Use extinction to eliminate unwanted behaviors from "summary" of Don't Shoot the Dog! by Karen Pryor
Extinction is a powerful tool in the world of behavior modification. It involves simply failing to reinforce a behavior that you want to eliminate. Why does this work? Because behaviors that are not reinforced tend to weaken and eventually disappear. It's like a plant that withers without sunlight or water. Take, for example, a dog who jumps up on people when they come through the door. If every time the dog jumps, the owner pushes him off and yells "No!", the dog is actually being reinforced by the attention. But if the owner turns away and ignores the dog completely when he jumps, the behavior will likely diminish over time. The dog will learn that jumping up does not get him the attention he craves. Extinction can be a tricky process, however. Sometimes behaviors will actually get worse before they get better. This...
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