The Blurred Line Between Training and Behaviour and What This Means for Practitioners

It sounds like a simple distinction; you are a trainer, a behaviourist or both, but there is no straightforward distinction between training and behaviour. Everything an animal does is “behaviour” so when we teach / train an animal to perform actions we would like, whether on human delivered or environmental cues, we are modifying behaviour. However, there is a continuum from teaching simple cues such as helping a friendly puppy to learn to “keep 4 on the floor” to greet people, through to helping to resolve serious behaviour concerns such as implementing behaviour modification for a dog with a severe generalised noise fear. This talk will examine how we might define the boundary between training and behavioural interventions and how, if we find ourselves at the interface where one blurs into the other, we can act to ensure the wellbeing of all.