The Trainers Toolbox (Classical vs. Operant Conditioning)
The journey of training your dog involves tapping into two powerful techniques: classical conditioning and operant conditioning. These methods might sound complex, but fear not – we're about to demystify them in straightforward terms. Along the way, we'll explore the art of rewards, punishments, and gain insights into the behaviors that make our furry friends tick.
Classical Conditioning: What is it?
To put it simply, it’s the power of association. Just like a song can seem to transport you back to prom night in high school, dogs can learn to associate words with actions. For instance, when your pup hears your marker (“YES”) and you follow it up with a scrumptious treat, they start to connect the dots. It's like they're saying, "Got it, when they say 'yes,' a treat is coming!" As a result, they're more likely to understand exactly what behaviors unlock the treat box.
Operant Conditioning: What’s the difference?
Think of operant conditioning as a series of high-fives for nailing life's challenges. Imagine teaching your dog to fetch a ball. When they bring it back, you create a mini-celebration – think cheers and maybe even a treat. Soon, they grasp the equation: fetch equals fun and treats. So, they keep on fetching, turning it into a game they love. This can also work in the opposite direction. Let’s say your dog jumps up on you and you raise your knee up (ouch!) instead of laughing, scratches, loves, etc. The knee is going to make it much less likely that your dog jumps up next time. In essence Operant Conditioning is tuning specific outcomes to make desirable behaviors MORE likely to occur and undesirable behaviors LESS likely to occur.
Now, let's delve into consequences, the outcomes that make our training strategies a success.
Positive Reinforcement: This is “adding” something to the equation that reinforces a behavior. Like a treat when a command is obeyed.
Negative Reinforcement: This is “removing” something from the equation to reinforce a behavior. An example of this would be giving a command and simultaneously turning on a low-level e-collar stimulus. Once the command is followed, the stimulus is turned of (removed from the equation).
Positive Punishment: This is adding a stimulus to decrease the likelihood of an unwanted behavior. Imagine your dog excitedly jumps up on a visitor on a walk and you give a leash correction. In this case you add a stimulus (a leash correction) to the equation to discourage the behavior from happening in the future.
Negative Punishment: Is removing stimulus to discourage a behavior. Suppose your pup loves playtime but tends to play too rough. If they play bite in a heightened sense of arousal, you could terminate the play session (remove the fun) . They catch on that gentle play is rewarded with extended fun, guiding them to adjust their play.
The purpose of this post isn’t to point out that any one of these techniques is better than another. On the contrary, they are equally important in rounding out your training toolbox. Mastering these foundational principles will provide a framework for life with your pup as you go on to encounter situations outside of your everyday life.
