Positive reinforcement training uses reinforcement (rewards) to increase a desired behavior. Training based on these principles fosters a relationship built on trust and fun (for you and your dog). Unlike methods that use punishment or correction, positive reinforcement nurtures your dog’s confidence and enthusiasm for learning.
3 Basic Principles
What gets rewarded gets repeated: Whether we are purposefully training or not, our dogs are always learning and will repeat behaviors that get them something they want. You will learn to use positive reinforcement to train your dog AND to recognize times when you may be accidentally reinforcing behaviors you don’t want.
Clear consistent communication: Successful training depends on clear and consistent communication. You will learn how to use markers (like a clicker) to communicate with your dog and speed up the training process.
Building Positive Associations: Training should be a fun experience for both you and your dog. Positive reinforcement creates dogs that are happy, engaged, and eager learners. When training is fun, both you and your dog will be eager to practice and you will be surprised at how fast you can make progress!
Behavior science - Operant conditioning
Operant conditioning is a learning theory developed by psychologist B.F. Skinner that explains how behaviors are influenced by their environment. The core idea is that behaviors are more likely to be repeated if they are followed by rewards (reinforcement) and less likely to be repeated if followed by punishments. Here's a breakdown of the key concepts:
Reinforcement Behavior increases | Punishment Behavior decreases | |
+ Add | + Reinforcement Adding good stuff to increase a behavior | + Punishment Adding bad stuff to decrease a behavior |
- Remove | - Reinforcement Taking away bad stuff to increase a behavior | - Punishment Taking away or delaying good stuff to decrease a behavior |
When we train animals there is a behavior we want to increase (reinforce)
Example: loose leash walking
and an opposite behavior we want to decrease (punish)
Example: Pulling on the leash
Positive reinforcement trainers focus on
+ Reinforcement - First choice is to increase the behavior we want
Example: Your dog walks beside you with a loose leash and earns a reward.
However, it is impossible to totally avoid influencing the animal's learning via the other three quadrants.
- Punishment - When the learner gets the behavior “wrong” they don’t earn the reward.
Example: Your dog is pulling on the leash so they do not earn a reward or don’t earn the reward until they stop pulling
Click here to get a more detailed overview of the science behind positive reinforcement training.
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