Understanding Susan Friedman’s Humane Hierarchy: A Compassionate Approach to Dog Training
When it comes to training your dog, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the methods, tools, and advice out there.
If you're looking for a simple, compassionate approach that prioritizes your dog’s well-being, Susan Friedman’s Humane Hierarchy is a great place to start.
Whether you're teaching basic manners or working on more challenging behaviors like resource guarding and reactivity, The Humane Hierarchy gives you a framework to follow, guiding you through positive and effective ways to teach your dog.
It ensures that you use the least intrusive, minimally aversive methods before considering anything that could be aversive or uncomfortable for your dog.
What is the Humane Hierarchy?
The Humane Hierarchy is a tiered approach that helps dog trainers and dog guardians work through training and behavior issues in a kind and structured way.
Remember, solving behavior issues with your dog is not about jumping to punishment or forcing your dog to obey. Instead, it starts with the basics, considering your dog's physical, emotional, and environmental needs first.
As you work up the hierarchy, you gradually introduce more focused training techniques, only moving forward if necessary and when your dog is ready.
Here’s a breakdown of the levels:
Level 1: Health, Nutrition, and Physical Well-Being
Ensuring your dog’s well-being is the foundation of effective training.
If your dog isn’t feeling well, is in pain, has untreated anxiety, or is not getting the right nutrition, they may “act out” or have reactions simply because they’re uncomfortable.
At the same time, if your dog’s natural needs are not being met then they will seek out their own opportunities to meet those needs in ways that you might not love such as chewing shoes, ripping up furniture, barking excessively, pulling on leash, etc.
Before jumping to training solutions, always check in with your vet to make sure your dog is healthy and has everything they need physically.
Level 2: Antecedents: Managing the Environment
Next, look at the environment and how it affects your dog’s behavior.
Sometimes, unwanted behaviors are triggered by specific things in the environment. For example, if your dog barks at the window, try blocking their view of the street with window film to reduce their exposure to triggers. If your dog pulls on the leash, changing to a harness that’s more comfortable with a 10+ ft long line can make a big difference.
By managing your dog’s surroundings, you can often prevent unwanted behaviors without even needing to dive into intensive training.
Level 3: Positive Reinforcement
This is the sweet spot of dog training.
At the core of humane dog training is positive reinforcement, where you reward your dog. It’s all about focusing on the behaviors you like and encouraging them with things they find rewarding such as food, treats, toys, and playtime. When your dog keeps all 4 paws on the floor instead of jumping up on guests, reward them!
Positive reinforcement builds trust, strengthens your bond, and makes learning fun for your dog.
Level 4: Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behaviors
If your dog has a behavior you don’t like—such as barking or jumping—you can teach them an alternative behavior that you do want.
For instance, instead of barking when the doorbell rings, teach your dog to go to a snuffle mat station and get treats. The idea here is to replace the unwanted behavior with something more desirable, and again, reinforce the wanted behavior with things your dog loves.
This method helps your dog understand what you would like for them to do and rewards them for making those choices.
Level 5: Extinction, Negative Reinforcement, and Negative Punishment (Use with Caution)
Extinction refers to the process of gradually reducing a behavior by no longer reinforcing it aka ignoring the behavior. For example, if your dog barks for attention and you stop responding, the barking may decrease over time. However, this method requires a lot of consistency, and behaviors often get worse before they get better, known as an extinction burst due to frustration.
Negative reinforcement involves removing something your dog dislikes to increase a desired behavior. For example, if your dog is uncomfortable walking on a tight leash and stops pulling when you stop moving, they’re rewarded by the removal of that tension when they walk calmly. However, this method should be used sparingly, as it can easily lead to confusion or stress. The goal is to increase the desired behavior by relieving an unpleasant situation which often involves creating discomfort for your dog.
Negative punishment involves removing something your dog values (like attention, treats, or toys) when they exhibit an unwanted behavior. For example, if your dog jumps up to greet someone and they turn away, you’re removing the attention they’re seeking. This can teach your dog that jumping isn’t effective and can also lead to increased frustation making the behavior worse. It’s important to only use this when absolutely necessary and pair this approach with plenty of positive reinforcement when your dog makes the desired choice.
Level 6: Positive Punishment and Aversive Techniques: A Last Resort
This is the highest and last level of the hierarchy—and it’s something you should try to avoid as much as possible.
Positive punishment means adding something unpleasant to reduce a behavior, like yelling, leash corrections, using a shock collar or e-collar, or shaking a penny can. These methods should only be used as a last resort after thoroughly working through the other levels, as it risks causing fear, stress, and damaging your relationship with your dog.
Positive punishment comes with a high risk of fallout and can often make the problem worse rather than solving it because you are not addressing the underlying cause of the behavior.
Why Following the Humane Hierarchy Matters
The Humane Hierarchy helps you think about your dog’s overall well-being before you even start training.
It ensures that you're not jumping to harsh methods and gives you a roadmap for working through challenges in a way that’s fair and respectful to your dog. By following the hierarchy, you can avoid using punishment-based techniques that might cause harm or stress.
Using this framework creates a positive experience for both you and your dog, strengthening your bond and building trust. It’s important to remember that dog training isn’t a one-time thing—it’s something you’ll revisit throughout your dog’s life.
How to Come Back to the Humane Hierarchy Throughout Your Dog’s Life
Throughout your dog’s life, as they age or encounter new challenges, you’ll likely need to revisit these levels and adjust your approach.
Behaviors can change as your dog ages, as they experience new environments, or even due to health issues. Each time something new comes up, come back to the Humane Hierarchy.
Always start by checking their health: Is your dog feeling okay? Could there be an underlying medical issue causing the behavior?
Look at their environment: Is there something in your dog’s surroundings that’s contributing to the problem? Are there triggers you can manage or reduce?
Use positive reinforcement: Focus on rewarding the behaviors you want to see and reinforce them consistently to strengthen them.
Teach alternative behaviors: If there’s something you want your dog to stop doing, teach them what they should do instead AND reward them every time they choose that behavior.
By following these steps, you’ll always be using the most humane and effective approach possible.
Avoiding Punishment-Based Methods
While punishment might seem like a quick solution, it often comes with negative consequences. It can create fear, damage the bond you have with your dog, and may even lead to more behavioral problems.
Yes, it is included in The Humane Hierarchy and this is only there to be used as an absolute last resort if ALL other options have been exhausted.
These options should include a thorough workup with your dog’s veterinarian, consulting with a credential dog behavior consultant, consulting with a veterinary behaviorist, medication trials if underlying pain is suspected, treating medical conditions thoroughly, meeting your dog’s natural needs, and going through the first four levels of The Humane Hierarchy.
The next time your dog’s behavior challenges you, take a breath and then reflect on The Humane Hierarchy. Start with the basics, work your way up, and know that you're giving your dog the best chance to learn and thrive without fear or stress.
Ready to Dive Deeper?
If you're a neurodivergent dog guardian and you have a reactive, fearful, anxious, or big feelings dog, we invite you to join our Embracing Big Feelings Course.
This course is designed specifically to help you understand and work with your dog in a compassionate, effective way using force-free and fear free training methods that align with Susan Friedman's Humane Hierarchy.
Registration opens October 1st, and this course will guide you through the process of supporting your dog’s emotional needs while keeping your own in mind.
Together, we’ll help you build a strong, trusting bond with your dog, so you can navigate life’s challenges with confidence.
- Em Fitzpatrick, VSA-CDT & FFCP and Logan Buie, KPA-CTP & SA Pro
