I never went to college.
Never took a formal class on behavior.
What I have is more valuable than an education with some letters behind my name.
You can’t beat real world experience. The college eggheads are big on classroom instruction but short on real world experience.
Here’s what I’m talking about:
Psychology Today published a January 29, 2019 article titled:
“Science Shows Positive Reward-Based Dog Training Is Best. A new training program from Canada’s BC SPCA is a model for all to follow.”
This article was written by Marc Bekoff Ph.D.
And in my humble but accurate opinion, this article is why there is so much confusion in dog training.
Here’s why…
…there are times when positive reinforcement does not work.
WAIT?? WHAT?!?
You’ve heard positive reinforcement fixes everything. We should only use positive reinforcement.
Not so fast, cupcake.
Behavior is much more complex than tossing a few treats at your dog.
Reinforcement is how you increase behavior. Food is a great way to reinforce.
BUT…what if the dog does not want treats?
What if you are working with a dog terrified to go up stairs? Or walk across a floor? A dog so scared they don’t want treats? They don’t care about your praise, affection, or food.
Luckily I don’t listen to the “experts” at Psychology Today.
Last week I had a Newfoundland come in who refused to walk on slippery floors. No amount of treats or positive reinforcement worked on this big guy.
When I met the dog I knew it would take about a half hour to fix. I told the owner it would only take us one lesson.
She was skeptical.
I know, it’s hard to believe someone would doubt me.
Here’s the Google review she was kind enough to write:
“My Newfoundland refused to walk on hardwood or tile floors for 2 years after he slipped and scared himself in my kitchen. I brought him to Eric just 1 time, and within 45 minutes, my dog was confidently walking on hardwood floors! To say this is a miracle would be putting it mildly. Admittedly, I seriously doubted that Eric would be able to cure my dog of his phobia; I am so glad to be proven wrong! Eric was so patient and thoughtful throughout the entire session. He clearly has a passion for improving the lives of dogs. I cannot believe that after 2 years, I can actually bring my dog places again without it being a huge ordeal for both of us. If your dog is in need of any type of training, do not hesitate to call Eric for help!”
Why was I so confident?
How did I know I’d be able to help this dog? One reason is because I don’t follow the dribble they print in Psychology Today.
I knew treats (AKA positive reinforcement) would not work. We were going to use the other form of reinforcement.
We used NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT.
Negative reinforcement is NOT punishment. It is NOT a correction.
It is low level pressure. You apply pressure until the behavior happens.
The best example I can give you is your seatbelt.
You wear your seatbelt because of low level pressure (AKA negative reinforcement). When you put the key into the ignition you hear this sound:
DING.
DING.
DING.
To make the ding stop you do a behavior. You put your seatbelt on and the ding stops.
Perfect example of negative reinforcement. It didn’t hurt you. You were not emotionally scarred. You didn’t become aggressive.
Low level negative reinforcement nudged you to do a life saving behavior.
Low level negative reinforcement is how I helped a dog terrified of slippery floors.
Low level negative reinforcement is how I helped this dog have a better life.
So much for science!
There is much more to dog training than JUST positive reinforcement.
Anyway, if you are struggling with your dog, go here NEXT:
All the best,
Eric
