There have been countless styles and techniques used for training dogs ever since humans and dogs partnered up tens of thousands of years ago. Over time they have changed and evolved to mold canine behavior for a wide variety of purposes. Relatively recently there has been a dramatic shift in training methodologies and approaches as the entire dog industry is moving away from the use of aversive techniques that rely on pain, fear, force, and domination and instead are focusing on positive reinforcement. These changes have not been swift as entire generations are being forced to change their perspectives but the changes are here and they are here to stay.
We attended the Assistance Dog International conference last year and the same words were in everyone’s mouths, positive reinforcement. But what is positive reinforcement? There is a lot of misunderstanding about this hot button topic. While the industry as a whole is slowly adopting positive reinforcement we were born in it. As such we have taken the simple concepts that define this training style and have elevated them to an entirely new level.
For us Positive Reinforcement is not throwing treats at a dog. Positive Reinforcement is the coincident praise you give any person or animal for behaving correctly or performing the job well. We do use treats for the younger dogs in certain situations but the treats are always a secondary reinforcer. Praise is the primary reinforcer and we have found that dogs will execute what they have been taught forever with this style of training and be happy to do it. Humans in general are terrible at this. How often have you been in school, on a team, or in the workplace where your successes are ignored or taken for granted but your failures are addressed? Why do we create a negative only interaction environment. If it makes us miserable, frustrated, and angry to be treated that way why would we expect something different from the dogs we train? In order to have a successful training interaction the dog must not only know what not to do but also shown what to do instead and praised succinctly and immediately for its success.
For us, corrections have little merit. Keep it simple, make the cause and effect easy to comprehend for the pup. If the dog gets no reaction from you when it engages in an unwanted behavior but gets a positive response when it behaves correctly, it will naturally gravitate to the desired behavior.
This does require that you are prepared and ready to deliver praise exactly when the pup does the right thing. It is also important to note here that with advanced positive reinforcement we know every dog is different and as such the training approach will be just as unique. Each dog learns differently and at different speeds so cookie cutter training regiments can easily leave a dog behind that has the potential to be an excellent service dog. With aversive training methods the dogs are forced down a very linear path and will sink or swim. With positive reinforcement the dogs are given the space to adapt and grow using their unique skills and abilities. By doing this the percentage of successful graduations and placements increases markedly.
When the dog has become used to its new home and the rules of its new environment, corrections can be introduced though it is very important to point that we define a correction somewhat differently. Our form of correction is more of a conversation then any kind of aversive method. If the pup is engaging in an unwanted behavior I might say: “We don’t do that.” This is merely an interrupter of the behavior. It stops the pup from engaging in the behavior but doesn’t teach them anything. The instructional loop is closed when you redirect them to another behavior and immediately praise the desired or acceptable behavior for that situation. The praise or Positive Reinforcement is what teaches the dog, not the “reprimand”.
Communication is key with this style of training. We are not forcing the dog to do anything. Rather, we are guiding the pup to think about its situation and make the right choices.
Three forms of distinct communication are used in our Service Dog program: verbal directives, hand signals, and by far the most important=
body language.
Most dogs excel at reading body language. We have to teach every human that we work with to take a deeper look at what they are saying with their body. It is often the case that the human is saying one thing with their mouth, yet another thing with their hands and something else with their body language. This is very confusing for the dog. It makes things so much easier for everyone when our mouth, hands, and body language all are saying the same thing. With a little practice you won’t even need to use your mouth or your hands to “speak” with your dog. You can even give praise to your dog by just using your body language.
What are the benefits of using Positive Reinforcement?
First, the dogs are happy. I’m sure we have all seen dogs that just look miserable with their heads low and sad, not interacting with anyone or anything and only doing what it has been specifically commanded to do. We have found that our dogs trained with advanced positive reinforcement are happy, healthy, and excited to work and are not fearful of any correction or punishment because they have never experienced it. This allows them to make independent decisions that will benefit the human. Aversively trained dogs will only do what they are told for fear of being punished. Our Service Dogs will look at their human in a very proactive way instead of only doing what they were taught. We often hear from our clients that they can’t believe that we taught the dog to do a particular thing and we reply that we didn’t teach them to do that, we gave them the space and latitude to do what needed to be done. It is our belief that the Positive Reinforcement method of training we use tees the dog up to think and do the right thing. Without fear of an aversive correction or punishment the sky is the limit.