Positive reinforcement training is a method of training dogs that emphasizes the rewarding of good behavior rather than the punishment of bad behavior.
Positive reinforcement training, also known as R+ or force-free training, has gained popularity due to its avoidance of aversive methods that are prevalent in other training approaches.
What Is Positive Reinforcement?
Positive reinforcement training is an uncomplicated method for instructing your dog on appropriate actions in different circumstances. How does it function? You instruct your dog on desirable behaviors by providing a positive stimulus after they perform said behaviors (such as offering a treat to a treat-motivated dog or offering petting and praise). Through this approach, you strengthen the behavior you wish to observe more frequently (such as sitting) and increase the likelihood of your dog behaving accordingly in the future.
Common Rewards for R+ Dog Training
Most dogs are strongly driven by food or valuable training treats, but we can provide different forms of rewards for dogs’ desired behaviors instead of solely relying on treats.
Additional rewards that can be provided to our dogs consist of:
- Praise
- Toys
- Games (like a game of fetch)
- Anything an individual dog finds rewarding
When considering what motivates dogs, food is undoubtedly the prevailing factor, especially when it comes to pungent meat treats. However, alternative rewards can also be successful. It is important to recognize your dog’s individuality and determine what rewards are most appealing to them.
Can You Just Use Praise to Train Your Dog?
Many dog owners have a goal of having their dogs exhibit desired behaviors solely for praise. After all, shouldn’t your dog always have the desire to please you? This belief arises from the unhealthy mythologizing of dogs.
Dogs are creatures who do whatever is effective for them.
Although they might have a great affection for you, dogs will primarily engage in behaviors that serve their own interests. Food tends to be the most influential incentive for the majority of dogs.
It is crucial to consider the perspective of a dog. As owners, we often perceive a pat on the head or a hug as a delightful way to show our affection.
However, the truth is that the majority of dogs do not find joy in receiving pats on the head – they would much rather prefer a scratch on the chin or butt. Additionally, most dogs strongly dislike being hugged, only enduring it for our benefit.
Instead of contemplating what you believe would make a suitable reward for your dog, take into account what will truly motivate your furry friend in practice.
What Is the Difference Between Positive and Negative Reinforcement?
When discussing positive reinforcement, it is important to note that negative reinforcement does not hold the expected meaning. In the context of learning, positive and negative are not opposing concepts. It is crucial to understand that we are not addressing emotions or personal judgments of good or bad. In the realm of learning theory, positive signifies adding something, while negative denotes removing something. Whether positive or negative, reinforcement involves strengthening a behavior to encourage its repetition.
When practicing positive reinforcement dog training, you incorporate something that your dog truly enjoys, such as a piece of chicken, as a reward for performing a desired behavior (such as sitting upon command). If this behavior is repeated or becomes more frequent as a result, it indicates that positive reinforcement was successfully applied.
Negative reinforcement involves the act of eliminating something with the intention of promoting a behavior or repeating it. For instance, to train your dog to sit, you exert pressure on their back to prompt them into a sitting posture. Once your dog successfully sits, you alleviate the uncomfortable pressure. This relief removes the unpleasant sensation, leading your dog to feel relieved and more inclined to sit in the future (increasing the behavior) to evade the unpleasant stimulus.
Understanding the distinction is crucial: negative reinforcement and punishment are not synonymous. Punishment halts a behavior, while reinforcement stimulates behavior.
To fully grasp the distinctions between positive and negative reinforcement and positive and negative punishment, remember the following in a basic sense:
- Positive reinforcement: the process of adding a desirable stimulus in order to increase the frequency of behavior
- Negative reinforcement: the process of removing an undesirable stimulus to increase the frequency of behavior
- Positive punishment: the process of adding an undesirable stimulus in order to decrease the frequency of behavior
- Negative punishment: the process of removing a desirable stimulus to decrease the frequency of behavior
What Happens When You Don’t Use Positive Reinforcement Training?
Whenever positive reinforcement is employed, it has the effect of contributing to a relationship piggy bank. Conversely, using yelling and punishment deducts money from this bank.
If punishment is your main method of training, by the end of the day, your dog will be fearful and your piggy bank will be empty. Dogs lacking confidence or experiencing fear are more prone to displaying aggressive behavior.
Utilize these tips to enhance the ease and effectiveness of your training sessions right from the start, as positive reinforcement is considered the highest standard for dog training and can conveniently be practiced at home.
6 Tips to Keep in Mind as You Get Started with Positive Reinforcement Dog Training
1. You and Your Dog Are Teammates
Instead of acting like a “pack leader” to gain your dog’s respect, you can work towards earning it without micromanaging every aspect of your pup’s behavior. Being a constant supervisor can be overwhelming for both you and your dog. Instead, view yourselves as teammates collaborating to achieve a common objective.
2. Stock Up on Plenty of Treats
When considering ways to motivate most dogs, treats are an excellent option. Opt for soft treats that can be easily broken into small, pea-sized nibbles. Additionally, pieces of chicken breast, hot dogs, and cheese are also effective alternatives to commercial dog treats.
3. Create Trust and Understanding With Your Dog
Teaching your dog to navigate the human world requires patience, similar to raising a child. According to Bergeland, people might claim that their dog is misbehaving, but that is never true. It is important to take a moment and reflect on how you can assist your learner in comprehending your teachings.
4. Always Give Your Dog Choice
Positive reinforcement training can provide an enjoyable experience for both you and your dog. However, it is important to respect your dog’s comfort and not to coerce them. For instance, refrain from physically forcing your dog to sit or pulling them by their leash. If your dog is unwilling to participate, it indicates that it may not be an appropriate time for training.
5. Make Sure Your Dog Is Enjoying Training
When determining if dogs are enjoying skill-building sessions, you can interpret their behavior. Is your dog actively focused on you? Is your canine companion enthusiastically motivated by the treat? If so, continue the teaching process. However, if they appear uninterested or easily distracted, consider trying again at a different time.
6. Create the Best Environment for Positive Reinforcement Training
To help your pup focus better, ensure there are no distractions such as children or other pets. Additionally, make sure your pup has relieved itself and choose the appropriate time for training; your dog will be more motivated for treats if it is not full from a recent meal.
The Importance of Timing
For positive reinforcement training to be effective, it is crucial to consider timing. You need to ensure that you reward your dog promptly after he displays the desired behavior.
Imagine that you are in the process of instructing your dog on how to sit.
After he successfully performs the desired sit, you proceed to get him a treat. However, when you return and give him the treat, he is now standing up. As a result, you have unintentionally rewarded his standing rather than his sitting.
Due to the importance of timing, utilizing a handy treat pouch is often required when applying positive reinforcement. In addition, some trainers adopt the use of a training clicker to enhance the precision of timing.
What Are the Benefits and Drawbacks of Positive Reinforcement Training?
Positive reinforcement-based training provides several notable advantages, which include:
- More trust between you and your dog
- A deeper, richer bond
- Better communication and understanding of one another
- Building a positive association around humans in general
- It’s safe for kids to engage in
The only significant drawback of positive reinforcement training is that it demands a great deal of patience.
Positive reinforcement may require time to show results when addressing problem behaviors. This is due to the necessity for the owner to patiently await their dog’s correct choice and reinforce these commendable actions repeatedly until they become deeply ingrained.
Teaching your dog not to bark at guests is a perfect illustration.
Imagine a situation where you extend an invitation to a guest to enter your home, and upon their arrival, your dog begins to bark at them.
Using positive reinforcement training, you can allow your dog to bark while disregarding the behavior. Once your dog ceases barking, even if it’s only for a brief moment, you can reward their silence by offering a treat.
A clicker is useful for positive reinforcement training because it can be beneficial in scenarios where you want to reinforce short instances of good behavior. Later on, we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of clickers.
You will consistently reward your dog for remaining quiet when the stranger is present. During the initial visits of a visitor, it is probable that you will have to reward your dog even for a brief moment of silence.
As training progresses, you will increase the difficulty by only giving rewards to your dog after every 3 seconds of silence. Subsequently, you will extend the waiting period to 5 seconds, then 10 seconds, and so forth. Consequently, your dog will eventually lose the desire to bark at strangers as he comprehends that remaining quiet will lead to a reward.
What Treats Are Best For Positive Reinforcement Training?
In order to keep your pooch motivated, it is necessary to share high-value rewards as a form of positive reinforcement.
When working on basic commands, certain dogs may find motivation in kibble. However, for more complex tricks and behavior modification, more delectable treats are necessary.
It is unlikely that there are many children who are more motivated by Fig Newtons than Oreos.
The treats typically recommended for training purposes are often the best ones.
- Stinky (usually meat-based odors work best)
- Small (you’ll be using a lot of treats in a training session, so the smaller is better)
- Soft (crunchy treats take too long for your dog to eat)
- Novel (new treats are always more exciting to dogs than a treat they already receive regularly)
When Can I Stop Giving My Dog Treats?
At first, it is important to give your dog a reward every time he does the behavior you want.
After your dog fully understands the desired behavior, you can start giving treats occasionally, but always accompany it with praise.
You can begin reducing the frequency of rewarding with treats gradually. For example, rewarding with treats three out of four times, then two out of four times, and so on. Nevertheless, it is important to always keep using treats periodically to reward even well-established behavior for additional reinforcement.
So, are you saying that I am required to give my dog treats at all times?
Yes and no can be rephrased as “both yes and no.”
As you progress, your dog will require treats less frequently to reinforce good behavior, but treats will always be necessary.
By repeatedly practicing the desired behavior, such as your dog refraining from barking at strangers, it will eventually become the automatic behavior that he instinctively carries out.
Even if a dog has not barked at a guest for weeks, it is necessary to occasionally provide them with treats.
Trainers often make a comparison between treat dispensing and receiving payment. For how much time would you continue working at your job if you weren’t getting paid?
If you don’t compensate your dog adequately, do not anticipate him to keep working for you.
Once a behavior becomes well established, you can gradually start using lower-level rewards on the hierarchy. For instance, instead of employing stinky freeze-dried liver, you can opt for kibble as a reward.
When proceeding with training, it is important to avoid decreasing reinforcement too rapidly while also decreasing the reward’s value. Performing both actions simultaneously can cause your dog to regress, undoing all the progress you have achieved.
If you are wondering about the point in time when you can completely cease providing treats, the answer is that there is no such point in time.
Even if the frequency required is less, it is always necessary to consistently reinforce good behavior.
Motivating Your Dog: You’ll Always Need To Choose Between the Carrot and the Stick
Critics of positive reinforcement trainers often enjoy referring to them as “cookie pushers.”
While treats are indeed a significant aspect of positive reinforcement training, they need not be the sole form of reinforcement. Certain dogs may perceive a brief session of playing fetch or tug as an excellent source of reward.
For the majority of owners, treats are the most convenient choice because, although your dog may enjoy praise, it usually isn’t a strong enough motivator for most dogs.
Many people fail to grasp this concept about dogs: There will always be a driving force behind your dog’s behavior.
Everyone on this vast planet doesn’t do anything without a motive, and you will need to decide between the positive incentive and the negative consequence.
Positive reinforcement training relies on cookies to drive a dog’s behavior, whereas aversive training relies on fear and pain. Personally, I prefer being a treat provider to my dog rather than resorting to tactics that induce fear and intimidation to make him afraid of me.
It is important to rephrase the following text by maintaining the same meaning, without introducing new information or omitting any existing information. Additionally, we must consider the need for ongoing support when utilizing aversive training methods.
Dogs that are trained not to pull using a prong collar will resume pulling once they realize they are not wearing the collar. Similarly, dogs that cease barking due to a shock from a bark collar will resume barking after the collar is taken off.
Every behavior your dog learns requires intermittent reinforcement in order to be maintained.
If you learned to play the piano in high school but haven’t played for 10 years, it is unlikely that you will be able to perform Mozart when you start practicing again.
Using a Clicker in Positive Reinforcement Training
Clickers are tiny devices that create a clicking noise when they are pressed.
Although clickers are often seen as essential in positive reinforcement training, many owners opt to use a marker word such as “yes” instead, as they are not obligated to use a clicker.
First Things First: You Have to “Charge” a Clicker
To start clicker training a dog, the initial step is always to “charge” the clicker.
The process of charging the clicker involves establishing a connection between the clicker and a reward. To initiate this process, you will repeatedly click the clicker and provide your dog with a treat.
Your dog will soon associate the sound of the clicker with getting a treat.
After your dog has understood that the click signifies a reward, the clicker serves as a confirmation for the dog that he has executed the correct behavior and that his reward is imminent. This grants you a small amount of extra time to retrieve the treat and give it to your dog.
Utilizing a clicker enables you to achieve utmost precision in training and promptly reward your dog as soon as his posterior touches the ground in the process of teaching the command “sit”.
It is important to note that even after your dog learns to recognize the sound of the click and connects it to a job well done, it is crucial to consistently follow up the click with a physical reward. Failing to do so will diminish the effectiveness and influence of the clicker.
The click from a clicker can be likened to a child receiving a ticket from an arcade. The ticket itself may not be captivating, but the child understands that they can exchange the ticket for a reward. Due to this connection, the act of obtaining a ticket from an arcade machine is highly thrilling.
If the ticket was brought to the counter one day and the arcade vendor declined to exchange it for a candy or toy, the ticket would become worthless. Consequently, the child would lose some of their excitement the next time they received a ticket from a game, as they would no longer have assurance that it could be redeemed for a prize.
Don’t Want to Use a Clicker? No Problem – Marker Words Work Too!
Instead of using a clicker, certain owners prefer to use a marker word. A marker word serves as a brief and prompt phrase to inform the dog that they have successfully executed the desired action. Typical marker words comprise of “Yes,” “Right,” and “Got it.”
When considering, rephrase the following passage in a sequential manner, while ensuring the meaning remains unchanged. Please refrain from introducing new information or omitting any existing information. Steer clear of employing commonplace phrases such as “Good dog” or “OK” as marker words. These phrases are too frequently used to carry the necessary distinctiveness and uniqueness required to establish an association with a treat in your dog’s mind.
If you consistently use a phrase like “Good dog” as a cue word, your puppy will start anticipating a reward each time he hears it being said.
Imagine this scenario: You are at the park with your dog, and strangers approach him, complimenting him for being a good dog. Since you have been using the phrase as a cue for treats, your dog anticipates receiving a reward. However, to his disappointment, he doesn’t receive anything.
In the upcoming training session, when you use the “Good dog” marker word, he will be less confident in the association because he now understands that he does not always receive a treat.
Adhering to precision and accuracy is crucial in positive reinforcement training!
Clicker-Training Provides Consistency
One more advantage of utilizing a clicker is the provision of consistency.
Because a clicker produces the same sound regardless of the user, dogs can easily transfer their training from one person to another. On the other hand, marker words might differ in pitch and quality based on the trainer, potentially causing perplexity for the animal.
Other Things to Keep in Mind With Positive Reinforcement Training
After explaining the fundamentals of R+ training, it is necessary to detail a few additional aspects that you should consider when adopting this method.
Shaping Your Dog’s Behavior: Sometimes, “Close Enough” Counts!
A significant element of positive reinforcement training is the process of shaping behavior, which involves rewarding small improvements towards the desired behavior, even if your dog hasn’t fully achieved it yet.
You can reward your dog for getting close to a behavior, even if he hasn’t mastered it completely. With repetition and practice, he will gradually improve and achieve perfect behavior.
Proper Reward Placement Is Important
Just like the importance of timing in effective training, the correct placement of treats is equally crucial. It is not appropriate for small dogs to have to leap in order to receive a treat after successfully completing a “sit” command, as this would result in rewarding them for jumping.
When teaching a “go to your bed” command, it is necessary to provide your dog with treats on their bed, even if it requires walking all the way from the kitchen where you are cooking, in order to reward their stay.
Having a strong, precise treat toss in your skill set can be advantageous. Your past experience in high school softball can finally be useful in this regard.
Limit the Distractions & Choose Quiet Environments
It is recommended to begin all training indoors to minimize distractions and enhance learning. It is important to remember that your dog may successfully perform a behavior or command indoors, but may face difficulties when transitioning to the outdoors.
Your dog may find it challenging to maintain focus on you due to the numerous distractions in the outside world.
When training in stimulating outdoor environments, anticipate enhancing both the value and frequency of the rewards provided.
Have You Been Accidentally Reinforcing Unwanted Behaviors?
As you become familiar with the effectiveness of positive reinforcement, you might start to notice the unintentional ways in which you have been rewarding your dog for behaviors you do not want. In essence, you may have been inadvertently reinforcing these unwanted actions without realizing it!
Examples of unintentional reinforcement that are commonly observed include:
- Letting your dog outside when he pesters the cat. You may be putting your dog outside to give your cat a breather, but now your dog is learning that when he bothers the cat, he gets to go have fun outside! Instead, try gating your dog in a separate room, which isn’t fun for your dog and still gives your cat space.
- Petting your dog when he jumps up on you. We’re always excited to come home to our doggos, but petting and interacting with our dogs when they jump up in excitement is rewarding their jumping behavior. Even yelling “Get DOWN!” is rewarding to the dog who wants attention from you.
- Yelling at your dog for barking at people outside. We may think we are punishing a dog for barking by yelling at them, but in his mind, he is getting attention and interaction from you, which he loves!
By thinking step by step, you might realize that you unintentionally reinforce unfavorable behaviors in numerous ways. It is important to be cautious in your interactions with your dog and focus on rewarding desired behaviors in order to reduce your dog’s mischievous tendencies.
Positive Reinforcement Training vs Aversive Training
Positive reinforcement training is preferred by modern, educated trainers due to its high success rate and ability to foster a positive relationship with your dog.
Positive reinforcement trainers primarily rely on positive reinforcement and incorporate minimal negative punishment, excluding positive punishment.
Let’s delve further into the reasons behind the dangerous nature of positive punishment, which involves adding something unpleasant to decrease a behavior.
The Problem with Aversive Training: The Danger of Pain as a Motivator
While pain can serve as a strong driving force, it is not the most efficient method for teaching individuals in the long run, primarily due to its associated negative consequences.
It can be useful to consider these ideas in relation to how humans learn.
In a classroom setting, when a student receives a penalty for providing an incorrect response, this action would fall under the category of positive punishment. Embarrassment, denoted by the addition of (+), is utilized to diminish the occurrence of the behavior (answering incorrectly).
In this situation, the problem is not only reducing the chances of a student answering incorrectly, but also reducing the chances of the student attempting to answer the question.
The student is afraid to answer the question because they are thinking step by step.
If he answers the question, there is a possibility that he will answer it incorrectly. However, if he refrains from attempting to answer the question, he can completely prevent any likelihood of being punished.
Dogs are also susceptible to this phenomenon called learned helplessness. Essentially, when dogs experience it, they withdraw and become less inclined to exhibit any behavior out of fear of being punished.
However, the negative consequences extend beyond that.
It is possible that when this student is punished for giving an incorrect answer, he might start connecting negative emotions with the teacher or school in general. If this form of punishment continues, he might eventually develop a strong dislike for learning and completely distance himself from school. It is unfortunate!
When using pain (or other positive punishments) with your dog, it can result in him developing fear towards you and training in general.
Positive Punishment is Dangerous Because Dogs Respond Poorly to Fear
Dogs frequently exhibit heightened aggression as a response to fear, which presents another problem when employing positive punishment and aversive methods that rely on fear and pain to control their behavior.
Fans of aversive methods will claim that, by utilizing their tools and techniques, dogs can be effectively treated for severe behaviors within a matter of minutes.
To some extent, it is true that aversives can make undesirable behaviors appear to disappear. However, similar to applying a fresh coat of paint to a broken-down car, the car may give the impression of being in good condition while major issues remain hidden beneath the surface.
By utilizing aversives, quick results can be obtained as they effectively suppress behavior. However, behavior suppression solely implies that your dog will cease engaging in undesirable behavior due to fear, rather than being aided in adjusting or adapting.
When you think step by step, you’re merely addressing the symptom without addressing the underlying cause of the problem.
If we fail to address the emotions behind our dog’s negative behavior, we are not actually solving the problem; rather, we are merely evading it, since behavior is influenced by emotions.
