Reinforcement Training without the Use of Food
1.0 CE Credit Hour / Veterinarians & Veterinary Technicians Track: Behavior
Overview:
Many different methods exist for training animals of all species: most rely on some variety of reinforcement or punishment. Food is generally considered to be a primary reinforcer, which means that it is something that the majority of animals find inherently rewarding, even without prior training or experience. With that said, there are several good reasons why using food in training may not always be a great idea. This presentation will cover these reasons, as well as extensive information about how to use positive reinforcement based training methods without the use of food.
Learning Objectives:
- Examine the rationale for why reinforcing behaviors with food is not always the best approach.
- Learn how to use positive reinforcement-based training methods without the use of food.
- Identify functional reward scenarios. to change behaviors.
Christopher Pachel, DVM, DACVB, CABC
Christopher Pachel, DVM, DACVB, CABC is the owner and lead clinician at the Animal Behavior Clinic in Portland, OR. He received his veterinary degree from the University of MN in 2002 and became board-certified by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists in 2010. He has operated house-call, office-based, and telemedicine-focused behavior practices. Dr. Pachel lectures worldwide, teaches courses annually at multiple veterinary schools in the US and has authored articles and book chapters on topics such as Intercat aggression, Behavioral Euthanasia, and Pet selection for animal-assisted therapy. He is a sought-after expert witness for legal animal behavior cases and serves on the Editorial Advisory Board for dvm360. Dr. Pachel is a vice president of Veterinary Behavior on the executive leadership team for the Instinct Dog Behavior and Training franchise and co-owner of Instinct Dog Behavior and Training Portland. Dr. Pachel is also a specialist consultant for Dutch Pet (a veterinary telemedicine platform), a veterinary behavior expert for The Vets (a nationwide house call-based veterinary care provider), and a veterinary behavior expert for AnyQuestion (an app-based information service launched in 2022).
This program is approved for 1.0 hour(s) of continuing education credit in jurisdictions that recognize RACE®-approval.
