Behavior Adjustment Training BAT uses functional rewards to adjust a dog's reaction to stimulus. When Finna looks at one of her many many triggers and glances away we mark and reward the behavior by turning and walking away. After all, when Finna barks and lunges at a trigger what she's really trying to do is scare it away in order to increase her distance from it. When she gets to move away from the trigger by offering a more polite response--glancing away, turning away, sniffing the ground, etc.--she's being reinforced for the more polite behavior by giving her what she wanted to achieve through the inappropriate behavior. Think of it this way, if you could get what you wanted either by saying please or by having a tantrum which would you rather do. I'd much rather say please since that involves a lot less effort. Dogs are just as lazy as I am; if the same result can be achieved by less effort they'll choose the easier method.
Stewart does a very nice job of laying out the step by step set ups without becoming boringly repetitious. Her prose is clear and easy to understand and I found myself nodding along thinking, yes, that make sense and oh, so that's what's happening. It's definitely one that will remain in my all things dog library.
One of the things I found most striking in the book is how much of the BAT protocol I've always used with Ranger. Ranger has a significant advantage over Finna in that he is both much better socialized and also a very effective communicator. Ranger was raised with people and learned to make the broader gestures that people see when he wants something from them. Finna was raised by a pack of dogs and had extremely limited and inconsistent socialization with people. The part of BAT I'm having the most trouble with is learning to recognize Finna's signals. They are small and subtle particularly when she's walking in front of you and all you have is the back of her head, body, and her stub of a tail. I catch the big gestures, when she turns her head or sniffs the ground, but glances are much harder for me to observe from my position. It is obvious that teaching her a really nice heel is a high priority so that she walks naturally in a position where it is easier for me to observe her more subtle cues.
BAT is an effective training tool that is empowering to both the handler and the dog. Finna is learning that I will move her to a safe distance when she asks which takes much of the pressure of her--she doesn't have to worry all the time that she's going to be unable to escape. I am learning that she can make better choices than to lunge barking wildly at the extreme end of her leash and that make me more relaxed. It's an excellent book and we all recommend it highly.
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