© 2001 Jennifer Jones
All rights reserved.
Did you know that one of the most common reasons that dogs are relinquished to animal shelters is due to behavior problems? Many of these dogs are reportedly aggressive, they exhibit common behavior problems such as house soiling and chewing, or they are simply not obedience-trained. These problems could have been easily corrected if the owner had taken the time to attend a dog training class, contact an animal behaviorist, or even read a few books on dog care and training. Most of us have good intentions when purchasing a dog from a shelter, breeder or friend, but many people realize later that their new companion is much more than they bargained for. The reality of dog ownership is that animals take time, patience, knowledge, and, most importantly commitment in order to care for them in a kind and responsible manner.
Surprisingly, dogs learn in much the same manner as mice, cats and even humans — this is called Conditioning. Operant conditioning, or as sometimes called consequence learning, is a type of conditioning that involves learning that specific behaviors produce specific consequences, and is often used to teach obedience skills. Classical conditioning, or association learning, is another type of conditioning that involves learning that one item is related to another in some manner, and is often used to modify problem behaviors. Dog's have very complex minds, but when it comes to learning, they respond in a fairly typical manner. By understanding these typical methods of learning, we, as dog owners, can learn to train our dogs using only positive techniques.
The traditional Operant conditioning method used in dog training involves the use of a technique called positive punishment to teach an animal what is expected of them. In general terms, positive punishment involves the presentation of a bad consequence, and is preceded by another technique called negative reinforcement. For example, when you give your dog the command to sit, and he or she does not respond to the command, you deliver and sharp yank of their training collar and force their rear end to the ground. The presentation of this bad consequence will tend to make the behavior of not responding to the command less likely in the future. The pitfalls of punishment greatly outweigh the usefulness of the method. There are four main reasons punishment is not a good training device: (1) it can lead to aggression, (2) it is often associated with whomever does the punishing, (3) it suppresses the behavior rather than eliminates it, and, (4) it is uncomfortable for most pet owners.
Plus, why punish your dog if there is another, easier way to combat the problem?
A new type of training method, becoming popular within the last decade involves the use of rewards and motivation. Called positive reinforcement, this type of learning involves the presentation of a good consequence. For instance, when you give your dog a command to sit and he or she does so promptly and correctly, a reward is given. Rewards can be anything, from the dog's favorite treat to a tennis ball to their bowl of dog food. These rewards serve to increase the likelihood that your dog will sit on command in the future, thus making the correct behavior into a habit. Positive reinforcement works for five important reasons: (1) the dog wants to participate in training (2) it yields longer lasting results, (3) it requires thought and communication on both the owner and the dog's part, (4) the more a behavior is reinforced the more likely it is to occur, and, (5) the owner and their dog will end up with a better relationship.
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About The Author: Jennifer Jones graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology, specializing in animal learning and behavior. She also spent two years studying Animal Science with the University of California in Davis and has been training dogs for companionship and competition for over ten years. |
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