Aris decided to use a "least intrusive, minimally aversive" (LIMA) approach. He didn’t use commands. Instead, he used . He placed a pheromone diffuser in the room to mimic the soothing scents of a nursing mother and began "counter-conditioning."
The intersection of behavior and medicine is most critical in cases of chronic pain. A dog who is suddenly "aggressive" when touched near the hips may not have a behavioral disorder. He may have undiagnosed hip dysplasia. Conversely, a dog with chronic osteoarthritis who never growls isn’t necessarily "well-behaved"—he may have learned that growling leads to punishment, so he has shifted to "shut down" behavior, a state of learned helplessness. The skilled veterinarian now knows to ask the owner: Is he slower to get up? Does he avoid the stairs? These are behavioral clues pointing to a physiological problem. Aris decided to use a "least intrusive, minimally