What is the LIMA principle in Dog Training?

Last year I had the incredible opportunity to attend The Cynopraxis and LIMA Principle Seminar -- A Certification Course with Steven Lindsay, hosted by the IACP (International Association of Canine Professionals) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and received my CYNX-L certification.

Steven Lindsay is the creator of the LIMA principle in dog training, a term that has been consistently misrepresented and redefined by others in direct opposition to the author’s recommendations and the best interest of dogs. The term has become a buzzword amongst the "force free" crowd and those that support bans on dog training tools. The term has even appeared in proposed legislation. It's hard to argue that it's not important to have the term and it's principles defined and described by the author himself.

The worst part of the ~most common~ misrepresentation or “perversion” (S. Lindsay) of LIMA is that you need to work your way up through aversives. Unreasonable. And that when you have no success with this flawed methodology, you need to be granted permission to move to aversives. Also…unreasonable.

Straight from class, also found in the book(s):

“• LIMA does not recommend starting with a minimum and least effective aversive from which to discover through gradual increments an effective minimal aversive.

• LIMA recommends choosing an aversive incentive most likely to succeed from the beginning, taking into account the problem at hand, the dog's temperament, and the owner's ability and willingness to safely and effectively incorporate the recommendation.

• The idea of increasing the aversive event gradually is highly problematical and undesirable, since doing so habituates the dog to the aversive incentive at each step, ultimately requiring a much stronger aversive event to initiate avoidance learning than would have been necessary if an appropriately intense and effective level had been selected from the start.

• In addition, increasing an aversive incentive through gradual increments poses a significant potential for harm via protean vicious-circle effects, worsening the target behavior, and rendering it more resistant to modification.”

LIMA is about competency and preserving the human-dog bond/relationship through educated and compassionate dog training, which necessitates the use of aversives for the safety and freedom of the dog and the increased enjoyment of the owners.

“• The affects of relief and relaxation consequent to successful escape or avoidance yield pleasurable opponent emotions that effectively offset and counter-condition previously elicited aversive emotions with a feelings of safety and increased confidence as avoidance training proceeds.

• As such, avoidance training is regarded as a reward-based and pleasure-educing procedure having much utility in dog training.”

These notes are shared with permission by Steven Lindsay, those certified in CYNX-L have been encouraged to share this information for educational purposes.

Lindsay, Steven R., (2000), Handbook of Applied Dog Behavior and Training, Volume One, Adaptation and Learning

Lindsay, Steven R., (2001), Handbook of Applied Dog Behavior and Training, Volume Two, Etiology and Assessment of Behavior Problems

Lindsay, Steven R., (2005), Handbook of Applied Dog Behavior and Training, Volume Three, Procedures and Protocols