The Humane Hierarchy, developed by Dr. Susan Friedman, a psychology professor at Utah State University, is a tiered system that ranks various training techniques from least to most intrusive. It is an important tool for anyone seeking to leverage Steven R. Lindsay’s LIMA principles as both Friedman and Lindsay seek to minimize stress and maximize enjoyment in dog training. The humane hierarchy serves as a decision-making tree for anyone taking on the responsibility of raising and training a dog. It should guide both creating new (desired) behaviors as well as addressing existing (problematic) behaviors.
The steps in the Humane Hierarchy, along with some examples of how we’ve incorporated it over the years are as follows:
1. Health and Environmental Factors:
Assessing whether any medical issues or environmental factors could be influencing a dog’s behavior is always the first step. For instance, pain from an unknown birth defect or untreated injury that is leading to aggression or withdrawal. Understanding a dog’s physical health is paramount for successful training since behaviors that are easily categorized as psychological problems might be triggered by a physical issue. For instance, we once trained a very relaxed Wheaton Terrier that, as it turns out, was in pain as it was born with defective elbows that required surgery. Knowing to look for the physical needs of the dog, along with the expectations of what a Wheaton Terrier tends to be like, relieved this dog of a lot of suffering that could have easily been confused for a long time as, “the chilliest terrier the world has ever known.”
2. Antecedent Arrangements:
This step focuses on managing the environment to prevent unwanted behaviors. Modifying stimuli that lead to undesirable behaviors easily creates a more conducive learning environment. Of course, the classic example of this is when people express to us how they can’t get their dog to stop drinking from the toilet. To which we get to reply, usually with a joke, “close the lid.” In situations where fear is the outcome, finding paths to train the dog through the fear is a good idea, but only if you take the time to use proper exposure – always seeking to help the dog achieve more while always setting them up for success.
3. Positive Reinforcement:
It is worthing noting at this point, that the first stage of actual training only happens after two stages of deep consideration of physical factors in the dog and environmental factors of the training location. Great dog training is actually less about “getting a dog to do” (sit, down, and come) and is more about “getting a dog to be” (confident, relaxed, and free of pain). When the time comes to get the dog to do desired behaviors, positive reinforcement techniques that encourage and reward the dog are always the approach to start with. Not only is this method ethical and fair, but it is also effective and great for the relationship between the dog, handler, environment, and activity. As the old saying goes, what’s rewarded is repeated.
4. Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behaviors:
When unwanted behaviors happen, it is easy to assume that punishing those behaviors (just saying “no” is technically punishment) is necessary. However, by reinforcing alternative behaviors instead of punishing unwanted ones, opportunities to build positive associations between the dog, handler, and activity persist. One of the more interesting patterns to note in dog training is how often people mention problems that we never directly address, only to watch them disappear in short order. For example, if a dog tends to be mouthy with your hands or arms when playing, teaching them that such play is better when a toy is involved is an easy and worthwhile solution that stops the unwanted mouthing without needing to employ punishment.
5. Extinction and Negative Reinforcement:
These methods involve removing slight stimuli, added by the trainer, to stop undesirable behaviors or to induce desired behaviors. If done properly, it is very fair and effective but can easily move from being a fair albeit physical cue that merely suggests movement (at its best), to an unfair punishment (at its worst). Careful training in these techniques is important. Before we go further, please keep the following in mind:
-Punishment is anything that discourages behavior – it doesn’t need to be unfair or painful. Again, the word “no” is technically punishment. However, it can also mean, “That isn’t correct. Please try again.” Context is important.
-Pressure can signify as little as a light tap or touch or a soothing sensation – it doesn’t need to be forceful.
-Additionally, for those who aren’t familiar with it, in operant conditioning, positive = adding and negative = taking away. It is easy to confuse positive with pleasant and negative with unpleasant when discussing dog training.
As these techniques can easily be used incorrectly, positive reinforcement remains the priority for creating behaviors. We will dive deeper into negative reinforcement in future posts. Until then, think about it as a light physical cue that is induced to elicit a desired behavior, or a minor annoyance that is induced until an undesirable behavior is stopped. A go-to example of this as a physical cue would be pulling back gently on a leash and releasing the pressure when the dog goes into the sit position – this use of pressure should never be painful or even uncomfortable, but it can be if the handler isn’t careful. A good example of it being used to stop a behavior would be tapping on the leash with enough pressure for the dog to notice it and dislike the sensation when the dog is pulling on a walk, and then releasing the pressure when the dog stops pulling. Rarely is this method used for any prolonged period and often it isn’t needed at all. However, tossing it out the window of possibilities isn’t helpful either. Good trainers, like good anything, keep an open mind, even with tools they don’t often or ever employ.
6. Positive Punishment:
As a last resort, positive punishment may be considered if all other avenues have been exhausted to stop a behavior – it is antithetical to teaching new behaviors. It should always be the final resort and should only be applied by knowledgeable trainers and dog owners who understand its implications and how to do it fairly. With proper training, such methods should very rarely happen. It should also be noted here that certain tools such as a prong collar can be used for training that doesn’t include Positive Punishment. In fact, if you think about it, any tool (including Gentle Leaders and flat collars) can be used as a mechanism of Positive Punishment. The greatness of any dog training tool has less to do with how it looks and much more to do with the spectrum in which it can be applied.
Wrapping it up, the LIMA approach and Humane Hierarchy are crucial for several reasons. They both:
– Promotes animal welfare by prioritizing humane methods.
– Enhance learning by focusing on environments that are free of stress or are appropriately stressful when the goal is to overcome a fear response.
– Strengthen bonds by encouraging trust and mutual respect between dogs and their owners.
– Build confidence with rewarding experiences for both dogs and people.
– Encourages tailored approaches for dogs and people with unique needs.
LIMA dog training, as articulated by Steven R. Lindsay and supported by the Humane Hierarchy, is a very useful and easy to remember system for all dog trainers and owners to use as the core of their approach.