What Is Positive Dog Training?

Positive dog training was pioneered by two scientists: Ivan Pavlov and B.F. Skinner. You’ve probably heard of Pavlov, if not Skinner, due to his famous experiment where he trained a dog to salivate at the sound of a ringing bell.

The idea behind positive training for dogs is similar to that for humans. It is all about conditioning and learned behaviors. The crucial element in either case is the associate of reward and “positive outcome” with performance of the desired behavior.

Some core beliefs of the positive approach:

*Learning occurs through association and repetition

*Behavior that is rewarded is likely to be repeated.

*Behavior that is ignored (e.g. not reinforced positively or negatively)

tends to stop.

*Variable reinforcement can be used to direct the appropriate

response in situations which appear globally similar, but differ on the

detail level (e.g. playing with old tennis shoes, but leaving dress shoes

alone)

Through positive training, dogs learn to enjoy obeying commands and associate them with rewards of treats, affection, praise and love. The bond between dog and owner is based on trust, patience and respect.

Positive trainers do not believe in hitting, yelling or punishing dogs towards compliance. They consider such tactics, firstly, to be detrimental to the dog. Second, such techniques run counter to conditioning theory.

If a dog is motivated by attention, then even negative attention works to reinforce behavior. The problem is that negative attention is always given when the dog performs the exact behavior you don’t want, and this only reinforces the unwanted behavior.

If positive dog training sounds like the right approach for you, I recommend investigating it further. I’ve yet to meet a positively trained dog who isn’t a superbly behaved and delightful companion.