The Science Behind Positive Association

Hello Dog Enthusiasts!!

I have attached a link to an excellent blog post on the science behind using food as a positive association in our training for fear and reactivity.

I love this post because it explains the science behind positive association and desensitizing in a way that is easy to understand.

Positive association creates new pathways in the brain to exact lasting behavior changes.

Other training methods use control or aversive methods as a temporary cover that creates more fear or causes the behavior to pop up in other ways.

I am not against using aversive methods……just not in a fearful or reactive dog and definitely not in a soft dog that is just starting their training and learning about the world around them.

Enjoy!!

Fear, Fireworks & Neuroplasticity: What you should never do when your dog is afraid