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Dog Training 201: Information You Need

July 2, 2014

We introduced our Dog Training 101 series last month. We started at the beginning: a broad overview of what training is really, identified the laws of behavior, defined the basic terms that every dog owner should know, and dipped our toe into the waters of behavior.

This stuff isn’t just for dog trainers – every dog’s life can be improved with this knowledge.

Each month, we’re going to expand your knowledge – and make your dog’s life (and yours) better for knowing about this stuff.

This month, we’re talking about reinforcement and punishment. Pay attention, almost everything in this world revolves around these two things. These are the keys to changing your dog’s behavior (or anyone’s behavior, for that matter!).

This isn’t a scientific paper; we won’t use the fancy science-y words or descriptions. The information here is accurate, however, and will make it easy for you to teach your dog whatever you want and help solve the problems that frustrate you.

There are two ways you can change behavior: (1) You can add something to the situation (called positive) or (2) you can take something away from the situation.

Let’s look at this in both reinforcement and punishment.

REINFORCEMENT

Positive Reinforcement: adding something to the situation that makes the behavior more likely to happen again. Real life example: You pay your bill on time and you get a 10% discount. Result: you will pay your bill on time a lot more frequently.

Negative Reinforcement: taking something away from the situation that makes the behavior more likely to happen again. Real life example: you have a headache and when you take an Advil, the headache goes away. Result: you will reach for the Advil again when you have a headache.

PUNISHMENT

Positive Punishment: adding something to the situation that makes the behavior less likely to happen. Real life example: You drive your car over the speed limit and you receive a traffic ticket.

Negative Punishment: taking something away from the situation that makes the behavior less likely to happen. Real life example: your child broke curfew and you take away car privileges.

Timing is essential for both reinforcement and punishment.

Reinforcement and punishment must happen as the behavior is happening. You can’t reinforce or punish your dog’s behavior after the fact. Remember from our first article: “It’s imperative to understand that it’s the behavior that bears the consequence, not the dog… The difference is that you’re not happy or mad at the dog. You simply want to encourage or discourage your dog to repeat the behavior. Good trainers remain neutral even if their dog’s behavior is disappointing or maddening.”

Behavior, like gravity, is always working. Your dog is always doing something. He may just be lying on the floor sleeping, but that’s actually doing something. Knowing the Laws of Behavior (from our Dog Training 101 article) allows you to understand that sometimes the easiest way to get rid of an undesirable behavior is to teach a different, desirable behavior. You need to know how to use reinforcement to get more of that desirable behavior.

HOW TO USE REINFORCEMENT IN REAL LIFE

The first step to changing your dog’s behavior is to decide what behavior you want your dog to do (instead of what they’re already doing). You must start here because if you don’t know what to reinforce, you can’t reinforce it! I realize that sounds like a “Well, duh!” statement, but many clients have no idea what they want their dog to do, only what they want their dog to stop doing.

Here’s how you start to get more good behavior from your dog:

Identify the behavior(s) you want more of.
Make a list of the things, activities, and food that your dog loves.
When your dog does an appropriate behavior or doesn’t engage in an undesirable behavior, reinforce the dog! Whip out that tug toy, toss the tennis ball, get down on the floor and roll around with your dog, or feed him a piece of chicken – whatever’s on your list of “things your dog loves” from #2 above.

Here’s a real-life example I use almost every time I do in-home consultations. The dog usually rushes up to me, sniffing me everywhere, occasionally jumping on me.

Positive Reinforcement: The instant the dog sits, I will pet him, look at him, talk to him – everything he wants! Sitting is more likely to happen once the dog understands that sitting is the way to get attention.

Negative Punishment: When the dog jumps, I turn my back on him. The behavior is more likely to go away because I go away when the dog jumps.

Extinction: I completely ignore the dog when he jumps: no talking, touching, or looking at the dog. The jumping is likely to disappear because jumping is an awful lot of effort for nothing.

Positive punishment: Jerking the dog’s collar when he jumps. Yelling at the dog when he jumps. Stepping on his toes, kneeing him in the chest, shaking a can of pennies, throwing something at the dog, etc. Adding anything unpleasant to the situation is positive punishment and we stay away from that as much as possible as the side effects can be great.

I use positive reinforcement frequently when working with dogs (and with people, too!). I’ve found it to be the most effective and fastest way to teach anyone to do just about anything.

HOW TO GET RID OF STUFF YOU DON’T LIKE

It almost doesn’t matter what the behavior is you’re trying to get rid of, this is how knowing the science is so much more valuable than knowing “recipes.”

Here’s how to get rid of the stuff you don’t like your dog to do.

What do you want the dog to do instead? Reinforce that desirable behavior a lot whenever you see it.
Prevent the dog from doing the undesirable behavior. If your dog is barking at the front window, put a gate up so he can’t get to the front window. If he’s jumping on guests, put him on a leash and then keep the leash short enough that he can’t reach the guests (or crate him or put him behind a closed door).
Teach the dog an alternative behavior that he can do instead of the undesirable behavior and then reinforce the heck out of him for doing that new behavior.

Here’s a real-life example to help clarify the process. Problem: Dog barks incessantly when doorbell rings and people enter the house.

Positive reinforcement: give the dog a treat if he takes a breath (and pauses barking even if for ½ second).

Negative punishment: turn around and walk back out the door if the dog barks (if he’s barking excitedly because he wants to see you. If he’s barking because he wants you to leave, then leaving will just reinforce his barking. If he’s barking because he wants you to leave, simply ignore him).

Extinction: ignore the barking no matter what. This sometimes doesn’t work because it just feels good to the dog to bark. You can ignore him and if he’s barking because it feels good, your behavior won’t have any effect on the dog.

Positive Punishment: shock the dog every time he barks. This is definitely not recommended because it’s very easy for the dog to develop a causal relationship: visitors at the door means a shock is coming. Your dog may not associate the shock with the barking, but rather with the visitors that could make the barking worse — or it could precipitate an escalation of the behavior (a bite instead of just a bark).

You can do this! This isn’t complicated stuff and we’ve got an entire series of articles to help you do this yourself. Of course, if you’d like the assistance of a professional, we recommend a qualified positive reinforcement trainer. Common sense prevails here: if your dog is aggressive or dangerous, always consult a professional. Don’t go it alone in this case!

This article is included in our free monthly newsletter Your Smart Dog. Don’t miss our next installment in this series! Subscribe to the newsletter today! In addition to articles like this, the newsletter is filled with lots more information, fun activities to do with your dog, and opportunities to have fun with your dog.

Talk back!

Are these articles helping you with your dog’s behavior? Let us know, we write this stuff for you. If it’s helping (or not), we’d love to know! Leave a comment below.

Bribes or Rewards?

April 3, 2014

Does this sound familiar?

Your dog is looking at you from the lawn, about 15 feet away. He won’t budge. You’ve called him 10 times already. Nothing. You go back into the house, pull a hot dog out of the fridge, and go back outside to approach your dog. Lucky you, he comes running as soon as he smells it.

That’s a bribe: It made your dog come to you. The hot dog was presented before your dog came to you.

Different scenario: You call your dog and he comes bounding over to you. You tell him what a good boy he is and you pop a piece of a hot dog into his mouth to reward him for his good behavior.

That’s a reward: It came after your dog came to you. It reinforced the dog’s (good) decision to move in your direction.

What’s the difference between a bribe and a reward?

The difference may seem very slight – the dog got a hot dog either way, right? Wrong. In the first example, the dog came only because of what the owner could produce. The dog could evaluate whether it was worth coming to him. It does nothing to teach the dog that coming to the owner is a good thing. In fact, I’d argue that it actually teaches the dog to take a “wait and see” approach – wait to see what the paycheck is going to be before committing to the behavior. Rely on bribes and you’ll be stuck carrying food with you everywhere. And you’ll probably have to have the “best of the best” if you want your dog to come to you.

In the second example, the dog made the correct decision on his own – coming to the owner – and he was handsomely rewarded for his decision. Which, in turn, will help him make that decision even faster next time.

Bribes and Rewards: Up Close

Bribes

A bribe is enticement to do a behavior. Bribes come before a behavior. Your dog has your shoe and won’t give it up until you offer him something better. When you rely on bribes to get your dog to behave, you’re sort of a hostage in the relationship: the dog makes you lay all your goodies on the table and then decide if it’s worth doing it.

A bribe is a tough way to train a dog. Using bribes means that you’ll always need them with you. In fact, by using a bribe to train your dog, it’s almost guaranteeing that you’ll need a better bribe next time. After a while it can be tough to out-bribe yourself (meaning, you need a better bribe each time).

Smart trainers don’t use bribes to teach their dogs anything. In an emergency, I may use a bribe to capture a runaway or escaped dog, but you better believe I’ll be back in the training room the very next chance I get to be sure I don’t have to rely on a bribe the next time. I’ll be teaching a very solid recall (come when called) to that dog so I won’t have to rely on a bribe to get the dog to come.

Rewards

Rewards, or technically reinforcers are what smart trainers rely on to get stellar results from their dog. A reinforcer comes after the dog does something good. Your dog comes to you when you call him, you produce a piece of chicken! Because of the reinforcer, the dog is more likely to come again next time. See the difference? It’s striking, the difference between a bribe and a reinforcer: the bribe doesn’t make the behavior more likely to happen, whereas the reinforcer definitely does!

Here’s a little primer on reinforcers:

The first rule is the dog has to like the reinforcer or else it’s not a reinforcer. They’re anything the dog likes (could be butt scratches, chasing a tennis ball, playing tug with you, access to outside, a tasty treat, etc.). Just because you adore coconut cream pie doesn’t mean I’ll like it. If you “reward” me for helping your move by giving me a piece of coconut cream pie, I will likely not help you move the next time – because I don’t want any of that icky pie. So, the first rule is: make sure your dog likes the reinforcer.

The second rule is you have to always deliver. You can’t take advantage of your dog’s fantastic listening skills by giving him a cursory pat on the head and promising him more later. That doesn’t work with a dog. Your dog will learn quickly that you’re a cheater and a cheapskate. Nobody likes a cheater and your dog will quickly stop working for you. Don’t abuse your dog’s trust – always follow through with a reinforcer if your dog did something great for you.

How to Make the Switch from Bribes to Reinforcers

If you’re like most dog owners, you’ve relied too heavily on bribes in the past and now need to know how to get your dog un-stuck from reliance on bribes. Thankfully, that part’s easy. Your first task is to teach your dog that reinforcers are available (and better than bribes). To do that, you’re going to get food out of your hand. Put it on the table, put it in your pocket, but for the love of Pete, get that food out of your hand!

Then, ask your dog to do something really easy. Maybe it’s a sit, or shake, or roll over. It doesn’t matter what it is, as long as it’s easy. Ask your dog just once. Don’t repeat your request. Ask them once. If they do it, whip that reinforcer out and have a party while they eat. If they don’t do it, just walk away. Come back in 30 seconds and give it another go.

Dogs who have been taught using bribes are confused at this point. You can almost read the expression on their face: “Wait. What? How am I supposed to do what you ask if you don’t have food ready for me?” That’s why I want you to ask them to do something really simple. I want them to succeed even though you don’t have a bribe. I want them to get a taste of a real reinforcer!

As your dog gets better at understanding that good things come after they do what you ask, you’ll see that they respond faster and with more enthusiasm. This is a good thing for both of you.

It won’t take long for the switchover from bribes to rewards to happen as long as you are consistently asking the dog for easy behaviors, asking just once, and rewarding them only after the behavior happens.

Have fun with this and enjoy watching your dog learn the fun of reinforcers!

What Does Food Aggression Look Like?

August 27, 2013

Do you know what food aggression looks like in dogs?

Schooner eats his food, spilling little kibbles out onto the floor. His maw, expansive as it is, has quite droopy sides and a few of those little kibbles find their way to the floor.

The cat notices and takes a few steps toward the bowl and the smattering of slobber-softened kibbles. She tentatively tastes one, deems it delicious, and continues to move forward kibble by mushy kibble.

Schoooner’s keeping an eye on her, head buried in his bowl. He isn’t moving his head, but his eyes follow the kitty’s every move. As she gets almost up to the bowl, he freezes, lowers his head just a bit more, and gives her the deepest growl he can muster.

“Stay AWAY from my bowl,” the growl tries to communicate.

Undeterred, the kitty remains directly under Schooner’s head, lazily eating the treats that have slipped out of Schooner’s mouth.

Finally, Schooner can’t take it any longer and lunges toward the kitty with a bark that rattles the windows. Kitty scampers off to the back room, back to where her own food bowl sits (with food in it, I might add).

This scene would repeat itself until Schooner finished his dinner if I allowed it. It seems comical if you don’t know that you’re watching a dog practice — and get better at — food-bowl aggression.

Food aggression, aka Resource Guarding

Technically, it’s called resource guarding. Schooner is guarding a highly prized resource, his food, from cat thievery. The cat will actually steal his food. She’s on a diet and she’ll take food any way she can get it, even if she has to risk the wrath of a dog 30x her size.

It’s perfectly normal for any animal (or human) to guard a valuable resource. (Have you seen people fight over a parking spot around holiday time? This is a version of resource guarding in humans.) It’s not necessarily appropriate, though.

I mean, I don’t want Schooner to develop the habit of growling to move the cat (or other dogs, or people) away from his food bowl. Now that I’ve noticed this habit, I’ve got a plan for how to deal with food guarding.

How to Deal with Food Aggression

First, I’ve got to contain the kitty so she can’t come in and steal Schooner’s food. If I can eliminate the thief, I’ve eliminated the threat. No threat = no guarding.

Next, I’ve got to change Schooner’s thought process about the kitty coming near his food. Schooner and the other dogs get snacks throughout the day and there are lots of opportunities for the cat to investigate the latest snack, even when the dogs aren’t eating their meals. So, whenever the cat comes around when I’m handling food (whether it’s dog food, people food, etc.), I’m going to give Schooner a little something extra.

By giving him something extra because the cat came near will help turn around Schooner’s feelings toward the kitty. Kitty will soon = treats! The quicker I can get this message across, the sooner Schooner will enjoy the cat coming closer.

Notice that nowhere have I recommended correcting or punishing the dog (or cat) for guarding (or stealing) the food. Often, paying attention to the problem (even to correct the dog) only lets the dog know that that behavior really works.

Paying attention to the dog and telling him what you do want him to do will work wonders and will help solve your problem!

Your turn: Does your dog have a favorite toy or chew that he guards from you? From other dogs? From cats? Let us know by leaving a comment below!

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