HOW DOGS LEARN
Relevance:
Whenever your dog performs a behavior, there are three outcomes that he
or she experiences:
 Things get better
 Things get worse
 Nothing changes
When a dog’s behavior results in something pleasant, this is called
reinforcement. There is a benefit to doing the action. Whenever a dog’s
behavior results in something unpleasant, this is called punishment. There is
no benefit to doing this action. This mechanism of learning is not exclusive
to dogs. It is demonstrated across many animal species (humans included!),
and it is referred to in science as “operant conditioning.” Operant
conditioning is a process of adding or taking things away to influence
behavior. We discuss operant conditioning in 4 categories. When nothing
changes as the result of a behavior, it is highly probable that the behavior
will become extinct. Consciously communicating through these
consequences will give you the power to maintain all skills required of guide
work, teach new desirable behaviors, and trouble-shoot when issues arise.
Positive reinforcement:
Positive reinforcement is a term that you have likely heard quite a bit by this
point! In science, positive means to add. Reinforcement means that the
outcome makes things better. When you deliberately apply this principle to
dog training, you are adding something the dog enjoys to make a behavior
more likely to occur. Unfortunately, the principle of positive reinforcement
still applies when the reinforcement happens accidentally or unintentionally.
The following examples will help you to understand:
Deliberate human learning example: Child gets an allowance for doing
chores.
Unintentional human learning example: Child pretends to have a sore throat
and gets ice cream for dinner.
Deliberate dog learning example: Dog gets a piece of kibble when he or she
stops at the curb.
Unintentional dog learning example: Dog jumps up on counter and eats the
sandwich that was left unattended.
In all four scenarios, a reward resulted in the outcome of a particular
behavior and made that behavior more likely to occur in the future.
Negative reinforcement:
In science, negative does not mean bad. Rather it means to remove or take
something away. Remember, reinforcement means that the outcome makes
things better. So, when you deliberately apply this principle to dog training,
you are taking away something uncomfortable or unpleasant to make a
behavior more likely to occur. The principle of negative reinforcement still
applies when it happens accidentally or unintentionally. Consider the
following examples:
Deliberate human learning experience: An obnoxious beeping or dinging
occurs until you fasten your seatbelt in the car.
Unintentional human learning experience: Parent stops disciplining the child
when the child begins to cry.
Deliberate dog learning experience: Collar pressure is removed when the
dog moves in the desired direction of travel
Unintentional dog learning experience: Collar pressure is removed when the
dog resists moving in the desired direction of travel.
In all four scenarios, something uncomfortable or unpleasant was removed
in response to a particular behavior and made that behavior more likely to
occur in the future.
Positive punishment:
Positive punishment sounds like an oxymoron, but if you recall, positive
means to add in science. Punishment does not necessarily mean cruel. It
refers to any outcome that deters a behavior from occurring in the future,
and it can exist in a variety of severities. Unintentional positive punishment
can result in confusion or anxiety. Review the following examples for clarity.
Deliberate human learning experience: You are required to pay a fee when
your rent payment is late.
Unintentional human learning experience: A student is laughed at by his
classmates when he incorrectly answers the teacher’s question.
Deliberate dog learning experience: You apply a leash correction when your
dog is distracted.
Unintentional dog learning experience: You accidentally step on the dog’s
foot when the dog responded to your forward cue.
In all four scenarios, something uncomfortable or unpleasant was added in
response to a particular behavior and made that behavior less likely to occur
in the future.
Negative punishment:
Negative punishment is the act of removing something pleasant in order to
make a behavior less likely to occur. It too is applicable to deliberate and
unintentional learning. See below:
Deliberate human learning experience: A child is not allowed to go to a
friend’s birthday party after being rude to the parent.
Unintentional human learning experience: A coworker does not reciprocate a
friendly greeting when distracted by his own thoughts.
Deliberate dog learning experience: All interaction with the handler and
forward movement stops abruptly through a timeout when the dog is
distracted.
Unintentional dog learning experience: You clip the leash to the dog and
remove the dog from the play yard without reinforcement after he or she
has recalled nicely.
In all four scenarios, something pleasant is removed in response to a
particular behavior and made that behavior less likely to occur in the future.
Extinction:
When nothing changes as a result of a particular action, you may think that
the dog will be no more or no less likely to perform the behavior, but this is
not the case. Scientists have discovered that behavior that does not have
any consequence has the same effect as punishment. In other words, if
nothing changes as a result of a particular behavior, the behavior will be less
likely to occur. There is no benefit to doing the behavior. Consider the
following examples:
Deliberate human learning experience: A child cries when he doesn’t want to
go to school. Crying does not change the fact that the child has to go to
school, and over time, he stops crying before heading to the bus stop.
Unintentional human learning experience: An employee works extra hard on
a particular project. No one seems to notice, and consequently, the
employee lacks motivation to repeat that extra effort in the future.
Deliberate dog learning experience: You completely ignore a dog that is
whining on tie down. Over time, the dog learns whining does not change the
situation, and he or she stops.
Unintentional dog learning experience: You neglect to praise or reward your
dog when the dog is performing well.
It is important to note that some dogs may be receiving a self-soothing
feeling from particular behavior (e.g. whining, barking or jumping up) that
isn’t readily obvious to you. If completely ignoring the behavior does not
appear to deter it, an incompatible, alternative behavior should be taught
and reinforced or a form of punishment should be applied to interrupt the
unwanted behavior. Whenever possible, it is best to look for behaviors that
you do want versus concentrating on what you do not like.