavior. Rather than merely addressing the behavior itself, this approach seeks to uncover the underlying function or purpose. For instance, when a dog barks excessively at visitors, instead of trying to stop the barking, we explore whether it seeks attention, expresses fear, or defends its territory. By identifying the function, we can develop more effective interventions targeting the root cause.
Tailoring Interventions to Individual Needs
Every animal is unique, requiring tailored interventions that address their specific needs and motivations. Sean and Maasa illustrated this through case studies of Shadow and Coco, two dogs with different behavior issues. Shadow needed help maintaining distance from strangers, while Coco struggled with seeking attention in a balanced way. By understanding each dog’s challenges and motivations, interventions led to significant improvements in their behavior.
Degrees of Freedom: Providing Options for Animals
Degrees of freedom is crucial in modern animal training. It involves giving animals the freedom to choose their response to a situation. For example, when approaching a nervous dog, offering options such as approaching us, moving away, or staying put empowers the animal to make choices that suit their comfort level, leading to more positive outcomes.
Putting Theory into Practice
Incorporating function-based training and degrees of freedom requires patience, observation, and flexibility. It may involve temporarily pushing animals out of their comfort zones to gather essential information, always with their well-being in mind. By making ourselves available and observing their responses, we can gather valuable data that informs our training approach.
Moving Forward
As trainers, our goal is to understand and address the underlying motivations behind animal behavior. By incorporating function-based training and degrees of freedom, we can achieve better outcomes for the animals in our care.
If you want to dive deeper into function-based training and degrees of freedom, be sure to watch Sean and Maasa’s full conference presentation. The full Avocet conference is available for purchase here!