Counterconditioning is one of the most important tools we have for working with

fear, reactivity, and aggression.

In theory, it seems like it should be fairly straightforward: pair the trigger with good outcomes, keep the animal feeling safe, and repeat over time. But real cases are rarely that simple.

Sometimes the plan stalls. Sometimes progress is inconsistent. Sometimes the animal appears to improve in one context, but not another. And sometimes, despite thoughtful training, the old fear-based response keeps coming back.

This free lecture explores why that can happen — and how a better understanding of stress, learning, and emotional flexibility can help us strengthen our approach.

What You’ll Learn

In this lecture from Dr. Kristina Spaulding, we’ll look at:

- Why counterconditioning does not always work smoothly

- Why counterconditioning is more fragile than it appears

- How stress and arousal can interfere with the process of reducing fear

- Where behavior plans can fall apart in real-world cases

- How to strengthen your counterconditioning plans

This lecture is designed for dog trainers, behavior consultants, and other animal professionals who want to apply science more thoughtfully in complex behavior cases.

Sign up below to receive free access to:

The Fragility of Counterconditioning: What the Science Suggests, Where Things Can Fall Apart, and How to Strengthen Your Approach

You’ll also receive occasional emails from Science Matters with resources, course updates, and reflections on applying the science of learning, stress, resilience, and behavior change to real-world animal behavior work.