Dog Training Philosophies and Styles

Let's start with some clear cut scientific facts.

Types of Operant Conditioning - well operant conditioning for dog training means that someone is interacting with the dog.

1. Positive Reinforcement - simply put this means you are adding something (say a treat) when a dog sits to increase the behavior of the dog sitting

2. Negative Reinforcement - you are taking something away (leash pressure on the dog's collar) when a dog sits to increase the behavior of the dog sitting

3. Positive Punishment - you are adding something (discomfort on a gentle leader) to decrease the likelihood that the dog will pull on the leash

4. Negative Punishment - you are taking away something (your attention and praise) to decrease the likelihood that the dog will jump on you

Why is it important to understand these terms?  There is a LOT of misinformation and information that is presented in ways to favor different training methods and philosophies.  I want YOU to be able to understand these basic principles so that you can make your own conclusions about dog training.

Let's start by discussing some popular dog trainers.

Karen Pryor, Zac George, Victoria Stilwell, and many trainers "certified" by the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, or Animal Behavior College make up what I will refer to as the positive only dog training philosophy.  This is also includes clicker only training, many popular dog store chains, and force free training.  The positive only dog training movement believes that dogs can be trained using ONLY positive reinforcement.  Many of these trainers use devices such as gentle leaders, no pull harnesses, spray bottles, noise, citronella collars, air blasters, and other devices to supplement their treat based training methods.

Sounds great right?  It does but lets go back to those 4 types of conditioning.  What category do these devices fall under?  Are they positive reinforcement?  Clearly these gentle or force free devices must cause some type of discomfort to work.  However these trainers, many of which have been fed information in their education telling them these are not the same as prong collars, or choke chains, truly believe they are not using positive punishment.  For me it is not the equipment used on a dog but how well the dog accepts the positive punishment and if it corrects the behavior it is being used for.  After all I would not subject a dog to positive punishment if it is not decreasing the unwanted behavior.

The Dog Whisperer has also gained popularity by encouraging owners to bond with and adapt a better understanding of the canine they live with.  His techniques are sometimes very unconventional and he does from time to time get bit.  How could one not working with dogs that suffer behavioral issues, especially aggression?  A TV show made in Hollywood can encourage people to seek professional help but it leaves many trying techniques that could be damaging or unsafe without proper training or supervision from an experienced trainer.  While many would say he only uses positive punishment, there is a good deal or praise (positive reinforcement) offered to many of the dogs he works with.

From personal experience, over 10 years training dogs in two different states for everything from teaching puppy classes to training working dogs for protection it is in my opinion that training requires an understanding of the importance of all four types of conditioning.  Throughout any of my training programs I will as much as possible discuss the reason I use certain equipment in training.

K9 180 and myself adopted a balanced or mixed style of training.  We use all areas of operant conditioning in our training methods.  The aim we have is to limit the amount of stress put on the dog during training to efficiently reach a desired training or behavioral goal.  Dogs should train to build a loving and respectful bond with their owner.  Confidence, desire to learn, focus, and motivation are keys to success for the dog as much as they are for people to be successful.