What Is the Difference Between Habituation & Desensitization in Dogs?

Dogs pay close attention to stimuli in their environment and are always learning something new about the world surrounding them. At times, certain stimuli may elicit strong emotional responses such as fear or excitement. To deal with these overstimulated responses, dogs must learn effective coping and acclimatization strategies. Desensitization and habituation are two easy behavior-modification principles that can be employed as preventive measures.

Different Definitions
- Habituation is a form of "single event learning".
  
  Habituation is a simple form of learning that involves the cessation or reduced response to a stimulus after repeated or prolonged exposure to that stimulus, according to the Merck Veterinary Manual. Desensitization, on the other hand, is a structured plan based on the process of making a dog less sensitive to a stimulus by reducing his exaggerated, emotion-based reaction, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Different Methods
- Stimuli perceived as frightening may lead to sensitization.
  
  While at a first glance the primary objectives of habituation and desensitization appear to be decreasing a dog's response to stimuli, the methods used for each process differ significantly. Habituation is a natural process where the dog learns through repeated exposure to "filter out" meaningless stimuli, making them irrelevant. Desensitization, on the other hand, is a training program in which the owner, trainer or behavior specialist systematically exposes a dog to a stimulus known for producing an exaggerated response.
Different Circumstances
- Gradual exposure to fearful stimuli may lead to desensitization.
  
  Habituation exposes dogs to nonthreatening stimuli so they can get accustomed to and ultimately ignore them, explains David Appleby, a pet behavior counselor and lecturer on applied animal behavior at the Helsinki University. Instead, desensitization exposes dogs to stimuli perceived as threatening but presented to prevent triggering the fearful response, further explains the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Habituation is often used as a preventative measure, whereas desensitization is mostly used to treat pre-existing behavioral problems.
Different Examples
- A common example of habituation is a new puppy being startled by the noise of the dishwasher. After repeated exposure, the puppy learns to no longer react to it. In a desensitization program, a dog with a history of reacting fearfully to the noise of thunder would be gradually exposed to a tape recording of a thunderstorm. Playing the recording very softly at first, and then gradually increasing its volume at small increments would help the dog ultimately become desensitized to thunder.
Different Benefits
- Once desensitized, dogs may overcome their fears.
  
  When puppies are young, habituation helps them recognize and accept a variety of stimuli as non-threatening. In addition, exposure to a variety of stimuli helps dogs further accept new stimuli that are similar to the ones they're familiar with, explains Linda P. Case, author of the book "The Dog: Its Behavior, Nutrition and Health" and owner of AutumnGold Dog Training Center in Central Illinois. Desensitization can help dogs overcome their fears, allowing them, with time, to become comfortable with the normal version of the once-feared stimulus.
Different Results
- Habituation may cause the dog's sensory system to stop sending signals to the brain, allowing the dog to ignore the stimulus. However, in short-term habituation, if the stimuli are reintroduced after a few days, the dog may startle again, a process known as "spontaneous recovery." Used alone, or better, combined with counter-conditioning, desensitization may produce a neutral or positive emotional response to the once feared stimulus. However, maintenance sessions may be required to prevent the fearful responses from ultimately relapsing.