It is important to understand how dogs learn and why positive reinforcement training works (for puppies, adult dogs, and humans!) Please take a moment to read everything in this lesson.
This information will help you understand how your dog learns, and helps you avoid making mistakes that can have lifelong impact.
Dogs Learn By Association
This is learning by emotional response or Classical Conditioning. Remember Pavlov and his dogs?
A common example of associative learning in dogs is their reaction to the sight of a food bowl. Pull out the bowl and the average dog will jump into fits of joy. This is because dogs have come to learn that this particular bowl always predicts mealtime. Food is tasty so we love food bowls. In other words, the dog associates the bowl with eating.
What does this mean to us?
The implications are huge. Everything you do around your dog influences the associations he makes.
Here is an important example: Say I am walking my dog and I don’t like the way he reacts to seeing another dog. Maybe he just barks in excitement, but I don’t like it. I shout, “No!” and jerk his leash. This happens every time we see a dog. Pretty soon, my dog’s reaction to other dogs is terrible—he barks and growls and lunges and snaps because I have built a negative association in him: Dogs equal pain. In other words, I have taught my dog to dislike or fear other dogs. This is very common and often unfortunately leads to on-leash reactivity in adulthood.
Negative associations can be life long if learned early on, especially in adolescence. A loud noise, a bad encounter with a neighbor’s child, or an unknown dog rushing up to your puppy/dog can create fear and reactivity for a lifetime. A history of positive associations creates a confident, well adjusted adult dog.
Dogs Learn By Consequence
This is operant conditioning or training
Operant conditioning is learning through behavioral consequences. Behaviors are learned through both reinforcement and consequences, known as punishment. With positive reinforcement training consequences are not scary, intimidating or painful.
Say, I lure a dog into a sit with my hand. Then I rummage around for the treat. By the time I deliver the treat five seconds later, the impact is lost because in those five seconds, the dog sneezed, sniffed the ground, and looked left. All of a sudden a treat appeared. As far as the dog is concerned, he got it for looking left. You will eventually teach that dog to sit, but it will take a while. Or you might end up with a dog that sits and looks left.
What does this mean to us?
That we need precision and good timing to train dogs. Give your dog immediate feedback to let him know right away when he has done something you like. We will introduce the marker later, but this is why it is so important! The reinforcement can be praise, treats, or other dog rewards such as throwing a ball, opening a door, or letting your dog off leash to romp. Saying “YES” then following with a reward helps your dog learn what Is right!