What does “Positive Training Methods” mean?

It is a hotbed for discussion among trainers, non-trainers, and wannabe trainers to be certain. It is definitely a tool for marketing that catches the eye of many dog owners. Positive training, as explained (and understood) by many is not what most claim it to be. It is much more.

It begs a very serious question if science is the true premise for a particular method. Does it mean using all "positive reinforcement"? Many, most actually, would give a resounding YES!

Well, the science, based on B.F. Skinner's work in operant conditioning must ask a follow up question: Would that include correction, scientifically called positive punishment? Afterall, it was part of his complete scientific work.

Or, is it a commitment to using only positive thoughts, giving rewards for good behavior and simply ignoring bad behaviors? That rarely works, but it can work for the right dog. Trainers around the globe argue about this concept, yet still mention science as their reason to employ only “positive reinforcement” methods for every dog. It is flawed thinking on many levels.

Reality shows us that dogs learn "correction" as early as being in their litter, from littermates and their mother. They also learn it from other dogs - yep, that humpy dog at the dog park that gets growled at just got a correction - he might even get a nip to fend him off - or a stern no! from its owner. Is that positive or negative? Believe it or not, it is positive - positive punishment. Confused? So are most dog trainers. One thing is certain, most people will agree that the humpy dog needs to “learn” not to be so humpy, and it is widely accepted and welcomed when corrected.

Challenging, right? If your trainer says they use only positive methods, you should question what it means to them. Do they truly understand the science?

Now, to explain what all this means. Positive punishment differs from positive reinforcement in only one aspect: whether the behavior is encouraged or discouraged.

Positive punishment involves adding something unpleasant to discourage a behavior. Positive reinforcement involves adding something pleasant to encourage a behavior.

Although “punishment” sounds very negative, it’s not necessarily a negative thing. In operant conditioning, punishment is simply the discouragement of a behavior; it can be as simple as making a dog sit while it prefers to play and jump on you.

After a dog has learned that sitting once it approaches you is what you expect positive reinforcement by means of a reward (praise or a treat) will encourage the dog to repeat this behavior each time. Soon enough, it can become a learned behavior and done all of the time without thinking much about it.

Negative reinforcement is an attempt to influence behavior by taking away something unpleasant. Both methods are used to influence behavior, but positive punishment works to remove or decrease a “bad” behavior while negative reinforcement seeks to encourage or increase a “good” behavior. Not what you thought it meant? Here is an everyday example.

Allowing a dog freedom from its leash when it displays good walking behavior can be considered negative reinforcement for many dogs. You have taken away a restraint or limitation based on good behavior of walking at your side. Probably not what you thought. You can then reward for remaining with you, positive reinforcement. The hope is an eventual off-leash trained dog that enjoys being next to you. For other dogs, taking it off the leash could be considered negative punishment because it finds comfort in being on the leash. The complexities of operant conditioning go far beyond having a treat bag full of snacks, far beyond using rewards for what you perceive as good behavior. It is not really about good or bad behavior, it is about adding or subtracting reinforcement.

While the science of training can be a bit difficult to decipher, here are some facts you can count on. The average dog has the brain function of about a 2-year old child - this means some more and some less. A 2-year old child continues development into adulthood, learning new things, and applying reasoning skills based on new experiences. A dog stays right at that 2-year old level, with a flatter brain than a human, all the while using only about 10% for reasoning. Much of its memory is used for survival - recalling past experiences and acting accordingly. A dog has roughly 500 million neurons in their brain. In contrast, a human uses nearly 30% of its brain for processing in the frontal lobe of a brain that consists of roughly 86 billion neurons. To create a clearer picture of brain/body function/reaction think in terms of pennies. A million pennies is $10,000.00 while a billion pennies is $10,000,000.00.

Because of these neurons (or lack of neurons) the rate of synapsis is very different in dogs and humans. Synapses are part of the circuit that connects sensory organs, like those that detect pain or touch, or even smell in the peripheral nervous system to the brain. Synapses connect neurons in the brain to neurons in the rest of the body and from those neurons to the muscles. Muscles that create movement, or lack of movement. Action vs inaction. Lunging at another dog or calmly walking past another dog. Get the picture? Sometimes we must create new, good experiences where there are memories of bad experiences and negative reactions.

Our trainers can help you sort out the convoluted narrative of operant conditioning as it applies to dog training. Our training system simplifies the concept and gets you communicating effectively with proper practice.

Teaching humans how to lead their dog is what we do. Teaching humans why their dog acts a particular way, and how to manage for change (over time) is far more difficult than using a single training “method”, but creates a stress free relationship.

We use many methods to achieve results, based solely on the individual dog because every dog is different due to their unique drives, character, genetics, and past experiences. Every dog and human is trained with a positive ending we call NET+Positive. This encourages good behavior and a dog that wants to do “good” by being intentional in adding something positive to their experience.

You must be intentional in order to have a dog that trusts you and becomes confident in any situation. You must be a willing and able leader (or committed to becoming one), capable of recognizing that your dog is a dog in order for it to be the best it can be. You must understand limitations and be willing to set boundaries. You must be willing to work on communication. This might sound pretty familiar because you do the same things building any healthy relationship.

Happy training!