Suppose you want to train a puppy to stop chewing your shoes.Which of the following will result in the greatest response suppression?
A)making a loud noise and taking the shoe away from the puppy at the same time
B)rubbing the puppy's nose in the shoe leather smell
C)startling the puppy with a loud noise, removing the shoe, and giving the puppy a toy to chew on
D)taking away the shoe and giving the puppy a toy to chew on

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Option A may startle the puppy and stop it from chewing the shoe temporarily, but it does not provide an alternative behavior for the puppy to engage in. Rubbing the puppy's nose in the shoe leather smell (Option B) is not an effective training method as it can be painful and does not teach the puppy what behavior is appropriate. Option D is a better choice than Option A or B because it provides an alternative object for the puppy to chew on, but it still does not address the problem behavior directly.
Option C is the best choice as it startles the puppy with a loud noise, removes the shoe (removing the source of reinforcement), and provides the puppy with an appropriate object to chew on (giving an alternative behavior). This method is known as a three-step interruption and has been shown to be effective in reducing unwanted behavior in puppies.

Suppose You Want to Train a Puppy to Stop Chewing