How to Use Positive Reinforcement When Training Dogs

Training can be a long process for dogs, especially those with higher energy levels. It’s important to keep training sessions short so the dog doesn’t get frustrated or overwhelmed.

Begin by using food, toys, or petting as positive reinforcement to encourage the behavior you want. Then, gradually build up the duration and distraction.

Punishment

There is a lot of debate over whether or not punishment should be used in training dogs. Even those who advocate ‘Positive Reinforcement’ or ‘Force-Free’ dog training still use punishment to some extent.

Many people employ punishment techniques incorrectly and are unaware that they can have very negative unintended consequences for their dog. The first element of a proper punishment technique is consistency. The punishment must occur every time the unwanted behavior occurs to be effective. If a dog is punished inconsistently it will not understand why it is being punished and may simply become confused, frustrated or stressed which can result in additional unwanted behaviors.

The second element of a proper punishment technique is timing. The punishment must be administered within a few seconds of the undesired behavior. If the punishment is applied too late the dog will not associate it with the unwanted behavior and the punisher will likely desensitize the dog to the punishment which could lead to increasing use of harsher and more intense corrections that do not produce the desired effect.

Reward

When training a dog, rewards are essential to motivate them to perform the desired behavior. They can be anything that your dog likes and that you can quickly deliver- treats, toys, attention/petting, verbal praise.

Food is typically a primary reward as it is high value in its own right. Treats can range from kibble to bits of chicken, cheese, hot dogs etc. For difficult behaviors that are challenging for your dog, they should be rewarded with higher ranked treats.

Be careful not to unintentionally reward bad behaviors – like jumping up, barking or scratching at doors. Try to ignore the behavior and only reward the correct behaviour – for example, when a dog jumps up they should be ignored but as soon as four paws are on the ground they should get attention/treats. This will help the dog learn that jumping up is a bad thing and that only sitting is good. This is called the cue-response-reward method.

Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement works by giving a dog something it finds rewarding immediately after the desired behavior happens, which increases its frequency. This can include food (like little pieces of chicken or carrots), verbal praise, play time with a favorite toy, or letting it run and chase a ball. It can also be a combination of these things.

Reinforcement means adding something, which is why people tend to think of treats as being positive reinforcement. But yelling, scolding, and swatting are negative reinforcement because they remove or take away something. Get to know more on this before proceeding at Bulldogology.

A big advantage of using positive reinforcement is that it doesn’t require you to speak in a strong voice or use force, so everyone can participate safely. In fact, positive reinforcement can be a great way to build trust and create a stronger bond with your pet. But it requires patience and consistency. Dogs who are rewarded for doing the right thing will learn to be patient and keep trying until they get what they want.

Negative Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement is a training technique that strengthens behavior by adding something (a reward). For example, if you ask your dog to sit and they do, you give them a treat. This makes them more likely to sit next time, and this is considered positive reinforcement.

Negative reinforcement is when something is removed as a consequence of a particular behavior. For example, if your child pouts before eating her vegetables for dinner and their parents take away the veggies, they will probably continue this behavior to avoid the punishment.

Although the results indicate that negative reinforcement works less well than positive, it does appear to have a small effect. However, it is important to consider the type of aversive stimuli used as this may affect how stressful a training session is for your dog. For example, a school that uses pinch and e-collars is more likely to cause stress than one that only uses petting.