Why to Avoid Negative Reinforcement Training for your Dog

It's one of the most common mistakes someone without a lot of dog training experience will make: trying to get the dog to "avoid" a behavior by punishing them for it. But does this really work, and if it did, wouldn't it be much easier to train dogs? One of the first distinctions that you have to learn in working with dogs is that they don't respond to punishment the same way humans will: in many cases, the dog doesn't even know what it's being punished for. Does this sound like productive training to you? It probably doesn't. Let's learn more about why you should avoid negative reinforcement training.

Most of dog training will actually occur at "the point of." This phrase simply means that you train your dog's behavior as the behavior is happening. If a dog is exhibiting a behavior you don't approve of, you simply remove the dog from the situation or give it a quick nip to take its mind off of what it was doing. If the dog is exhibiting a behavior you do approve of, you'll produce a treat or another reward (affection is a simple one) in order to reinforce that behavior.

Yes, dogs will avoid behaviors if they know that that behavior will produce some sort of negative response. That is the essence and theory behind negative reinforcement. But adding to a dog's fears and anxieties isn't exactly the most productive way to get them to become a healthy member of your household.

Instead, a dog will respond just as strongly to positive actions that lead to positive results.

You might say, "well, I've given Rex a treat to get him to come off my leather couch, and he doesn't seem interested."

You're approaching it the wrong way. Don't bribe dogs to do anything - they'll just perceive you as a provider of food, not the commander of the household. Wait until Rex comes off the couch and then produce a treat. Or give Rex a treat when he avoids the couch altogether. Rex will take notice that him being on the couch doesn't get him the rewards he wants, so he'll change his behavior.

The key is not to train the dog only, but to train yourself. You have to be able to provide consistent feedback for a dog to take notice. This is why many people misuse negative reinforcement and it only leads to more problems. Instead, be consistent with your dog, showing them affection only when they've earned it. The dog will learn positive habits and won't have the same fears that punishment can cause.

Photo Credits: terinea

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Dog Training

Posted by Dog Training Pet on March 8, 2010 in Dog Training. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.