Behaviorism

by Wendy Anastasiou

What is a behaviorist? What is a trainer? Why should you care? You should care so that you can make an informed decision if you need assistance from one, or the other, or both. A trainer is someone who is skilled in teaching animals how to perform certain skills or commands. They usually have a background working with dogs, and some form of on the job training coupled with book reading as their foundation. Some trainers may also have certifications or formal training from certain organizations to demonstrate their knowledge or experience. Behaviorists, have formal education in the field of animal behavior and behavior modification. They are skilled at helping dogs with problem behaviors and psychological disorders.

Some people might have you believe that the word behaviorist is some kind of new fangled buzz word without meaning; this is certainly not true. On the contrary, the study of animal behavior and the field of behaviorism traces back almost a century, and was the corner stone for modern training methods and animal handling techniques. John Watson, a doctoral student and professor of psychology, first started working in the behavior field in the early 1900's; by 1912 he had coined the term behaviorist¹. Ivan Pavlov, whose ideas played a large role in the behaviorist theory of psychology work in 1913², was also a behaviorist. Without him, we wouldn’t have the concept of classical conditioning³. B.F. Skinner and his ever growing movement toward becoming a behaviorist in 1936⁴, gave us the principles of operant conditioning⁵. All of these men used the study and modification of animal behaviors to learn about the human mind and to develop behaviorism.

When it comes to the world of behaviorism, also known as the foundation of modern psychology, you can find whole books that have been written in support of the theories and their application⁶, undergraduate and graduate degrees are offered from several prestigious universities in the field of animal behavior⁷, ethology, and companion animal behavior, and government grant money that is offered for the continued research in the field⁸. So, is behaviorism an indefinable buzz word??? With the undeniable facts at our fingertips, the answer is an unequivocal, no.

So what is a canine behaviorist?⁹ A behaviorist, in general, is someone who has education in animal behavior and behavior theory. They work within a behavior therapy framework to quantify and modify behaviors. The definition of behavior therapy is:

A form of psychotherapy that uses basic learning techniques to modify maladaptive behavior patterns by substituting new responses to given stimuli for undesirable ones. Also called behavioral therapy, behavior modification.

This kind of work includes the use of various classical and operant conditioning methods to change behaviors. Most animal behaviorists also have some formal education in genetics, biology, chemistry, zoology, ethology¹⁰, psychology, counseling and research (as outlined by the 4 organizations that certify behaviorists¹¹), all of which help them to make accurate assessments of behavior displays considering all aspects of the animal both mental and physical. Canine behaviorists, go one step further by having a background in, and education for, working with dogs and their owners in particular.

While anyone can call themselves trainers and behaviorists, you can still weed out who is who in your area. Both trainers and behaviorists do important jobs. Both can help you with the raising of your canine companion. If you want to learn competition sports with your dog, a trainer is what you want. If you have a dog with separation anxiety, a behaviorist is what you need. If you want someone to teach your dog commands, a trainer does just that. If you want someone to help prevent Fluffy from chasing her tail, a behaviorist is appropriate.

If you are confused when researching your options, look at the experience and education that the possible candidate has. If their background is in competition obedience, dog breeding, and conformation showing then they are probably best at training. If the person in question has formal education in the behavioral and/or biological sciences with real world applications, they are probably a better bet as a behavior modification counselor. Who you call depends on your needs and your goals. One isn't better, they are just different. It is like the difference between a person that changes your oil and a person trained to put on mufflers. Both are necessary to the optimum operation of your car, but you wouldn't hire a person who has been trained in oil changing alone to put on your muffler or vise versa. Sure the person knows something about cars... but not about the aspect you need.

The only real method of finding the right person for you, be it a trainer or behaviorist, is how you feel about the person and the credentials they present. Memberships are a nice indicator of someone who is: attempting to further their education and experience, staying in touch with other professionals in the field, and building a reliable resource pool should the person need to collaborate on difficult cases. Certifications indicate that someone has passed varying levels of testing or education. The only national certification for trainers available at the moment is the CPDT. This exam is a multiple choice paper test with no hands on portion. Passing the test means an individual has enough knowledge to answer the minimum number of questions required to pass, but it does not guarantee that they have talent or skill. Alternatively, there are several certifications for behaviorists that focus on formal education and demonstrated application of skills to obtain.

Currently, there are no laws concerning who can all themselves a behaviorist or trainer, so it is up to you to play detective. In your quest you should ask questions, observe classes, get recommendations, do on-line research, and focus on the person's ethics as a professional in the industry and with animals. Ask yourself if what the person is saying makes sense to you. Watch the person handle a dog that is not their own, is this how you want your dog handled? Do they look like they know what they are doing? Look for a person who wows you. After all, the person is the one helping you with your dog, not their facility or who recommends them. Find someone who offers the size of class you want and the type of class you need. Class size is a good sign of how much individual attention you will receive. If class is 60 min long and there are 15 people in class, there won't be time to get individual help should you need it. This is your chance to make the best decision for your pet and their needs.

You have many options to choose from, and sometimes the choice can be overwhelming. Don't be afraid of the detective work involved. Your relationship with your dog, your dog’s future success and your investment are on the line. You should have no reservations, of any kind, with your choice.

	15 Jewett Lane Fredericksburg, VA 22406 Office 540.286.2855 Fax 540.286.2655 info@hartwoodanimalhospital.com

Home About Us Our Mission Newsletters Services Wildlife Forms Map Photos Links	Behaviorism by Wendy Anastasiou What is a behaviorist? What is a trainer? Why should you care? You should care so that you can make an informed decision if you need assistance from one, or the other, or both. A trainer is someone who is skilled in teaching animals how to perform certain skills or commands. They usually have a background working with dogs, and some form of on the job training coupled with book reading as their foundation. Some trainers may also have certifications or formal training from certain organizations to demonstrate their knowledge or experience. Behaviorists, have formal education in the field of animal behavior and behavior modification. They are skilled at helping dogs with problem behaviors and psychological disorders. Some people might have you believe that the word behaviorist is some kind of new fangled buzz word without meaning; this is certainly not true. On the contrary, the study of animal behavior and the field of behaviorism traces back almost a century, and was the corner stone for modern training methods and animal handling techniques. John Watson, a doctoral student and professor of psychology, first started working in the behavior field in the early 1900's; by 1912 he had coined the term behaviorist¹. Ivan Pavlov, whose ideas played a large role in the behaviorist theory of psychology work in 1913², was also a behaviorist. Without him, we wouldn’t have the concept of classical conditioning³. B.F. Skinner and his ever growing movement toward becoming a behaviorist in 1936⁴, gave us the principles of operant conditioning⁵. All of these men used the study and modification of animal behaviors to learn about the human mind and to develop behaviorism. When it comes to the world of behaviorism, also known as the foundation of modern psychology, you can find whole books that have been written in support of the theories and their application⁶, undergraduate and graduate degrees are offered from several prestigious universities in the field of animal behavior⁷, ethology, and companion animal behavior, and government grant money that is offered for the continued research in the field⁸. So, is behaviorism an indefinable buzz word??? With the undeniable facts at our fingertips, the answer is an unequivocal, no. So what is a canine behaviorist?⁹ A behaviorist, in general, is someone who has education in animal behavior and behavior theory. They work within a behavior therapy framework to quantify and modify behaviors. The definition of behavior therapy is: A form of psychotherapy that uses basic learning techniques to modify maladaptive behavior patterns by substituting new responses to given stimuli for undesirable ones. Also called behavioral therapy, behavior modification. This kind of work includes the use of various classical and operant conditioning methods to change behaviors. Most animal behaviorists also have some formal education in genetics, biology, chemistry, zoology, ethology¹⁰, psychology, counseling and research (as outlined by the 4 organizations that certify behaviorists¹¹), all of which help them to make accurate assessments of behavior displays considering all aspects of the animal both mental and physical. Canine behaviorists, go one step further by having a background in, and education for, working with dogs and their owners in particular. While anyone can call themselves trainers and behaviorists, you can still weed out who is who in your area. Both trainers and behaviorists do important jobs. Both can help you with the raising of your canine companion. If you want to learn competition sports with your dog, a trainer is what you want. If you have a dog with separation anxiety, a behaviorist is what you need. If you want someone to teach your dog commands, a trainer does just that. If you want someone to help prevent Fluffy from chasing her tail, a behaviorist is appropriate. If you are confused when researching your options, look at the experience and education that the possible candidate has. If their background is in competition obedience, dog breeding, and conformation showing then they are probably best at training. If the person in question has formal education in the behavioral and/or biological sciences with real world applications, they are probably a better bet as a behavior modification counselor. Who you call depends on your needs and your goals. One isn't better, they are just different. It is like the difference between a person that changes your oil and a person trained to put on mufflers. Both are necessary to the optimum operation of your car, but you wouldn't hire a person who has been trained in oil changing alone to put on your muffler or vise versa. Sure the person knows something about cars... but not about the aspect you need. The only real method of finding the right person for you, be it a trainer or behaviorist, is how you feel about the person and the credentials they present. Memberships are a nice indicator of someone who is: attempting to further their education and experience, staying in touch with other professionals in the field, and building a reliable resource pool should the person need to collaborate on difficult cases. Certifications indicate that someone has passed varying levels of testing or education. The only national certification for trainers available at the moment is the CPDT. This exam is a multiple choice paper test with no hands on portion. Passing the test means an individual has enough knowledge to answer the minimum number of questions required to pass, but it does not guarantee that they have talent or skill. Alternatively, there are several certifications for behaviorists that focus on formal education and demonstrated application of skills to obtain. Currently, there are no laws concerning who can all themselves a behaviorist or trainer, so it is up to you to play detective. In your quest you should ask questions, observe classes, get recommendations, do on-line research, and focus on the person's ethics as a professional in the industry and with animals. Ask yourself if what the person is saying makes sense to you. Watch the person handle a dog that is not their own, is this how you want your dog handled? Do they look like they know what they are doing? Look for a person who wows you. After all, the person is the one helping you with your dog, not their facility or who recommends them. Find someone who offers the size of class you want and the type of class you need. Class size is a good sign of how much individual attention you will receive. If class is 60 min long and there are 15 people in class, there won't be time to get individual help should you need it. This is your chance to make the best decision for your pet and their needs. You have many options to choose from, and sometimes the choice can be overwhelming. Don't be afraid of the detective work involved. Your relationship with your dog, your dog’s future success and your investment are on the line. You should have no reservations, of any kind, with your choice. Footnote References http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/dh13wa.html http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/bhpavl.html http://maxweber.hunter.cuny.edu/pub/eres/EDSPC715_MCINTYRE/BehavioristHistory.html http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/bhskin.html http://maxweber.hunter.cuny.edu/pub/eres/EDSPC715_MCINTYRE/BehavioristHistory.html http://www.dogwise.com/SearchResults.cfm?Search=behavior%20&SubSearch=Books http://www.indiana.edu/~animal/help/careers.html#schools http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/CCAB/main.htm http://www.animalbehavior.org/ABS/Grants/ http://www.animalbehavior.org/ABSAppliedBehavior/ http://cas.bellarmine.edu/tietjen/Ethology/introduction_to_ethology.htm http://www.animalbehaviorassociates.com http://www.iaabc.org/ http://www.animalbehavior.org/ http://animalbehaviorcounselors.org/
go to top

Behaviorism

Footnote References