Reinforcement in dog training

In this post, we’ll be discussing reinforcement in dog training. To understand how reinforcement in dog training works to change our dogs behaviour, we first need to understand operant conditioning. This term was first coined by the behaviourist B.F. Skinner in 1937. It refers to behaviour that is controlled by its consequences. Those consequences are reinforcement for the behaviour. In operant conditioning, learners choose a certain option available to them, which results in a consequence. This consequence is typically a reinforcer of food (a treat reward) or avoidance of pain.

What is reinforcement in dog training?

Reinforcement refers to a stimulus being added or removed that increases a given behaviour. Positive reinforcement is when something rewarding is added – this is typically food, toys, praise or affection. Negative reinforcement is when something unpleasant is removed. This is typically the removal of an unpleasant stimulus, such as the release of pressure, and is common in horse training (McLean, 2015). Animals may be positively or negatively reinforced by the environment for behaviours which are relevant to their own survival, such as mating or withdrawing from dangerous situations respectively (Glickman & Schiff, 1967). 

Punishment

Punishment refers to a stimulus being added or removed that decreases a given behaviour. Positive punishment is when something aversive or unpleasant is added, often electric shock in animal experiments. Negative punishment is when a rewarding stimulus is removed to punish a behaviour (McGreevy & Boakes, 2011). Punishment can lead to dogs shutting down out of fear. Church (1963) found that learners were less likely to respond at all when exposed to punishment based training. They were less responsive to reinforcement based training after punishment based training and more likely to attempt to escape conditions that looked like those where punishment based training had occurred. 

Why we use positive reinforcement in dog training

Punishment based training can lead to short and long term stress for dogs in particular. Dogs exposed to verbal or physical punishment were found to show more anxious and fearful behaviours (Hiby, Rooney & Bradshaw, 2004), more likely to be fearful of their owner (Deldalle & Gaunet, (2014) and more likely to show signs of stress or pain, including aggression (Schilder & van der Borg, 2003). Conversely, positive reinforcement based training is much less likely to lead to short and long term stress for dogs and is equally if not more effective than punishment based methods (Ziv, 2017). Put simply, positive reinforcement based training is far less likely to cause damage to the dog and has far fewer potential ‘side effects’.

Punishment remains popular, despite the evidence

There is an abundance of scientific evidence available that clearly points to the potentially dangerous flaws of punishment based dog training and the benefits of positive reinforcement based training to the dogs physical and mental wellbeing (China et al, 2020). However, there are still many trainers and guardians that use punishment to train their dogs. This may be reflective of their attitude towards the role of the dog in the family (Greenebaum, 2015) or the amount of misinformation still available on the topic. Doherty Dog Services is committed to furthering the understanding and use of positive reinforcement based methods.

What next?

• Looking for help with your dog? Contact us to arrange in person or online training.
• Read more blog posts here.
• Perfect Recall: Teaching your dog to come back when called every time. Our guide is free to download when you join our email list- sign up here.  

References

Skinner BF. Two types of conditioned reflex: a reply to Konorski and Miller. J. Gen. Psychol. 1937;16:272–79 

Akpan, B. (2020). Classical and Operant Conditioning—Ivan Pavlov; Burrhus Skinner. Science Education in Theory and Practice: An Introductory Guide to Learning Theory, 71-84.

McLean, A. N. (2005). The positive aspects of correct negative reinforcement. Anthrozoös, 18(3), 245-254.

Glickman, S. E., & Schiff, B. B. (1967). A biological theory of reinforcement. Psychological review, 74(2), 81.

McGreevy, P., & Boakes, R. (2011). Carrots and sticks: principles of animal training. Darlington Press.

Church, R. M. (1963). The varied effects of punishment on behavior. Psychological Review, 70(5), 369.

Hiby, E. F., Rooney, N. J., & Bradshaw, J. W. S. (2004). Dog training methods: their use, effectiveness and interaction with behaviour and welfare. Animal welfare, 13(1), 63-69.

Deldalle, S., & Gaunet, F. (2014). Effects of 2 training methods on stress-related behaviors of the dog (Canis familiaris) and on the dog–owner relationship. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 9(2), 58-65.

Schilder, M. B., & van der Borg, J. A. (2004). Training dogs with help of the shock collar: short and long term behavioural effects. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 85(3-4), 319-334.

Ziv, G. (2017). The effects of using aversive training methods in dogs—A review. Journal of veterinary behavior, 19, 50-60.

China, L., Mills, D. S., & Cooper, J. J. (2020). Efficacy of dog training with and without remote electronic collars vs. a focus on positive reinforcement. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 508.

Greenebaum, J. B. (2010). Training dogs and training humans: Symbolic interaction and dog training. Anthrozoös, 23(2), 129-141.