CDT Behavior Modification Protocols 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A dog lunges at strangers on leash but is calm when off-leash in a yard. Which protocol best addresses this context-specific reactivity?
- Flooding the dog with on-leash stranger encounters
- Systematic desensitization combined with counter-conditioning on leash (Correct answer)
- Punishing lunging with a leash correction each time
- Avoiding all on-leash walks until the dog matures
Correct answer: Systematic desensitization combined with counter-conditioning on leash
Systematic desensitization paired with counter-conditioning changes the dog's emotional response to strangers specifically in the triggering on-leash context.
Question 2: What is 'trigger stacking' and why is it clinically significant in behavior modification?
- Layering multiple reinforcers to speed up learning
- Accumulation of stressors that lowers a dog's threshold for reactive behavior (Correct answer)
- A technique for stacking cues to chain behaviors
- Using multiple trainers simultaneously to reinforce the same behavior
Correct answer: Accumulation of stressors that lowers a dog's threshold for reactive behavior
Trigger stacking occurs when multiple stressors accumulate, lowering the dog's threshold so that a minor trigger causes a disproportionately large reaction.
Question 3: During a desensitization session, the dog begins yawning, lip-licking, and turning away. The trainer should:
- Increase the intensity of the stimulus to push through the stress
- Immediately end the session and reward calm behavior
- Reduce the stimulus intensity and allow the dog to decompress (Correct answer)
- Ignore the signals and continue at the current level
Correct answer: Reduce the stimulus intensity and allow the dog to decompress
Yawning, lip-licking, and gaze aversion are calming signals indicating stress; the trainer must reduce stimulus intensity to stay below the dog's threshold.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes 'operant counterconditioning'?
- Teaching a dog to perform an incompatible behavior in the presence of a feared stimulus (Correct answer)
- Associating a feared stimulus with food without requiring any response from the dog
- Removing a feared stimulus when the dog is calm
- Using punishment to suppress the fearful behavior
Correct answer: Teaching a dog to perform an incompatible behavior in the presence of a feared stimulus
Operant counterconditioning trains the dog to perform a specific, incompatible behavior (e.g., sit) when the trigger appears, replacing the fear response with a trained response.
Question 5: A dog has been conditioned to associate the crate with punishment. Which approach is most appropriate to reverse this association?
- Force the dog into the crate for short periods until it habituates
- Begin classical counterconditioning by delivering high-value treats near and inside the crate (Correct answer)
- Remove the crate from the home permanently
- Use a leash to guide the dog into the crate and reward only upon entry
Correct answer: Begin classical counterconditioning by delivering high-value treats near and inside the crate
Classical counterconditioning replaces the negative emotional association with the crate by pairing the crate's presence with high-value rewards.
Question 6: What is the primary goal of a 'behavior interruption' in modification protocols?
- To punish the unwanted behavior at the moment it occurs
- To redirect the dog's attention before or as the behavior begins, allowing reinforcement of an alternative (Correct answer)
- To desensitize the dog to the trigger by repeatedly presenting it
- To remove the dog from the situation as a form of negative punishment
Correct answer: To redirect the dog's attention before or as the behavior begins, allowing reinforcement of an alternative
Behavior interruption redirects the dog's attention away from the trigger at the earliest signs, creating opportunity to reinforce an incompatible or alternative behavior.
Question 7: A certified dog trainer is working with a dog showing resource guarding. Which protocol component should be introduced FIRST?
- Trading exercises where the dog learns to drop items for higher-value rewards (Correct answer)
- Punishing guarding behavior with a leash correction
- Approaching the dog while it eats to desensitize it immediately
- Teaching the dog to 'leave it' using physical guidance
Correct answer: Trading exercises where the dog learns to drop items for higher-value rewards
Trading exercises build a positive association with the trainer approaching resources, establishing trust before more advanced approaches are introduced.
CDT Behavior Modification Protocols 2
A dog lunges at strangers on leash but is calm when off-leash in a yard.
Which protocol best addresses this context-specific reactivity?