How I got started with Positive Reinforcement

Growing up, I thought that dog training was nothing more than teaching my dogs some tricks and getting them to go to the toilet outside.

I never even thought about things like leash manners or enforcing relaxation. We did what we always did: a few tricks and going on our daily walks.

Then I became an adult and had my own dogs. I also started hearing new ideas from people such as Ian Dunbar Victoria Stilwell, & Kikopup.

I was listening to them explain how positive reinforcement works. It was as if a new understanding of canine behavior began to form in my head. Clicker training, counter conditioning and consistency. Even though I had never worked with dogs before, I found that they made perfect sense.

This is how I started using positive reinforcement, and why I will never return to punishment-based training.

It's a perfect sense moment!

I had heard it a hundred times before, that dogs wanted to please us. But I never gave them treats when they sat at our command. Can you use the same concept to train all kinds of behaviors? I was amazed.

It was one of those lessons where I thought, “How did I miss this? Positive training is powerful and it's embarrassing how long it took for me to embrace it.”

They were proponents of punishing a href=”https://www.puppyleaks.com/potty-training-your-puppy/”>house training/a> accidents & alpha rolling puppies to get a good sense of their personalities… They believed in punishing mistakes & accidents, and alpha-rolling puppies to understand their personalities.

The sad thing is that this wasn't shocking at all. It was the norm. For years, people had been rubbing their faces with urine and alpha rolling their dog's forelegs. They probably didn't think twice about it.

I am glad to say that I did not participate in the alpha-rolling nonsense or punishment phases of housetraining. Although I was guilty, I did yell at my dogs when they misbehaved and I did pull their leashes on occasion if they misbehaved. Jen, you have learned your lesson.

As a child, punishment-based methods were the norm

Many of us from the 80s and 90s (or even before) will have similar memories. It was common to correct inappropriate dog behavior by yelling and tugging. We didn't ask ourselves “how can this be prevented?” or “is it possible to use something else to divert my dog's attention?”. We just did what we saw other people do. It was normal.

After reflecting on my own experience and listening to the experiences of clients and colleagues, I have come to believe we are all crossover trainers to varying degrees. Even if you've never used an electric shock collar or prongs on a dog before, there was once a time when you didn't even know what Skinner's Quadrants were or how to use classical conditioning. The way we interact with dogs today is likely to be different from how we interacted with them 10 or even 5 years ago. We are all crossover trainers

I admit it, I am a “crossover trainer”. I used to yell & use negative reinforcement when training my dogs. Although it's not something I am proud of, it's what it is.

Even though some of my methods were terrible, they taught me a valuable lesson. People change. People change.

Imagine this: Would it be good for you to behave exactly the same way you did in your current role as you did 10 year ago? For me, I think I've improved in my interactions and relationships with others.

My problem solving skills improved with Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement has helped me be more positive and understanding with the people I interact with. I am more willing to say “good job” and “that was awesome”, compared to my old self.

I don't just yell and freak out to get what I want, or to stop anything from happening. I consider all aspects of the situation to try and come up with an effective solution. The knowledge of positive reinforcement helped me develop some solid problem-solving skills. Was this only because I learned about dogs? It's unlikely, but it helped.

It was a complete inspiration and awe that I felt after watching Ian Dunbar ‘s Ted talk. I can't believe that I didn't think of it before. It all makes so much sense.

You can use this powerful technique to train your employees. All you have to do is watch, time-sample, and ask, “Is that good or bad?” Every five minutes. If it is good, tell them “Thank you, that was neat.”

Do you praise your pet often? It's important to remember to praise your dog for seemingly mundane behaviors, such as laying down and relaxing. This will increase the chances of them repeating the behavior. Use praise to communicate clearly when your dog is being awesome.

Positive Reinforcement: How Can I Use It Today?

Positive reinforcement is not a scientific or technical term, but for Laika and me it works. I am very generous with my praises, whether I am praising her for not freaking out when she saw the squirrel or because she chose to relax at my feet while I type.

It's not necessary to yell or pull her chain in order to get her to behave. I need to plan ahead and avoid setting her up to fail (letting her out while there is a cat on the driveway) and to remember to praise her every time she does something good.

Remember that by paying attention only when the animal is performing an undesirable behavior you are training it to perform that behavior. The goal is to encourage the animal to respond in a different way to the same situation, while also interrupting or preventing undesirable behavior. – Progressive Reinforcement Training Manifesto

Positive reinforcement has taught me more about dogs than all of my years and experience combined. Our dogs do want to please . But there is more to pleasing us than learning a few simple tricks.

They want to feel like a part of our family. They want to engage with us. And they want know what is expected of them. Unfortunately, many of the old-school negative punishment methods don't do much to help. While they may be effective in expressing displeasure and expressing anger, they don't offer an alternative.

Positive reinforcement has completely changed my life. Positive methods helped me to develop a deeper relationship with Laika than I had with my previous dogs. I don't feel the need anymore to dominate my dog. Today I feel like I need to better understand my dog & be her leader.

I want her to have things to do, and I also want to give her goals & expectations that are clear. I want her understand how amazing she is when she calmly meets a new puppy.

Animal training in aquariums and zoos is becoming more popular as an animal management and care tool. Benefits include animals' cooperation during veterinary procedures, a reduction in aggressive behavior and an increase in positive social interaction. – Positive reinforcement training as an enrichment strategy

Is positive reinforcement becoming the norm?

Positive reinforcement is slowly becoming the norm and I think we will all be able to develop better relationships because of it. How long before we all accept it as the norm? I don't really know, but in just the last 10 years we have come a very long way.

By praising or rewarding her for good behavior, I can show her that she's an amazing dog. Do you know what she does in return? You can do this by being the best dog in the world.

Do You Consider Yourself to Be a Crossover Trainee?

When did you first start using positive reinforcement to train your dog? What were some of your methods? You may have been taught that the only way you could housetrain a dog was to rub its nose in urine.