Dog Training part IV

- Reward and

punishment

Most training revolves around giving the dog

consequences for his behaviour, in the hope of

influencing the behaviour the dog will exhibit in

the future. Operant conditioning defines four types

of consequences:

Positive reinforcement adds something to the

situation to increase the chance of the behaviour

being exhibited again (for example, giving a dog a

treat when he sits.)

Negative reinforcement removes something from the

situation to increase the chance of the behaviour

being exhibited again (for example, releasing the

tension on an uncomfortable training collar when

the dog stops pulling on the leash).

Positive punishment adds something to the

situation to decrease the chance of the behaviour

being exhibited again (for example, growling at a

misbehaving dog).

Negative punishment removes something from the

situation to decrease the chance of the behaviour

being exhibited again (for example, walking away

from a dog who jumps up).

Most modern trainers say that they use "positive

training methods", which is a different meaning of

the word "positive" from that in operant

conditioning. "Positive training methods" generally

means preferring the use of reward-based training

to increase good behavior over that of physical

punishment to decrease bad behavior. However, a

good trainer understands all four methods, whether

or not she can put operant-conditioning terminology

to them, and applies them as appropriate for the

dog, the breed, the handler, and the situation.

Rewards

Positive reinforcers can be anything that the dog

finds rewarding - special food treats, the chance to

play with a tug toy, social interaction with other

dogs, or the owners attention. The more rewarding a

dog finds a particular reinforcer, the more work he

will be prepared to do in order to obtain the

reinforcer.

Some trainers go through a process of teaching a

puppy to strongly desire a particular toy, in order to

make the toy a more powerful positive reinforcer for

good behaviour. This process is called "building prey

drive", and is commonly used in the training of

Narcotics Detection and Police Service dogs. The

goal is to produce a dog who will work independently

for long periods of time.

Some trainers believe that the toy acts as a positive

reinforcer for the desired behavior, when in all

likelihood the prey drive works on an entirely

different level from standard training and

conditioning techniques. This is seen most clearly

in the fact that, according to the laws of

operant conditioning, positive reinforcers lose

their effectiveness if they're given every single time

a dog does what is desired of him; the more

predictable the reinforcer, the less reliable the

behavior. Yet detection dogs only work well when

they are always rewarded with a toy, every single

time they find drugs or explosives, etc.

The reason for this disparity is that when a dog is

trained through the

prey drive, the training activates an instinctive,

automatic sequence that has to be completed in

order for the dog to feel satisfied. That sequence is:

search, eye-stalk, chase, grab-bite, and kill bite. So

when a dog searches and finds drugs or explosives,

he feels he hasn't finished his job unless he can bite

something. This is the primary reason he's always

given the toy. It's not really a positive reinforcer. If it

were it would reduce the reliability of the behavior

overall. It's a means of completing the predatory

sequence for the dog.

Punishments

"Positive punishment" is probably the consequence

that is least used by modern dog trainers, as it must

be used very carefully. A dog is generally only given

this type of punishment if it is willfully disobeying

the owner. Punishing a dog who does not

understand what is being asked of him is not only

unfair to the dog, but can make the dog a fearful or

unwilling worker.

Punishments are administered only as appropriate

for the dog's personality, age, and experience. A

sharp No works for many dogs, but some dogs even

show signs of fear or anxiety with harsh verbal

corrections. On the other hand, certain dogs with

'harder' temperaments may ignore a verbal

reprimand, and may work best if the reprimand is

coupled with a physical punishment such as a quick

tug on a training collar. Trainers generally advise

keeping hand contact with the dog to positive

interactions; if hands are used to threaten or hurt,

some dogs may begin to behave defensively when

stroked or handled.

Avoiding punishment Keeping a puppy on a leash in

challenging situations or in his crate or pen when not

closely supervised prevents the puppy from getting

into situations that might otherwise invite an

owner's harsh reaction (such as chewing up a

favorite pair of shoes).

Next: Dog Training part V- The command voice

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