Interaction Guidelines

Even though your dog may be jumping on you or pulling on your clothes, this is actually a good sign. It means your affection has already been established as a reinforcer! To build calm interactions, follow these guidelines:

When the dog approaches, pet the dog with one hand as long as all four feet are on the ground

If any feet come off the ground, the dog leaves, or any other undesired behavior occur, petting is discontinued

When all four feet return to the ground or the undesired behaviors are no longer occuring, petting is resumed

If sitting or lying down occurs, pet with two hands

Affection Loop

Now you're ready to build on when the calm interactions occur to include polite greetings at the door and hanging out on the couch watching TV.

Start by petting the dog for sitting. Then withdraw affection momentarily, and return provided sitting is still occurring. Begin with very short intervals and gradually increase the duration of the loop to 10 seconds.

Once your dog is sitting and waiting patiently for your affection, you can alter the environment to more closely resemble the context of your goal.

Gradual increases reduce the liklihood that any excited outbursts will occur along the way. But don't be alarmed if any do occur. It's usually a sign that you've taken too big of a step. If this happens, just take a step back and proceed in smaller steps.