Positive Reinforcement Dog Training

Rewarding Good Behavior Produces Better Results than Punishment

Positive reinforcement is defined as giving a positive reward for desirable behavior. In dog training, that reward may come in the form of a particularly tasty treat, a favorite toy or petting, attention and interaction with the dog’s owner.

Negative reinforcement, on the other hand, is meeting an undesirable behavior with a negative reward. Punishment is a form of negative reinforcement.

Dominance and Alpha Dog Training

Historically, punishment was seen as the best way to train a dog. Training methods such as the dominance dog training method and the alpha dog training method have built on that theory by trying to convince the dog in training that the owner is the dominant or alpha individual in the group.

Recently, these training methods have been called into question by several different sources.

In the February issue of Applied Animal Behavior Science, a study performed at the University of Pennsylvania revealed that owners who use dominance based training often end up with dogs that are more aggressive and that the aggressiveness may eventually be directed back at the owner. Specific methods included in the description of dominance-based dog training included:

hitting or kicking the dog for undesirable behavior

growling at the dog

physically forcing the release of an item from the dog’s mouth

alpha roll – physically rolling the dog onto its back and holding it

stare at or stare down the dog

dominance down – physically forcing the dog down onto its side

grabbing the dog by his jowls and shaking

The researchers concluded that “this study highlights the risk of dominance-based training, which has been made popular by TV, books and punishment-based training advocates. These techniques are fear-eliciting and may lead to owner-directed aggression.”

Positive Reinforcement Dog Training

Recently, the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) published a position paper dealing with the use of punishment for behavioral modification in dogs. Their position states that “training should focus on reinforcing desired behaviors, removing the reinforcer for inappropriate behaviors, and addressing the emotional state and environmental conditions driving the undesirable behavior.” The AVSAB urges the use of positive reinforcement dog training techniques for behavioral modification in dogs.

In addition to their position statement dealing with punishment for behavior modification, the AVSAB published another position statement addressing the use of dominance theory in behavior modification. They conclude that “the standard of care for veterinarians specializing in behavior is that dominance theory should not be used as a general guide for behavior modification.” They again urge the use of positive reinforcement dog training techniques for behavioral modification in dogs.

What is Positive Reinforcement Dog Training?

Positive reinforcement dog training techniques involve rewarding your dog with a favorite treat or other favored reward when he performs a desirable behavior. Every time that your dog performs a desired behavior, he is rewarded with a treat.

As your dog comes to learn that the behavior is desirable, you can gradually phase out the treats and give them only occasionally. However, when you ask your dog to do something specific, like sit or lie down, you should praise him when he performs the task with a simple pat on the head or verbal “good dog”.

Undesirable behaviors are neither rewarded nor punished. Where possible, the behavior is simply ignored. For instance, if you come home and your dog starts jumping on you, you would ignore your dog. You should not greet or pet your dog or show him any attention until he has calmed and is acting appropriately. It may even be necessary at first to go into another room and close the door between you and your dog until your dog has calmed.

If ignoring an undesirable behavior is impossible, the situation which causes the behavior should be avoided whenever possible until you can counter-condition your dog to respond differently to the situation. For instance, if your dog tries to fight with other dogs and you see another dog approaching while on a walk with your dog, simply cross to the other side of the street or turn around and go the other direction.

If your dog’s behavior is dangerous, you may need to seek help from a professional animal behavior expert to correct the behavior.

Using positive reinforcement dog training techniques is effective and will actually strengthen the bond between you and your dog. Opponents of punishment and dominance based dog training worry that these techniques may make your dog frightened of you and damage the bond between you.

Of course, this is an area where there is still a lot of controversy and there are many experienced dog trainers who still recommend and use dominance and punishment based dog training techniques.

Leash walking is one og the commands that dog owners have difficulty with. In this video I share a simple secret to leash walking. Please leave a comment and you can get a free ebook “101 Ways To Improve Your Dog’s Behavior.” Go to www.amazingdogtrainingman.com