How should I train my dog?: Courses & Programs

HOW SHOULD I TRAIN MY DOG?

Following up on finding the goal for training your furry friend, we start examining what research has to say about types training. Do you focus on positive reinforcement (giving them treats or head pats for good behavior)? Do you focus on negative reinforcement (spray bottles after bad behavior)?

WHAT MAKES UP TRAINING?

Dog training usually incorporates ideas from Learning and Motivation psychology such as classical and operant conditioning (Coone, 1982; Pavlov, 1927; Skinner, 151; Chance, 2003; Ziv, 2017).

Classical (Pavlovian) Conditioning - pairing a neutral stimulus (a bell) with an unconditioned stimulus (food)
Instrumental (Operant) Conditioning - Strengthening a wanted behavior or weakening an unwanted behavior through reinforcement and punishment.

When you mention the idea of punishing bad behavior or rewarding good behavior, you are going into operant conditioning which can be broken down into four types of reinforcement/punishment types, including (Chance, 2003; Ziv, 2017):

Positive Reinforcement - Behavior is strengthened through presenting a wanted item (food).
Negative Reinforcement - Behavior is strengthened through removing an unwanted item (a shock).
Positive Punishment - Behavior is is weakened through the addition of an unwanted item (a shock).
Negative Punishment - Behavior is weakened through the removal of a wanted item (food)

How should I train my dog?: Text

HOW SHOULD I TRAIN MY DOG?

We start examining what research has to say about types of training. Do you focus on positive reinforcement (giving them treats or head pats for good behavior)? Do you focus on negative reinforcement (spray bottles after bad behavior)?

SO, DO I REWARD GOOD BEHAVIOR OR PUNISH BAD BEHAVIOR?

There is a debate whether good training uses positive punishment/negative reinforcement vs positive reinforcement currently (Ziv,2016). However, positive punishment and negative reinforcement can have some unintended side effects for your dog, including increased fear and aggression (Sidman, 2000). Physical injuries could also happen with certain techniques, including:

such as pulling on dog collars (Grohmann, et al., 2013; Pauli et al., 2006)
the use of shock collars (also called electronic training collars or bark collars) (Polsky, 2000; Schilder & van der Borg, 2004)

Beyond that, studies such as the ones Ziv (2017) covered in their review, like Hiby, Raney, and Bradshaw (2004) who surveyed 326 dog owners and Blackwell, Twells, Seawright, and Casey (2008) who surveyed 192 dog owners found that punishment-based techniques had a relationship with problem behaviors (Hiby, 2004) and fear and aggression (Blackwell et al., 2008). On the other hand, positive reinforcement and reward-based training in general had relationships with overall obedience (Hiby, 2004) and lower levels of fear, aggression, and attention-seeking behaviors (Blackwell et al., 2008).

So, although there is a debate still happening as to which operant training method is best for training dogs (Ziv, 2017), there are risks that need to be accounted for in positive punishment and negative reinforcement-focused methods. However, there are also positive reinforcement methods of training a dog, which are explained below:

WHAT'S A TRAINING METHOD I CAN USE RIGHT NOW?

One good training method to try out is clicker training.

Clicker Training - a method of training relying on the clicker becoming a conditioned reinforcer combined with something the dog finds immediately rewarding (like food) to train the dog to do good behavior (Gibeault, 2019)

Clicker training has the the advantage of not always needing to have treats nearby for training although it does not make the association between good behavior and food stronger through its' presence. Additionally, if you are consistent, vocal praise can be just as effective as a clicker (Chiandetti, Avella, Fongaro, & Cerri, 2016).

To start clicker training, do these steps (Gibeault, 2019):

Load the clicker - click the clicker, then immediately give the dog a treat for about 10-20 repetitions to establish a relationship between the clicker and the food.
Click the clicker when a good behavior (or a trick) happens and give the good dog a treat.

WHAT TYPES OF REWARDS SHOULD I GIVE MY DOG?

If you are going with something like food as a reward, it could be good to vary your rewards a bit within type of reward you give. For instance, a study done by Brehmhorst, Butler, Wurbel, and Riemer (2018) found that dogs preferred being rewarded with a variety of treats (cheese, sausage, or liver) over a long period of time (although the dogs did not show a preference between varied or constant in the short term).

So, your dog might like a little variety, even if the main reward (food) is the same!

TRAINING WITH KODA

Positive Reinforcement is Aaron and Koda-approved!

References

Blackwell, E. J., Twells, C., Seawright, A., & Casey, R. A. (2008). The relationship between training methods and the occurrence of behavior problems, as reported by owners, in a population of domestic dogs. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 3(5), 207-217.

Bremhorst, A., Butler, S. Wurbel., H., and Riemer, S. (2018). Incentive motivation in pet dogs- preference for constant vs varied food rewards. Scientific Reports, 8(9756), 1-10.

Chance, P., (2003). Learning and Behavior. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing.

Chiandetti, C., Avella, S., Fongaro, E., and Cerri, F. (2016) Can clicker training facilitate conditioning in dogs? Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 184, 109-116.

Gibeault, S. (2019) Mark and Reward: Using Clicker Training to Communicate with Your Dog. Retrieved from https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/clicker-training-your-dog-mark-and-reward/

Grohmann, K., Dickomeit, M.J., Schmidt, M.J., Kramer, M. (2013). Severe brain damage after punitive training technique with a choke chain collar in a German shepherd dog. J. Vet. Behav.: Clin. Appl. Res. 8, 180e184.

Hiby, E. F., Rooney, N. J., & Bradshaw, J. W. S. (2004). Dog training methods: their use, effectiveness and interaction with behaviour and welfare. Animal Welfare, 13(1), 63-70.

Pauli, A.M., Bentley, E., Diehl, K.A., Miller, P.E., 2006. Effects of the application of neck pressure by a collar or harness on intraocular pressure in dogs. J. Am. Anim. Hosp. Assoc. 42, 207e211.

Polsky, R. (2000). Can aggression in dogs be elicited through the use of electronic pet containment systems? J. Appl. Anim. Welf. Sci. 3, 345e357.

Schilder, M.B.H., van der Borg, J.M., 2004. Training dogs with help of the shock collar: Short and long term behavioural effects. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 85, 319e334.

Sidman, M., (2000). Coercion and its Fallout. Boston, MA: Authors Cooperative Inc.

Ziv, G. (2017). The effects of using aversive training methods in dogs--A review. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 19, 50-60.