June 2018 - eileenanddogs

A Quadrant by Any Other Name is Still a Cornerstone of Operant Learning

Posted on June 28, 2018February 6, 2023 by Eileen Anderson

This 2003 edition book is $4.89 on Amazon. Contents: priceless.

There is a science that deals directly with how organisms learn and how to use that information to change the environment in order to change behavior. It’s called applied behavior analysis (ABA). It is the applied version of behavior analysis, which was referred to as the experimental analysis of behavior earlier in the 20th century. It is descended from the work of the behaviorists such as Skinner and is now classified as natural science.

It is a rich field of study. Universities offer graduate degrees. At the same time, it is approachable. Many of the entry-level ABA college textbooks currently in use are readable to someone with a strong high school education and certainly to someone with a college education. They are generally self-contained, in that they don’t require a lot of previous exposure to terminology to be able to work through. The books contain fascinating information about what makes us tick, why we do what we do, and how we might go about changing behavior if we needed to. They also teach skills in ethics and kindness.

Because experts in learning write them, the texts are generally well organized, interesting, and approachable. A sidebar in Paul Chance’s Learning and Behavior starts off, “What would you do if, while camping miles from the nearest hospital, you were bitten by a poisonous snake?” It goes on to discuss superstitious behavior. Other sidebars are titled “Punks and Skinheads,” “Variable Ratio Harassment,” and “Learning from Lepers.” I’ll leave you to go find out the subject matter. This topic is a goldmine for the curious. It is relevant to everyday life and can teach knowledge and skills that are very practical. If you buy older editions of textbooks, as I usually do, the prices are quite reasonable. (For instance, here’s a link to Paul Chance’s Learning and Behavior, with the oldest editions first. You can scroll forward to newer editions as your pocketbook allows. The most recent edition is 2013.)

Like any field of study, ABA has its own terminology. When we first encounter it, two things typically happen. First, we think we know it already. Who doesn’t know what punishment is, right? Motivating operation—doesn’t sound too hard to figure out! Then we go a little deeper, and even though the words are familiar, the concepts may not be. Some are extremely unfamiliar. That can cause dismay. One of the problems in the dog training world is that a lot of people get stuck at that point.

Herrnstein’s Matching Law and Dog Training

Posted on June 14, 2018March 12, 2021 by

Chocolate cookies on a cookie sheet. The baker may do other activities while the cookies are baking as long as she shows up at the right time. Her behavior follows the matching law. — **When we bake cookies, some reinforcement is on a variable interval schedule.**

What Is the Matching Law?

Have you heard trainers talking about the matching law? This post covers a bit of its history and the nuts and bolts of what it is about. I am providing this rather technical article because I want something to link to in some other written pieces about how the matching law has affected my own training of my dogs.

A Dog With Spinal Cord Concussion: Zani’s Recovery on Video

Posted on June 5, 2018June 5, 2018 by Eileen Anderson

Zani, a little black and tan dog, one day after her spinal cord concussion — **Zani could use her front legs to balance a little while lying down on Day 1**

This is a follow-up to Dog with Spinal Cord Concussion: Zani’s Story Part 1

In February I told the story of my dog Zani’s accident and traumatic spinal cord injury. Today, almost four months out from the accident, I’m publishing a video diary of the first days of her recovery.

There are several types of spinal cord injuries in dogs. Many of them are debilitating. My previous article describes how my small dog Zani got a traumatic spinal cord injury on February 8, 2018, after running full speed into a fence. I didn’t know what we were dealing with, but I knew what to do. I called a friend, moved Zani carefully to the car, and we went straight to the vet.

Zani was semi-awake but as limp as a rag doll. But it turned out that considering the severity of the blow, her injury was probably the luckiest one she could have had.

After taking her to the vet immediately after the accident and getting her X-rays and a CT scan, Zani got the diagnosis of a spinal cord concussion. I then took her home again. I was shocked that they sent her home with me since she had no use of her legs. She couldn’t walk, crawl, or even use them to steady herself while lying down. But the vet was confident Zani would regain the use of her legs over time, possibly even making a full recovery. The X-rays and CT scan showed no fractures, nothing dislocated, no obvious bruising of the spinal cord. She told me that when the cord is bruised, damage can be permanent.

Zani’s ability to use her legs did come back, beginning the next day and increasing gradually.

The embedded video shows Zani’s daily progress at walking, starting the day after the accident. I created the video so people whose dogs get this rare injury can see the progress of a dog who recovered.

Small black dog standing in yard, recovering from spinal cord consussion — **Zani looking pretty steady on Day 9**

Starting the first day, I had to take Zani out to the yard so she could try to pee and poop. She is one of those dogs who won’t eliminate if she is not comfortable in a situation, including that she will “hold it” for 36 hours or more. No indoor solutions would work and she would hate a diaper. So I knew I needed to try to get her outside even though she could only flail and struggle.

The first few days as captured in the video are hard to watch. I had to let her stumble around because she wouldn’t even try to pee if I was close or trying to support her. She did work out how to pee on her own the very first day, and I was able to swoop in and help her stay steady when she got in position to poop. (I got lots of practice with that move with dear little Cricket.)

Link to the video for email subscribers.

Every dog’s situation will be different, as will be their abilities to heal and return to normal activities. I don’t know if Zani’s response was average, above, or below, but I do know that I feel very fortunate about her recovery. At almost four months out, she can run at about 75% of her former speed. She tends to list to one side or the other when she is moving fast, but she also corrects herself. She gets on and off things successfully; she has learned to be careful about it. She can go up and down flights of steps. The main clue that something is still wrong is the listing when moving fast and that she often nods her head or holds it a bit sideways when trotting. She also does some odd thrashing in her sleep that is new.

I will be consulting with a rehab vet soon about what exercises Zani can do and what might be contraindicated. I want to know how I can best help her. I also want to discuss the likelihood of problems as she ages resulting from her gait abnormalities.

At this point, I don’t think she will regain 100% of her pre-accident abilities, but as long as she is not in pain and can do things that make her happy I am good with that!