What Is Positive Reinforcement in Dog Training?

​Positive reinforcement is a method of dog training that is generally considered humane and effective. Dictionary.com describes this type of training as offering desirable consequences or effects in exchange for a certain type of behavior with the aim of increasing the occurrence of such behavior in the future. This training methodology involves rewarding the dog when it exhibits desired or acceptable behavior, as opposed to punishing the dog for exhibiting unaccepted or bad behavior. For example, if a dog trainer has a reactive dog that’s usually triggered by the presence of another dog, the trainer might ask the dog to sit, and when the dog sits, the trainer rewards the dog with a treat or a belly rub.

Positive reinforcement is considered a wholesome form of dog training because it helps to establish trust, interest, and motivation between the dog and the trainer. When the dog is aware that it will be rewarded when it behaves in a certain way, it will continue to behave in that specific manner. Unlike other forms of dog training that might involve coercion or instilling fear in the dog, getting the dog to do the right thing on its own accord results in mutual respect between the trainer and the dog, and it reduces the likelihood of the dog demonstrating aggressive and damaging behavior. The training method is effective in helping dogs know or determine what their trainer desires or expects of them.

When a dog is trained through punishment or fear, it might experience a spike in stress levels. Stress in dogs often results in behaviors like excessive submission, avoidance, and aggression. Stephanie Deldalle and Florence Gaunet of the University of Paris-Nord and the Laboratoire de Psychologie Cognitive published research in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior. This research noted that dogs that were trained through aversive methods are significantly more likely to exhibit signs of stress than dogs that were trained using positive reinforcement. This is why dog trainers recommend that positive reinforcement be used to train nervous, shy, and traumatized dogs.

Further, compared to other forms of dog training, positive reinforcement might take a lot of time and consistency to get the dog to behave in the desired manner; however, it is instrumental to achieving long-term positive behavioral change in the dog. Because positive reinforcement requires the dog to repeat the actions of its own volition, there is a higher likelihood that the behaviors stick and eventually become habits.

Another key benefit of positive reinforcement is that it applies to dogs of different sizes, ages, and breeds. While the style of positive reinforcement might be stylized to meet the peculiarities of the particular dog, it essentially achieves the same result in almost all dogs.

While positive reinforcement is instrumental to achieving long-term behavioral changes in dogs, It might require a lot of time and dedication on the part of the trainer. For instance, the dog trainer is expected to identify what drives or motivates the dog. Dogs have different interests, so the dog trainer should identify such interests and adopt them as a form of reward. For instance, some dogs prefer belly rubs, some prefer toys, and some want treats. The trainer should determine the dog’s interest and use it as a tool for positive reinforcement.

Also, the trainer should pay attention to when they reward the dog. They should not reward the dog before it exhibits the desired behavior. Rather, the dog should be rewarded after it has exhibited the expected behavior.

Finally, the trainer must remain consistent in their reward pattern. When the trainer is consistent with how they reward the dog, the dog will easily decipher what is expected of it. When the reward pattern is inconsistent, the dog might become confused and stressed.

Artemizia Walker-Chinoy

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