Presentation Details
| Nailed It: Exploring Effective Methods of Training a Scratchboard Yasmeen A.Gomez, Megan Arant, Erica N.Feuerbacher. Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA |
Abstract
Nail trims, a routine husbandry task, can be aversive for many dogs. With repeated nail trims, dogs may escalate to snapping or biting at the sight of nail trimmers, creating safety and welfare concerns. Cooperative care offers alternatives, including scratchboards, in which the dog trims its own nails by scratching an abrasive surface. Although practitioners use a variety of training procedures to teach this behavior, no research has evaluated them. This study assessed three different positive-reinforcement training procedures for training scratchboard use: Lure, in which a treat lure is given contingent on a pawing behavior; Transfer, a treat is given contingent on pawing at a towel that is then placed and faded atop the scratchboard; and Free-shape, in which no antecedent stimuli is used and the behavior is established only with contingent delivery of a reinforcer. We pseudorandomly assigned shelter dogs to a training condition after baseline. We measured trials to criterion and frustration-related behaviors. All dogs acquired the behavior, though early results suggest Free-shape dogs may need more sessions. We will discuss the protocols and group and individual-level outcomes.
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No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.
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