Some Thoughts on Training with Positive Reinforcement

In a world full of buzz-words and marketing messages, it sure pays off to put on the breaks every now and then to reassess what we mean behind marketing messages such as training with “positive” techniques and even our own philosophies.

The term “positive reinforcement” is one of those terms that needs clarification.

In essence, as the behavioral sciences describe it, positive reinforcement implies that we are reinforcing (presenting something the animal wants) as a consequence for a given behavior. The Laws of Learning tells us that whatever we reinforce we will see more of. Okay, I get it… eye-rolling material, I know. So moving on, here are my own thoughts as to why I train this way.

What I love about using something the animal wants to teach him new stuff is that the animal is not being threatened or afraid by my interaction with him/her. My personal contract with this dog is that I will respect him as another sentient being and as such we are going to have some sort of a “conversation”.

This conversation is about communicating to the dog as clearly as possible in a manner the dog can understand what I want, and pay handsomely when this happens.

If for some reason the animal is not willing to do as asked (not about being stubborn as popular “knowledge” suggests, but more about the animal feeling safe and being motivated to do so) I will request for something else that the dog can do and reward for that behavior. I can always come back – almost immediately and ask for what I initially requested. By using this methodology (technically called counter-command) I do not need to engage in a battle of the species with the dog. This makes me feel selfishly happy.

When we abide and correctly implement the principles of learning theory – the science of how animals learn - which for some odd reason is still called a “theory” to teach animals, the animal learns with less stress and because of this the process of learning is more enjoyable for both parties. Science and empathy hand in hand.

The use of reinforcers (rewards in everyday parlance) not only transforms the relationship between trainer and dog, but it also builds a strong history of reinforcement.

The best way to describe history of reinforcement is to think of money in the bank that the person can withdraw when needed. The more money in the bank the more we can withdraw. Aside from the idea of withdrawing money from an account, the history of reinforcement makes the behavior that has been paid over and over and over again very strong. So in the future when I want the dog to engage in a behavior, the better the chances the dog will do so.

The reality is that if we want to have our dogs (or any animal - including us human/animals) to continue to engage in certain behaviors we must continue to reinforce for them.

Now, this does not mean that we need to have a training bag attached to us 24/7! It does mean however, that we must continue with the conversation in which we keep making requests and we follow by a consequence. This is vastly important! If there are no consequences for the learner then learning will not take place.

So, how does positive reinforcement works in “real life”? My preference is to use in addition to the counter-command the removal or what the dog wants as a consequence for no-performance.

Say that I ask a dog to wait at the front door, meaning that I do not want the dog to move forward until he is released. The dog moves forward and I close the door. So the consequence for the dog moving forward i.e.: lack of impulse control is that the dog does not get to go outside which is what the dog wanted to do in the first place.

Learning to apply consequences that are effective and fair takes some practice, but there is no reason why it cannot be learned. For me at least, training with positive reinforcement also implies constantly reassessing the learning process from the perspective of the individual and to make adjustments so that the dog is as much as possible a willing participant. This last piece brings me to the topic of motivation.

When a dog is not partaking in my request I immediately switch to thinking as to how I can get the dog to want to do what I asked. In other words, dogs, just like people, must find their own reason (motivation) for doing something. So the aim here is not to get testy with the dog but to act smart by realizing that dogs, like us, have specifics desires and needs at a given moment. Our teaching will soar to new heights when we understand this because after all, all animals have self-centered needs and “wants,” and if it wasn’t so the animal won’t be alive for long!

Thank You For The Recliner!

I had been eyeing this amazing recliner for about two years now in a nearby store. Finally they had a sale on it and I jumped on the opportunity. This recliner is not only super comfy because I can sit and lay down in four different positions, my recliner is also beautiful: with a small foot-print it is very ladylike… And it took Laika only one evening to claim the chair for herself! I had a suspicion this might happen so I prepared for it: I thought to drape it with a designer-like throw so that the dogs can enjoy it too.

Call me a softy, but for me the joy of seeing one of my dogs dozing off peacefully is worth the price of admission. Moreover, I refuse to live life protecting the integrity of any couch! Don’t get me wrong, our home is quite clean… okay, clean for New Mexico, where there is dust everryyywhere, yet our sofas are stain free, dog hair free and no legs have been chewed off.

I thought that perhaps I would have to “sell” John on the idea of this new chair as being dog-friendly. As John saw Laika making a discreet approximation to the chair, he asked me if we were going to allow the dogs on the new recliner. I said "yes" and made him aware of how the placing of the throw would take care of any dirt Laika might bring along. My thinking about the possibility of John not wanting the dogs on the new chair made me think about dogs and house rules…

I get asked gazzilions of times if I think that dogs should be allowed on couches, sleeping with their owners/guardians.  And my answer is always the same: do you want them on the couch/bed? Has there been any growling, snapping, etc. when you come to the bed or sit on the couch and your dog is already on it? I add that whatever they decided is okay. After all every household is different so I don’t think that there is a one-size-fits-all on this one. However, I do think that it is mandatory that we make whatever our household rules are crystal clear to our pets.

By crystal clear I mean that we must be as consistent as humanly possible - this is a big one for us humans about making sure the pet understand the requirements which in some cases it might require some additional training and that we are consistent with consequences when the rules are not being followed. Let me give you an example of what NOT to do. I know, I know, it is best to say what to do but I think this example illustrates very well how we tend to see things mainly from our perspective leaving our furry pal confused as to what we really want, yet we expect him/her to follow our rules.

I had a client once that was very upset at his dog for begging at the table. I made some inquiries about the incidents of obnoxious begging where I came to find out that my client had been feeding the dog on and off from the table. Once I pointed out to him that if the dog was now begging it had to do with his own table manners.

He realized that he could not have it both ways. This is a salient example because it is very typical of how we think: we think that because we have certain desires or expectations that these will be transmitted as if by osmosis to our dogs. The second issue here is that my client had been feeding his dog off and on while at the table. Not only is this really confusing for the dog, but the behavior (begging) had been put on a variable schedule of reinforcement (VR)! Think Las Vegas… that is it. Variable schedule of reinforcement are VERY powerful monsters… because the learner is not always reinforced there is a certain amount of frustration that will make the learner try even harder to get the reinforcement. Remember, schedules of reinforcements (there are others) follow the laws of learning.

Another downside for our dogs when we are inconsistent exercising our house rules is that all the guessing creates from mild to severe anxiety in our pets. Think about it, have you ever had a boss that's demanding of your performance, yet lacking in direction as to how and when a project needs to be done? What was your reaction?

My recommendations to those seeking my advice is to discuss with all family members as to what the rules and expectations for the dog should be. Then, take an honest look and see if those rules follow this criteria:

1. Are they (also) fair to the dog? If we choose to not have dogs on couches and beds, are we providing Fido with a soft comfy bed of his own?

2. Our rules should never undermine under any circumstances the welfare of the dog. i.e. the dog sleeps outside or stays outside without some adequate shelter regardless of the weather… ouch!

3. Dog is subjected to fearful or anxiety provoking scenarios because… I am the alpha, pay the rent blah, blah, blah… so the dog is thrown into the pool because he must like to swim. Similarly here, the dog has absolutely no agency because after all… he is just a dog. Include here the erroneous premise that our dogs must always mind us and do as they are told (see stupid rule above…). We must remember that they are not our toys or robotic, but sentient begins who deserve having their needs met, too.

4. Finally, realize that not because your dog has done a given behavior once or even a few times is proof that your dog has learned what the request for the behavior is and its consequence, so instead of guessing please make sure that you either find yourself a fantastic positive reinforcement "how to train your dog" book- (I have recommendations, so feel free to email me) or get yourself and your pup in the hands of a trainer who understand how dogs learn (learning theory).