So often we get questions as to why, in all of our training classes, do we use so many treats! People hear they should be using positive reinforcement to train their dogs but so often they don’t really know why they are doing it other than it sounds pretty good. If you’ve ever wondered why we use treats, or why it works, this month’s article is for you.
Why do we use positive reinforcement training?
Positive Reinforcement, aside from sounding nice, is actually a scientific term that means adding something (that’s the positive part) which makes the subject increase a given behavior (that is the reinforcement part). The word positive doesn’t refer to it being a good thing, but it does just so happen that in order to make someone do something more, adding something good is the way to do it.
We try to use it because it is, arguably, the most direct way to get a behavior you want while also being the least potentially damaging to your relationship with your dog. Think of it this way: Imagine you are trying to get your dog to sit. Now imagine he looks away. If you yell at him for looking away, does that actually give him any information about the behavior you do want? No. It only ruled out looking away. Now what if he tries barking instead? If you punish him for that as well, you still haven’t given your dog any clue as to what behavior you do want and now your dog might be feeling a little annoyed by you. Nobody wants to hang out with someone who is angry 90% of the time and so telling your dog they are wrong at every turn isn’t going to do much to improve your relationship and it isn’t going to make your dog want to try to figure out what is right either. In his eyes, you think he’s wrong most of the time and you are really not a whole lot of fun to be around when you are mad, so why bother?
Positive reinforcement training gets right to the point. Essentially you are saying, “This is what I would like you do to and the more you do it, the more great stuff will happen for you.” Not only that, but when you are your dog are communicating well, you will both be less frustrated and you can enjoy being with each other more.
Why food?
The thing that is reinforcing or punishing is entirely dependent on the animal or human in question. For some people getting to go skydiving would be an amazing reinforcement for a behavior. For others, that would be a terrifying punishment! Reinforcement is always in the eye of the beholder. Food is, for dogs, one of the most universal reinforcers which is why we often use that for training. That is not to say that all food is equal. Not even close! My dog would find steak far more reinforcing than a Milkbone. My dog would also probably tell you that getting to play frisbee is more reinforcing than Milkbones, but that a piece of steak would beat frisbee any day.
There is also context to consider. My dog will work for praise inside our house. He would find getting attention or petting from me to be very rewarding for many basic behaviors. However, if we are outside playing frisbee and I try to pet him for bringing the frisbee back, he would find that punishing! In that context, my petting him is a punishment because he is all jazzed up and wants to keep playing frisbee! By stopping to pet him, I am punishing him for bringing the frisbee back. What would be reinforcing in that context is to throw the frisbee again. Remember, reinforcement is in the eye of the beholder. Although I like to think my dog loves my praise all the time and in all circumstances, I have to put my ego in check and recognize that is not always the case. If my dog is working really hard on some new training and I pet him in the middle of really hard behavior like a stay, that is probably also punishing! In that moment my dog is probably thinking “Hey, stop that! I’m trying to think!” and so I will save my petting for after or between exercises when my dog isn’t trying so hard to focus. I have to recognize that sometimes the frisbee or the steak is going to beat attention from me even if most of the time, my dog thinks I’m the greatest thing since deli sliced ham (did you really think he’d say sliced bread?).
That is why we use food for class. Food, because it is something primary to a dog’s existence (something they need to survive), it is almost always going to be toping the charts of every dog’s reinforcement list. We want our dogs to really WANT to do things for us and the best way to do that is to reward them with the good feelings associated with getting something tasty that they really love.
Does that mean we have to use food forever?
Yes and no. Let me explain. We use A LOT of food in the beginning in order to train a behavior. We do this so that we can build a really strong reinforcement history. The idea is that, we use a lot of food as a reward for behavior so that over time we can decrease the amount of rewards and the dog will still find the behavior itself reinforcing. Think about it this way: When was the last time you needed someone to remind you to put on your shoes before leaving the house? When you were a child, your family trained you that in order to leave, shoes needed to be put on. Back then there was most certainly praise or some other reward for doing so, or consequences for not doing so. Today, you get up every day and put on shoes before leaving for work without having anyone remind you to do so. This is because real life reinforcers have taken over. You were rewarded for putting shoes on every time you stepped outside and didn’t step on something that hurt your foot. You were rewarded by not being ridiculed at work or on the train to the office. You were rewarded by people who noticed your shoes and complimented them. The point is that at one point putting on shoes was a conscious effort that required a good deal of reinforcement to keep you doing it. Now, more subtle reinforcers have taken over and you no longer require immediate and direct reinforcement for that behavior.
Your dog will learn the same way. If you teach him to sit using food then you can start to wean off the food and let other “real life” reinforcers take over. Instead of a food reward, perhaps you will reward your dog with attention when he or she sits. Or perhaps you will let your dog go outside. Or put on his or her leash to go for a walk. Or play ball! Other reinforcing items start to take the place of the food. The food was the bridge to get you there.
You will still want to keep rewarding the behaviors, however. Periodically bringing back food rewards will ensure the behavior sticks and doesn’t fade in reliability over time. In the same way you wouldn’t go to work if you never got a paycheck, your dog is not going to keep doing behaviors that aren’t natural to them just because you’d like them to. They will need a paycheck from time to time! Praise and real life reinforcers can get you from one pay period to the next, but they may never fully replace a regular “salary” of food reinforcement.
Use reinforcement in your favor.
One final point to keep in mind is this: behavior is happening ALL THE TIME. Everything your dog does is getting either reinforced or punished either by you, someone else, or the environment itself. The more you can manage the environment, the easier it will be to manage behavior. Your dog can never be reinforced for jumping up on the couch (self-reinforcing because it is soft and comfortable) if your dog doesn’t have access to that room in the house. Your dog can’t be reinforced for jumping on people if he’s never been given the opportunity (either by being leashed or behind a barrier). Make sure you and the environment you set up for your dog are only rewarding behaviors you WANT from your dog. If you set your dog up for success, then the intentional reinforcement of behaviors that you do will get you that much further along because you won’t be in competition with an environment that is reinforcing things you dislike! Set your dog up for getting it right and reward it when you see it so that you and your dog can both live happily ever after together.
Happy Training!
Nicole Lorenzetti Yuhas CPDT-KA
This blog is intended to be informative as well as entertaining. It contains my opinion which may not reflect the opinions of any organization I may be affiliated with. My opinions should not be interpreted as those of my coworkers, family, friends, casual acquaintances, and certainly not the opinion of my cat, although my dog probably agrees with everything I say, if for no other reason, than because I provide the treats and meals (cats are less inclined to agree with anyone but themselves). Information provided here is accurate and true to the best of my knowledge but, as information and opinions change, neither the facts nor the opinions expressed here may be true or accurate at any future date. As I don’t currently own a time machine, I cannot be responsible for things that prove to be untrue, or opinions I change my mind about, should those changes become apparent in the future. It should also be noted that, as I am human, there may be omissions, errors or mistakes in the information provided here. Frankly, even if I were a computer, it is likely there would be errors, as computers, in my experience, can be a royal pain in the butt. This blog may contain affiliate links which you are under no obligation to click. If you click them, they will hopefully take you the place I intended. But they may not. As I’ve said, computers can be a pain. If you find yourself somewhere you don’t think I intended, click your ruby slippers three times together and say, “there is no place like home.” If you do that, and click the “back” button, you should be safely returned. Computers can, at times, have a mind of their own. Any training suggestions or opinions expressed here should be taken as information only and should not be seen as advice particular to you or your dog’s unique situation. Please consult with a training professional before taking any action.