Psychology Commons^™

Owner-Implemented Functional Analyses And Reinforcement-Based Treatments For Mouthing In Dogs, Mindy Waite, Tiffany Kodak

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

The most effective behavioral interventions are function based, which requires the identification of the behavioral function. A functional analysis is conducted to isolate and identify the environmental variables maintaining target behavior, and this method is effective across species. In domesticated dogs, mouthing is a common behavior and is considered problematic by many people. However, mouthing is not always simple to treat with standard interventions without identifying the function of the dog’s mouthing. Without efficacious interventions, undesirable behavior in companion animals may result in reduced welfare, an increased likelihood of relinquishment, or an increased probability of euthanasia. The purpose of this …