Balancing Stones and Behaviour Modification.
Balancing Stones is not an easy task.
It is not an easy task because you are trying to manipulate the environment in a way which changes the most probable outcome.
Gravity exists, I think we can all agree on that.
With that in mind, the most natural outcome when you place a stone on top of the other, is that one or both will fall.
And that will probably happen over and over again, because that is the most natural course.
Although, it is completely possible to successfully build towers of stones, with different shapes, sizes and weights even though it is somehow impossible for many to believe.
Balancing stones is not an easy task, but it is possible if you find the right place to place the first stone.
It is possible if you find the second stone with the right shape, size and weight and then place it on top of the first stone, in the right point where it will be stable so you can place a third stone later on, and so on.
Each stone needs to be the ideal stone, and each ideal stone needs to be placed in the ideal point where it will not only support itself but also support another stone on top of it.
This “is” behaviour modification.
Behaviour modification is not an easy task.
It it is not an easy task because we need to control the environment to avoid the most natural outcome, and open a new route for a different one.
It is not an easy task because we will need to find the right place to create or allow new and more desired behaviours to happen, even though they are not the most probable outcome, at least in the first stages.
Although, just like balancing stones, it can be done successfully if we are able to find the right environment to do it, and apply each step correctly so that it allow us to move to the next one, and the next one, and the next one… until our final goal.
Needless to say, when balancing stones or during behaviour modification protocols, the focus is not on the final goal, but on each step of the way.
Focusing only on the goal will cause Instability, and that will sooner or later ruin everything, be that a tower of stones or a behaviour modification protocol.
So, no matter what is the goal, make sure to find the best environment you can, search for that ideal “stone”, and focus on each step along the way… that is how “impossible things” become Possible.
Thank you,
Dog Behaviourist Ricardo Ministro
connectedbehaviourcom.wordpress.com 