Let me tell you about my journey training Lucy. It wasn't easy, and I made plenty of mistakes along the way, but I learned a lot.
Watching Lucy go through this was heartbreaking.
positive and negative reinforcement have become buzzwords for animal behaviorists.
I wish I had known this sooner.
confusion exists over the difference between positive reinforcement and rewards.
Watching Lucy go through this was heartbreaking.
for example, if you ask your dog to “sit” and they comply, and you say “good dog, you can have a cookie,” and you trot off to the kitchen to get a dog cookie from the jar on the counter, then the cookie is your dog’s reward..
On the other hand, if you have treats already in hand, you ask your dog to sit, they do so, you say, “Yes!” and you reveal the treat, then you have positively reinforced the behavior..
If you’re working on “down” and “stay” commands, and while the dog remains down you give them soothing praise and drop small treats to them, that will positively reinforce the behavior of staying down because you let them know they are doing the right thing while they are still in position..
I wish I had known this sooner.
most dogs work extremely well with a combination of positive reinforcement and rewards.
When you use treats, be sure to remember to give praise before the treat.
That way, your dog associates the praise with food, ensuring that they will eventually work for praise alone.
Training treats should be small, which for an average size dog would be about the size of a Cheerio.
Use something soft and easy to eat in one bite.
What about negative reinforcement.
The word negative implies that something bad is happening, but negative reinforcement is more about “pressure.” When training around distractions, apply pressure, then release it the instant the dog performs the appropriate behavior..
An example would be a Gentle Leader head halter, or a Good Dog plastic training collar, which applies pressure if the dog pulls, but is released the moment the dog is walking in the right place.
It is self-correcting, so the dog does not necessarily perceive the negative as being applied by the owner but instead can associate that they, the dog, are in control of the collar..
I felt so guilty when I realized what was happening.
both positive and negative reinforcement are useful training tools.
Almost all living beings need a balance of positive and negative reinforcement if they are going to perform a behavior reliably in distracting conditions.
Sure, we human beings work well for positive reinforcement (praise from the boss) and rewards (paychecks!).
Dogs are no different.
In fact, most dogs are like a toddler who would choose candy for dinner and play over a bath.
If you're going through something similar, know that you're not alone. And definitely talk to your vet - they know way more than I do!
Source: This article is based on information from DogTime