In the world of dog training, the words positive and negative don’t always hold the same connotation that they do in unassociated context. In a distinct conversation, we’d more than likely use the word positive to describe something as good, encouraging or affirming. When using the word negative, we’d probably use it to describe something as bad, distasteful, or pessimistic.
When used in the world of dog training, the words positive and negative are connected to the four principles of operant conditioning: positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative punishment.
It’s a common misconception that when you incorporate a positive method, that you’ll create a positive emotion and/or response in your dog. It’s also assumed that when you apply a negative method, that you’ll create a negative emotion and/or response in your dog. However, that’s not entirely true.
The positive (+) represents adding a stimulus to either increase or decrease a behaviour.
The negative (-) represents removing a stimulus to either increase or decrease a behaviour.
(+) When a dog performs a behaviour that you want, you give them a reward. This is positive reinforcement, and by adding a stimulus such as a treat, the dog is more likely to perform the behaviour again.
(-) When a dog’s bottom is pressed down into a sit command with the owner’s hand, the hand is then removed. The removal of the owner’s hand is what reinforces the behaviour and increases the likelihood of the dog sitting on command to avoid the intervention of the unpleasant stimulus. This is negative reinforcement; the negative being the removal of the hand.
(+) When a dog barks at a stranger walking past their house and their owner yells “stop” or taps the dog on the nose, they’re adding a punishment to decrease the likelihood of the behaviour happening again. The addition of the punishment (whether it’s verbal or physical) is what makes it a positive punishment. Positive punishment is used more than people realise. When we use the words “no”, “leave” and “ah ah”, although they’re not expressed with superior intentions, they are a positive punishment because they’re added to reduce a behaviour.
(-) When you’re walking your dog and they start to pull on the leash, you stop walking until they stop pulling. You’re removing the stimulus of walking until the dog stops pulling, it’s a classic example of negative punishment, with the negative aspect being the removal of the walk.
I also want to touch on counter-conditioning, which is when you present a dog with a stimulus that induces a negative emotion and couple it with a stimulus that induces a positive emotion. This is a form of behaviour modification that targets the emotional response of the trigger.
I work towards meeting dogs’ needs and helping them overcome obstacles by incorporating positive reinforcement and counter-conditioning for behaviour modification. While it’s almost impossible to avoid positive punishment (addition of verbal reprimands) and negative punishment (removal of stimulus), they can be heavily avoided by working at each dog’s pace, not overwhelming them with too many tasks or taking them to high distraction environments to push for quick achievements.
While positive punishment will create quick results (using prong and shock collars, for example, which are the poster art for aversive tools), I see those results as an illusion. The behaviour is masked by fear of punishment taking place, but it doesn’t remove the underlying emotion that triggered the original behaviour. I would much rather have a longer journey with a dog and work at their pace, counter-conditioning and using positive reinforcement as much as possible, instead of instilling more negative emotions in a dog with more harmful, aversive methods.
I also want to add that timing with positive punishment is critical. If this is a route you decide to go down, then you need to implement it as the behaviour is presented. Say you leave your dog home alone and then they chew up your cushions while you’re out, and then you arrive home to see the mess. You might decide to berate or even hit your dog, yet you didn’t see the behaviour happen, and there’s not nearly enough evidence to support dogs feeling guilt and knowing that they shouldn’t have done something.
When you intervene too late, not only is that an act of cruel behaviour on your part, but it also crushes your relationship with your dog. Hence the rise of positive reinforcement in dog training.
What we need to ask ourselves is why we’re adding reinforcements and punishments, and why we’re removing stimulus. Is it to support our dogs or to support ourselves? What emotion does this create in our dogs? What behaviour increases and what decreases? How do these methods support our dogs in the long run? Does this increase our dogs’ trust in us? Philosophising the bigger picture can help you succeed in helping your dogs thrive.
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