How Dogs Learn

	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.		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.
	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:   Give To Positive = Addition Take Away Negative = Subtraction Good Positive Reinforcement Present something good; behavior is more likely. Negative Punishment Take away something good; behavior is less likely. Bad Positive Punishment Present something bad; behavior is less likely. Negative Reinforcement Take away something bad; behavior is more likely. Remember: Reinforcement, whether positive or negative, causes the behavior to be more likely.   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!