If you haven’t read the blog on positive and negative reinforcement, you should start there.
I’ve spoken ad nauseum about B.F Skinner’s use of positive and negative reinforcement – and how he defines “positive reinforcement” as the removal of negative reinforcement. People seem to think that Skinner was an animal trainer – he was not. He didn’t care about the animals in the lab – he used them to understand how to apply positive and negative reinforcement – without needing the brain – on the human animal. He didn’t shock people in his human practice. And he damned well didn’t treat train people in his care.
But he did prove that shock and treats will work on the human animal.
What is a negative reinforcer? Is fear not a negative reinforcer? How about anger? What about frustration? When you take your scared dog for a walk or out to a pet store – you are literally putting that dog into a state of “negative reinforcement”. You are applying pressure to the dog. To ice that cake, some people are choosing to shock the dog or prong the dog that is in a state of “negative reinforcement”.
When you treat or reward a dog that’s in “negative reinforcement”, what do you think that’s doing to the dog? Good boy? This is how I want you? Never mind the fact that the dog is now being forced to pump the stress hormone cortisol – and you’re rewarding that as well. By rewarding a dog that is under stress – in that state of “negative reinforcement”, you’re forcing the dog to stress eat. On top of that, your forcing a dog that is in “negative reinforcement” to justify that reward you are offering. If you don’t understand what that means, you might want to read Skinner himself.
The “Quadrants Of Dog Training” literally dictate that you take away the dogs free will, take away the dogs ability to make a choice. Cause that’s what Skinner was doing in a lab. The quadrants also dictate that you reward and punish everything in the dog – that isn’t allowed to make a choice. Cause that’s what Skinner was doing to animals in a lab environment. He didn’t take that to his human practice.
Does that make sense to you?
Then people wonder why it doesn’t work?
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Phyllis regan 31 December 2022
What doesnt work? Using food reward? Its doesnt work for people when they do not know how, when whete or why. Food reward is a natural reinforcer, easiest to use and proven to work. Saying food reward doesnt work is like saying a seat belt doesnt work.
Learn how, when , where and why to use a specific tool. Stress eating? Its called counter conditioning and desensitizing. Its done when the dog is in a low level of stress or as little as possible. Not above threshold. AND food calms it literally raises dopamine which counters the effects of anxiety or fear. Again used when the dog is at a lower state of arousal. Not panic mode.
monty 31 December 2022 — Post author
I have a question. When did it become “normal” for humans to carry a bag of food for the lifespan of the dog? Treats can work, so can shock – is it really necessary? No, not at all.
People need to learn to “be” the highest value treat in the dogs life – be “positive reinforcement”.