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Learning Theory
Understanding how dogs
learn is important when setting out to train a dog. Trainers that lack this
fundamental knowledge can make serious mistakes when teaching a dog. Imagine
trying to fly an airplane without having a fundamental knowledge of
aerodynamics. You would find out very soon that flying an airplane is more
complex than it seems!
So how do dogs learn?
Dogs learn primarily through a process of association. They learn very early in
life that their behavior causes consequences they like and
those they don't like. In
this respect, the behavior of dogs will reflect what they've
experienced.
Behaviorists
have named this process of learning,
Operant Conditioning.
Operant Conditioning can be summarized in
this way:
- Behaviors are likely to increase when
a pleasant consequence happens, and are likely to decrease
when an unpleasant consequence happens.
Putting the Theory to Work
Trainers that use the principles of Operant
Conditioning reward behaviors they want and they withhold rewards when unwanted
behaviors occur. Dogs learn very quickly how to earn rewards from the trainer.
They also learn that some what behaviors don't earn rewards. Some people
consider this kind of training as using
bribery
to get a dog to do what you want. This is not at all accurate. If we
gave the dog a treat first, expecting a behavior to happen, we would be using
bribery. Operant trainers reward animals only
after the desirable behavior occurs. In a sense, they are
paying the dog for wanted behavior.
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The Labrador Puppy in this picture is our female Lab, Bonnie.
We took this picture the day we brought her home, which was Halloween
2004. She was 8 weeks
old here. Bonnie is a wonderful example of what a Labrador Retriever should be. She
has strong retrieve instincts, good conformation (meaning she looks like
what the "breed standard" describes, and she has the temperament Labs
should have. She was never hyperactive, but rather was interested in
people, and her environment. Bonnie earned a Canine Good Citizen certificate at 11 months. She passed the Delta Pet Partner
therapy dog evaluation at 1 year, and has earned three AKC Rally
Obedience titles (RN, RA, RE) and she's earned the AKC Companion Dog
title (CD). She was certified
in October 2007 as a Crisis Response through
HOPE AACR. |
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Repetition
Another important concept to
recognize is
repetition. Repeating behaviors, coupled with reinforcement,
helps establish a pattern of learning in a dog. Don't look for quick responses
in most cases. Expecting a dog to learn something fluently in one session
is not realistic. Dogs
typically need
many repetitions before a behavior is reliable, especially when working around distractions.
This last point is critical when training a dog to be reliable
no matter what is happening around them.
What About Unwanted Behaviors?
Unwanted behavior in dogs is either instinctually based or is
learned. To a dog there is no such thing as "right" or "wrong"
behavior. Everything they do is just behavior! An
example of an instinctually based behavior is puppy biting.
Pups use their mouths instinctually to learn about their world.
However, for most people puppy biting is an unwanted behavior.
Another example of unwanted behavior is begging at a
table. In this example a dog may learn that sitting near the
table when people are eating will gain them food. Once
established, this behavior will repeat all the time! The
behavior of begging has been reinforced.
In both cases we can change the behavior of the animal by
removing any source of reinforcement the dog has been receiving
as a result of their behavior. As a result of removing
reinforcement, behaviors will diminish. Eventually the dog will
learn that reinforcement no longer happens as a result of the
unwanted behavior. This process is called
extinction.
What About Punishment?
Some trainers don't use the term punishment, but rather, the term "correction" to describe how they
attempt to reduce unwanted
behaviors. They say, "we are correcting" the animal.
Correction is a euphemism for punishment. Punishment
is the opposite of reinforcement. Simply stated:
- Behaviors are likely to decrease when
an unpleasant consequence happens.
Should punishment be considered when training? After
all, aren't we just "correcting" unwanted behavior?
Before this question can be answered, let's discuss two terms
often misunderstood in today's world of dog training - the terms
are Positive and Negative.
Positive and Negative: Good vs.
Bad?
What does Positive and Negative mean in regards to training a
dog? I like to ask this question of other trainers just to hear
their response. So many misunderstand and misuse them. Many
people
will say, "Positive means good, and Negative means bad."
In other contexts, good and bad can are synonyms for positive
and negative. Is this true when we talk about Negative Reinforcement
and Positive Punishment? Are we saying there is Bad
Reinforcement and Good Punishment?! No, not at all.
When we use these terms in a training context, Positive
and Negative are really mathematical terms. Positive means
addition and Negative means subtraction. Better stated, Positive
means Give To (the dog) and Negative means Take From
(the dog). What does all this mean? It can best be
understood by looking at the contingency chart below:
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Give To
Positive = Addition |
Take Away
Negative = Subtraction |
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Good |
Positive Reinforcement
Present something good;
behavior is more likely. |
Negative Punishment
Take away something good;
behavior is less likely. |
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Bad |
Positive Punishment
Present something bad;
behavior is less likely. |
Negative Reinforcement
Take away something bad;
behavior is more likely. |
Remember:
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Reinforcement, whether positive or
negative, causes the behavior to be more likely. |
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Punishment, whether positive or
negative, causes the behavior to be more less likely. |
Back to the question about using punishment. As you've
learned, there are two forms of punishment - positive and
negative. Positive punishment involves giving a dog
something they don't like. Yanking the leash applies force on
your dogs neck they don't like. This is positive punishment.
Turning your back to your dog when they jump on you is negative
punishment. You are taking away your attention to get them
to stop jumping on you. Positive punishment is risky
because you run the risk of injuring or even frightening your
dog. Negative punishment is benign in terms of risks to your
dog. Therefore, avoid using positive punishment and use
negative punishment to reduce behaviors.
Be Consistent
Being consistent is critical when training.
This probably one of the toughest aspects of training. Don't allow a behavior
one day and then scold your dog the next day for the same behavior! Be
consistent with what you expect of your dog. Work with them everyday.
Everyone in your home
should be included some way into the training process. Use the same cue
words. If one person uses "off" and another is using
"down", your dog may get confused.
Keep Training Fun
Try and keep training fun by rewarding your dog
for behaviors you want. Problem behaviors can be solved through better
management of your dog in their environment, and by removing things that reinforce
behaviors you don't want. Over time, your dog will give up behaviors that don't
bring consequences they like.
Keep your training sessions short. Train for 3-5 minutes
in most cases. Use play to try and teach your dog such
things as wait, stay, come, and others. Don't over do your
training sessions or you and your dog will burn out.
Conclusion
Training a dog may seem like a difficult task, but if you learn
some key points, training can be very interesting to you and
your dog. You don't have to dominate your dog and you
certainly don't have to use force. Train your dog from the
moment you bring them home. Training is a life long
pursuit. Good luck and happy training! |