Positive Reinforcement in Dog Training
What is positive reinforcement?
By definition: It refers to the introduction of a desirable or pleasant stimulus after the desired behavior, making it likely the behavior will reoccur.
We want to make dog training fun for our dog and for us!! What makes it fun for the dog? A positive experience and association with good things to come will make it a fun and happy experience for our dog’s. My dog loves when I get excited and talk to him, especially if I preface the sentence with “do”. We want to make exciting for them! They will want to do the things we ask of them because they get a reward for doing so. We make it fun for us by scheduling a bit of time, each day or a few short times each day, to train. I am very OCD so I like to plan and schedule everything. I prep treats. or grab my treat pouch and I have a list of things that I would like to work on, with my dog. I always start with the newest behavior that he has already mastered, this starts us off on a positive note. This is fun right??? We get to positively reinforce our own dog training skills by seeing our dog preforming the action. Then I move on to the next command that I want him to learn. Photo by Alexas Fotos (donation made)
Below is a link, for Companion Animal Phycology, which outlines the seven reasons to use rewards by training, included here with permission.
Operant conditioning in positive reinforcement dog training:
We want to train our dog’s brain and condition it to respond positively to the training experience by giving the dog a reward, for the desired behaviour. For example, the dog sits, he gets a reward, immediately after producing the desired behavior; hence he will be happy to sit because it provides him with a positive reward. This is positive reinforcement (R+) this is one of the 4 quadrants known as operant conditioning developed by B.F. Skinner in 1938. Skinner found that behaviors were increased or decreased based on rewards or consequences, immediately following the behavior. As a positive reinforcement dog trainer, we only use R+ (meaning we add something) and P- (negative punishment) meaning we take something the dog desires away. If a dog is pulling us while walking on a leash, because they want to get to something ahead of us, I stop walking, thus taking away (P-) what the dog wants, which is to get to where they are pulling me to. Skinner described Operant Conditioning as a tool for assessment of behaviors as the “ABC’s”.
A: Antecedent (what happens before)
B: Behavior (what occurs)
C: Consequences (what happens as a result)
Teaching a new command using positive reinforcement dog training:
One of the easiest ways to teach a command is by reinforcing something they already like to do. My dog likes to cross his paws, when he is lying down, I can tell when he is going to cross them (he doesn’t always do it) and I say “cross” whilst he is crossing his paws and reward him immediately. I am simply adding a name to a behavior he already does; I haven’t taught him anything new but I have added a name to an existing behavior. It normally only takes me a few repeats to teach him to preform “cross” on command.
When teaching a new command, I don’t expect my dog to perform the full command right away, I reward him even if he has only done part of it, this is called shaping. If I am trying to teach him to lie down, from a sitting position, even if he crouches down, but isn’t completely on the floor, I will reward this (shaping). I use luring to teach new commands, best described here trying to teach sit. I stand in front of him with a treat in my hand, I put my hand in front of his nose and slowly lift my hand up, he will naturally lower his back end to the floor while following the treat (luring). I immediately reward him whilst repeating the command “sit”. There are many ways to use shaping and luring in positive reinforcement dog training, which I will likely write about in another blog.
Photo by Alexas Fotos (donation made)
Reinforcing the Behavior using positive reinforcement dog training:
We have now taught the dog the desired command and we need to continue to reinforce it, so that it doesn’t go into extinction. We wouldn’t want to have wasted our time teaching this new behavior and have to dog no longer perform it. I always start every training session with a command that he already knows and I regularly reinforce all the commands that he already knows. I also mix up the order in which I ask him to perform behaviors, so that he’s not just going through the “routine” in the same order; hence ensuring that he remembers each individual command. I ask for the behavior using a (A) que “sit” he sits behavior (B) and he gets a reward (C). We don’t want to forget to intermittently reinforce all of the behaviors that we have taught our dog, because if we don’t, they may forget the command “extinction”. Extinction can also be used to train out and undesired behavior. We do the opposite, for example the dog barks repeatedly when someone comes to the door. We reward the dog for barking and slowly stop rewarding the dog, therefore the behavior becomes extinct. I will likely create another blog about extinction.
Photo by Sebastian Coman Travel
Summary of Positive Reinforcement in Dog Training:
- Positive reinforcement means to reward a desired behavior
- Use rewards- based training for dogs, it works! It’s the best way to train, it’s humane and ethical.
- Operant conditioning tells us that when we reward a behavior it is far more likely to want to repeat the command.
- Teaching new tricks, it’s easy to start with something your dog already does and give it a name and reinforce it.
- New commands, be patient and be alright with the dog doing part of the command (shaping), wherever possible lure the dog into the command using food.
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this article except where a link or a quote is provided, is based solely on my experience with my dogs, my clients dog and the many shelter dog’s that I have had the privilege of working with. As well as, my education and the many webinars I have attended, podcasts I listen to and books I have read.